Bento to FileMakerPro Guide 2013

8/12/2019 Bento to FileMakerPro Guide 2013

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HANDS-ON GUIDE

FileMaker ProThe QuickStudy Guide for

Bento Users

2013 FileMaker, Inc. All rights reserved. FileMaker and Bento are registered trademarks of FileMaker, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. The file folder logoand the Bento logo are trademarks of FileMaker, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

FileMaker documentation is copyrighted. You are not authorized to make additional copies or distribute this documentation without written permission from

FileMaker. You may use this documentation solely with a valid licensed copy of FileMaker software.

All persons, companies, email addresses, and URLs listed in the examples are purely fictitious and any resemblance to existing persons, companies, email

addresses, or URLs is purely coincidental. Credits are listed in the Acknowledgements documents provided with this software. Mention of third-party products

and URLs is for informational purposes only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a recommendation. FileMaker, Inc. assumes no responsibility with

regard to the performance of these products.

For more information, visit our website at www.filemaker.com.


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Table of Contents

..............................................................................................The Top Reasons to Read this Guide 2

...................................................................................................................................Introduction 2

...................................................................................................................Before You Get Started 2

.....................................................................................System Requirements for FileMaker Pro 12 2

..........................................................................Part 1: Customization & Control in FileMaker Pro 3

..............................................................Starting with a FileMaker Pro Starter Solution 3

........................................................................Starting A New Database From Scratch 3

...............................................................................Starting with an Excel or Text File 4

.........................................................................................Formatting Fields and Text 5

....................................................................................Changing Layout Backgrounds 6

.........................................................................................................Inserting Images 7

..........................................................................................................Changing Views 8

............................................................................................Adding Tables and Fields 8

.............................................................................................................Global Fields 12

......................................................................................................................Modes 13

.......................................................................................................Creating Layouts 13

...............................................................................................Working with Records 15

..........................................................................................................Adding Scripts 16

..............................................................................Part II: Features & Functions of FileMaker Pro 20

.................................................................................................................Importing 20

..................................................................................................................Searching 20

......................................................................................................................Sorting 21

..................................................................................................................Reporting 21

...................................................................................................................Charting 22

.............................................................................................................Web Viewers 23

.....................................................................................................................Sharing 26

............................................................................................................Relating Data 27

.............................................................Auto-Enter Calculations Using Related Data 30

.........................................................................Part III: Power & Performance with FileMaker Pro 31

.......................................................................SecurityPrivilege Sets and Accounts 31

................................................................................................................Logging In 32

.........................................................................Security Options in FileMaker Server 32

........................................Preventing Record Locking and Avoiding Data Overwriting 32

............................................................................................FileMaker Pro Advanced 33

..................................................................Running on Windows, Macintosh and iOS 33

....................................................................................................................FileMaker Resources 34

.........................................................................................................................About the Author 34


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The Top Reasons to Read this GuideBy spending a short time with this informative guide, you will be able to decide if FileMaker Pro isright for you. This guide covers these key areas:

Customizing forms, adding fields, changing backgrounds, writing scripts, creatingrelationships, and more

Searching, sorting and reporting Sharing files among multiple users and adding security options

IntroductionThis guide shows you the main features of FIleMaker Pro so that you can decide if moving toFileMaker Pro is right for you.

FileMaker is an incredibly useful and flexible program. One of its hallmarks is multiple options foraccessing functions and menus. This guide o"ers at least one way, and sometimes two or three ways,to access basic functions and menus. However, it is not comprehensive. There are many sources ofinformation about using FileMaker which provide additional advice and techniques and greater depthregarding the subjects touched upon here, including books, DVDs and online training.

Before You Get Started You will need a copy of FileMaker Pro installed on your computer. A 30-day trial version of

FileMaker Pro is available at http://info.filemaker.com/US-en-FMP-Trial-Form.html(or at yourcountrys FileMaker site).

FileMaker works on either Windows and Macintosh. The examples in this guide were createdwith FileMaker Pro 12, the current version at the time of publication. Most of the informationhere applies to other recent versions of FileMaker as well.

The keyboard shortcuts in this file are given in Macintosh format, which uses the Commandand Option keys. Windows keyboards use the Control key instead of the Command key, andthe Alt key instead of the Option key.

System Requirements for FileMaker Pro 12Windows

For Windows XP, the minimum recommended CPU is a Pentium III 700 Mhz or faster computer with 2GB of RAM (256 MB minimum). For later versions of Windows, the recommended CPU configuration is1 GHz or faster with 2 GB of RAM (1 GB minimum).

MacintoshThe recommended configuration is an Intel-based Mac running 10.7 or greater, with 2 GB of RAM.You can also optionally use Mac OS 10.6, for which the minimum requirement is an Intel-based Macwith 1 GB RAM.

For additional details regarding system requirements, see http://www.filemaker.com/products/filemaker-pro/pro-12-specifications.html

FileMaker Pro QuickStudy Guide for Bento Users page 2
http://www.filemaker.com/products/filemaker-pro/pro-12-specifications.htmlhttp://www.filemaker.com/products/filemaker-pro/pro-12-specifications.htmlhttp://info.filemaker.com/US-en-FMP-Trial-Form.htmlhttp://www.filemaker.com/products/filemaker-pro/pro-12-specifications.htmlhttp://www.filemaker.com/products/filemaker-pro/pro-12-specifications.htmlhttp://www.filemaker.com/products/filemaker-pro/pro-12-specifications.htmlhttp://www.filemaker.com/products/filemaker-pro/pro-12-specifications.htmlhttp://info.filemaker.com/US-en-FMP-Trial-Form.htmlhttp://info.filemaker.com/US-en-FMP-Trial-Form.html


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Part 1: Customization & Control in FileMaker ProCreating a FileMaker Pro file is as straightforward as opening the program and clicking the "Create aNew Database..." or "Use a Starter Solution..." links in FileMakers Quick Start Screen. Or as quick andeasy as clicking the "Convert an Existing File..." link. Or as simple as dropping an Excel file onto theFileMaker program icon.

Starting with an existing Bento libraryPlease see the complete guide for the Bento 4 to FileMaker Pro Migration Tool for details on

converting your existing Bento 4 for Mac data to a FileMaker Pro database. Then skip to Page 5 tolearn more about further customizing and managing your data in FileMaker Pro.

Starting with a FileMaker Pro Starter SolutionLike Bentos templates, the FileMaker Pro Starter Solutions provided by FileMaker are ready-madedatabases designed for common situations such as invoicing, inventory tracking, contactmanagement, etc.

To create a Starter Solution on either Windows or Mac, select the Use a Starter Solution... link fromthe FileMaker Quick Start screen, or select File>New From Starter Solution..., and follow the promptsto name and save the file. The Starter Solution dialog is shown in figure 6.

Figure 6: The Starter Solution dialog

Starting A New Database From ScratchThe process of creating a new, empty FileMaker file is as follows:

1. Click the Create a New Database... link at the left of the FileMaker Quick Start Screen, or selectFile>New Database....

2. Name the file and navigate to where you would like it to be stored.3. Click Save.



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Your new file opens in Table view. You may create fields by clicking the plus sign in the first columnheading, or select File>Manage...>Databaseto add tables and fields. See the section Adding Tablesand Fields for more information.

Starting with an Excel or Text FileExcel or delimited (comma- or tab-separated) text data can be turned into FileMaker data in either oftwo waysby importing the file into an existing FileMaker database, or by creating a new FileMakerdatabase from the file.

