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Bento® 4
User’s Guide

FileMaker, Inc.
5201 Patrick Henry Drive
Santa Clara, California 95054
FileMaker and Bento are trademarks of FileMaker, Inc. registered in
the U.S. and other countries. The file folder logo and the Bento logo
are trademarks of FileMaker, Inc. All other trademarks are the
property of their respective owners.
FileMaker documentation is copyrighted. You are not authorized to
make additional copies or distribute this documentation without
written permission from FileMaker. You may use this documentation
solely with a valid licensed copy of FileMaker software.
All persons, companies, email addresses, and URLs listed in the
examples are purely fictitious and any resemblance to existing
persons, companies, email addresses, or URLs is purely coincidental.
Credits are listed in the Acknowledgements documents provided
with this software. Mention of third-party products and URLs is for
informational purposes only and constitutes neither an endorsement
nor a recommendation. FileMaker, Inc. assumes no responsibility with
regard to the performance of these products.
For more information, visit our website at http://www.filemaker.com.
Edition: 03

Contents

Preface

7
8
14
14

Welcome to Bento
Managing Data in Libraries
About This Document
Resources for Learning More

Chapter 1

17
17
18

Overview of Bento
Home Dialog
Bento Window

Chapter 2

29
29
30
32
32
33
35
35
36

Using Libraries
About Libraries
Creating a Library Using the Bento Templates
Creating a New Blank Library
Changing the Icon for a Library
Sharing Your Bento Database
Grouping Libraries
Deleting Records from a Library
Deleting a Library

Chapter 3

37
37
38
39
39
40

Using the Address Book Library
About the Address Book Library
Displaying Data from the Address Book Application
Bento Address Book Fields That Update the Address Book Application
Troubleshooting Address Book Updates
Address Book Data and Backups

Chapter 4

41
41
42
42

Migrating the iCal, iPhoto, and Address Book Libraries
Migrating the iCal Libraries
Migrating the iPhoto Library
Migrating the Address Book Library

Chapter 5

43
43
44
45
45
45
45
46

Using Collections
About Collections
Creating Collections
Removing Records from a Collection
Deleting a Collection
About Smart Collections
Creating Smart Collections
Changing a Smart Collection

Chapter 6

47
47
48
48
49
49
50
50
51
51
51
51
52
52
53
53
53
54
54

Using Form View
About Forms
Creating Records in Form View
Editing Records in Form View
Duplicating Records in Form View
Deleting Records in Form View
Creating Forms
Deleting Forms
Showing and Hiding Forms
Duplicating Forms
Copying Forms
Renaming Forms
Locking and Unlocking Forms
Adding Fields to a Form
Tabbing Between Fields
Moving Fields and Objects on Forms
Resizing Fields and Objects
Removing Fields from a Form
Customizing Form Layouts

Chapter 7

59
59
60
60
61
62
62
63
63
67

Using Table View
About Table View
Selecting Records in Table View
Creating Records in Table View
Editing Records in Table View
Duplicating Records in Table View
Deleting Records in Table View
Sorting Records
Working with Fields and Columns in Table View
Summarizing Column Data

Contents

Chapter 8

69
69
70
70
70
70
71

Using Grid View
About Grid View
Viewing the Grid and a Form at the Same Time
Displaying Grid View Items
Setting Grid View Options
Changing the Display Size of Grid View Items
Working with Library Folders in Grid View

Chapter 9

73
73
76
84
84
86
92
95
97
100

Using Fields
About Fields
Creating Fields
Navigating to Related Records
Using the Fields Pane
Working with List Fields
Working with Related Data Fields
Working with Media Fields
Working with Encrypted Fields
Working with Location Fields

Chapter 10

103
103
106
112
117

Importing, Exporting, and Printing
About Comma-Separated and Tab-Separated Files
Importing Information into Bento
Exporting Information from Bento
Printing Information

Chapter 11

123
124
125
125
126
126
127

Backing Up and Restoring Information
About Bento Backup Files
Using the Back Up Reminder
Changing the Back Up Reminder
Creating a Backup File
Restoring from a Backup File
Using Time Machine with Bento

Chapter 12

129
129

Syncing
Syncing Information Between Your Mac and Devices

Appendix A

135

Keyboard Shortcuts

Appendix B

139
139

Reverting to a Previous Version of Bento
Reverting to a Previous Version from Bento 4

Index

143

Contents

Welcome to Bento

Bento® helps you organize your information, providing the
power of a database without complexity.
Bento is an easy-to-use database that manages contacts, tasks, and other information
that is important to you. Because Bento is a database, you can create data
relationships and view your data in more ways than you can in a spreadsheet.
Bento brings your important information together in one place to help you get
organized. You’ll be able to manage your contacts, coordinate events, track projects,
prioritize tasks, and more.

Managing Data in Libraries
Bento comes with more than 30 library templates to help you create libraries easily.
You can create an Expenses library to track information about expenses, and an Event
Planning library to track information about your travel club events.

Preface

Bento provides a Projects library, so you’re ready to start managing projects for your
travel club.
Libraries

Fields

Importing Data from Other Applications
How do you add your spreadsheet of expenses to Bento? Create a library by importing
data from another application, or import data into a library you’ve already created.
Save your spreadsheet as a comma-separated values (.csv), tab-separated values (.tab),
Numbers, or Excel file, and then import the file into Bento. Bento creates the fields
needed to hold your data and creates records for each row of data in the file.

Preface

Importing
spreadsheet
data into a
Bento library.

Creating Collections
You have a team of people who are working with you on your next travel club event.
All of your team members are in the Bento Address Book library, but you’d like to
create a smaller group that includes only your team members, not everyone in the
Address Book library. You want to create a collection.
Creating a collection is as easy as creating a group in Address Book or a playlist in
iTunes. Open the Bento Address Book library in table view. Select the records for the

Preface

team members and choose the New Collection from Selection menu item, or drag the
selected records to the Libraries pane.

Drag the selected
records to the
Libraries pane.

Give the collection the name “Team Members” and Bento creates the Team Members
collection.

Preface

Creating Relationships
Bento makes it easy to connect your libraries of information using related data fields.
For example, say you want to track expenses by team member. To create a related data
field, drag “Team Members” to the “Expenses” form.

Preface

You can also create a related data field that shows expenses for each team member.
Drag “Expenses” to the “Team Members” form.

Preface

About This Document
The following table tells you where to find information in this documentation.
For information about

See

The features of Bento

Chapter 1, “Overview of Bento” on page 17

Using libraries to manage your information

Chapter 2, “Using Libraries” on page 29

Using the Address Book library to display data from
the Mac OS Address Book application

Chapter 3, “Using the Address Book Library” on
page 37

Migrating existing iCal, iPhoto, and Address Book
libraries

Chapter 4, “Migrating the iCal, iPhoto, and
Address Book Libraries” on page 41

Creating a subset of records from a library

Chapter 5, “Using Collections” on page 43

Viewing your data one record at a time, creating
forms, changing the appearance of forms, and
adding new fields to forms

Chapter 6, “Using Form View” on page 47

Viewing all the records in a library or collection in a
table

Chapter 7, “Using Table View” on page 59

Using media fields and library folders in grid view

Chapter 8, “Using Grid View” on page 69

All the field types that Bento provides, and using
the Fields pane

Chapter 9, “Using Fields” on page 73

Sharing data by importing, exporting, and printing

Chapter 10, “Importing, Exporting, and Printing”
on page 103

Creating a backup of your Bento data

Chapter 11, “Backing Up and Restoring
Information” on page 123

Syncing information between Bento for Mac and
your device

Chapter 12, “Syncing” on page 129

Using keyboard shortcuts

Appendix A, “Keyboard Shortcuts” on page 135

Reverting to a previous version of Bento

Appendix B, “Reverting to a Previous Version of
Bento” on page 139

Resources for Learning More
To get the most from Bento, consult the resources listed below.
User’s Guide
Bento User’s Guide is a PDF document that provides detailed information on using
Bento.
To open the User’s Guide:
Choose Help > Bento User’s Guide.
Onscreen Help
To access help from within Bento, choose Help > Bento Help. You can browse through
the table of contents to find a specific topic, or enter a question in the search field.

Preface

Tutorial
For a demonstration of what you can do with Bento, view the tutorials.
To access the tutorials:
Choose Help > Video Tutorial, and then follow the instructions.
Bento Forum
Visit the Bento forum to get technical support, tips, report problems, and share with
others how you use Bento.
To access the Bento forum:
Choose Help > Bento Forum.
Bento Template Exchange
Visit the Bento Template Exchange website to submit your own templates and
download templates created by other Bento users.
To access the Bento Template Exchange:
Choose Help > Bento Template Exchange.
Note You can also submit your templates directly from within Bento. See ”Submitting
Templates to the Bento Template Exchange” on page 114.
Bento for iPhone and Bento for iPad
Visit the Bento products web page to get information about the features of Bento for
iPhone and Bento for iPad.
To view information about Bento for iPhone and Bento for iPad:
Choose Help > Bento for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.
Technical Support
To learn more about the support options that are available to Bento users, view the
service and support information.
To view the service and support information:
Choose Help > Service and Support.

Preface

Overview of Bento

This chapter provides an overview of Bento features.
This chapter is a description of what you see when you start using Bento. It introduces
the Home dialog and describes the sections of the Bento window, including the
Libraries pane, the Fields pane, and the records area where you can display your
information in table view, form view, grid view, or split view.

Home Dialog
When you first open Bento, you use the Home dialog to learn about Bento and to
create your first library.

To see how easy it is to use,
take a video tour of Bento.
Bento uses libraries to store
information. One way to start using
Bento is by creating a library.
When you’re done with the Home
dialog, click this button to start
using Bento.
If you decide that you don’t need the Home
dialog, deselect the “Show this dialog on startup” checkbox.

Bento Window
The Bento window contains two main sections:
• The left side of the window contains the Libraries pane (which may display the
Devices section and the Shared section), and the Fields pane.
• The right side of the window displays the records in Bento. You can display
record data in table view, form view, grid view, or split view.
Libraries pane

Records area

Fields pane

By default, both sections of the Bento window are displayed. To hide the Libraries
pane and Fields pane, choose View > Hide Libraries & Fields Pane.

Chapter 1 Overview of Bento

Libraries Pane
The Libraries pane displays the libraries and collections that are in Bento.
• A library categorizes data by content. Bento provides several libraries by
default. The Projects library, which stores data about projects, is an example
library with sample data. You can create libraries to store other categories of
data. You can organize a group of libraries within a folder.
To add a library to the Libraries pane, click the New Library button. See ”Using
Libraries” on page 29.
Address Book
Library
iCal Events
Library

iCal Tasks
Library

Collection of
iCal Events

Projects Library

New Collection

Collection of
records from
Projects

New Library

• A collection is set of records from a library. A collection is similar to an Address
Book group or to a playlist in iTunes. A collection contains records from its
parent library. A record from the library can be in more than one collection.
For example, one person might be both a friend and a co-worker. If you had
one collection named “Friends” and another named “Co-workers” you could
add this person’s contact record to both collections in the Address Book
library.
To add a collection to the Libraries pane, click the New Collection button. See
”Using Collections” on page 43.
Tip If you want to change the size of the icons and text in the Libraries pane, choose
Bento > Preferences. For “Libraries Pane Text,” select Small or Large.

