Development Guide

Appendix A
Feature comparison of the runtime application
with
FileMaker Pro
When you double-click the FileMaker Pro application icon to start the application you can create a new
database or choose a file to open. When you start a FileMaker
Pro runtime application, the primary bound
database file opens automatically.
Other key differences between the runtime application and FileMaker Pro include the following:
1 All the database design features have been removed or hidden in the runtime application.
This includes Layout mode and commands on the Manage submenu.
1 Custom functions and custom menus created with FileMaker Pro Advanced will work in the runtime
application, although users of the runtime application cannot modify or create new custom functions or
custom menus.
1 Some other menu commands have been removed from the runtime application.
For example, you can’t use the runtime application to create, open, or close a database. (Bound runtime
database files must contain a custom button or script to close or open other files. There is no close
command on a runtime database window.)
1 FileMaker Pro Help is not available in the runtime application. However, you can use the custom menu
feature to display customized Help text that you create.
1 External function plug-ins can be enabled in the Preferences dialog box.
1 Although the XML Data filter appears as an option for the Convert File script step, you can’t convert
XML files using this script step in a runtime application.
1 FileMaker Pro File Sharing, serving a database on the web, or communicating with a Java applet requires
FileMaker
Pro or FileMaker Pro Advanced. You can, however, use a compatible version of FileMaker
Server to serve runtime solution files.
1 Apple events are supported but OLE automation is not supported in the runtime application on Windows
machines.
1 Runtime applications cannot be shared over a network.
1 Runtime applications do not include the ability to Save/Send Records as Adobe PDF files.
1 FileMaker Pro Advanced features are not available in the runtime application.
A runtime database can, however, be opened in either FileMaker Pro or FileMaker Pro Advanced. The
full functionality of these applications will be enabled, except if full access privileges have been
removed.
1 Runtime applications don’t support external SQL data sources (ESS), ODBC import, or the Execute SQL
script step.
1 Charts are not supported in runtime solutions.