To import data from an Excel or text file:

1. Choose File>Import Records>Fileand navigate to the file you wish to import.2. If required, change the Show drop-down to the appropriate text or Excel formats, or choose the

All Available option.3. Click Open.4. If you are importing an Excel file, select a worksheet and click Continue...5. By default, FileMaker suggests importing into an existing table based on the current layout.

a. To import into the table that is associated with the current layout, check that the sourcefields appear next to the corresponding fields in the current table. If necessary, drag thehandle of any fields in the Target Fields column to position them opposite correspondingfields in the Source Fields column. Click on the right arrow button just below the SourceFields list to view records in your source file and to confirm that the appropriate columns orfields are aligned with the FileMaker tables fields. In addition, if the first row of your filecontains field names, you may elect not to import them into FileMaker by checking the boxfor Dont import first record (contains field names).

b. Alternatively, to create a new table for your library, select New Table... from the Target

drop-down in the top right corner of the Import Field Mapping dialog. (New Table will befollowed by the name of the file you are importing, and the worksheet if you are importing anExcel file.)

6. Click Import.

This takes the place of Bentos procedure for importing Excel data, which is to highlight theinformation you want to import in the Excel file, then copy and paste it into Bento. The FileMakerprocess gives you control over where and how the data will appear in your FileMaker file.

To create a new FileMaker file from an Excel or text file, drag the file onto the FileMaker Pro icon inthe dock on a Mac or in the Applications folder (or wherever the FileMaker program is installed). If youare working with an Excel file, select a worksheet and click Continue... Select a First Row option andclick OK. Name the new FileMaker file, choose a location and click Save. The new file is displayed in

Table view.

Creating Your Own Customers DatabaseFor the purposes of this guide, forge ahead and create a new file from scratch called Customers.Examples later in this guide will be based on a new Customers file, but you could also use your

converted Bento file or create a new file from a Starter Solution. Either way, follow the instructionsin the Adding Tables and Fields section below.



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Formatting Fields and TextFileMaker Pro provides a special mode for editing the appearance of your screen, called Layout Mode.You can access Layout mode by choosing View>Layout Mode. (Note that there are keyboardshortcuts next to many items in FileMaker menus. The keyboard shortcut for Layout mode isCommand+L.)

In Layout mode, FileMaker gives you very fine control over the placement and formatting of fields,text and objects. You can apply formatting such as font, size and color to a selected object or group

of objects. First, look to the Inspector. This is a floating palette with formatting options for position,appearance and data. If the Inspector is not visible, select View>Inspector. (You can open multipleInspectors at the same time, by selecting View>New Inspector, and select a di"erent tab on eachone, as in figure 7.)

Figure 7: Three Inspectors, with the Position, Appearance and Data tabs selected



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When at least one Inspector is available, use the Appearance tab to apply formatting to your selectedobjects. The Appearance tab allows you to apply and change the:

theme defaults fill color and pattern line color and pattern text font, size, color and style paragraph and tab options

In the Positions tab, you can add a Tooltip, which is a message that appears in Browse mode when auser hovers their mouse over an object with a Tooltip applied. And in the Data tab, you can applycontrol styles such as drop-down list, checkbox set or drop-down calendar. With the exception of thedrop-down calendar, the control styles use value lists, which can be created by clicking the pencilicon to the right of the control style, or by selecting File>Manage...>Value Lists....

Many of the attributes managed by the Inspector, as well as other attributes, are also available underthe Format menu. Some of the formatting options available in the Format menu and not available inthe Inspector, such as conditional formatting, are available in the contextual menu. Access thecontextual menu by holding the Control key while clicking on an object, or by right-clicking an object.

Many of the text formatting attributes are also available on the Formatting Bar. The Formatting Bar

sits below the Status Toolbar in Layout mode and above the first layout part. If it is not visible, clickthe Formatting Bar control (a button identified with the text Aa) in the Toolbar.

If you have any layouts that already look good and work well, you can copy the style of individualobjects by selecting the object and clicking the Copy Object Style button in the Appearance tab of theInspector (the tooltip for this button reads Copy the objects style). To paste the style, select adi"erent object and click the Paste Object Style button (with a tooltip of Paste a style to one or moreobjects).

Alternatively, you can copy and paste elements such as fields, text objects and graphics. Among thetools in the Status Toolbar in Layout mode, you will find the Format Painter tool. You can use theFormat Painter tool to copy the format of an object and apply it to one or more other objects. And you

can keep track of the size and position of layout parts and layout elements, in order to apply the sizeand position to parts and objects in other layouts.FileMaker has many tools for applying changes to groups of objects at the same time. For instance, toselect all of the elements on a layout, select Edit>Select All (Command+A). To select only the fieldson a layout, click on one field, hold the Option key, and select Edit>Select Same(Command+Opt+A).

To select multiple objects, drag your cursor across them, and all objects touched by the cursor will beselected. To select objects the old fashioned way, by dragging a rectangle around them, hold theShift key. To add or remove fields or text objects from a selection, hold the Shift key and click on theobject. Repeat to add or remove more items.

For more information on working with elements on layouts, search for Selecting and Working withObjects on a Layout in FileMaker Help.

Changing Layout BackgroundsFileMaker o"ers a range of pre-designed themes that can be applied to new or existing layouts. Youalso have the flexibility to change background fill colors and images, and to add graphics and imagesto your layouts.

To change the background of a layout, first enter Layout mode. Note that there are parts to layouts,separated by horizontal dotted lines and indicated by the part labels at the bottom or side of each



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part. You can toggle the placement of the part labels in Layout mode by clicking the part labelorientation control at the bottom left of the screen, indicated in figure 8.

Figure 8: The part label orientation control is fifth from the left in Layout mode

Most layouts have a header, a body, and a footer part. There could also be a title header or title

footer, leading or trailing grand summaries, and one or more sub-summary parts. Each of these partshas a specific, important role to play in displaying data e"ectively. Layouts designed as forms for thecomputer screen may work as required with only a body, while layouts designed as lists for thecomputer screen will benefit from a header and possibly a footer. Layouts designed to summarizedata or to be printed, such as lists and reports, may require other layout parts. For more information,see the Reporting section for sample images, and the Resources section at the end of this guide,as well as FileMaker Help.

Fill color, gradients or images can be applied to individual layout parts, using either the Inspector, thecontextual menu or the tools on the Formatting Bar.

To change the fill color or background image of a layout part:

1. Click on the part label to select it (it will become shaded/highlighted).2. Select the desired solid color, gradient or image from the Fill drop-down in the Object section ofthe Inspectors Appearance tab, or select a fill color from the Formatting bar.

To apply or change a theme on a layout, select Layouts>Change Theme.... The Change Theme dialogcontains a list of layout themes with a preview for each one. Scroll the list and select a theme, thenclick OK. The selected theme will be applied to the layout. You may leave the layout as-is, or makeadjustments to font sizes, color of text, corner radiuses of objects, gradients on buttons, or justabout anything else you see.

Inserting ImagesUsing your logo and company colors on a layout is an e"ective visual or branding tool for connectingthe system with your business. To add a logo or an image:

1. In Layout mode, select Insert>Picture...2. Navigate to the location of the file containing your image and select it.3. Uncheck the checkbox labeled Store only a reference to the file, and click Open. (See Data

Independence above for a discussion of storing only a reference.)4. Depending on the size of your image and the height of your layout, FileMaker may display a

dialog warning that the operation will cause objects to extend o"the layout. Select Yes toincrease the size of the layout to accommodate the object. If you click No, the image will not beinserted. You can adjust the size of the layout and insert the object again.