Chapter 1 Overview of Bento

Collections
Create a collection when you want a subset of the records from a library. There are two
kinds of collections:
• Collections are created by adding records from the library to a new collection.
Creating a collection is as easy as creating a playlist in iTunes. Select the
records in the library and use the New Collection from Selection menu item,
or drag the selected records to the Libraries pane.
• Smart Collections are created based on criteria you set up. Records that meet
the defined criteria appear in the Smart Collection. You use Advanced Find to
create a Smart Collection.
See ”Using Collections” on page 43.
Creating Libraries
Bento comes with more than 30 library templates that make it easy for you to create
new libraries of information. A template defines the fields of information used in each
record of a library, which you can change based on your needs. Select the library
template that most closely matches the category of data you want to store.

See ”Creating a Library Using the Bento Templates” on page 30.

Chapter 1 Overview of Bento

Devices Section
The Devices section of the Libraries pane keeps track of how many devices (up to two)
are currently connected to Bento. The Devices section is hidden when no devices are
connected.
See ”Syncing” on page 129.
Shared Section
The Shared section of the Libraries pane lists libraries that are being shared over a
local network (in the same subnet). To hide the Shared section, deselect the option
“Look for shared databases” in Bento Preferences.
See ”Sharing Your Bento Database” on page 33.

Records Area
On the right side of the Bento window, you can display information stored in Bento in
either table view, a form view, grid view, or split view.
• Table view shows information in an entire library or collection in a
spreadsheet-like table, where each row in the table is a record in the library.
• Form view shows fields from one record at a time, in arrangements that you
can customize, using beautiful themes.
• Grid view shows the media fields and form thumbnails of a selected library or
collection in a grid layout.
• Split view shows the selected record in either form view and table view, or
form view and grid view at the same time.

Chapter 1 Overview of Bento

Table view shows each record as a row in a table.

Split table and form view lets you view a record as a row in
a table and in a page-like format at the same time.

Form view shows fields from a single record.

Grid view shows media fields or form thumbnails
in the selected library.

Table View
To view the information in an entire library or collection in a spreadsheet-like table,
use table view.
In table view, you can work with your records in many ways, including:
• Selecting the columns (fields) that you want to show.
• Arranging the columns in any order.
• Sorting records by selecting a specific column.
• Analyzing data using a summary row.
See ”Using Table View” on page 59.

Chapter 1 Overview of Bento

Form View
To view your information one record at a time, use form view. In form view, you can
create multiple forms for each collection or library, giving each form a different name.
For example, you could create a form in the Projects library to show a schedule, and
track milestones.
You can customize forms in many ways, including:
• Selecting the fields that you want to show.
• Arranging the fields on the form.
• Changing the size of fields.
• Changing the appearance of the form using themes.
• Adding a header and a logo.
See ”Using Form View” on page 47.
Grid View
To view the media fields and form thumbnails in a selected library or collection, use
grid view.
In grid view, you can work with thumbnails of media fields and forms, called grid view
items, in many ways, including:
• Filtering grid view items.
• Setting and changing labels of grid view items.
• Changing the display size of grid view items.
See ”Using Grid View” on page 69.
Split View
To view the selected record in form view and table view at the same time, or in form
view and grid view at the same time, use split view.

Chapter 1 Overview of Bento

Form Themes
Bento provides an assortment of beautiful themes that you can apply to your forms.
Every theme includes coordinated colors, layout, fonts, and text attributes. You can
easily change a form’s theme at any time.

See ”Customizing Form Layouts” on page 54.

Chapter 1 Overview of Bento

Navigation Bar
The navigation bar contains several controls that help you display information in
Bento.
• Click

to see records in table view.

• Click

to see records in grid view.

• Click one of the form view buttons to see records one at a time in a page-like
view. In the example below, there are two form view buttons: “Overview” and
“Details.” You can have as many form views as you want.
• Click

to switch to split view from table view or form view.

• Click

to switch to split view from grid view.

• To move through the records in a library or collection, click the Previous
record and Next record buttons (the arrow buttons).
To go to the first record, Option-click the Previous record button. To go to the last
record, Option-click the Next record button.
Previous
record

Table
view

Grid
view

Form view
buttons

Next
record

New form

Click here for
Advanced Find

Delete form

Search
field

Show or hide
split view

Search Field and Advanced Find
• Use the Search field to do a simple search for text in all field types except
media, related data, file list, message list, simple list, and encrypted.
Note You can search encrypted fields if they are unlocked.
• Use Advanced Find to find a set of matching records by defining search
values and criteria for specific fields.

Chapter 1 Overview of Bento

To use the Search field:
1

Select the library or collection.

Enter a text string into the Search field.

Bento searches across all the applicable fields of the selected library or collection.
Bento lets you know how many records match the search string, and updates the
current view to display the matching records for those fields that are selected in table
view or have been added to a form in form view.

1. Type “M”and the result is 30 records.

2. Type “Ma” and the result is 15 records.

3. Type “Mar” and the result is 9 records.

4. Type “Mary” and the result is 3 records.

Chapter 1 Overview of Bento

To use Advanced Find:
1

Select the library or collection.

In the search field, click

Specify what you want to find. Add or remove criteria as needed.

and select Advanced Find, or press Command-F.

When searching on a location field, make sure you enter the direction (North,
South, East, or West. Otherwise, Bento assumes North for the latitude and East for
the longitude).
4

Click Find.

Bento performs the search, and displays the matching records.
• To save the matching records as a Smart Collection, click Save. See ”About
Smart Collections” on page 45.
• To close Advanced Find, click the X next to “Advanced Find” or press
Command-F. When you close Advanced Find, Bento shows all records.

Chapter 1 Overview of Bento

Fields Pane
The Fields pane on the left side of the Bento window displays the fields that are
defined for the selected library or collection.
• In table view, use the Fields pane to select which columns are shown.
• In a form view, use the Fields pane to add fields to the current form by
dragging a field name with
to the form.
• In split view, the Fields pane indicates the fields that can be added to the
current form or can be displayed in table view.
In table view
Fields with
selected
checkboxes are
already shown as
columns in table
view.

Select an
unchecked field to
show it as a
column in table
view.

In form view

Address subfields
can’t be added to the
form individually.

Field is already on
the current form.

Drag to add field to
the current form.

See ”Using the Fields Pane” on page 84.

Chapter 1 Overview of Bento

Using Libraries

In Bento, you use libraries to organize your information. You
can use the libraries that Bento provides, and create your
own libraries using templates. You can share your entire
database or selected libraries with up to five users on a local
network.
You can create libraries to hold your information:
• By using the New Library dialog
• By importing existing information from a comma-separated (.csv), tabseparated (.tab), Numbers, Excel, or library template file
This chapter describes how to use libraries to organize, manage, and share your
information.

About Libraries
Bento stores information in libraries. Libraries are composed of records, and libraries
are defined by the fields in the records.
For example, the default Projects library records are composed of fields that are useful
for managing projects, such as fields for the project status, start and end dates, and
team member information.
Bento provides several ways for you to view the records of a library:
• Form view shows fields from a single record. Each page shows one record at a
time, for example, a single contact record in the Address Book library. You can
have more than one form view for the library. See ”Using Form View” on
page 47.
• Table view shows the records in a table, for example, a list of the contacts in
the Address Book library. Each row in the table represents a single record in
the library. See ”Using Table View” on page 59.

• Grid view displays at a glance the media fields and form thumbnails of a
selected library or collection. See ”Using Grid View” on page 69.
• Split view shows a record in form view and table view or grid view at the same
time.
The remainder of this chapter describes how to create, use, and share libraries:
• You can create your own libraries by using library templates. See the
following section, ”Creating a Library Using the Bento Templates” on page 30.
• You can create a library by importing your own data. See ”Importing
Information into Bento” on page 106.
• You can share your libraries with up to five other Bento users on your local
network. See ”Sharing Your Bento Database” on page 33.

Creating a Library Using the Bento Templates
Before you create a library, think about the type of information you want to manage
with the library. Do you want to manage schedules and dates? Do you want to
manage contact information? Are you looking for a way to bring tasks and
assignments together in an event planner? Or do you want to manage a list of things,
such as inventory or equipment lists?
Bento provides library templates that create the fields to manage specific kinds of
information. These templates also apply pre-designed themes to the form views.
By selecting the library template that most closely fits the type of information you
want to manage, you create the library you need more quickly. If you can't find a
template for the kind of information you want to store, you can use the “Blank”
template and create a library of your own. After you create a library from a template,
you can customize the form view by adding or removing fields and changing the
theme.
Tip If you already have information from another application that you want to use in
Bento, see ”Importing Information into Bento” on page 106.

Chapter 2 Using Libraries

To create a library using the Bento templates:
1

Choose File > New Library from Template.

In the New Library dialog, select a template category in the left column, then
select the template.
Select “Blank” if none of the templates meet your needs. You can create all of the
fields yourself with the Blank library.
If you select the Contacts template, you can have Bento import your Address Book
library data.

Enter a name for your library, and click Choose.
Bento creates the library and opens it in form view.

If you selected a template other than the Blank template, review the fields that are
defined for your new library.
• If you are happy with the fields and form views in your new library, then
you’re ready to add records and enter information. See ”Editing Records in
Form View” on page 48.
• If you need additional fields, you can customize the library by adding fields.
See ”Adding Fields to a Form” on page 52.

Chapter 2 Using Libraries

• If there are fields defined for information that you do not need, delete those
fields. See ”Removing Fields from a Form” on page 54.
• If you want to change the layout of the fields on the form view, see
”Customizing Form Layouts” on page 54.
• If you want to change the appearance of the form view, you can select a
different theme. See ”Customizing Form Layouts” on page 54.

Creating a New Blank Library
You can get started quickly by creating a blank library, then add data to it as you would
in a spreadsheet.
To create a new blank library:
1

Choose File > New Blank Library.
Bento creates a library with a default name and opens it in table view.
Bento creates a blank record for you. You can add data to this record (see
”Creating Records in Table View” on page 60), or you can delete the record (see
”Deleting Records from a Library” on page 35).

Double-click the library name to rename it.

Click in the highlighted cell to start entering or pasting data.
See ”Editing Records in Table View” on page 61 and ”Copying and Pasting Data in
Table View” on page 61.

Note If you already have information from another application that you want to
include in Bento, create a library and records in that library by importing your
information. See ”Importing Information into Bento” on page 106.

Changing the Icon for a Library
Each library comes with its own icon. You can change the icon for any library you
create.
Note You cannot create your own icon in Bento.
To change a library icon:

In the Libraries pane, Control-click the library you want to change.

Choose “Choose a library icon.”

Click an icon, then click OK.

