716a. Merging Conflicted FM Files

KEYWORDD 1st in real keyword title here

Other Office Information

Preventing Conflicted Filemaker Files

Chantel seldom if ever opens this file.
I seldom if ever open this file during business hours.
Mollie probably opens it the most.
Marilyn opens it probably a couple of times a month.
Closing it promptly after use is important.
After closing it ensuring a conflicted copy was not made in the next 15 seconds assures you there is none.
Merging the files promptly is important.
FM files are programmed to auto-close after they have been open for 1 hour but sometimes that feature does not work,

I use FM on 4 different computers at my home and can easily conflict myself that way. But I believe Marilyn only uses her one work computer and therefore could not conflict herself.

Merging Conflicted Filemaker Files

Step 1:  Ensure no one else has these Filemaker files open, then open Master Filemaker file and Conflicted Filemaker File. Position them side by side for comparison.  Make a copy of both Filemaker files for backup.

Step 2:  Click the button “1st” on each file (near the top left of the image). 

Step 3:  Compare the number of records shown on each file (at the top just below file name, greyed out:  in this case, see 1747 as opposed to 1753)

Step 4:  Compare totals of “CK AMT” (in this case, see 1,412,785.60 as apposed to 1,420,525.52)

Step 5:  Compare totals of “Deposit AMT” (in this case, see 1,426.292.93 as opposed to 1,444,946.76) and the total number of records in each file.

Step 6:  If Steps 3 through 5 above have the same values for “CK AMT”, “Deposit AMT”, and the same number of records in both copies, close both copies and delete the conflicted copy.  Otherwise, continue with Step 7.

Step 7:  If the Master file has valid records in it that the Conflicted file does not, those records should be ignored and omitted (using Command T) for each record.  Do not delete them!!!

Step 8:  If the Conflicted file has no valid “extra” records in it compared to the Master file, close both files and delete the Conflicted Filemaker file.

   8a.  If the Conflicted file has valid “extra” records in it that the Master file does not, those extra records need found and imported from the Conflicted file to the Master file. In the Conflicted file, click on the last “extra” record and omit it (using Command T); repeat “Command T” until all “extra” records are omitted.  After all Step 7 and Step 8 records described are properly omitted, then “CK AMT” and “Deposit AMT” totals in each file should agree, and the number of remaining found records should be the same in each file.  If all numbers agree, go to the next step.

   8b.  In the Conflicted file, Click the red button “Find Omitted” next to the “1st” button (near the top left of the image).  This will display the records to import to the Master File.

Step 9:  Select the Master Filemaker File, Go to upper left screen Menu items, Click on “File”, hover over “Import Records”, follow to right and click on “File…”.

Step 10:  In the window that opens at the bottom of the window, ensure that “Show:” includes “FileMaker Pro Files”.  Help computer as necessary to find Conflicted Filemaker file’s name and double click on it.  On the new window, mid-height at right, ensure in “Arrange by:”, “matching names” is selected, ensure that under “Import Action” at the left, “Add new records” is selected; click on button “Import” at lower right.  In the new window, click on the button “Import” at the lower right.  In the new window, click on “OK” at the lower right.

Step 11:  Look over the imported records in the Master Filemaker File to confirm you got what you needed.  If so, close both files and delete the Conflicted Filemaker file. Delete the Conflicted Filemaker and the Master Filemaker file backup copies.  Smile.