Once the image is inserted, you can resize it and move it to the desired position on your layout. Whenyou click and drag an object, FileMaker will display dynamic guides and position information to helpyou place objects in alignment with other objects. You can also select multiple objects and use thebuttons in the Arrange & Align section of the Position tab in the Inspector.

A logo or image may also be inserted into a type of FileMaker field known as a container field, whichis similar to Bentos Media field type. (To manage the display of images in container fields, the DataFormatting section of the Inspectors Data tab gives you options to crop, reduce or enlarge the imagedepending on the size of the field.) The container field may be placed on any layout based on orrelated to the table occurrence where the field is stored. If the container field is set to be storedglobally, its contents can be viewed on any layout in the file.



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Once a container field has been added to one or more layouts, return to Browse mode to insert apicture into the field.

See the Adding Tables and Fields section for more information on global storage of fields, andRelating Data for a description of table occurrences. Also, see the Resources section for referencesthat discuss displaying fields throughout single-user and multi-user databases.

Changing Views

After you have created and modified your layouts, you have the option to view them in one of threedi"erent views. Views are available in three of the four modes (Browse, Find and Preview). See theAdding Tables and Fields section below for information on modes.

The three views are:

Form view, which displays the layout for the current record only. List view, which displays a continuous scrolling list of all records in the found set, with the

current record indicated by a black bar at the left. Table view, providing a spreadsheet-like grid of rows and columns (where the columns

represent fields and the rows represent records in the found set). The current record isindicated by a shaded rectangle to the left of its row.

To change the view of a layout in either Browse, Find or Preview mode, click one of the View As

buttons in the Layout Bar, which is located below the Status Toolbar and above the layout.Alternatively, select View>View As Form, View As Listor View As Table.

FileMaker allows you to open multiple windows of the same file. You might open a new window toperform a find, without changing the current found set in the original window. You might also want tolook at a layout in both Browse and Preview modes, or look at the same layout in Form and Table viewsimultaneously. To open a new window, select Window>New Window. You can move and resize thisnew window, navigate to another layout, perform finds, enter a di"erent mode, change the view, closethe window, etc.

Adding Tables and FieldsWhether you create a new file from a Starter Solution, from scratch, or from a Bento, Excel or text file,

you can create new tables and fields as needed. Tables are the equivalent of Bentos libraries.

To decide when to create new tables, consider the main categories of information to be stored. Forinstance, people have many di"erent types of contact information, including home, work and cellphone numbers, home and work email addresses, web pages, and social media profile names. Andany of these can change, or disappear, or be added to. In this case, a table for contact information,separate from a table for contacts, is a good idea. In addition, a relationship between the two tables isessential for understanding which piece of information goes with which person. (The section calledRelating Data below will go into relationships in more detail.)

Your Own Customers Database

If you have not already done so, create a new FileMaker database called Customers, as describedin the Starting a New Database From Scratch section above. Following are detailed instructionsfor creating a Customers table with four fields and a CustomerInfo table with four fields. While theCustomers database and its tables and fields are used as examples in this guide, the tables andfields can be created in any file including your converted Bento file, a new Starter Solution file oran existing FileMaker database.



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To create two new tables in your Customers file (or any other FileMaker file):

1. Open the Manage Database dialog by selecting File>Manage>Database...2. Select the Tables tab.3. If the Customers table does not exist, enter Customers in Table Name and click Create.

(FileMaker automatically creates one table with the name of each new file.)4. Enter CustomerInfo in Table Name and click Create. As shown in figure 9, you now have at

least two tables in your database.5. If you are not going to create fields at this time, click OK to dismiss the Manage Database dialog.

Figure 9: The Customers and CustomerInfo tables in Manage Database

To add fields to the Customers table:

1. In Manage Database (see step 1 above), select the Fields tab.2. If required, select Customers from the Table drop-down at the top left.3. Enter CustomerID in Field Name.4. Select Number from the Type drop-down, if it is not already selected.

5. Click Create.6. With the CustomerID field highlighted, click Options, to the right below the field list area.7. In the Auto-Enter tab, check the boxes for Serial number and Prohibit modification of value

during data entry, and click OK to dismiss the Options dialog. (With these options selected,FileMaker will automatically generate a unique, non-modifiable number for each new record, thesame as a Bento counter. This field value can be used to keep track of relationships betweenCustomer records and records in other tables.)

8. Enter FirstName in Field Name. (Because the previous field name was automatically highlighted,typing will replace it.)



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9. Select Text from the Type drop-down and click Create.10. Enter LastName in the Field Name field, leave the Type drop-down as Text, and click Create.11. Enter Company in Field Name and click Create. Figure 10 shows the fields in Manage Database

for the Customers table.12. Click OK to dismiss Manage Database.

Figure 10: New fields in the Customers table

To create fields in the CustomerInfo table, in the Fields tab in Manage Database, select CustomerInfofrom the Table drop-down at the top left. Add the following fieldsCustomerInfoID (number, withserial number and prohibit modification options set), CustomerID (number), Data (text) and Type(text). See figure 11 for the fields in the CustomerInfo table.

A note on CustomerID in the CustomerInfo table: This field will be used to store the unique ID fromthe corresponding Customer record, in order to create a valid a relationship between a Customerrecord and its CustomerInfo record(s).



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Figure 11: New fields in the CustomerInfo table

Congratulationsyou have now created new tables and new fields! FileMaker has automaticallycreated layouts for your new tables. Before we look at layouts, lets look at fields in more detail.

FileMaker fields fall into 8 categories: Text, Number, Date, Time, TimeStamp, Container, Calculation

and Summary. Most Bento field types have corresponding types in FileMaker, some of which arecreated on conversion from Bento to FileMaker as listed below. Field types can be changed inFileMaker (eg a text field that used to be a Bento choice field can be changed to a number field, anumber field that used to be a Bento checkbox field can be changed to a text field, etc).

Naming ConventionsFileMaker Pro leaves it to you to name almost everythingtables, fields, table occurrences on theRelationships Graph, scripts, layouts, etc. For consistency and in order to understand these names at aglance, a standard naming convention is useful. For instance, you might choose to name everything withnormal words, no spaces and each word capitalized (for instance, FirstName). This is referred to as camelcase. It has the advantage of being easy to write and to read. No matter what approach you choose,maintaining a consistent naming convention across the file is recommended.



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Bento Field Type FileMaker Field Type Import and Format Notes

Text Text

Choice TextApply a drop-down list or pop-up list inLayout mode

Simple List TextTabs and returns are inserted to preservecolumns and rows

Encrypted Text See Note below

Location TextMay be populated by auto-entercalculation or script

AddressPhone NumberEmail AddressURLIM Account

TextMultiple fields are created on conversion ifthere is more than one entry

Number Number

Automatic Counter NumberFormat as an auto-enter serial number inManage Database

Checkbox Number Apply a checkbox in Layout mode

Currency Number Format as currency in Layout mode

Duration NumberCan be converted to Date, Time,TimeStamp or Calculation

Rating Number See Note below

Date TimeStampConverted to FileMakers format, whichincludes a date and time

Time TimeConverted to FileMakers format, whichincludes seconds

Calculation Text, number, time or timestamp (the Bentocalculation result type)

Calculation fields can be created inFileMaker Pro

Media Not converted from Bento to FileMaker ProContainer fields function as Bentos Mediafield type

File ListMessage ListRelated Data

Not converted from Bento to FileMaker ProRelated tables can perform a comparablefunction

Note: After import, Rating and Encrypted fields do not display the same way in FileMaker as they didin Bento, but similar behavior can be created in FileMaker using calculation fields, layout formattingand/or scripts. When you convert an existing Bento file with encrypted fields into a FileMaker file,FileMaker requires you to enter the Bento password.

