global field?

I was looking for a way I can create an invoice from a saved search of ad work orders. Since there doesn’t appear to be a way to ask for record from a Saved Search of a Form, only the entire set of records in the form, I then tried a linked form Join to match two different fields, not just one, to get the set of records I need into an invoice. Which I also can’t do. In simple terms, I need to match for the client *and* for the issue of a ‘magazine’ and get only those ad work order records.

I have a way that can work, but isn’t, um, in my face enough to make sure I don’t choose incorrectly. I’m auto entering an issue number by setting that field’s default value in the fields tab. So when I create a new invoice, the issue number is entered automatically based on that default. Together with the client ID number I can get the correct set of records from the ad work orders Form. This can work because we tend to invoice a batch invoices for the same issue at the same sitting. But we do sometimes do more than one issue at a sitting. There can be errors made if someone forgets to go into the Forms Fields and change the default entry to the correct issue number. People actually doing the invoice have discomfort with going into the Fields tab for the form, and I’d probably rather didn’t go in there either!

To avoid errors with this, I was hoping there could be a way to have what I’ll call global field (sort of like a global variable) that is big and bright and above everything else that displays the issue number we are working in. We change that, and we could write a script that uses that field to auto enter the issue number on to the invoice. This is basically what we have with our previous <!–voldemort pro–> database.

Another way may be to create a new layout that has this field at the top in large red type, but could we set such a field to not print?

We do this not just with invoices, but actually even more so with reports. I mention the invoice example as that’s the place we can make errors that are more embarrassing. :) Whatever advice can be offered is welcome and appreciated.