Chapter 2 Using Libraries

Sharing Your Bento Database
You can share your Bento database with up to five other Bento users at the same time
over a local network (in the same subnet). Sharing requires the current version of
Bento on each computer that is either sharing a database or looking for shared
databases.
You can export data or a template from a shared library. For more information, see
”Exporting Information from Bento” on page 112.
When you first start Bento, your libraries are set up ready to be shared. You then
decide whether to share your entire database or only selected libraries.
To share your database with other Bento users:
1

Choose Bento > Preferences.

Click Sharing at the top of the window.

Select “Share my Bento database.”

Select “Share entire database” or “Share selected libraries,” then select the
libraries you want to share.

(Optional) Enter a different name for your shared database.
This is the name that is displayed on other users’ computers (if they are set up to
look for shared databases on your network).

If you want other users to be able to make changes to the shared database,
select “Allow others to make changes to your data.”
If a shared database is not allowed to be changed, users see italicized field labels
and

when they move the cursor over the fields.

Users viewing your shared database can’t create or delete fields or make changes
to form layouts.
If you make certain types of changes to the database while it is being shared
(create fields, collections, or folders; delete folders; change field options or the
database name), users are prompted to disconnect from the database and then
reconnect to ensure they have the latest version.
7

Leave Bento open on your computer for users to see your shared database on
other computers. If you quit Bento, your database will no longer be shared.

Important Users editing a shared database can’t undo their changes once they have
tabbed or clicked outside the field currently being edited.

To disconnect a shared database, click

Chapter 2 Using Libraries

next to the shared database.

Turning Off Database Sharing
You can turn off database sharing to prevent other users on your local network from
seeing your database.
To turn off database sharing:
1

Choose Bento > Preferences.

Click Sharing at the top of the window.

Deselect “Share my Bento database.”

Looking for Shared Databases
If your computer is connected to other computers over a local network, you can look
for databases that are being shared.
To look for shared databases on your local network:
1

Choose Bento > Preferences.

Click Sharing at the top of the window.

Select “Look for shared Bento databases.”
Any shared databases appear in the Shared section of the Libraries pane.

Setting a Password for a Shared Database
If you only want only a select group of users to access your database, you can require
users to enter a password, called the Sharing Password, before they can view your
shared items. This password is different from the Database Password. For more
information about the Database Password, see ”Setting a Password for Your Bento
Database” on page 98.
To set the Sharing Password:
1

Choose Bento > Preferences.

Click Sharing at the top of the window.

Select Require Sharing Password, then type a password.

Opening a Password-Protected Shared Database
Password-protected shared databases are indicated by

in the Libraries pane.

To open a password-protected shared database:

Select a password-protected shared database.

In the dialog, enter the Sharing Password that was set by the owner of the
shared database.

Chapter 2 Using Libraries

Working with Shared Encrypted Fields
Users can access encrypted fields in shared databases by first entering the Sharing
Password (if one has been set) and then the Database Password for the shared
database. For more information about the Database Password, see ”Setting a
Password for Your Bento Database” on page 98.
Users can lock and unlock data in shared encrypted fields. For more information, see
”Locking and Unlocking Data in Encrypted Fields” on page 99.

Grouping Libraries
You can organize a group of libraries within a folder.
To create a library folder:
1

Choose File > New Library Folder.
An untitled folder is created in the Libraries pane above the currently selected
library or folder.

Enter a new name for the folder and press Return.

To add a library to a library folder:
Select the library and drag it to the desired library folder.

Deleting Records from a Library
You can delete one record or multiple records from a library. The easiest way to delete
multiple records is in table view.
To delete one record from a library:
1

Select the library.

Select the record, then choose Records > Delete Record (or press CommandDelete).

To delete multiple records at one time:
1

Select the library.

In table view, Command-click or Shift-click the records you want to delete,
then choose Records > Delete Selected Records (or press Command-Delete).

Note When you press Command-Delete, the records are permanently deleted from
both the library and any collection or related data fields that displayed them.

Chapter 2 Using Libraries

Deleting a Library
To delete a library:
Select the library and press the Delete key. When you press Delete, the library and all
of its records are deleted.
Any related data fields in other libraries based on this library are also deleted.

Chapter 2 Using Libraries

Using the Address Book Library

The Address Book library displays contact information from the Mac OS Address Book
application, so there is no need to re-enter your contact information. Enter new
contacts in Address Book or in Bento, and the information appears in both
applications.
Note The Bento Address Book library is not synced with Bento 4 for iPad. To work with
your Address Book data on Bento 4 for iPad, migrate your Address Book library to a
new Contacts library, then sync the new Contacts library with Bento 4 for iPad. For
more information, see ”Migrating the Address Book Library” on page 42.

About the Address Book Library
If you set Bento to display the Address Book library, Bento gets the contact
information and groups from the Mac OS Address Book application. When you make
changes to records in the Bento Address Book library, you are also updating the
records in the Address Book application.
• If you add a record in the Address Book library, then it is added to the Address
Book application.
• If you delete a record in the Address Book library, then it is deleted from the
Address Book application.
• For every group that you create in the Address Book application, Bento
creates an Address Book library collection.
• For every collection you create in the Address Book library, the Address Book
application creates an Address Book group.
• If you delete a collection under the Address Book library, the associated
Address Book group is also deleted. Similarly, if you delete a group in the
Address Book application, the associated collection under the Address Book
library is also deleted.
Note When you create a new library using the Contacts template, you can choose to
have Bento import your Address Book library data.

The Address Book library
displays contact
information from the
Address Book application.

Address Book
groups display
as collections
in Bento.

Displaying Data from the Address Book Application
Displaying the Address Book library is optional.
To turn on or off the display of Address Book data in Bento:
1

In Bento, choose File > Address Book and iCal Setup (existing Bento users) or
File > Address Book Setup (new Bento users).

Do one of the following:
• Select “Display Address Book data in Bento” to display the Address Book
library in Bento.
• Clear “Display Address Book data in Bento” to remove the Address Book
library from Bento.
Note If you turn off the display of the Address Book data, the Address Book library
is removed from Bento. If you have related data fields based on the Address Book

Chapter 3 Using the Address Book Library

library, those related data fields will be deleted. Any fields that were created in
Bento for the Address Book library will also be deleted.

Bento Address Book Fields That Update the Address Book
Application
The following fields in the Address Book library update information in the Address
Book application.
Address: Home, Work, Other

IM account: Home, Work, Other

Phone number list

Address list

IM account list

Phonetic first name

Birthday

Is Company

Phonetic last name

Company name

Job title

Phonetic middle name

Department

Last name

Prefix

Email address: Home, Work, Other

Maiden name

Suffix

Email address list

Middle name

URL

First name

Nickname

URL list

Home page

Note
Phone number: Work, Home, Mobile,
Main, Home fax, Work fax, Pager,
Other

You can use import and export with the Address Book library. Records imported into the
Address Book library update the Address Book application. See ”Importing, Exporting, and
Printing” on page 103 for information on importing and exporting.
You can add other fields to your Address Book library records in Bento, but your
additional fields are not added to the Mac OS Address Book application. See ”Using
Fields” on page 73 for information on adding fields.
Conversely, any custom field labels you have defined in the Mac OS Address Book
application are not displayed in the Address Book library in Bento.

Chapter 3 Using the Address Book Library

Troubleshooting Address Book Updates
This section describes some common issues with displaying data from the Address
Book application.
• Why don’t I see my Smart Groups from the Address Book application in
Bento?
Bento does not display Address Book Smart Groups because the criteria used to
create the groups are not available to Bento.
• Why don’t I see my Address Book library’s Smart Collections in the Address
Book application?
The criteria used to create Bento Smart Collections cannot be passed to the Address
Book application because the criteria may use fields that appear only in Bento and
may involve fields that are not available to the Address Book application.
• Why don’t I see my Address Book library in Bento for Mac?
If you migrated your Address Book library in Bento for Mac, it was replaced with
the Bento Contacts library. See ”Migrating the Address Book Library” on page 42.

Address Book Data and Backups
When you create a Bento backup file, the data from the Address Book application is
not included in the Bento backup file. To back up the data from Address Book, use the
Mac OS Address Book application.
If you add fields to the Address Book library in Bento, information from those
additional fields is included in the Bento backup file. See ”Backing Up and Restoring
Information” on page 123 for information on creating a Bento backup file.

Chapter 3 Using the Address Book Library

Migrating the iCal, iPhoto, and
Address Book Libraries

When you first start Bento for Mac, if you have any existing iPhoto, iCal Events, or iCal
Tasks libraries, Bento asks you to migrate the data.
When you sync Bento for Mac with Bento 4 for iPad, if you have an existing Address
Book library, Bento asks you to migrate the data.
When you migrate an Address Book or iCal library, all the data in the library is moved
to a new Bento library. The new library contains all your original data, including all
your collections, smart collections, forms, relations to other libraries, and settings.
The new Bento libraries with the migrated data are not connected to the Mac OS
Address Book or iCal applications. For example, if you update a contact in the Mac OS
Address Book after migrating the data, the information will not be updated in the new
Bento Contacts library. Similarly, if you update a contact in the new Bento Contacts
library, the information will not be updated in the Mac OS Address Book.
If the library includes any locked encrypted fields, you are asked to enter the Database
Password to unlock the fields. If you don’t unlock the encrypted fields, Bento does not
migrate the library.
Note Migrating the Bento libraries doesn’t affect your data in the Mac OS Address
Book, iCal, or iPhoto applications.

Migrating the iCal Libraries
When you start Bento for Mac, if you have any existing Bento iCal Tasks or iCal Events
libraries, Bento asks you to migrate the data.
Follow the onscreen instructions to migrate the data. Your Bento iCal Tasks library will
be replaced by a Bento Tasks library. Your Bento iCal Events library will be replaced by
a Bento Events library. The Bento Tasks and Events libraries are not connected to the
Mac OS iCal application.
If you choose to migrate the data later, do one of the following:
• Control-click the iCal Tasks library or the iCal Events library in the Libraries
pane, then choose Migrate iCal.
• Choose your device in the Devices section of the Libraries pane, then click
Migrate. Follow the onscreen instructions to migrate the data.

Note If you are new to Bento for Mac, you can’t display the iCal data in Bento. The iCal
Tasks and Events libraries are not supported for new users.

Migrating the iPhoto Library
Displaying the iPhoto library is no longer supported in Bento. When you start Bento
for Mac, if you have an existing Bento iPhoto library, Bento asks you to migrate the
data. You must migrate the iPhoto library before you can start using Bento for Mac.
Follow the onscreen instructions to migrate the iPhoto library to a Bento Photos
library. Bento copies only the following iPhoto library records to the Photos library:
• Any iPhoto library records that are referenced in related data fields.
• Any iPhoto library records that contain data in fields that were created in Bento.
Bento does not create a Photos library or migrate the data if there are no records that
meet the migration requirements.
The Bento Photos library is not connected to the Mac OS iPhoto application.
Note After migrating the iPhoto library, you continue to be able to add images from
iPhoto into Bento media fields.