Global FieldsAny of FileMakers field types can be stored as global fields (with the exception of Summary fields). Aglobal field stores its value only once for the whole table (regardless of how many records are in thetable) and the content of globally stored fields is available to all records in the current table and othertables without requiring a relationship, making these fields useful in a variety of ways. For instance,global fields can store values temporarily while a script is running. When a file is shared with multipleusers, global fields are specific to the users session, so they can be used by di"erent users for



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di"erent purposes, even at the same time. In hosted files, any changes to the content of global fieldsmade by users connected remotely will be lost when the users file session concludes.

ModesFileMaker has four operational modes with specific purposes, as follows:

Browse mode Create, edit and delete records (no moving of fields)Layout mode Arrange and apply formatting to fields and other elements to create user interfaces or reports

Find mode Search for recordsPreview mode Preview what the printed layout will look like

Note: In all four modes, you can navigate to di"erent layouts using the Layout drop-down in theStatus Toolbar, as shown in figure 12, or via the Manage Layouts window underFile>Manage>Layouts...(Shift+Command+L).

Figure 12: The Layout drop-down in the Status Toolbar

Creating LayoutsAs mentioned previously, when you create new tables, FileMaker automatically creates a new layoutfor each new table. You have the option to delete automatically created layouts, or to create additionallayouts manually.

To create a new layout in your Customers file:

1. Enter Layout mode by selecting View>Layout Mode(Command+L).2. Select Layouts>New Layout/Report....3. Following the prompts in the New Layout/Report wizard...

a. Select Customers from the Show records from: drop-down to select a table context for thenew layout (in this case, table actually means table occurrence which is an instance of thetable on the Relationships Graph). The layout will then be referred to as based on theselected table occurrence, and the fields in the table will be referred to as local fields whenplaced on this layout. Fields from other tables are referred to as related fields when placedon this layout. See the section called Relating Data below for more information.

b. Enter Customer List in the field labeled Layout Name.c. Select List view as the layout typed. Click Next.e. In the Specify Fields screen, click on FirstName and click Move to move it into the Fields

shown on layout/report area.f. Double-click first on LastName and then on Company to move them into the same area (this

is an alternative method for moving fields rather than using the Move All or Move buttons).g. Drag the handle next to Company up, so that the field moves above FirstName.h. Click Next.i. In the Sort Records screen, double-click on Company, LastName and FirstName, in that

order, in Report fields. This creates the sort order for records displayed on the layout.j. Click Next.



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k. In the Select a Theme screen, browse through the list of available di"erent themes to seewhat is available and select a theme. Cool Gray is the default.

l. Click Next.m. In the Header and Footer Information screen, select Large Custom Text from the Top Left

drop-down in the Header area, and enter Customer List in the Custom Text dialog.n. In the Footer area, select Current Date from the Bottom left drop-down, and Page Number

from the Bottom right drop-down.o. Click Next.

p. In the Create a Script for this Report screen, leave the selection as is (Do not create a script)and click Next to go to the final screen.q. Select View in Layout mode, and click Finish.

If you followed the steps above, your layout will look like the one shown in figure 13 (this layout hasthe Cool Gray theme applied).

Figure 13: A section of the new Customer List layout

The New Layout/Report wizard o"ers di"erent options depending on the type of layout you choose tocreate. If you choose to create a report, the wizard gives you the opportunity to add subtotals andgrand totals, and to group your data into sub-summaries. See the section on Sub-Summaries inReporting below for more information.

Note: Some of the Starter Solutions may show sample data in Layout mode. In this case, you will notsee the name of the field on the field itself. To turn o"Sample Data and see the names of fields, inLayout mode select View>Show> and deselect Sample Data.

Once a layout is created, you can add, move, format or delete any fields or objects (including textlabels). You can also change the size of the layout parts and the color, gradient or image of thebackground. This is covered in the section called Changing Layout Backgrounds above.

To add another field to the layout:

1. In Layout mode, select Insert>Field....2. In the Specify Field dialog click on CustomerID, as in figure 14.3. Leave the Create Label checkbox selected.



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4. Click OK.

Figure 14: The Specify Field dialog

The new field and its title will be displayed on the layout, and you can move, resize and format them.If either the field or the title do not align exactly where you would like them to, you can select them

and use your mouse to drag them or, for finer control, use the arrow keys on your keyboard to movethem one point at a time to the desired location.

As noted in the Changing Layout Backgrounds section above, when you click and drag an object,FileMaker will display dynamic guides and position information to help you place objects in alignmentwith other objects. You can also select multiple objects and use the buttons in the Arrange & Alignsection of the Position tab in the Inspector.

Working with RecordsWith tables, fields and layouts in place, you and other users can add, edit and delete records. To workwith the data in your file, enter Browse mode by selecting View>Browse Mode(Command+B). Oncein Browse mode, to add a record in the Customers file:

1. Navigate to the Customers List layout.2. Select Records>New Record(Command+N).3. If the cursor is not already in the Company field, click into the Company field.4. Enter information in the Company field, and press the tab key to move to the next field.5. Enter information in the FirstName field, press the tab key to move to the LastName field and

enter information there.6. Repeat steps 2 through 5 to add more records and data.



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To edit a record in the Customer List, click into the field you would like to modify and change theexisting value. To exit the field and save your changes, commit the record by clicking into a blankarea of the layout, or by using the Enter key (not the Return key, which will add a carriage return) onyour keyboard. The Enter key is on the number pad on full keyboards, and may or may not be presenton laptop keyboards (although key combinations are generally available to perform the Enter keysfunction). A record will also be committed when you move to a di"erent record or to another layout.

To delete a record, select Records>Delete Record...(Command+E) and click Delete in the

confirmation dialog (you can also click Cancel to abort the delete). There is also a Delete Recordbutton in the default Status Toolbar (the Status Toolbar is customizable by each user, and the DeleteRecord button may be removed). You can delete the found set of records by selectingRecords>Delete All Records...and clicking Delete All in the confirmation dialog. Deleted records arereally deleted--unless you include a routine for storing deleted records elsewhere, deleting them ispermanent.

Adding ScriptsOne of the most powerful features of FileMaker Pro is scripting. A script is a collection of steps whicha user could take (and some a user could not!). Instead of asking the user to take the same stepsevery time they want to accomplish a task, you can store the steps in a script, assign the script to abutton on a layout, and ask the user to click the button instead. (Scripts can also be run from theScripts menu or assigned to script triggers or custom menussee notes below for more information.)

For instance, to save a sales report as a PDF and email it to a manager, you could create a button onthe Orders List layout and attach a script that performs the correct sequence of actions each time. Ascript can perform the steps much more quickly than a user can.

