User manual

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Table Of Contents

Preface Learning how to use FileMakerPro
- Registration and customer support
- Using the FileMakerPro documentation
  - How this guide is organized
  - A note about the illustrations
- Using FileMakerPro Help
Chapter 1 FileMaker Pro basics
- About databases
- About FileMaker Pro files
- Performing menu commands
  - Using toolbars
  - Using context menus
- Managing files
Chapter 2 Adding and viewing data
- About working with records in Browse mode
- Viewing records
- Adding and duplicating records
  - Adding and duplicating related records
- Deleting records
- About entering data in records
- About working with graphics, sounds,andmovies
- About working with text
- Working with OLE objects
Chapter 3 Finding and sorting information
- Finding records
- Sorting records
Chapter 4 Previewing and printing information
- About printing information in a database
- Preparing to print
- Previewing data on a layout
- Printing
Chapter 5 Creating a database
- Planning a database file
- Creating a FileMaker Pro file
- About defining database fields
- Setting options for fields
- Changing field definitions
- Deleting field definitions and data
Chapter 6 Creating and managing layouts and reports
- About layouts and reports
- Creating layouts and reports
- Working with, duplicating, deleting, orrenaming layouts
  - Setting up to print records in columns
  - Setting up View as Form, View as List, and View as Table
- About working with objects on a layout
- About working with fields on a layout
- About layout parts
Chapter 7 Customizing layouts
- Customizing fields on a layout
- Customizing the appearance of a layout
- Arranging objects
- Using tools to precisely position objects
- Controlling how things print
Chapter 8 Working with related files
- Displaying data from related files
- Working with relational databases
- Changing relationships
  - Choosing a different relationship for a portal
  - Summarizing data in portals
- Defining lookups between files
Chapter 9 Protecting databases with passwords and groups
- Defining passwords
- Deleting or changing passwords
- Defining groups
- Deleting or changing groups
- Passwords and groups: a comparison
Chapter 10 Creating scripts to automate tasks
- About scripts
- Creating scripts: an overview
  - Planning scripts
  - Storing settings before creating a script
  - Defining scripts
- About ScriptMaker steps
- Control script steps
- Navigation script steps
- Sort, find, and print script steps
- Editing script steps
- Fields script steps
- Records script steps
- Windows script steps
- Files script steps
- Spelling script steps
- Open Menu Item script steps
- Miscellaneous script steps
- Changing scripts
- Duplicating, renaming, or deleting scripts
  - Deleting scripts
- Importing scripts
  - To import a script
- Listing scripts in the Scripts menu
- Using buttons with scripts
  - Defining buttons
  - Copying, changing, or deleting buttons
- Example of a ScriptMaker script
  - Finding duplicate records
Chapter 11 Using formulas and functions
- About formulas
- About functions
Chapter 12 Importing and exporting data
- About import and export
  - About file formats
- Importing data into FileMaker Pro
  - Importing data into an existing file
  - Converting a data file into a new FileMakerPro file
- Exporting data from FileMaker Pro
  - Exporting subsummary data
Chapter 13 Sharing databases on a network
- About sharing files on a network
  - Working with shared files
- About hosting files
- Opening files as the host
- Closing shared files
- Opening files as a guest
Chapter 14 Publishing databases on the Web
- About publishing databases on the Web
- How users work with databases on the Web
- What you need to publish databasesontheWeb
- Publishing databases on the Web: an overview
- Enabling FileMaker Pro Web Companion
- Configuring FileMaker Pro WebCompanion
- Enabling Web Companion sharing
- Setting up browser views
- Testing your published database
- About browser views for web publishing
Chapter 15 Using ODBC with FileMakerPro
- About ODBC
  - ODBC terminology
  - ODBC support in FileMakerPro
- Sharing FileMakerPro data via ODBC
- Accessing FileMakerPro data from an ODBC client application
  - Configuring the ODBC control panel
- Importing data from other data sources
- An ODBC import example
- Importing ODBC data with a join
  - Specifying a SQL join
- Automating ODBC connections
Appendix A Customizing FileMaker Pro
- Setting application preferences
- Setting document preferences
  - Setting general document preferences
  - Setting document spelling preferences
Appendix B Backing up and recovering files
- Backing up files
  - Using a backup script
- Maintaining files
  - Saving a compressed copy
  - Understanding file damage
- Recovering damaged files
  - When to recover
Appendix C FileMaker Pro Quick Reference (Windows)
- Keyboard and mouse shortcuts
Appendix D FileMaker Pro Quick Reference (Mac OS)
- Keyboard and mouse shortcuts
Index

Using formulas and functions

11-13

For example, LayoutNames (“Clients”) always returns the

names of the layouts in the Clients file. If you have a field named File,

LayoutNames (File) returns the names of the layouts in the Clients

file when you type Clients in the File field.

External functions

Use external functions to access FileMaker Pro plug-ins such as

FileMaker Pro Web Companion. Plug-ins add features to

FileMaker Pro. For more information, see “Setting up plug-ins” on

page A-4.

Enabled plug-ins that support external functions appear in the list of

functions in the Specify Calculation dialog box (when you choose

View External functions or View all by type from the list). If there are no

plug-ins enabled, or the ones enabled do not support external

functions, you see only the generic external function definition:

External (name, parameter).

FileMaker Pro Web Companion external functions

When you publish a database using FileMaker Pro Web Companion,

use FileMaker Pro Web Companion external functions to:

1 check the version of the Web companion

1 capture information about visitors to your database

1 translate information in your database to HTML or HTTP

Note The following functions are only available if FileMaker Pro

Web Companion is installed and enabled on your computer. See

chapter 14 for more information about the Web Companion.

If third-party plug-ins are enabled, other external functions might

also appear.

Syntax Definition

DatabaseNames Returns the names of the currently opened

databases. (Uses no parameters.)

FieldBounds (database name,

layout name, field name)

Returns the location and size of a specified

field.

FieldNames (database name,

layout name)

Returns the names of fields in the database

and layout you specify. Or, type two quotes

("") in place of a layout name to return the

names of all fields in the specified database.

FieldRepetitions (database

name, layout name, field name)

Returns the number of repetitions and

orientation of a specified repeating field.

FieldStyle (database name,

layout name, field name)

Returns:

1 how a specified field is formatted on a

layout (for example, as radio buttons)

1 whether a value list is associated with the field.

FieldType (database name,

field name)

Returns the field definition for a specified

field.

LayoutNames (database name) Returns the names of layouts in a specified

database file.

RelationInfo (database name,

relationship name)

Returns the name of the related file for a

specified relationship.

RelationNames (database

name)

Returns the relationships defined in a

specified database file.

ScriptNames (database name) Returns the scripts defined in a specified

database file.

ValueListItems (database

name, value list name)

Returns the values defined for a specified

value list.

ValueListNames (database

name)

Returns the value lists defined in a specified

database file.

Syntax Definition

External ("Web-Version", 0) Returns the version of FileMaker Pro Web

Companion that loads when you open

FileMaker Pro

External ("Web-

ClientAddress", 0)

Returns the domain name (for example,

www.filemaker.com) of a Web user whose HTTP

request is currently being processed by

FileMaker Pro Web Companion. Returns the Web

user’s IP address if the domain name is not available.