Enter several of the same field – question or request

[lubiewachac...@gmail.com]

I'm making a wishlist. I would like to put a link to a product and a link to a picture. But in this particular case, two products are good examples of what I want. I would like to add another of the same field after filling in the information: put the link in a "hyperlink" field and be able to put the other link in another "hyperlink" field. I don't want to add farteen same fields to the entry template, because I might not need it every time. It depends on the particular entry. It is possible to add several images in one field, so why not a field like hyperlink, or automatically duplicate the field if need arises? Technically, I can add another link after the first, but it's impossible to add a new line and the second link is not visible, so it doesn't make sense.

[John C]

I don't know what you said. Break your request into readable separate requests. Maybe use numbers to show order.

Put line feeds between paragraphs.

In other words take your time trying to deliver your message here in the forum.

[Will Siddall]

What's being asked here is a way to provide a field that allows multiple entries, referring mostly to Links/Relationships.

An example would be an inventory and assignments database (say desks and computer equipment). Each object type will have unique asset tags. The locations will have a field for each type of object assigned to that location but can multiples (some with 1 monitor, some with 2, others with 4).

The key here is to allow multiple links to a particular object while keeping a one-to-one relationship.

[Bill Crews]

So, as I parse your message, I come up with...

An inventory library of desks, computers, and other assets. Then, you mention objects & object types and locations. I'm guessing objects are assets and locations are what assets are assigned to.

So, maybe we have all those real-world things in a library maybe called Assets. I'm guessing an "object" is a particular asset uniquely identified by an ID, which is the same as the "asset tag". I'm assuming an "object type is like the desk or computer you mentioned. To keep things simple, I'll call it an asset type.

If I have that right, we might have library Assets, assuming locations seldom change; you could represent an assignment with a Radio Buttons field. I'll assume a Locations library; it'll make some list viewing better that way. I'm also assuming a location is not a broad thing, like a building or city, but a smaller space, like a floor, an office, or a cubicle, and that an assignment is to a location. In that case, you'll want a Locations library, also, maybe with entry names like building, floor, and office number. To support conference rooms and shared offices, you might want something like a sequence number (I'll call it a spot) within an office to identify the location.

Also, some asset types may be serialized, like computers, and will have a serial number. This is probably the same as your asset tag. But others, like chairs, maybe not, but for this, I'll assume so.

So, as a working example, we have a Locations library with entry fields of Building, Office, and Spot. Spot is like an area in an office with a desk or other piece of furniture where one or more computers or devices might sit. So, every spot in every office will have an entry in Locations.

Then, we have Assets, with entry name field of ID. Every entry will have an asset tag. Now, a computer asset will have a serial number, so there'll never be more than one entry for it, but it'll still have a Computer asset type. Do other assets, like chairs, have serial numbers? I'll assume they do; let me know if I'm wrong.

When you say "one-to-one relationship", it's not clear to me what has a one-to-one relationship with what, so I confess I'm not taking that remark into consideration.

So, an entry in Assets will be by ID, which the the asset tag number. Each entry will have a type.

Now, Option A (recommended) - Represent an assignment by a one-to Link to Entry field in Assets into the Locations library identifying the unique location to which it is assigned.

Option B - Represent an assignment by a many-to Link to Entry field in the Locations library, identifying all the assets assigned to it.

So, would you rather link the computer to the single desk it sits on (Option A), or would you rather link the desk to the multiple assets that are assigned to it (Option B)?

There can be advantages either way. If your database is active, changing a lot, and you want to see things sometimes one way (like from the desk's point of view) and sometimes another way (like from the computer's perspective), then Option A will work best for you. If the database doesn't change often (not many assignments) and you always care only about seeing things from the desk's point of view, you could link the desk to all its assigned assets instead of the assigned asset to the location it's been assigned to. It's more limiting, but it is similar if you care only about seeing things from the desk's point of view.

Actually, though, you should maybe try it both ways, using small test libraries, and try looking at assets in the list and individually, adding or reassigning an asset, etc. Then from the Locations side, viewing the list and individual locations, adding a set of assets to a location, etc. Once using a one-to link in Assets, and again using a many-to Link in Locations. See what works best for you. If you need any help with that, email me any time.

So, please correct my misunderstandings and help me figure out how you'll want it -- I mean how it will be used, not necessarily how you imagine it being implemented.

[John C]

Darn Bill, heck of a spec. Good job.

[lubiewachac...@gmail.com]

Wow John, no need to be rude. Clearly, Will had no problem understanding what I meant, but I'll try to explain in as simple words as I can.

1. I make a list of items I want to get. The title field is the title of the item (if it's a book, movie etc.) or the type of object (if more generic, such as lamp or mirror).
2. I want to give examples. They exist as items in internet shops. Hence, I paste a link to the item in the shop. That's what the link field is for.
3. A specific item will only have one example: The Book written by Author Writerson will be the same item in every shop.
4. A less specific item can be made by different companies, sold in different shops. But those products can have some shared qualities that fit my expectations.
5. I don't want to create separate entries for each example. I only want one item of this kind. What I want is to connect several links to shops and several links to pictures, that show examples of this product.
6. The item I get could be bought from one of the given links, or a different product that is similar enough. The links are so one can examine the characteristics of the products.
7. In some cases, I would like to only give one link in an entry. In other, I might need to give three. I don't know how many before I create the specific entry.
8. I also don't want to have extra empty link fields in those entries that only require one.
9. So, a solution would be to make it possible to auto-add a field of the same type, when I've finished filling in one, and to only some entries.

I hope I've made it clear enough for you.

In feature requests, I found one that's asking for this exact thing. So I can see that as of now, this is impossible. Hopefully it'll be implemented in the future.

[Bill Crews]

Was someone rude? I didn't notice anything like that. I hope it wasn't me.

Yes, the Memento Hyperlink field has only a single value, so to implement this, you'd need to do something creative, which would likely involve an Examples library, with an entry for each example. So, if you don't want a library like that, then maybe creative attempts are also doomed to failure at this time.

Maybe Memento will get an update where Hyperlink fields act more like many-to Link to Entry fields, but as of now, they don't.