Some of the most common functions for scripts are to perform finds, sort records and print reports.But scripts can do more complex tasks, including:

Taking the user to the appropriate layout depending on their monitor size or whether they areworking with a computer (FileMaker Pro) or an iPad or an iPhone (FileMaker Go)

Creating or deleting records depending on specified criteria Opening new windows to allow users to see detail or enter information while the current

window remains visible in the background Opening other files, saving a copy of the current file, or exporting records in a number or

formats, including Excel or PDF format Sending an email or opening a URL in the users web browser Applying changes throughout a set of records based on data in each record Performing an external script (AppleScript or VBScript, as applicable) Sending a call to run a script in a hosted FileMaker file, or to open a file or run a script in a

FileMaker Go file (when sent from a FileMaker Go file on the same device)

While FileMaker scripts can be quite sophisticated, writing them is actually easy. FileMaker providesthe Manage Scripts window for you to create and manage scripts, and an Edit Script window with allthe available steps listed in a scrolling panel at the left. Both the Manage Scripts and Edit Scriptwindows are non-modal, meaning that you can leave them open in the background while you work inother windows. Figure 15 shows the Manage Scripts window from a Contacts Starter Solution.



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Figure 15: The Manage Scripts window

The basic process for writing a script is to:

1. Decide what you need the script to do.2. Create a new script by clicking the New button at the lower left of the Manage Scripts window.3. Move steps from the step list on the left of the Edit Script window to the script area on the right,

to assemble a sequence of actions for your script.4. Save the script by selecting Scripts>Save Script(Command+S) and close the Edit Script window

by selecting File>Close(Command+W).

Once youve created your script, you can run it from the Scripts menu, attach it to a button on alayout, attach it to a script trigger, or assign it to a Custom Menu Item using FileMaker Pro Advanced.



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To get a feel for how easy it is to write and understand scripts:

1. In your Customers database, select Scripts>Manage Scripts....2. Click the New button at the bottom left of the dialog.3. Enter Go to Customer List in Script Name.4. From the list of script steps on the left side of the Edit Script dialog, double-click on the Go to

Layout step, just below Navigation (the step will appear in the script area at the right).5. With Go to Layout [original layout] selected in the script area, click the Specify drop-down

arrow in the options panel below the script area.6. Choose Layout..., select Customer List and click OK (your script should now look like figure 16).7. Save the script by selecting Scripts>Save Scriptor using Command+S.8. Close the Edit Script window, and close the Manage Scripts window.

Figure 16: The Edit Script dialog for Go to Customer List

Script TriggersScript triggers cause a specified script to run when a particular event occurs. Supported events includenavigating to a layout, moving to a di"erent record, entering a field, modifying a field, entering a di"erentmode, and many other actions. Script triggers are enabled in individual layouts, on individual layout objectsand in File Options. See FileMaker help for information on script triggers.

Custom MenusCustom Menus are modified menu sets created in FileMaker Pro Advanced. Many of the standard menusvisible in Browse, Find and Preview modes may be renamed, modified or removed, and additional menusand commands may be added. See FileMaker Help, the FileMaker Pro Advanced section and theResources section for more information.



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You have just written a simple script! To run the script, navigate to the Customers layout by selectingit from the Layout drop-down below the status area, then select your script from the Scripts menu. Ifthe layout switches to the Customer List layout, your script worked as expected.

Most script steps have descriptive names, so you will recognize what most of them do withoutknowing much about FileMaker. Feel free to explore the script steps back in your script, in a newscript or in any of the scripts automatically created in a Starter Solution.

Scripting in FileMaker is a deep and fascinating topic. See the Resources section for additionalinformation and guidance.



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Part II: Features & Functions of FileMaker Pro

ImportingImporting from Bento into FileMaker is covered in the first section. Following a similar process toimporting Bento libraries into new or existing FileMaker tables, FileMaker also has the ability to importfrom:

Tables from the same or other FileMaker files

Tab-separated or comma-separated text files and Merge files Excel files (.xls and .xlsx) and dBase files

FileMaker can also import files (such as documents, images and movies) from a folder and imagesfrom a digital camera (both of which are stored in Container fields), and data from XML or ODBC datasources. See FileMaker Help for information on these topics.

SearchingSearching in FileMaker is referred to as finding or performing a find. There are two methods available:

Quick Find Quick Find is very similar to Bentos Search field. The Quick Find field is in the Status Toolbar,

at the top of the FileMaker window, and is available only in Browse mode. If the Status Toolbaris not visible, turn it on by selecting View>Status Toolbar(Command+Option+S). If the Quick

Find field is not visible on the Toolbar, first expand the window (if the window is too narrow,some of the items on the Toolbar will not be displayed). If Quick Find is still not visible, selectView>Customize Status Toolbar...and drag the Quick Find field onto the Toolbar.

To use Quick Find, enter a value into the Quick Find field and hit Enter on your keyboard. Ifany records contain the value in any searchable field on the layout, they will be displayed.

The set of records resulting from a find is called the found set. To view the records that didntmatch the find criteria (the omitted set), click the pie icon on the Status Toolbar.

A drop-down in the Quick Find field shows a list of recent Quick Find searches. Quick Findsearches can be saved and edited with the Saved Finds button in the Status Toolbar. SavedQuick Find searches are specific to the user who saves them, and are not visible to other users.

To disable Quick Find for any of the fields on a layout, enter Layout mode, select a field orfields, and uncheck the option Include field for Quick Find in the Data tab of the Inspector.To turn o"Quick Find for the entire layout, select Layout>Layout Setup...and deselect theEnable Quick Find option.

Find mode Find mode presents the current layout in a similar configuration to Browse mode, with blank

fields, allowing you to enter search criteria. You can enter criteria into more than one field a time. For example, to find customers (in a

FileMaker file containing customers) whose last name is (or includes) Smith and who live inCalifornia, enter Find mode (Command+F), type smith in the Last Name field and ca in theState field, then click the Perform Find icon in the Status Toolbar (or hit Enternot Returnonyour keyboard).

If any records match the Find request (the set of values you entered in Find mode), they will bedisplayed in Browse mode. If no records match the Find request, FileMaker will display a dialoggiving you the option to modify the Find request or cancel.

When a find is successful, the resulting set of records is called the found set. To view theomitted set, click the pie icon on the Status Toolbar.

By default, all fields allow entry in both Browse and Find modes. You can manage this byentering Layout mode, selecting one or more fields, and editing the Browse Mode or FindMode controls in the Field entry options of the Behavior section on the Data tab in theInspector.



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Performing a find with either Quick Find and Find mode can be scripted. For instance, if you wouldlike your script to find all contacts who live in California, you could use the Perform Find script stepwith ca stored as search criteria for the State field.

SortingTo sort records in FileMaker, in Browse or Preview mode, select Records>Sort Records...(Command+S). By default, the current layout and its fields are displayed at the top left of the Sort Recordsdialog. Move a field or fields from this list to the Sort Order column by selecting a field and clicking

Move, or by double-clicking on a field. You can also select the current table or a related table fromthe drop-down to add other fields to the sort order. Click Sort to view the results.

Once you have performed a sort on a layout, it will re-sort itself automatically if you add any recordsor change the value of a field included in the sort order. If you prefer that the found set not be re-sorted automatically, open the Sort Records dialog again and deselect the Keep records in sortedorder option, and click Sort again. If you perform a Find, the found set will not be sorted until youperform a sort.

Using the Sort Records[ ] script step, sorts can be attached directly to buttons or custom menus (usingFileMaker Pro Advanced) or used in scripts as part of a sequence of steps.

Reporting

FileMaker o"ers many options for generating reports from your data, from simple lists to sortedgroups with summaries of data. You can create a report layout by selecting Layouts>New Layout/Report...in Layout mode, or by modifying an existing layout.

Sub-summary parts enable you to present summarized groups of records. A sub-summary partcreates a break between groups of records, based on the sort order. For instance, figure 17 shows asub-summary report of companies by state from a sample file.