Migrating the Address Book Library
You can’t sync the Address Book library in Bento for Mac with Bento 4 for iPad. When
you sync Bento for Mac with Bento 4 for iPad, if you have an existing Bento Address
Book library, Bento asks you to migrate the data.
Follow the onscreen instructions to migrate the data from the Bento Address Book
library to a Bento Contacts library. The Bento Contacts library is not connected to the
Mac OS Address Book application.
For information about syncing, see ”Syncing Bento for Mac with Bento for iPhone or
Bento for iPad” on page 131.
To migrate the data, you can also choose your device in the Devices section of the
Libraries pane, then click Migrate. Follow the onscreen instructions to migrate the
data.
For information about displaying the Address Book library, see ”Displaying Data from
the Address Book Application” on page 38.
Note You can also import the data from the Address Book library when you create a
new Bento Contacts library using the Contacts template. See ”Creating a Library Using
the Bento Templates” on page 30.

Chapter 4 Migrating the iCal, iPhoto, and Address Book Libraries

Using Collections

This chapter describes how to use collections to further
organize your records in Bento.
In Bento, your records are kept in libraries, as described in Chapter 2, “Using Libraries”
on page 29. If you want to organize records in different ways or if you want to work
with a subset of the records in a library, you can create a collection.

About Collections
A collection is a set of records from a library. You can create a collection to:
• Create a set of records for a special purpose. For example, you could create a
collection of the people invited to a specific event.
• Sort records in a different order. For example, you could create a collection of
contacts to sort the contact records by last name.
• Export the data from the records in the collection rather than from all the
records in the library.
A collection in Bento is similar to a playlist in iTunes. If you have used iTunes, you know
how convenient it is to use a playlist to create a compilation of songs and videos.
Collections in Bento give you the same convenience for grouping records from a
library.
A collection contains records from a single library. For example, you can put records
from the Address Book library in an Address Book collection such as Vendors. You
cannot put any other library’s records in the Vendors collection.

Vendors collection in the
Address Book library

However, a record from a library can be added to any of the collections within the
same library. For example, if you have a “DVD” library with a “Favorites” collection and
a “Classic Movies” collection, you can have the same record in both collections.
There are two kinds of collections:
• collections
• Smart Collections
You create collections by using the New Collection menu item, by selecting records
and using the New Collection from Selection menu item, or by dragging selected
records to an existing collection or to the Libraries pane.
Smart Collections are created based on criteria you set up. Smart Collections update as
your library changes; records that meet the defined criteria appear in the Smart
Collection.

Creating Collections
Create a collection when you want to make a specific list of records.
To create a collection:
1

Select a library in which you want to make a collection.

Click

Type a name for the collection, then press Return.

Select the library you selected in step 1 again.

Click Table in the navigation bar or choose View > Table View to show the
library in table view.

Select the record you want to add to the collection. Drag the selected record

or choose File > New Collection.

and choose Add to Collection to add the
to the collection, or click
selected record to the collection.
To select multiple records, hold down the Command or Shift key while you click.
Tip To quickly create a collection containing selected records, select the records,
then choose File > New Collection From Selection or drag the records to a blank
space in the Libraries pane.

Chapter 5 Using Collections

Removing Records from a Collection
To remove records from a collection:
1

Select the collection.

Select the records and press Command-Delete.
If you click Remove from Collection, the records are removed only from the
collection, not from the associated library. If you click Delete, the records are
permanently removed from both the library and the collection.

Deleting a Collection
To delete a collection:
Select the collection and press the Delete key. The records are removed from the
collection but not from the library.
Note If you delete a library or collection that one or more related data fields are based
on, those related data fields are also deleted.

About Smart Collections
Create a Smart Collection when you want a collection that contains records that meet
criteria you define. Smart Collections show all the records that meet the criteria.
For example, you could create a Smart Collection of contacts who live in the same city.
When you add a new contact record for a person who lives in that city, Bento
automatically adds that contact record to your Smart Collection.
Or you could create a Smart Collection of event records that are due in the same week.
If you add or modify a record so that it meets the criteria, that record appears in the
Smart Collection the next time you click the Smart Collection in the Libraries pane.
Because a Smart Collection is a set of records that match defined criteria, it is different
from a collection in the following ways:
• You cannot manually add records to or remove records from Smart
Collections. To remove certain records from the Smart Collection, edit the
criteria or modify the records’ values so that they no longer meet the criteria.
• You cannot import records into a Smart Collection.

Creating Smart Collections
You can create a Smart Collection that adds records to or removes records from a
collection according to criteria that you define.

Chapter 5 Using Collections

To create a Smart Collection:
1

Choose File > New Smart Collection.

Type a name for the Smart Collection, then press Return.
Use the pop-up menus and entry fields to specify the criteria for the Smart
Collection. Click

to add additional criteria.

For example, to create a Smart Collection that only shows iCal tasks that are not
completed, specify the criteria to be All, Completion Date, and Is empty.
2. Save the criteria.

1. Select the criteria.

Click Save.

Tip You can also create a Smart Collection by clicking Save after you specify the
criteria for an Advanced Find. See ”Search Field and Advanced Find” on page 25.

Changing a Smart Collection
When you change a Smart Collection, Bento updates the collection based on the
criteria that you define. You can edit and duplicate records within a Smart Collection.
See ”Editing Records in Table View” on page 61 and ”Duplicating Records in Table
View” on page 62.
To change a Smart Collection:
1

Select the Smart Collection and choose File > Edit Smart Collection.

Use the pop-up menus and entry fields to modify, add, or remove the criteria.

Click Find to see if the new criteria produce the records you want.

Click Save.
Note To discard the changes you made to the criteria, click any other item in the
Libraries pane.

Chapter 5 Using Collections

Using Form View

In Bento, you use form view to display one record at a time
from a library or collection.
This chapter describes how to create and edit records in form view, create and modify
forms, and customize form layouts.

About Forms
In form view, you can create and use forms to display one record at a time from a
library or collection in a page-like format. For example, you can display a project in the
Projects library.
With forms, you can see the fields for an individual record. You can create and use
multiple forms, or pages, to display different information about that record.

The same record displayed in another form
view, using a different organization of fields

A record displayed in one form view

For a given library or collection, you can use any of its fields on any of its forms.
If you want to see more than one record at a time, or scan and sort your information
quickly, use table view instead. See ”Using Table View” on page 59. You can view a

selected record in form view and table view at the same time. Select the record, then
choose View > Split View.
Forms can also display records from other libraries or collections in related data fields.
For example, you can display a list of people from the Address Book library who are
attending a party event in the iCal Event library. See ”Creating Related Data Fields” on
page 80.

Creating Records in Form View
You can create records in any view. For table view instructions, see ”Creating Records
in Table View” on page 60.
To create a record for a library or collection:
1

Select the library or collection you want to add a record to.

Click a form name in the navigation bar or choose View > Form View > Form
Name.

Choose Records > New Record or press Command-N.

Type data in the fields.

Press Tab to move to the next field in the same record. Press Shift-Tab to move
to the previous field in the same record.

Tip To quickly create a record, Control-click in a blank area on the form and choose
New Record from the pop-up menu.

Editing Records in Form View
To edit a record:
1

Select the library or collection that contains the record you want to edit.

Click a form name in the navigation bar or choose View > Form View > Form
Name.

Navigate to the desired record.
Press Tab or Shift-Tab to move from field to field.

Click the field you want to change, modify the data, then click outside the
field or press Tab to save the change.

Chapter 6 Using Form View

Adding the Current Date and Time to a Field
When editing a record, you can add the current date and time to a date, time, or text
field.
To add the current date and time to a field:
1

Click in the date, time, or text field.

Choose Insert > Current Date and Time.

If the field type is

You see the current

Date

Date. Set the “Display Time” option to also display the time.

Time

Text

Date and time

Duplicating Records in Form View
To quickly add a record with the same or similar data as an existing record:
1

Navigate to the record you want to duplicate.

Choose Records > Duplicate Record.

Deleting Records in Form View
To permanently delete a selected record from a library:
1

Select the library.

Click a form name in the navigation bar or choose View > Form View > Form
Name.

Select the record.

Choose Records > Delete Record or press Command-Delete.
In the dialog, click Delete.

Chapter 6 Using Form View

To remove a selected record from a collection:
1

Select the collection.

Navigate to the record you want to remove.

Choose Records > Remove Record.
If you click Remove from Collection, the record is removed only from the
collection, not the library. If you click Delete, the record is permanently removed
from both the library and the collection.

Creating Forms
To create a form:
1

Select the library or collection you want to add a form to.

Click

in the navigation bar or choose Forms > New Form.

In the Form name dialog, type a name, then click OK.
3

Add fields to the blank form.
See ”Adding Fields to a Form” on page 52.

Create records.
See ”Creating Records in Form View” on page 48.

Deleting Forms
To delete a form:
1

Select the library or collection you want to delete a form from.

Select the form you want to delete.

Click

in the navigation bar or choose Forms > Delete Form.

If there is only one form, you can’t delete it.

Chapter 6 Using Form View

Showing and Hiding Forms
To hide a form:
1

Select the library or collection with the form you want to hide.

Select the form you want to hide.

Choose Forms > Hide Form.
The form and form name are hidden.
If there is only one form, you can’t hide it.

To show a hidden form:
1

Select the library or collection with the hidden form that you want to show.

Choose Forms > Hidden Forms.

Choose the form that you want to show.

Duplicating Forms
To duplicate a form within the same library or collection:
1

Select a form in the navigation bar or choose View > Form View > Form Name.

Choose Forms > Duplicate Form.

Copying Forms
To copy a form to collections within a library or from a collection to its parent
library:
1

Select a form in the navigation bar or choose View > Form View > Form Name.

Control-click the form you want to copy, then choose the library or collection
where you want the form to be copied to.
Note You can’t copy forms from one library to another.

Renaming Forms
To rename a form:
1

Double-click the form name at the top of the window.

In the Form name dialog, type a new name, then click OK.

Chapter 6 Using Form View

Locking and Unlocking Forms
Once you have completed your form layout, you can lock the form to prevent its field
labels, field objects, or fields from being moved or resized.
When a form is locked, you can’t change its layout but you can add data to it in the
following ways:
• Enter data in fields in the same way as when the form is unlocked.
• Create fields using the New Field dialog. Fields are automatically added to the
bottom of the first column.
• Drag libraries and collections from the Libraries pane to create related data
fields
• Drag files from the Finder to create media or file list fields
Note You can’t drag existing fields from the Fields pane to a locked form.
To lock a form:
1

Select a form in the navigation bar or choose View > Form View > Form Name.

Choose Forms > Lock Form, or click

then click

None of the field labels, field objects, or fields can be moved or resized until you
unlock the form.
To unlock a form:
1

Select a form in the navigation bar or choose View > Form View > Form Name.

Choose Forms > Unlock Form, or click

then click

Adding Fields to a Form
To add a field to a form:
1

Select a library or collection.

Select a form in the navigation bar or choose View > Form View > Form Name.

