auto enter creation/modification: Name
auto enter creation/modification: Account Name


Reviewing some routine meta data fields recently, the relevance of the 
field option for (auto enter) creation Name, and modification name is 
not apparent. It does not seem worthwhile recording it as meta data. It 
had seemed to be useful in capturing the computer system account, but 
this now seems an inaccurate perspective.


auto enter creation/modification: Name enters the value specified in 
FileMaker Preferences User Name.
If this pref is set to valid database account name, it is convenient for 
filling in the login name, rather than typing it in. I get that.

But if the name used in the preference setting is not used to login to 
the database, why does the actual field option in a database table, 
provide a means of recording the preference value? This will be recorded 
  even if it is NOT a  valid user account (an therefore can't be used to 
login with).

Additionally, the Get(UserName) function  returns the name of the 
FileMakerPro user, as specified in the General tab of the Preferences 
dialogue box.

example:
file hosted on server
local (client) Mac user account =  DEV
local FM pref = testpref
get(username) => testpref 	(the preference setting on the local copy of FM)
ae_creationName = testpref	(the preference setting on the local copy of FM)
ae_creationAccountName = admin	(the account used to login)

So while the ACCOUNT NAME auto enter options can be used to capture 
creation/modification meta data of the account used to log in, the 
creation/modification NAME records the local copy of the FM preference, 
which would seem to be somewhat irrelevant. When is this relevant if it 
is not the FM account, or computer system account name? Or is the point 
being missed entirely?

The FileMaker preferences User Name  is  a convenience method for 
filling in the database user name at login. Why would this be worth 
recording?

Chris Brown wrote:

> So while the ACCOUNT NAME auto enter options can be used to capture 
> creation/modification meta data of the account used to log in, the 
> creation/modification NAME records the local copy of the FM preference, 
> which would seem to be somewhat irrelevant. When is this relevant if it 
> is not the FM account, or computer system account name? Or is the point 
> being missed entirely?
> 
> The FileMaker preferences User Name  is  a convenience method for 
> filling in the database user name at login. Why would this be worth 
> recording?


Every single one of my database tables always has auto-enter fields for 
creation name, creation timestamp, modification name and modification 
timestamp.

In the case where every user has their own account, then you really only 
care about either the user name OR the account name.  But in the case 
where multiple users share the same account, I don't really care about 
recording the account name as much as I care about recording the user's 
name from preferences.  This is what tells me who last changed a record, 
who to blame for bad data, etc.

Hi Howard,


Howard Schlossberg wrote:
> Chris Brown wrote:
> 
>> So while the ACCOUNT NAME auto enter options can be used to capture 
>> creation/modification meta data of the account used to log in, the 
>> creation/modification NAME records the local copy of the FM 
>> preference, which would seem to be somewhat irrelevant. When is this 
>> relevant if it is not the FM account, or computer system account name? 
>> Or is the point being missed entirely?
>>
>> The FileMaker preferences User Name  is  a convenience method for 
>> filling in the database user name at login. Why would this be worth 
>> recording?
> 
> 
> Every single one of my database tables always has auto-enter fields for 
> creation name, creation timestamp, modification name and modification 
> timestamp.


Same here for years, in addition to account name cr/md, and was it as of 
fm9 additionally name?



> 
> In the case where every user has their own account, then you really only 
> care about either the user name OR the account name.

That has only ever been my scenarios; one user per account. I want to 
tack who, and from where. As to where I now use the IP etc. profiles...




   But in the case
> where multiple users share the same account, I don't really care about 
> recording the account name as much as I care about recording the user's 
> name from preferences.  This is what tells me who last changed a record, 
> who to blame for bad data, etc.

Tracking who is responsible for changes has been precisely my purpose also.

Recording the user name from preferences would assume that each FM 
client has had its preferences set to a single user, and that the 
setting accurately reflects the user; there is no way to enforce this is 
there?. There could be multiple users using the same FM client at 
different times, with the preference set to donald duck esq.

I had interpreted (incorrectly, I had come to realize) the pref/NAME 
was effectively entering the operating system user account, and that 
that was in effect giving a tracking similar to what you suggest. Where 
the preference is set to the User Account (i.e. system), this is only a 
convenience method to avoid typing in the login account name each login. 
It doesn't necessarily accurately reflect the system account nor the user.


regards

Chris