Families, Groups & People
When first learning structure and schema within any development environment, including FileMaker, the question of “Am I doing this the right way?” always seems rear its ugly head. The answer to that question, however, is not “Yes” or “No” but the more frustrating “It depends”. The reason for this ambiguous response is that the needs of the solution often dictate how it should be structured.
True, there are common pitfalls which should be avoided when planning out the structure of your database. Also, understanding fundamentals, like using a join tables, and how to get at the data you wish to display always depend on where the data resides. In this video, I showcase one of many approaches to managing groups of people. Information about how breaking down a common sentence of requested features can reveal a lot, and how to formulate your angle of attack.
If structuring data is something you’ve always had an issue with then this video may have the insight to help move you along.
Comments
Confused or just Thick?
Hi Matt. Thanks for your post.
Maybe it’s me Matt. But honestly, I have a real problem keeping up with you. I am only at intermediate level yet you seem to assume your audience knows exactly what you are talking about all the time.
I don’t think I am a stupid person but most (if not all the time) you manage to confuse the hell out of me (despite multiple rewinding’s) with the file open!
You are an eloquent speaker and obviously know your stuff but the speed at which you deliver your presentations is something to behold!
Obviously this series of video are for advanced students and developers and not for the likes of mere mortals like me. I know I'm Irish but I think I’ll have to go back to basics! Lol.
Regards
Mike
Confused or just Thick? Submitted by Michaelkirwan
That's exactly my thinking too, Mike
You Have To Dig...
Mike, I understand what you are talking about, but in Matt's defense, it can't all be covered in a single video. I've found that when he uses something that I'm not familiar with, I go digging through his other videos and the net for more information. For me, many time it's just that I don't understand a script step or function, so I go off and play around with it for awhile. One day, I just decided to go through EVERY calculation, function, and script step in FileMaker. It took me a couple of weekends of discovery, but it sure shed a lot of light on many of the things Matt does that he can't cover in a particular video. It gave me a much better understanding of FileMaker overall and gave me a much needed boost in my on endeavors. Many times Matt references other videos, which I go and watch, sometimes he doesn't, but I take that as a challenge to find out on my own answer. I've been programming for 18 years and I've had to scrounge for every tidbit of technique along the way. Don't get discouraged, just keep digging for the answers. The ones that come with much effort will stick with you and seem to be the kind that you never forget and use most often. Keep your head up, you are not confused or thick, you are normal. Or at least as normal as anyone who tries to tackle these kinds of tasks can be.
Hammaker
It's just me - not you...
To be honest, there is a very wide range of subscribers to the magazine site. For every email I get about going "too fast" and "assuming too much" I get other emails which state "my gosh you take too long to explain stuff - just get to the point already".
The big problem is that everyone is coming in from a different level of understanding. Hopefully, the combination of the video and the technique file aid in better comprehension. I'm always open to feedback about what I cover. Just send it in!
But, yes, I admit that I cram a lot of stuff within 30-40 minutes some times.
If you are reading this and at a beginner or intermediate level of your learning process, then please send me an email via the feedback form. I'll do my best to adjust what/how I present to make the content more accessible.
-- Matt Petrowsky - ISO FileMaker Magazine Editor
It's just me - not you... Submitted by Editor on Wed, 10/22/2014
As I have already told you in other occasions, they might be correct both (1 For every email I get about going "too fast" and "assuming too much" 2 you take too long to explain stuff - just get to the point already".). I mean that this the secret of a good teacher to satisfy both levels (let's say intermediated and advanced). If in doubt whether satisfy advanced or intermediate on a single item, the preference should go to the more numerous category, which will always be the intermediates.
Thick or stupid
Hi Matt ... Thanks for coming back to.. Just a thought.. Would it be an idea for you to decide the lessons accordingly .... Beginner intermediate and advanced...?
Regards
Mike