Drag a field from the Fields pane to the desired location on the form.
To move a field, see ”Moving Fields and Objects on Forms” on page 53. To resize a
field, see ”Resizing Fields and Objects” on page 53. To create a field, choose
Insert > New Field. See ”Creating Fields” on page 76.

Chapter 6 Using Form View

Tabbing Between Fields
To tab between fields on a form:
1

Select a library or collection.

Select a form in the navigation bar or choose View > Form View > Form Name.

Click in a field, then press Tab to move from field to field, and within each
column if you have added a column divider. Press Shift-Tab to move in the
reverse direction.

Note To enable the Tab key to move to all controls, make sure “All controls” is selected
in the Keyboard and Mouse (Mac OS X 10.6) or Keyboard (OS X Lion 10.7) preferences
(Keyboard Shortcuts tab).

Moving Fields and Objects on Forms
To move one field or object:
1

Select a form in the navigation bar or choose View > Form View > Form Name.

Select a field or object.

Move your mouse near the field label or the edges of the field or object.
When the cursor changes into a hand, click to select the field or object, then
drag it to a new location.
Bento allows you to drag fields above, below, next to, or between other objects on
the form.

To move multiple fields or objects:
1

Select a form in the navigation bar or choose View > Form View > Form Name.

Command-click or Shift-click to select multiple fields or objects.

Tip To quickly select many fields and objects, click in an empty part of the form, and
while holding down the mouse button, drag to select multiple items.

Resizing Fields and Objects
Any field and any object can be resized.
To resize a field or object:
1

Select a form in the navigation bar or choose View > Form View > Form Name.

Select the field or object.

Move the cursor to one of the handles. When the cursor changes to a double
arrow, drag to change the size.

Chapter 6 Using Form View

Removing Fields from a Form
To remove a field from a form:
1

Select a form in the navigation bar or choose View > Form View > Form Name.

Select the field, then press the Delete key or drag the field off the form.
The data in the field is still in Bento even though the field is no longer displayed
on the form.

Customizing Form Layouts
You can quickly change the appearance of a form.

Changing the Theme
You can change a form’s theme (the coordinated colors, layout, and text attributes) at
any time. For example, you can use a light-colored theme for printing records.
To change a form’s theme:
1

Select a form in the navigation bar or choose View > Form View > Form Name.

Choose Forms > Theme Chooser.

In the Theme Chooser, select a theme, then click OK.
You see a ripple effect as the theme changes. If you don’t want the ripple effect,
choose Bento > Preferences, click General at the top of the window, then clear
“Display animation.”
If you want to preview a theme before applying it to your form, click Try It.

Resizing Column Widths
You can change the width of columns. Increase the width to accommodate wider
fields or to increase the amount of blank space between columns.
To resize the width of a column:
1

Select a form in the navigation bar or choose View > Form View > Form Name.

Select a column divider.
If the column divider is not visible, move the cursor over the area where the
divider is located, then click.

Position the cursor over a column divider, then drag left or right.

Chapter 6 Using Form View

Changing the Position and Size of Field Labels
You can change how the labels for fields are positioned on a form.
To change the position of labels adjacent to fields:
1

Select a form in the navigation bar or choose View > Form View > Form Name.

Choose Forms > Field Labels.

Select Above or Beside.

To change the size of text in labels:
1

Choose Forms > Field Labels.

Select Small, Medium, or Large.

Changing the Size of Text
You can change the size of text that is displayed in fields.
To change the size of text in fields:
1

Select a form in the navigation bar or choose View > Form View > Form Name.

Click near the field label or the edges of the field to select the field.
Note If you click inside the field instead of selecting the field, the text size options
will be dimmed.
Command-click or Shift-click to select multiple fields.

Choose Forms > Text Size.

Select a size from the list: Smallest, Small, Medium, Large, Largest.

Changing the Shading of Fields
You can change the level of shading that is displayed behind fields.
To change the shading of fields:
1

Select a form in the navigation bar or choose View > Form View > Form Name.

Select the field by clicking near the field label or the edges of the field.
Note If you click inside the field instead of selecting the field, the text size options
will be dimmed.
Command-click or Shift-click to select multiple fields.

Choose Forms > Shading.

Select a level of shading: None, Light, or Dark.

Chapter 6 Using Form View

Aligning the Right Edges of Fields
You can align the rightmost edges of selected fields within a column.
To align the right edges of fields:
1

Select a form in the navigation bar or choose View > Form View > Form Name.

Select the fields whose right edges you want to align within a column.
Command-click or Shift-click to select multiple fields.
Tip To quickly align the right edges of many fields, click in an empty part of the
form, and while holding down the mouse button, drag to select multiple items.

Choose Forms > Align Right Edges.

Adding Text Boxes
Add a text box if you want text such as a heading on your form.
To add a text box:
1

Select a form in the navigation bar or choose View > Form View > Form Name.

Choose Insert > Text Box.
An untitled box appears at the bottom of the form.

Drag the text box to the desired location, double-click in the text box, and
start typing.

Adding Image Boxes
Add an image box if you want an image such as a logo or letterhead to appear on
every record in your form.
Tip Use a media field if you want a different image to appear in every record. For more
information about media fields, see ”Working with Media Fields” on page 95.
To add an image box:
1

Select a form in the navigation bar or choose View > Form View > Form Name.

Choose Insert > Image Box.
An image box appears on the form.

Drag the image box to the desired location.

Drag an image file from the Finder into the image box.

Click in the image box to reposition or change the display size of the image.
For more information, see ”Positioning Images” on page 96 and ”Changing the
Display Size of Images” on page 97.
Tip To delete an image box, click near one of its edges to display the border
around it. Then press the Delete key.

Chapter 6 Using Form View

Adding Horizontal Separators
A horizontal separator is an object you can add to a form. Separators help organize
forms by visually separating the items above and below the separator. The appearance
of the horizontal separator is defined by the theme applied to the form. You can
change the horizontal separator's width but not its height.
To add a horizontal separator:
1

Select a form in the navigation bar or choose View > Form View > Form Name.

Choose Insert > Horizontal Separator.

Drag the horizontal separator to the desired location on the form.

Adding Column Dividers
You can divide up horizontal space on a form with column dividers. All column
dividers are the same length.
Bento automatically adds a column divider to the right of any item (field or object)
that you add horizontally to a form. For example, if you drag a field to a form, Bento
inserts a column divider to the right of that field. If you then add a text box to the right
of the column divider, Bento inserts another column divider to the right of the text
box. Bento does not add a column divider if you add an item above or below an
existing item, or if you delete some (but not all) items from a form.
You can also add column dividers manually to a form.
To add a column divider:
1

Select a form in the navigation bar or choose View > Form View > Form Name.

Choose Insert > Column Divider.

Drag the column divider to the desired location on the form.
Tip To delete a column divider, Control-click the divider, then choose Remove
from Form.

Chapter 6 Using Form View

Adding Spacers
Use a spacer to create a blank space between items on a form. For example, add a
spacer to separate groups of fields. When editing the form, you can change the
spacer's width, height, and shading.
To add a spacer:
1

Select a form in the navigation bar or choose View > Form View > Form Name.

Choose Insert > Spacer.

Drag the spacer to the desired location on the form.
Drag the right or bottom edge of the spacer to change its width or height.

(Optional) Choose Forms > Shading.

(Optional) Select a level of shading.

Chapter 6 Using Form View

Using Table View

In Bento, you use table view to display text and media in a
spreadsheet-like format where rows represent records and
columns represent fields.
This chapter describes how to create and modify records in table view, sort records,
and rearrange, summarize, and display data in columns.

About Table View
In table view, you can see your records in rows with the fields in columns (in a format
similar to a spreadsheet).

One record

One field

To go to table view, choose View > Table View.
Table view gives you flexibility while working with your data. For example, you can:
• see more than one record at a time
• choose which fields are displayed as columns
• sort records in ascending or descending order by using sort commands in the
column header pop-up menu
• duplicate one or more records
• delete multiple records
• enter, select, copy, and paste values in one or more cells, in a spreadsheet-like
manner

• summarize data
• select and drag multiple records to create new collections within one library
• create, view, and edit media fields
You can view a selected record in table view and form view at the same time. Select
the record, then choose View > Split View.
In table view, you cannot see related data fields or any of the list field types, such as
address, email address, file list, message list, and simple list. See ”Working with Related
Data Fields” on page 92 and ”Working with List Fields” on page 86.

Setting Table View Text Size
You can change the size of text for displaying records in table view.
To change the size of text used in table view:
1

Choose Bento > Preferences.

For “Table View Text,” select Small or Large.

Selecting Records in Table View
To select one record in table view:
Click a row number.
To select multiple records in table view:
Click a row number, then Shift-click the last row you want to include in the selection.
Or Command-click individual rows to include in the selection.

Creating Records in Table View
You can create records in table view or form view.
To create a record for a library or collection:
1

Select the library or collection you want to add a record to.

In table view, choose Records > New Record. Or click in the last empty row
and start typing.
At the bottom of the window, the record count indicator increases.

Chapter 7 Using Table View

Type data in the columns.
If you type data in the last column, Bento creates a new field with the default
name Field 1.

Press Tab to move to the next field in the same record. Press Shift-Tab to move
to the previous field in the same record.

To add existing records to another collection within the same library:
Select the records, choose Edit > Add To, then choose a collection from the list. The
selected records are added to the collection that you chose in the list.

Editing Records in Table View
To edit a record:
1

Select the library or collection that contains the record you want to edit.

Double-click a field (table cell). Press Tab to move to the next field in the same
record. Press Shift-Tab to move to the previous field in the same record.
Press Command-Return to insert a line break in a text field.
Tip To edit a choice field in table view, click close to the right edge of the field to
display the pop-up menu.

Copying and Pasting Data in Table View
You can copy and paste data between Bento records in the same or other libraries as
well as between Bento and spreadsheet applications such as Numbers and Excel.
Tip To duplicate the same data for multiple cells in the same column, see ”Filling Fields
Automatically” on page 66.
To copy data:
1

In Bento, select one or more rows of data by clicking the row number. To
select adjacent rows, select one row, then hold down the Shift key as you
select adjacent rows. To select nonadjacent rows, hold down the Command
key as you select rows.

Choose Edit > Copy.
Bento copies the selected data to the Clipboard.

Chapter 7 Using Table View

To paste data:
1

Click a cell.

Choose Edit > Paste.
Bento creates additional records and columns as necessary.
Note When pasting into existing fields, Bento pastes as many values as possible. If
the data being pasted doesn’t match the field type, Bento gives you the choice of
rejecting the data or changing the field type to Text.

To paste data into new columns:
1

Click a cell in the empty column after the last column of data.

Choose Edit > Paste.
Bento creates new text fields, and additional records as necessary.

Duplicating Records in Table View
To quickly add a record with the same or similar data as an existing record:
1

Select the library or collection.

Select one or more records, then choose Records > Duplicate Record.
If you duplicated a record in a collection, the record is created in the parent library
and displayed in the collection.

Deleting Records in Table View
To permanently delete selected records from a library:
1

Select the library.

Select the records, then choose Records > Delete Selected Records or press
Command-Delete.
In the dialog, click Delete.