Figure 17: A sub-summarized report with records sorted by State



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The report shown in figure 17 is created using a layout that has a header, body, sub-summary set tosort and break on the State field, and a trailing grand summary, as seen in figure 18:

Figure 18: Layout parts on the Companies by State report layout

To make the fields and text objects on the layout easier to see, it is useful to toggle the orientation ofthe layout part labels by clicking the layout part orientation control at the very bottom of theFileMaker window, just to the right of the mode drop-down or by holding the Command key and clickon any part label. Figure 19 shows the same layout with the part labels in the vertical position.

Figure 19: Layout parts in vertical orientation on the Companies by State report layout

In this report, the sCount field is a Summary field set to return a count of the Company field. When itis placed in the sub-summary part, the CompanyCount field counts the number of companies withinthe sub-summary group. When a copy of the same field is located within the trailing grand summarypart, it returns the number of companies in the entire found set.

Layouts with sub-summary parts display their results in Browse and Preview modes when sorted bythe fields specified in the sub-summary part(s). See the Resources section for more in-depthinformation about reporting and layout parts.

Charting

One of the most exciting recent features of FileMaker Pro is charting. FileMaker can dynamicallydisplay data in these chart types: column, positive/negative column, bar, pie, line, area, scatter orbubble.

The same data shown in the Companies by State report above are represented in figure 20 as avertical bar chart and a pie chart.



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Figure 20: Two types of FileMaker charts, formatted with the Shaded - 3D chart style and Earth color scheme

Charts are layout objects, and thus are added to layouts and formatted in Layout mode. To add achart, select the Chart Tool in the Status Toolbar and drag a rectangle on the layout. The options inthe Chart Setup dialog allow you to choose a chart style and the axis values for the chart.

Charts can also be created on the fly from a layout in Table view. Click on the drop-down arrow nextto any field, select Chart... and an option from the available topics. Format the chart in the ChartSetup dialog, then choose Save as Layout..., name the layout and click OK. The new chart will bedisplayed on a new layout (FileMaker automatically places the new layout in a layout folder calledCharts, making it easy to find the layout from the Layout drop-down). The chart will be updatedautomatically if any of its data points are changed on any layout. You can modify the chart by enteringLayout mode and double-clicking on the chart to bring up its Chart Setup dialog.

Charting is a broad topic which is covered in detail in sources listed in the Resources section.

Web ViewersFileMaker includes a layout object called a Web Viewer which can be used to display Web pages, Web-

formatted data and even FileMaker data within your FileMaker databases. Web viewers can displayWeb data based on a static URL, a URL from a field in your database or a URL produced by acalculation from data in your records.

To see a web viewer in action, create a new FileMaker database from the Contacts Starter Solution (seethe section Starting with a FileMaker Pro Starter Solution above for instructions). Create a new recordand enter a company, a website address and a physical work address in the Contact Details layout.When you enter the address, the Web Viewer at the bottom right of the layout will display a GoogleMaps page (shown in figure 21).



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Figure 21: This web viewer uses the address fields on the Work Address tab to display a map website

Web viewers are configured in Layout mode. To see the configuration for the web viewer on the Maptab in the above example, enter Layout mode and click on the web viewer object at the bottom rightof the layout. The web viewer in this example is formatted with a solid color fill, a solid line with acolor, and a radius of 5 on all four corners., as shown in figure 22. (For additional information abouttab controls, see FileMaker Help.)



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Figure 22: The web viewer on the Contact Details layout in Layout mode

Double-click the web viewer to see its configuration options, shown in figure 23. A number of optionsare available to configure URLs for popular websites, or you can enter your own URL details.

Figure 23: The Web Viewer Setup for the Map tab



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To add a web viewer to a layout, in Layout mode select the web viewer tool in the Status Toolbar anddrag a rectangle on your layout. In the Web Viewer Setup dialog, select Custom Web Address andenter a field name or calculation in the Web Address area (click Specify to display and use FileMakerscalculation dialog), or select a pre-determined option and enter the associated values. Click OK todismiss the dialog. The web viewer can be resized, moved and formatted with the options in theAppearance tab of the Inspector.

Sharing

One of the significant di"erences between Bento and FileMaker is that FileMaker files can be sharedwith multiple users on Macintosh, Windows, iPad, iPhone and the Web, simultaneously. The optionsfor sharing a FileMaker database with multiple users are:

FileMaker Pro hosts the fileIn this scenario, the FileMaker file is opened on a single users computer and sharing is turnedon (in File>Sharing...>FileMaker Network..., turn Network Sharing on and select which filesshould have what kind of access). Up to 9 other FileMaker Pro or FileMaker Go users canaccess the file at the host computers IP address. To open a shared file, other FileMaker Prousers select File>Open Remote..., choose Local Host if they are on the local network orFavorite Hosts to view favorites or add an IP address, then select the file and click Open.FileMaker Go users open the file using FileMaker Gos File Browser.

FileMaker Server hosts the file

FileMaker Server is a separate program from FileMaker Pro, and acts as a host for one or manyFileMaker files, allowing up to 250 FileMaker Pro or FileMaker Go users to access the same file(FileMaker Server Advanced can host an unlimited number of FileMaker Pro and FileMaker Gousers). FileMaker Server o"ers enhanced performance and stability, along with automatedbackups and performance monitoring, secure connection options and numerous otherfeatures. FileMaker Pro and FileMaker Go users open files hosted on FileMaker Server the sameway they open files hosted by a copy of FileMaker Pro.

Instant Web PublishingFileMaker Pro files can be published to the Web using Instant Web Publishing (IWP), whichcreates a website that looks and acts very much like FileMaker Pro. FileMaker Pro can sharefiles via IWP with up to 5 users, while FileMaker Server Advanced can host up to 100 IWP users.IWP is not a feature of FileMaker Server (ie FileMaker Server Advanced is required). To turn onIWP in FileMaker Pro, select File>Sharing...>Instant Web Publishing..., select On, choose a

currently open file, specify the access settings, then click OK. Networked or internet users canaccess the file(s) using a browser pointing at the URL displayed in the Instant Web Publishingdialog, or at the IP address of the server if the file is hosted on FileMaker Server Advanced.

Custom Web PublishingUsing PHP, your FileMaker data can be integrated into a custom PHP website. FileMaker Serverand FileMaker Server Advanced can host the FileMaker Pro files, while the PHP pages arehosted to the Internet on the same computer or another computer. With Custom WebPublishing, an unlimited number of browser users can access the pages and the data suppliedby FileMaker Pro files.

In addition to these options for sharing your FileMaker database, you can export your data in anumber of ways, such as Excel, tab- or comma-separated text, DBF, HTML, XML and other FileMaker

files. You can also print FileMaker layouts to PDF, using FileMakers built-in PDF writer.

Another way to share your data is to send a snapshot link to other FileMaker users. Snapshot links aresmall files which store the file name and location, the current layout, the found set (or the currentrecord if you choose), and the current sort order. When you create a snapshot link, by selectingFile>Save/Send Records As...>Snapshot Link..., you have the option to save the file and/or to createan email with the file as an attachment.



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When a user opens a snapshot link, it will open the FileMaker file (if it is available), go to the layout,find the records, and sort them as they were sorted when you created the snapshot link. Snapshotlinks are a convenient way to ensure that another FileMaker user sees a specific layout with a specificset of records, sorted in a specific order.

