User manual

Chapter 3
Creating databases
This chapter explains the basics of how to:
1 plan a database
1 define and modify fields
1 define tables
1 create layouts
1 work with fields, objects, and parts on a layout
Note See Help for detailed, comprehensive information and step-by-step procedures about using
FileMaker
Pro.
Planning a database
A well-designed database promotes consistent data entry and retrieval, and reduces the existence of duplicate data
among the database tables. Relational database tables work together to ensure that the correct data is available
when you need it. It’s a good idea to plan a database on paper first.
Follow these general steps to plan a database:
1. Determine the purpose for your database, or the problem you want to solve. For example, “to keep a list
of my customers,” “to manage my inventory,” or “to grade my students.”
If other people will use the database, be sure to talk with them about the data they will need.
2. Consider the information you will store in your database. Typically, information falls into broad categories.
Accurately identifying these categories is critical to designing an efficient database, because you will store
different types and amounts of data in each category. For example, a database intended to track sales has
categories such as “products,” “invoices,” and “customers.” A database that records student grades has
categories such as “students,” “classes,” and “assignments.”
3. Once you’ve determined the broad categories, consider how these categories are related. This can be done
by writing simple sentences that describe how the categories interact, such as, “teachers teach classes,”
“students are assigned to classes,” and “students complete assignments.” Each of these pairs suggests a
relationship between the data in one category and the data in the other category.
4. Once you’ve identified your categories of information, you are ready to organize your database.
In database terminology, these categories of information are referred to as tables. Tables are used to
group data containing a common element or purpose. For example, you might use one table to store
names and addresses, while you use another table to store transaction details, such as date of sale, item
number, unit price, and so on.