To permanently delete selected records from a collection:
1

Select the collection.

Select the records, then choose Records > Remove Selected Records or press
Command-Delete.
In the dialog, if you click Delete, the records are permanently removed from both
the library and the collection. If you click “Remove from Collection,” the records
are removed only from the collection, not the library.

Chapter 7 Using Table View

Sorting Records
To sort records:
1

Click

near the right edge of a column header.

Choose Sort Ascending or Sort Descending.
If you want to sort by two or more fields, sort by the least significant field first,
followed by the more important field or fields. For example, to sort records by last
name and first name, first sort by the First Name field, then by the Last Name field.

Working with Fields and Columns in Table View
Creating Fields in Table View
To create a field in table view:
1

For blank libraries, the first field is automatically created with the default
name New Field.

Double-click the column header and type a new name for the field, then
press Return.

Enter data in the field.
Bento creates a Text field by default. You can change the field to another type. See
”Changing the Field Type” on page 64.

Press Tab to create another field, where you can continue typing in the same
record.

Repeat steps 2-4 to create as many fields as you want.

Adding Fields in Table View
To add a field before or after a column:
1

Click

near the right edge of a column header.

Choose Add Field Before or Add Field After.
A new column is inserted before or after the current column with the default
name Field 1.

Type a new name for the field.

Chapter 7 Using Table View

Working with Media Fields in Table View
You can create, view, and edit media fields in table view in the same way as you do
other field types.

Press the Space bar
to view the selected
media field.

Changing Options for a Field in Table View
To change field options:
1

Click

near the right edge of a column header.

Choose Edit Field.

Change the field name or set options.

Note To change options for a field in Form View, Control-click the field, then choose
Edit Field.

Completing Text Automatically as You Type
If you need to enter the same text for several text fields, you can change the field
option to automatically complete the text as you type.
To complete text automatically while typing:
1

Click

near the right edge of the column header for the field.

Choose Edit Field.

Select “Automatically complete text while typing.”

Duplicating Fields
To duplicate a field:
1

Click

near the right edge of a column header.

Choose Duplicate Field.

Changing the Field Type
You can change the type of some fields to another. Automatic counter, location, and
address fields, and any fields you access in a shared database can’t be changed to a

Chapter 7 Using Table View

different type. For more information see ”Changing an Existing Field from One Type to
Another” on page 86.
To change the field type:
1

Click

near the right edge of a column header.

Choose Change To, then select a field type from the list.

Showing and Hiding Columns
To hide columns:
1

Click

near the right edge of a column header.

Choose Hide Field.

To show or hide columns using the Fields pane:
In the Fields pane, select a field’s checkbox to display the field in table view. Clear the
checkbox to hide the field in table view. To select multiple fields at once, select one
field, then Shift-click another field to select all fields in between. To quickly clear them,
press the Space bar.
When you hide a field in table view, the field and its data are not deleted from the
library or collection.

Select checkboxes
to display fields.

Tip To display more data, hide the Libraries and Fields pane. Choose View > Hide
Libraries & Fields Pane.

Chapter 7 Using Table View

Deleting Fields in Table View
To delete a field in table view:
1

Click

near the right edge of a column header.

Choose Delete Field.

In the dialog, click Delete.
The fields and their data are permanently removed from the library.

Reordering Columns
To reorder a column:
Drag the column header left or right to a new location.
Drag header to
reorder column.

Resizing Columns
To resize a column:
Drag the edge of a column header to the width you want.
Drag header edge to
resize column.

Filling Fields Automatically
Bento lets you use the content in one or more rows to automatically add or replace
records below the selected fields.
To fill fields automatically:
1

Select one or more fields in one or more records.

Drag the fill handle to copy the fields’ values downward as far as you drag.

Fill handle

Chapter 7 Using Table View

Summarizing Column Data
The summary row provides an easy way to perform basic operations on the data in a
column and display the results. The summary row is located at the bottom of table
view and at the bottom of simple list fields and related data fields.
To show or hide the summary row, choose View > Show Summary Row or Hide
Summary Row. Or, click

Depending on the field type, the following summary functions are available.
Name

Purpose

Sum

Calculates the total of the values in the selected field

Count

Reports the number of items that have an entry in the selected field

Average

Reports the average of the values in the selected field

Minimum

Reports the lowest value of the values in the selected field

Maximum

Reports the highest value of the values in the selected field

You can use the Count function on any type of field. You can use the Sum, Average,
Minimum, and Maximum functions on fields of the following types: Number, Currency,
Duration, Rating, Automatic Counter, and Calculation (when the result is number,
currency, or duration). You can also use the Minimum and Maximum functions on
Date and Time fields.

Chapter 7 Using Table View

To calculate a summary for a column:
Click in the summary row of the selected column, then choose a function from the popup menu. The name of the function and the results are displayed in the summary row.

Choose Sum in the summary
row to calculate the total of
the amounts listed in the
Budget column.

When you do a search or an Advanced Find, the summary is recalculated based on the
records that are found.

Chapter 7 Using Table View

Using Grid View

In Bento, you can work with your media fields (pictures,
music, and movies) and forms in an easy-to-use grid layout.
This chapter describes how to work with a library’s media fields and form thumbnails
in grid view, look at a record in grid view and a form view at the same time, filter grid
view items, set and change labels of grid view items, change the display size of grid
view items, and work with library folders in grid view.

About Grid View
In grid view, the media fields in each record of a library or collection are displayed as
thumbnails in rows. Each thumbnail is a grid view item. If a library or collection does
not contain any media fields, Bento displays thumbnails of the forms.
Move the cursor back and forth over a grid view item to flash in succession all the
media fields within the grid view item.

Media fields displayed
in grid view

Form thumbnails
displayed in grid view

To go to grid view, choose View > Grid View or click

Viewing the Grid and a Form at the Same Time
You can view a selected record in a form view and grid view at the same time.
If you are in grid view, select the record, then choose View > Split View or click
If you are in form view, select the record, then choose View > Split View or click

.
.

Displaying Grid View Items
To display grid view items:
Click

to display photos, music, movies, and documents.

Click

to display form thumbnails.

Setting Grid View Options
To set labels for grid view items:
1

Click

You can specify up to two fields.
2

Click the Title pop-up menu, then choose the fields.
Note If you don’t want any labels to be displayed, choose the dash symbol in both
fields.

To set the default media field for grid view items:
1

Click

Click the image in the Grid Settings window, then choose a media field.

Changing the Display Size of Grid View Items
To change the display size of grid view items:
Drag the zoom slider.

Chapter 8 Using Grid View

Working with Library Folders in Grid View
When you select a library folder, you see a grid view of all the libraries contained in the
folder along with information about the number of records and forms in each library.
Move the cursor back and forth over a library to flash in succession all the forms it
contains.

Library
folder

To go to a specific form:
1

Move the cursor over a grid view item until you see the form you want.

Control-click and choose Go to Form from the pop-up menu.

To set the default form displayed for grid view items:
1

Move the cursor over a grid view item until you see the form you want.

Control-click and choose Set Default Grid Form from the pop-up menu.

Chapter 8 Using Grid View

Using Fields

Bento provides a wide variety of field types to store the kinds
of information you use in your daily life.
In Bento, you can choose from many different field types to track things such as
names, addresses, dates, times, prices, images, movies, songs, locations, and lists of
files.
This chapter describes the purpose of the field types, how to create and modify fields,
how to use the Fields pane, and work with the various types of fields that Bento
provides.

About Fields
Each library contains a set of fields. Each field stores a particular kind of data. In the
record pictured on the next page, there are several fields. For example, the Project
Name field contains text.
Once you have created a field, you can use it on multiple forms and tables within the
same library or collection. When you want to link data between libraries or collections,
you can use related data fields.
From email, address, phone number, IM account, URL, and location fields you can
perform tasks such as sending an email message, getting directions to an address,
displaying a phone number in large type, or capturing a specific location at the time a
record is created or modified.

Form view

Table view

Fields

Text field

Date field
Choice field
Currency field

Related data field

Display phone
number in large type

Field Types
These are the types of fields you can create in Bento:

Field Type

Purpose

Text

Store anything you type*

Number

Store numeric data, with formatting options**

Choice

Create a pop-up menu in order to select an item from a list

Checkbox

Provide an on-off type of choice

Media

Store and use image, movie, sound, and PDF files

Simple list

Store data that’s in a variety of data types in columnar format

File list

Store and view thumbnails of aliases to files or folders that are on your
computer

Message list

Display emails, notes, and RSS articles from the Mac OS X Mail application

Related data

Store one or more records from another library or collection that are
related to the current record

Time

Choose and store a time of day, in hours, minutes, and seconds, AM or PM

Date

Choose and store a date and time value. Displays the date by default and
can also display the time.

Duration

Store an amount of time in weeks, days, hours, minutes, and seconds

Calculation

Display the result of a specified calculation. Supported operators are
addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and concatenation (joining
two or more words or sentences).

Chapter 9 Using Fields

Field Type

Purpose

Currency

Store an amount of money and display it in the selected currency format

Automatic counter

Assign a higher number to each new record

Rating

Set the rating value of an item by clicking stars in the field

Encrypted

Protect sensitive or confidential data and hide it from view (data is
displayed as bullets). Encrypted data is stored in your Bento database.

Location

Store location information (latitude and longitude) and display a map of
the location in a web browser. Locations are displayed either in decimal
degrees or in degrees, minutes, and seconds.
Latitude values range from -90 to 90 degrees. Positive values correspond to
North latitudes; negative correspond to South.
Longitude values range from -180 to 180 degrees (or 0 to 360 degrees).
Positive values correspond to East longitudes; negative correspond to
West.

Address

Store all components of a single street address

Phone number

Store a phone number, including the area code

Email address

Store an email address

URL

Store a website, FTP site, or AFP site address***

IM account

Store an IM account and service name
Notes:
*Maximum text field size is approximately 2 GB.
**The largest number supported is 263.
***The URL field does not support URL values that contain Japanese
characters.

Note The date and time formats vary depending on the current System Preferences
settings. See Mac Help for information about changing the format.
For a list of field types that you can import data into, see ”Field Types Supported for
Import” on page 110.
List Fields
When you create address, phone number, email address, URL, and IM account fields,
Bento creates an associated list field that lets you display multiple addresses, phone
numbers, and so on for one record. When you enter data in one of these single field
types, Bento displays the same data in the associated list field.
For example, suppose you have a form that displays a home phone number in a phone
number field named “Home Phone Number.” You add work and mobile phone
numbers to two other phone number fields. Bento creates a list field and displays all
three phone numbers in that list field, but the work and mobile phone numbers are
not added to the “Home Phone Number” field you created.

Chapter 9 Using Fields

Form 1

Single
phone
number
fields

Form 2

Phone number list field created by Bento

On Form 1, you enter data in single
phone number fields.

On Form 2, Bento displays the data in the
phone number list field that you entered in
the single phone number fields.

