Development Guide

Chapter 1
Introducing FileMaker Pro Advanced
Welcome to FileMaker
®
Pro Advanced. This product includes advanced development and customization
tools designed especially for database developers. You can use either FileMaker
Pro or FileMaker Pro
Advanced to create and test your database solutions.
In addition to all of the features that are available with FileMaker Pro, FileMaker Pro Advanced includes:
1 Developer Utilities, for creating, customizing, and deploying runtime database solutions
1 Database Design Report feature, for publishing comprehensive documentation on structures or schemas
of databases
1 Script Debugger, for systematic testing and debugging of FileMaker scripts
1 Data Viewer, for monitoring fields, variables, and calculations
1 Copy feature, for copying fields or tables. You can also import table schema for use within the same file
or across different files.
1 Custom Menus feature, for creating customized menus for the solution
1 Custom Functions feature, for creating custom functions for use anywhere within the solution
About this guide
This Development Guide includes information about features that are available with FileMaker Pro
Advanced. In addition, this guide gives an overview of how to create custom layout themes and external
function plug-ins.
See FileMaker Pro Help for detailed information on product features.
To send your feedback on this guide, visit www.filemaker.com/company/documentation_feedback.html.
To access resources on the FileMaker website such as ready-made solutions and the FileMaker Knowledge
Base, choose Help menu > Resource Center.
To learn more about FileMaker Pro and discuss support topics with other customers, visit the FileMaker
Forum. Choose Help menu > FileMaker Forum.
Using the FileMaker Pro Advanced documentation
This Development Guide is one component in a comprehensive documentation suite provided with
FileMaker
Pro Advanced. FileMaker Pro Advanced also includes an online Help system to provide details
on FileMaker
Pro features.
This guide assumes that you are familiar with FileMaker Pro or FileMaker Pro Advanced, and that you have
created a database solution that you want to work on using the FileMaker
Pro Advanced features. If you are
new to the FileMaker family, start with the FileMaker
Pro User’s Guide.