FileMaker: refresh and conditional formatting | Clickworks

I had to read this post twice to understand it, and liked it once I got it through my head.  Here’s the scenario:  Many times a client will want to select multiple line items in a portal and then run a script with the chosen set of related records.  Or maybe just to make it easier to see the selected records.  Either way, the final result is a series of selected portal items highlighted and thus easier to view for the user (or for the developer to do magic).  That is the setting for this trick from Jan Stieperaere of ClickWorks:

When shaking the dependency tree … mind your head!

TIP: In many pickers, we use a global variable to store the selected records in the found set. When clicking a record, the id is stored in the global variable. Then we use conditional formatting to highlight the lines selected. Unfortunately there has to be a ‘pricy’ refresh window script step for the conditional formatting to take place.

Not anymore !!!

This is how:
1. create a global field in an interface table and call it something like zgTrigger.
2. in the selection script, add the ‘set field’ script step and set zgTrigger to any value.
3. disable the refresh window script step!
4. add the zgTrigger field in the conditional formatting. You can place it in a Let() statement, so it doesn’t affect your conditional formatting calculation. Example: Let([trigger=_IF::zgTrigger];FilterValues($$ids;TABLE::__id)=TABLE::__id.

The resulting benefit:  removing the “Refresh Window” script step, which slows things down a bit and can cause screen flashes.  Read the whole thing.

FileMaker: refresh and conditional formatting | Clickworks.

Reminder:  FileMakerProGurus is an Amazon Affiliate.  By clicking the ad below and then making you purchases, you will not be charged more, but we will get a small percentage of the sale from Amazon. Making it easier to keep this website going. Thanks for your help.