You can import and export values stored in regular fields (for example, “Home Phone
Number” in the form shown above) but you can’t import or export values stored in list
fields. You can see values stored in list fields in form view but not in table view.

Creating Fields
Follow the steps below to create all types of fields, except calculation, file list, message
list, related data fields, and location fields. For more information about those field
types, see ”Creating Calculation Fields” on page 77, ”Creating File List Fields” on
page 78, ”Creating Message List Fields” on page 79, ”Creating Related Data Fields” on
page 80, and ”Creating Location Fields” on page 79.
For information about adding a field to a form, see ”Adding Fields to a Form” on
page 52.
To create fields:
1

Choose Insert > New Field or press Control-N.

Choose a field type.

Name the field.
The name must be unique within the library.

Set the options on the field, if any.

Click “Create and Continue” or press Command-Return.

Repeat steps 2-5 to create additional fields.

Click Close.
The fields are added to the Fields pane and the current form.

Chapter 9 Using Fields

Use the Fields pane to add or display fields.

Do this in the Fields pane

Add a field to a form in form view or split view

Drag the field to the form.

Display a field as a column in table view or split view

Select a field’s checkbox.

Note In table view, you cannot see related data fields or any of the list field types, such
as address, email address, file list, message list, and simple list.

Creating Calculation Fields
To create a calculation field:
1

Choose Insert > New Field or press Control-N.

Choose Calculation.

Click Continue.

Name the field.

Build a formula for your calculation.

To add

Do this

A reference to a field

In the Available Fields list, double-click a field name.

A mathematical or
text operator

Click an operator button or type an operator in the formula.

The current date

Click Today to insert the current date.

The current time

Click Now to insert the current time.

A pre-formatted
value

Click Value, then select a value from the list. Replace the pre-formatted value with
the value you want.

Choose the correct data type for the result you want and set any other options.

Operator buttons
The formula for the
calculation. In this
example, it’s the value in
First Name, a space, and
the value in Last Name.
This is what you see in
the calculation field for
the current record.

Chapter 9 Using Fields

Click Create.
The new field is added to the Fields pane and the current form.

Tip If you are unfamiliar with creating calculations, click Show Examples to see and
experiment with examples of calculations.
To create a calculation in a simple list field:
1

Click the pop-up menu in a column header.

Choose Change To > Calculation.

Choose Edit Column Name to open the calculation dialog.

Build a formula for your calculation as described in steps 5 and 6 in the
procedure above.

Creating File List Fields
Use a file list field to store a list of aliases to files or folders on your computer. Each alias
contains a path to a specific file or folder in a specific location on your hard drive.
Storing a file alias creates a connection, or link, to the actual file on your computer.
Moving, renaming, or deleting the file will break the connection to that file. (To reestablish the connection, you will need to add the file alias into the field again.)
Aliased files are included when you export a template with data but not when you
back up or restore data.
You can quickly open files or applications that are stored in file list fields. For example,
you could store an alias to a PDF file of a prospective employee's resume. If you
double-click the PDF icon, the document opens in your system's default application
for viewing PDF files.
To create a file list field and add files to it:
1

Choose Insert > New Field or press Control-N.

Choose File List.

Name the field.

Click Create.
The new field is added to the Fields pane and the current form.
Tip You can see file list fields in form view but not in table view. Choose View >
Split View so that when you’re working in table view you can also see file list fields
in form view.

In the bottom-left corner of the table for the file list field, click
Insert > File.

In the Open dialog, navigate to the file you want to include in the file list field,
then click Select.

Chapter 9 Using Fields

or choose

You can also drag files from the Finder to the file list field.
7

To open a file in the field, click
file thumbnail or row in the field.

and choose Open, or double-click the

• Folders are not included when you export a template with data.
• You can preview files that are stored in file list fields with Quick Look. See
”Previewing Files with Quick Look” on page 89. See also ”Working with Files
Stored in File List Fields and Message List Fields” on page 88.
• When you export records with a template that includes data, aliased files are
also exported. For more information, see ”Exporting from a Library,
Collection, or Smart Collection” on page 113.

Creating Message List Fields
Use a message list field to store aliases to Mac OS X Mail messages, notes, and RSS
articles that are relevant to a specific record. For example, you can keep a log of
correspondence linked to a project or event.
Note Because the message list field stores aliases to messages, when you delete a
message from Mac OS X Mail, it is also deleted from the message list field.
To create a message list field:
1

Choose Insert > New Field or press Control-N.

Choose Message List.

Name the field.

Click Create.
The new field is added to the Fields pane and the current form.
Note You can see message list fields in form view but not in table view.

Add Mac OS X Mail items (messages, notes, and RSS articles) to the field.
See ”Adding Mac OS X Mail Items to a Message List Field” on page 88.

Creating Location Fields
In a library such as a vacation journal or customer visit log, you can use a location field
to track your location (latitude and longitude) and to see a map of the location in your
web browser. If you have an active connection to a wireless network and Mac OS X
10.6 installed, you can set up a location field to capture the information automatically.
To create a location field:
1

Choose Insert > New Field or press Control-N.

Choose Location.

Name the field.

Chapter 9 Using Fields

Select a format: Decimal Degrees or Degrees, Minutes & Seconds.
Example of a location in Decimal Degrees format:
37.406300° N, 121.983400° W
Example of a location in Degrees, Minutes & Seconds format:
37°24’ 23” N, 121°59’0” W
For more information about latitude and longitude values, see ”Field Types” on
page 74.

Select “Automatically enter location” to capture your current location when a
record is modified or created (requires an active connection to a wireless
network and Mac OS X 10.6 installed).
Choose “When the record is modified” or “When the record is created.”

Click Create.
The new field is added to the Fields pane and the current form.
Note Bento can enter your current location only if you have enabled Location
Services in System Preferences. For OS X Lion 10.7, you also need to select the
Bento checkbox in the Security & Privacy pane of System Preferences to allow
Bento to determine your location.

Creating Related Data Fields
Use a related data field to display one or more records from a library or collection that
are related to the record you are viewing.
For example, if you used the Projects library to manage planning a triathlon and
wanted to display a list of vendors on a form, you could create a related data field to
display the vendors that you hired to supply equipment and food. These records come
from the Vendors collection. If you add a new record in the related data field, the
record is displayed there but is stored in the Vendors collection.
You can create a related data field by using menu commands (as outlined below) or by
dragging a library or collection to a form (see ”Creating Related Data Fields by
Dragging Records” on page 82).
You can see related data fields in form view but not in table view.
To create a related data field:
1

Select the library or collection you want to add a list of related records to.

Choose Insert > New Field or press Control-N.

Choose Related Data.

Name the field.

Choose the data source from the list.
The data source can be a library, collection, or Smart Collection. If you select a
library, you can add any record from the library to the related data field. If you

Chapter 9 Using Fields

select a collection, you can only add records from that collection to the related
data field.
6

Click Create.
The new field is added to the Fields list and the current form.

Drag here to show or hide the
Notes section.

Related data field

Show or hide the
summary row.
View related
records in a grid.

Go to the selected
record in its source
library or collection.

Click

Switch between fields listed in the Fields
pane (either the data source or library).

to switch to grid view for the related data field.

Chapter 9 Using Fields

Click

to display records from the data source you specified in step 5.

Select the records you want to add to the related data field, then click Save
Changes.

• Click
to add a record. If the data source is a Smart Collection,
disabled, since you can’t add records to a Smart Collection.

• Click
to remove the record from the related data field. The record still
remains in the data source (the library or collection) that the related data field
is based on.
• If you delete a library or collection that a related data field is based on, the
related data field is also deleted.
• If a record that appears in a related data field is deleted in its data source, the
record is also deleted from any other related data field it appears in.
• To change the data in a related data field, click
. A window opens,
showing records from the related library or collection. Any records that are
already related to the current record are selected and highlighted. To add
more related records, select records in the window to add, then click Save
Changes. To remove records, select records in the window to remove, then
click Save Changes. Records are removed only from the related data field;
they remain in the data source.
Creating Related Data Fields by Dragging Records
Another way to create a related data field is to begin with a record or records that you
want to relate to (appear in) another library or collection. The illustration below shows
how to have related Projects records in the Vendors collection.

Chapter 9 Using Fields

First, select and drag records from the Projects library that
you want to relate to one or more vendors.

Then, select the Vendors record(s) that you
want to relate the Projects records to.

The new related data field,
with records, on a form in
the Vendors collection.

To create a related data field by dragging records:
1

Open the library or collection that has the records you want to relate to
another library or collection. (For example, open the Projects library.)

Switch to table view.

Select the record(s) that you want to relate to another library or collection.
(For example, to relate Projects records to the Vendors collection, select those
records in the Projects library.)

Drag the selected records to the library or collection in the Libraries pane that
you want to relate the records to. (For example, drag the selected Projects
records to the Vendors collection in the Libraries pane.)

If a relationship already exists between the two libraries, skip to step 6. If
there is no relationship between the two libraries, Bento asks if you want to
create a related data field. Click “Choose Records.”

In the window of the library or collection that you dragged records to (in step
4), select the records that you want to relate to. (For example, select the
vendor(s) you want to relate to the selected projects.)

Chapter 9 Using Fields

Click Add To Record.
Bento creates a new related data field in the library or collection you dragged
records to in step 4. (For example, a related data field named Projects is created in
the Vendors collection.)

In the library or collection that you dragged records to in step 4 (for example,
the Vendors collection), drag the new related data field from the Fields list
onto the form.

Navigating to Related Records
To navigate among related records:
1

Click a record.

Click
details.

to go to the record in its library or collection and view the record’s

You can edit the record you have navigated to.
3

As you navigate among records in different related data fields, you can
quickly return to the previously viewed related record by clicking
navigation bar.

in the

However, once you select an item in the Libraries pane, Bento stops keeping track
of the related records you viewed and

disappears.

Using the Fields Pane
The Fields pane displays an alphabetical list of the fields that are available for the
selected library or collection. Use the Fields pane to select the fields that you want to
add to the current form (in form view) or to display as columns (in table view). In split
view, the Fields pane indicates the fields that can be added to the current form or can
be displayed in table view.

Chapter 9 Using Fields

In form view

In table view

Address subfields
can’t be added to
the form
individually.
Field is not
displayed in
table view.

Field has not been
added to the
current form.

Field is
displayed in
table view.

Field has been
added to the
current form.

List field has no
checkbox
because it can’t
be displayed in
table view.

In the Fields pane you can:
• create a field by clicking
• drag a field with

to a form

• select a field’s checkbox to display the field in table view
• double-click field names to modify names and settings. If a field is locked
,
you can’t modify its name or settings because it is either shared with Address
Book, iCal, or iPhoto, or is reserved by Bento.
• duplicate a field by clicking

and choosing Duplicate

• delete a field and its data by clicking
. When you delete a field, it is
deleted from the library and from collections and related data fields that use
it.
Note In the Fields pane in table view, there is no checkbox next to related data fields
or the list field types (address, email address, phone number, IM account, URL, file list,
message list, and simple list) because these fields can’t be displayed in table view.