Relating DataAnother di"erence between Bento and FileMaker is FileMakers Relationships Graph, which gives youcontrol over the connections between data sets. The Relationships Graph is the third tab in the

Manage Database dialog (File>Manage...>Database...). The Relationships Graph contains tableoccurrences (TOs) for tables in the database, and may contain multiple occurrences for each table.The magic of the Relationships Graph is the way it allows you to make connections between TOs.Before you create any relationships in the Relationships Graph in the Customers file, the RelationshipsGraph looks like figure 24. Your Graph may have other TOs if you are using a di"erent file.

Figure 24: TOs for Customers and CustomerInfo in the Customers file

By default, TOs inherit the name of the table they represent. You are free to change the name, as long

as it is unique.

The TOs in figure 24 are not related. To add a relationship:

1. In the Relationships Graph tab in Manage Database, click and drag between the CustomerID fieldin the Customers TO and the CustomerID field in the CustomerInfo TO.

2. When you release the mouse, a line with an equals sign will appear between the two TOs.Double-click this line to bring up the Edit Relationship dialog, shown in figure 25.

3. In the bottom section, under the CustomerInfo field list, check the box Allow creation of recordsin this table via this relationship.



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4. Click OK to dismiss the Edit Relationship dialog.5. Click OK to dismiss the Manage Database dialog.

When a relationship is created between TOs, the fields in each TO can be placed on layouts based oneither TO. (There can be more than one TO connected to one another, and the fields in the relatedTOs are also available.) Remember that layouts are based on TOs. When you place a field from arelated TO on a layout, it is called a related field.

Figure 25: The Edit Relationship dialog for the relationship between Customers and CustomerInfo

Related fields, on their own, can be placed on layouts to display the first related record, or they can beplaced in portals to display a list of related records. Portals are doorways that use relationships todisplay values from multiple related records. To add a portal to the Customers layout:

1. Navigate to the Customers layout (not Customer List).2. Change the view to Form by selecting View>View As Formor clicking the Form button next to

View As in the Layout Bar.3. Enter Layout mode by selecting View>Layout Mode(Command+L).

4. If the Company, FirstName and LastName fields are not already on the layout, add them bydragging the field tool from the Status Toolbar into the Body part of the layout, one at a time, orby duplicating an existing field.

5. Select the Portal tool in the Status Toolbar, as shown in figure 26.



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Figure 26: The portal tool selected in Layout Tools

6. In the body part of the layout, drag a rectangle near the fields. The Portal Setup dialog willappear.

7. In the Show related records from drop-down, select CustomerInfo, check the box for Showvertical scroll bar, enter 5 in the Number of Rows field, then click OK to dismiss the dialog.

8. In the next dialog, Add Fields to Portal, double-click on the Data and Type fields to add themto the Included fields column, then click OK to dismiss the dialog.

9. Add other formatting to the layout as you prefer. Figure 27 shows the Customers layout withadditional formatting. Note that the names of the fields showing in the portal are preceded by::this indicates that they are related fields. Click on either field and select the Data tab in theInspector to see the fully qualified name of the field, which includes the TO it is related to.

Figure 27: The formatted Customers layout with fields and a portal

In the earlier steps for creating a relationship between Customers and CustomerInfo, the relationshipwas set to allow creation of records in CustomerInfo. To add CustomerInfo records directly fromCustomers:

1. Enter Browse mode (Command+B).2. If there are no records in Customers, create at least one record (Command+N), and enter data

into Company, FirstName and LastName.3. Click into the Data field in the first row of the portal, and enter a phone number or email address

or other contact information.4. Tab or click into the Type field and enter a type, such as O#ce phone or Email.5. Click into (or tab to) the Data field in the second row, add some further contact information, then

tab to the Type field and enter a type.6. Commit the record by clicking outside any fields or pressing the Enter key.



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You have just created two records in the CustomerInfo table via the portal on the Customers layout. Ifyou create another Customer record, or navigate to another existing record, you will not see theContactInfo records you just created. This is because the relationship is based on the CustomerIDfield in Customers, which is unique to each Customer record, and the CustomerID field inCustomerInfo (so each customer record has a separate set of related CustomerInfo records). Navigateto the CustomerInfo layout, which shows records from the CustomerInfo table, to view the recordsyou just created.

Without a portal, related fields display values from only the first related record. As an example,consider an Invoices solution, with customers, products, orders and order line items. A good use of arelated field (without a portal) is on an order: Fields from the Customers TO can be used to display thecustomers name and address on a layout showing records based on the Order TO (if there is a validrelationship between Customers and Orders). Since the order can be expected to have only onecustomer, related fields alone can be used as there is no need for a portal to display multiplecustomers.

Auto-Enter Calculations Using Related DataRelated fields can also be used in the auto-enter calculation and lookup options for data fields inFileMaker. For example, in the Invoices solution described above, the Amount field in line itemsshould display the result of the quantity ordered multiplied by the related product cost. If you update

the product cost, it would be inappropriate for the value in the line item Amount field to change online items created earlier. In order to have an accurate record of the amount charged at the time ofthe order, the Cost field should be defined as a number field with an auto-enter calculation using theformula Quantity * Products::Cost and the Do not replace existing value of field (if any) optionshould be disabled so that the calculation result will automatically update if the Quantity value ischanged.



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Part III: Power & Performance with FileMaker Pro

FileMaker Pro is a flexible and extendable program. Each files size is limited only by disk space andcan have up to 1 million tables per file, 64 quadrillion total records over the life of a file and anunlimited numbers of layouts, relationships and scripts. Each file also has the ability to interact withother environments such as SQL, the Macintosh operating system and the Windows operating system.For more intensive development, there is a version of FileMaker Pro called FileMaker Pro Advanced.Yet as you can see from the examples in this guide, FileMaker is simple and friendly enough to

support single-user databases and smaller work groups.

As part of its support for sharing databases with multiple users, FileMaker provides advancedinfrastructure and safeguards. These address a number of considerations for multi-user databases,including security, record locking, overwriting data and the use of global fields.

SecurityPrivilege Sets and AccountsTo protect your database and data from unwanted changes and/or prying eyes, FileMaker providesyou the ability to create privilege sets to manage di"erent types of access, and to create useraccounts and assign them to a given privilege set. Privilege sets and accounts are specific to each fileand cannot be moved from one file to another (eg you must create privilege sets and accountsseparately for each file). The combination of privilege sets and accounts allows you to managewhether users can view, edit, create or delete data, as well as which elements each user will haveaccess to. These controls can be applied to the entire file, to individual records and/or to individualfields.

By default, new FileMaker files are created with three privilege sets[Full Access], [Data Entry Only],and [Read-Only Access] (the square brackets are used to signify that these privilege sets are createdby FileMaker and cannot be modified). Privilege sets store groups of security settings. A privilege setmust be associated with one or more user accounts in order to be available for use. Two accounts arealso created by default in new FileMaker filesAdmin (attached to the Full Access privilege set) and aninactive [Guest] account (attached to the [Read-Only Access] privilege set).

New files are set to log in automatically with the Admin account. The password for the default Adminaccount is blank in a newly created file. You have the option to add a password to the Admin account,

to activate the [Read-Only Access] account, and/or to add other privilege sets and accounts. Tomanage accounts and privilege sets, select File>Manage...>Security....

If you add privilege sets and accounts to a FileMaker database (or if you simply want to limit access),be sure to secure the file by specifying a password for the Admin account. You may also change theAdmin account name, or delete the Admin account and create a di"erent full access account.However, a file must have at least one full access account. FileMaker will alert you (when you click OKin the Manage Security dialog) if there are no [Full Access] accounts. Note: With FileMaker ProAdvanced, you can remove admin access from a file permanently. You may want to do this to protecta solution, beyond normal Account and Privileges security, from modification by other FileMakerusers.

