Development Guide

14 FileMaker Pro Advanced Development Guide
Important These files and folders must not be renamed.
For details on the contents of the Mac OS X runtime application package and the Windows Extensions
folder and DLLs, see Help.
If your runtime database solution requires custom files, you should provide the files with the runtime files.
Plug-ins should be stored in the Extensions folder. If a developer uses a font not found on a user’s system,
the runtime application will make a font substitution. If a font is included with the runtime, provision should
be made for its installation through the installer program. See
“Using a custom installation program” below.
In addition to the runtime files, you will need to provide installation instructions for your users. For more
information on documenting developer solutions, see Help.
Choosing a distribution method
After you have organized the files that comprise your solution, you need to decide how your users will install
them. You can distribute your bundled solution on a CD-ROM, over a network, or via the internet. In order
to run your runtime database solution, your users will need the same minimum equipment and software
required by the FileMaker
Pro Advanced application.
Using a custom installation program
You should use a custom installation program to package your runtime solution for installation by users.
Configuring a custom installation application to install runtime database solution files may require more
engineering than using a compression utility, but will help to ensure that your users do not have difficulties
installing your runtime solution.
Here are some custom installation applications you might want to use:
1 MindVision Installer VISE
1 InstallShield MultiPlatform
1 MacInstallerBuilder
Windows solution folder Mac OS X solution folder
Runtime application
Runtime application
package
Bound primary and
auxiliary solution files
Bound primary and
auxiliary solution files
Extensions
Dictionaries
DLLs generated
during binding
Example of Windows and Mac OS X solution contents for distribution
Extensions
Dictionaries
language
resource folders