In multi-user databases with accounts for di"erent users, disable the Log in using: option (known as

automatic login) under File>File Options.... Otherwise, all users will be logged in with a default loginaccount, rather than their own accounts.

For added security, you should also disable automatic login in single-user files. If you do leaveautomatic login enabled and change the password for the default account, be sure you also changethe automatic login credentials in File Options. Otherwise automatic login will fail and you will bepresented with the login prompt when you try to open the file.



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The combination of privilege sets and accounts creates strong security for your databases. Only userswith an account and password can log in, and you control what they can view, create, edit and delete.FileMaker security is powerful and the range of options is a complex topic in itself.

Logging InAfter accounts have been created for users, they will be able to log in. Assuming you have deselectedthe automatic login option in the File Options dialog (File>File Options...), users will be presentedwith a login prompt requiring that they enter their account name and password when they attempt to

open the file, as shown in figure 30.

Figure 30: FileMakers login dialog

If the user enters a valid account name and associated password, the file will open and other settingsin the File Options dialog (switch to a layout and/or perform a script, if specified) will be applied. Ifthe account or password is not valid (or if the account is inactive), the file will not open and FileMaker

will prompt the user to try again or cancel.

Security Options in FileMaker ServerFileMaker Server o"ers additional security options, such as the ability to authenticate specificaccounts against an external server (using Active Directory or Open Directory protocols). In addition,FileMaker Server can be set to display a list of all of the files it is hosting, or only the databases a useris authorized to use, and to log users out after a specified period of inactivity. FileMaker Server canalso create secure connections (SSL encrypted) to FIleMaker clients and to the FileMaker WebPublishing Engine.

FileMaker Server is a separate product from FileMaker Pro. Learn more about FileMaker Server athttp://www.filemaker.com/products/filemaker-server/

Preventing Record Locking and Avoiding Data OverwritingSharing a file with other users opens the possibility that more than one user will attempt to access thesame record at the same time. FileMaker allows multiple users to view the same record, but only oneto modify it at one time. The system that prevents second or subsequent users from editing a recordis known as record locking. It ensures that changes to data wont mash-up multiple users input.

http://www.filemaker.com/products/filemaker-server/http://www.filemaker.com/products/filemaker-server/


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If a user attempts to modify a record that is already being modified by another user, FileMaker willdisplay a warning dialog with the account name and workstation name of the user who is editing therecord, and o"er the option to send a message to that user.

Record locking has implications for scripts that modify records. If a user is modifying a record when ascript attempts to modify it, the script will return an error and the locked record will not be changed.There are a few measures you can take to handle error trapping and record locking with scripts, andthese are covered in depth among the resources referenced at the end of this guide.

When a file is single-user, it may be convenient to use a field formatted as a checkbox to markrecords. In a multi-user database, this will be problematic, as di"erent users may overwrite eachothers marks. It is advisable to avoid using record-marking in multi-user databases, instead using atechnique such as global field storage of user-specific record selections. In addition, in a multi-userdatabase, the use of privilege sets and accounts will help you manage which users may change data.

FileMaker Pro AdvancedFileMaker Pro Advanced is the developer-oriented version of FileMaker Pro. It includes all of thefeatures of FileMaker Pro, and a number of additional features such as custom menus, customfunctions, a Data Viewer for monitoring the results of calculations without creating new fields, a ScriptDebugger for stepping through scripts one line at a time, the ability to copy and paste schema (fields,and tables), plus utilities to create stand-alone and kiosk files. While you can create completely

functional databases with FileMaker Pro, FileMaker Pro Advanced is a more e#cient developmentenvironment and enables you to build more powerful and flexible databases.

Running on Windows, Macintosh and iOSUsers on the Windows and Macintosh platforms, and also users of iOS devices running FileMaker Go,can access a multi-user FileMaker database simultaneously. Each platform can also run files storedlocally. With a few exceptions, the database will function similarly on each platform. Keyboardshortcuts use the Control key (in combination with another key) on Windows, compared to theCommand key on Macintosh, and the Alt key is the Windows equivalent of the Option key onMacintosh. On iOS, menus and navigation operate according to the standards on that platform, butthe appearance and functionality of FileMaker Go layouts is otherwise similar to the desktop platforms(FileMaker Go is for working with data only, and has no design features such as Layout mode, ManageDatabase, Manage Scripts, etc).

Because Windows and Macintosh computers use a di"erent pixel density to render their screens, thereis a di"erence in the size and appearance of fonts between the two platforms. In general, it is a goodidea to add an extra 10% to the width of text objects you create in FileMaker on a Macintosh, toensure they will be wide enough to display properly on Windows. Also, some fonts appear similar onboth platforms, while others are more noticeably di"erent. You should check that your layouts lookgood on all platforms if the database will be used (or may someday be used) in a mixed platformenvironment.

An additional di"erence in the appearance and behavior of FileMaker on di"erent platforms is that onMicrosoft Windows, all windows for open databases are contained within an application window, withFileMakers menu bar appearing along the top. There is no application window on the Macintosh, soany window may be moved to any area of the screen, and FileMakers menus form part of the menubar across the top of the screen. On mobile devices running iOS, FileMaker Go displays only onewindow at a time, has a limited set of menu commands that can be accessed from the bottom of thescreen, and has a smaller screen size. You should consider platform-specific window sizing andbehavior when deciding on the appearance and design of your FileMaker databases. In the Formattingbar in Layout mode, you may apply stencils for di"erent screen sizes to help size and organizelayouts appropriately.



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FileMaker ResourcesAs you can see from this guide, FileMaker o"ers many possibilities for customizing your database andmanaging and reporting your data. FileMaker wraps its power in a friendly package, designed to helpyou work quickly and easily, however the program is also deep and warrants further exploration.Following is a brief selection of the resources that are available to help you get the most out of yourwork with FileMaker.

FileMaker Pro Software and Product Information

http://www.filemaker.com/

FileMaker Trial Softwarehttp://info.filemaker.com/US-en-FMP-Trial-Form.html

FileMaker Pro System Requirementshttp://www.filemaker.com/products/filemaker-pro/pro-12-specifications.html

Technical SupportFileMaker Forum Options: http://www.filemaker.com/support/forum_selection.htmlFileMakers TechNet: http://www.filemaker.com/technet/

About the AuthorKatherine Russell is senior consultant and team leader with NightWing Enterprises in Melbourne,Australia. Learn moreabout Katherine at:https://fmdev.filemaker.com/people/katherinerussell
https://fmdev.filemaker.com/people/katherinerussellhttps://fmdev.filemaker.com/people/katherinerussellhttp://www.filemaker.com/technet/http://www.filemaker.com/support/forum_selection.htmlhttps://fmdev.filemaker.com/people/katherinerussellhttps://fmdev.filemaker.com/people/katherinerussellhttp://www.filemaker.com/technet/http://www.filemaker.com/technet/http://www.filemaker.com/support/forum_selection.htmlhttp://www.filemaker.com/support/forum_selection.htmlhttp://www.filemaker.com/products/filemaker-pro/pro-12-specifications.htmlhttp://www.filemaker.com/products/filemaker-pro/pro-12-specifications.htmlhttp://info.filemaker.com/US-en-FMP-Trial-Form.htmlhttp://info.filemaker.com/US-en-FMP-Trial-Form.htmlhttp://www.filemaker.com/http://www.filemaker.com/

Bento to FileMakerPro Guide 2013

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