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Changing an Existing Field from One Type to Another
You can change the type of some fields to another. Automatic counter, location, and
address fields, and any fields you access in a shared database can’t be changed to a
different type.
The information in the table below also applies to changing the data type of columns
in simple list fields and columns in the notes section of related data fields.
Convert
to:
Convert
from:

Text

Number

•

Text

Choice

Checkbox

•

Number

•

Choice

•

Checkbox

•

Media

•

Time

•

Date

•

Duration

•

Calculation

•

Currency

•

Rating

•

Encrypted

•

Phone
number

•

Email
address

•

URL

•

IM account

•

Time

Date

•

Duration

•
•

Currency

Rating

Phone

•

Other
list
fields

•

Calculation;
Encrypted;
Media

•

To change an existing field from one type to another:
1

Select a column name in table view.

Click

Choose Change To, then select a field type from the list.

near the right edge of a column header.

Working with List Fields
Some types of list fields (address, phone number, email address, URL, and IM account)
have a pop-up menu from which you can quickly perform actions such as displaying
the selected phone number in large type, getting directions to or from the selected
address, and displaying a map for the selected address.

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Sending Emails
In form view and table view, you can quickly send emails to your family, friends, or
colleagues.
To send an email in form view:
1

Select a form in the navigation bar or choose View > Form View > Form Name.

Click
If you see

next to the email address field.
, the email address is not valid.

The default email application opens and displays a blank email message
addressed to the name in the email address field.

Compose the message and send it.

To send an email in table view:
1

Select one or more email address fields.
You can select any block of fields to quickly select multiple email address fields.

Choose Edit > Email Selected Address or press Shift-Command-M.

The default email application opens and displays a blank email message
addressed to the name or names in the selected email address field or fields.

Compose the message and send it.

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Adding Mac OS X Mail Items to a Message List Field
In message list fields, you can store aliases to Mac OS X Mail messages, notes, and RSS
articles that are relevant to a specific record. For instructions on creating message list
fields, see ”Creating Message List Fields” on page 79.
Note Storing an alias in Bento does not store the email message in Bento; it simply
links to the message that’s in Mail. If you remove the message from Mail, the message
will also be removed from Bento.
To add a Mac OS X Mail message, note or RSS article to a message list field:
1

Select a form in the navigation bar or choose View > Form View > Form Name.

In the bottom-left corner of the message list field, click
OS X Mail application.

In Mac OS X Mail, select a folder that contains messages, notes, or RSS articles.

Drag one or more items to the message list field.
Tip Click

to open the Mac

to show the fields for the message list field in the Fields pane.

To open the items in Mac OS X Mail, see ”Working with Files Stored in File List
Fields and Message List Fields” on page 88.

Working with Files Stored in File List Fields and Message List Fields
When browsing records, you can quickly open files or applications stored in file list
fields, and Mac OS X Mail messages, notes, and RSS articles stored in message list
fields.
To open files stored in a file list field or message list field:
1

Select a form in the navigation bar or choose View > Form View > Form Name.

Select one or more items in the file list field or message list field. Commandclick to select nonadjacent items.

Click
and choose Open (file list) or
the items you want to open.

The application associated with each item starts and displays the contents of
the items.

(message list), or double-click

For example, if you double-click a PDF file and a QuickTime movie file, the Mac OS
X Preview and QuickTime Player applications start and display the PDF file and the
QuickTime movie file. If you double-click an email message, note, or RSS article,
the Mac OS X Mail application starts and displays the Mac OS X Mail item.

Chapter 9 Using Fields

To view files stored in a file list field:
1

Click

to display the items in a table.

Click

to switch back to the grid format.

Click

to change the display size of items in grid format.

To email a file from a file list field:
1

In the file list field, select one or more filenames that you want to email.

At the bottom-left of the file list field, click
Mail.”

, then choose “Send in

The Mac OS X Mail application opens.
3

Enter the recipients’ names, make any changes to the subject and message,
then click Send.

Previewing Files with Quick Look
With Quick Look, you can quickly view the contents of an item in a file list field or
message list field without opening it.
To preview a file:
1

Select a form in the navigation bar or choose View > Form View > Form Name.

Select one or more items in a file list field or message list field.

Click

and choose Quick Look filename or press the Space bar.

The content you see depends on the type of file. If it’s an image, you see a smaller
version of it. If it’s a text document, you can read the text and scroll to see more. If
you selected multiple items, you can use the arrow keys or the buttons at the
bottom of the Quick Look window to move from one item to another.

Working with Simple List Fields
You work with columns and rows in simple list fields in much the same way as you do
in table view. This section tells you how to do some things with simple list fields. For
more information about working with columns, see ”Working with Fields and Columns
in Table View” on page 63.
To add information to a simple list, first you need to create a field of the type Simple
List. See ”Creating Fields” on page 76.

Chapter 9 Using Fields

You can drag a simple list field from the Fields pane onto a form and start typing to
add data that is relevant to the record. Bento creates a text field by default, but you
can change the field type of the column.
You can work with media data in simple list fields, just as you do in media fields. For
more information, see ”Working with Media Fields” on page 95. Also, you can create,
view, and edit calculations in simple list fields. For more information see ”Creating
Calculation Fields” on page 77.
To add data to a simple list field:
1

Click in a field of the column to which you want to add data, then type in the
field.

Press Tab to create another column, where you can continue typing in the
same record.

Note You can also copy and paste data from table view or a spreadsheet file into a
simple list field.
To add a column in a simple list field:
Click
near the right edge of a column header, choose Add Column Before or Add
Column After. Type a new name for the column, then press Return or Tab.
To change the name of a column in a simple list field:
Do one of these:
• Double-click the column name, type a new name, then press Return or Tab.
• Click
near the right edge of a column header and choose Edit Column
Name, then change the column name in the dialog. There, you can also
change whether you want Bento to complete text automatically as you type
in the field.
To change a column from one data type to another:
1

Click

near the right edge of a column header.

Choose Change To, then select a data type from the list.

Note Not all data types can be changed. For more information, see ”Changing an
Existing Field from One Type to Another” on page 86.
To delete a column in a simple list field:
Click

near the right edge of a column header, then choose Delete Column.

Chapter 9 Using Fields

To show or hide columns in a simple list field:
1

Click

in the lower-right corner of the simple list field.

To show a column, in the Fields pane, select the checkbox next to the column
name.

To hide a column, do one of these:
• Click

near the right edge of a column header, then choose Hide Column.

• Click
in the lower-right corner of the simple list field. Then, in the Fields
pane, deselect the checkbox next to the column name.
To show or hide the summary row in a simple list field:
Do one of these:
• Choose View > Show Summary Row or Hide Summary Row.
• Click

in the lower-right corner of the simple list field.

For more information about the summary row, see ”Summarizing Column Data” on
page 67.

Chapter 9 Using Fields

To switch between views in the Fields pane:
Click
in the lower-right corner of a simple list field to switch between displaying
columns in the simple list field and displaying the fields in the library in the Fields
pane.

Fields pane displaying columns
in the simple list field

Click to switch
between the displays
in the Fields pane.

Fields pane displaying fields
in the library

Working with Related Data Fields
In a related data field, you can store information about records that is relevant to the
data source but isn’t linked to the data source. This information is stored in a separate
section of the related data field called notes.
For example, in a Recipes library that has a related data field linked to the Ingredients
library, you could store information such as the required amount of each ingredient in
a recipe in the notes section of the Ingredients related data field. In other fields in the
notes section, you could add details about how to prepare the ingredient or the name
of the store where you purchased it. The information in the note fields is not stored in
the Ingredients library.

Chapter 9 Using Fields

Notes fields

Related records from
the Ingredients library

Click to display records
in a grid format.

You can create, view, and edit calculations in the notes section. For more information
see ”Creating Calculation Fields” on page 77.
To display the notes section:
Position your cursor on the right edge of a related data field. When the cursor changes
, drag it to the left. You see the notes section with the first notes column (named
to
New Column) created for you. Type a new name for the column, then press Return or
Tab.
To add a column in the notes section:
Click
near the right edge of a column header, choose Add Column Before or Add
Column After. Type a new name for the column, then press Return or Tab.
To change the name of a column in the notes section:
Do one of these:
• Double-click the column name, type a new name, then press Return or Tab.
• Click
near the right edge of a column header and choose Edit Column
Name, then change the column name in the dialog. There, you can also
change whether you want Bento to complete text automatically as you type
in the field.
To change a column from one data type to another:
1

Click

near the right edge of a column header.

Choose Change To, then select a data type from the list.

Note Not all data types can be changed. For more information, see ”Changing an
Existing Field from One Type to Another” on page 86.

Chapter 9 Using Fields

To show or hide the summary row:
Do one of these:
• Choose View > Show Summary Row or Hide Summary Row.
• Click

For more information about the summary row, see ”Summarizing Column Data” on
page 67.
To delete a column in the notes section:
Click

near the right edge of a column header, then choose Delete Column.

To sort records in related data fields:
Click the pop-up menu in a column header, then choose Sort Ascending or Sort
Descending.
To display related data records in a grid format:
Click

to display the records in a grid.

To set labels for grid view items:
1

In grid view, click

Click the Title pop-up menu, then choose up to two fields.
Each field’s data is displayed as a label for the grid items.
If you don’t want a label to be displayed, choose the dash symbol for the field.

Chapter 9 Using Fields

Working with Media Fields
You can add many types of sound, image, and movie files to a media field, including
JPEG, QuickTime, and MP3 files.
If you add a sound file that you purchased from the iTunes Store, you may have to
enter the account name and password for the account that was used to purchase the
sound file.
Note You can’t add movie files that you purchased from the iTunes Store.
Tip Use an image box if you want an image such as a logo or letterhead to appear on
every record in your form. For more information about image boxes, see ”Adding
Image Boxes” on page 56.

Taking Photos
If your computer has an iSight camera, you can take pictures with it to use in your
forms.
To take a photo:
1

Click an empty media field.
For information about how to create a media field, see ”Creating Fields” on
page 76.

Click

In the window, click

Optional: Click

Click Set to save and load the image into the media field.

, then wait for the image to appear.
, then select a special effect to apply to the photo.

Tip To back up a photo, export it. For more information, see ”Exporting Images” on
page 97.

Chapter 9 Using Fields

Adding Media Files
You can add sound, image (pictures, graphics, and so on), and movie files to media
fields. Image files include images from the web or other applications such as iPhoto.
To add a media file:
1

Click in the media field.

Drag a media file from the Finder, iPhoto, or iTunes to the media field or click
to choose a file.
Except for iTunes files, when you add a media file, Bento copies it into the
bento.bentodb file. When you add an iTunes file to a media field, Bento creates an
alias to the file.
If you don’t want to copy the media file into Bento, hold down the Option key
appears on
after you start dragging the media file to the media field. An arrow
the thumbnail. Bento creates an alias that contains a path to a specific file in a
specific location on your hard drive. If you use an alias for the media file, and then
move or rename the original media file, the alias to it is broken.

In the Open dialog, select the image you want to add, then click Open.

Playing a Movie or Sound File
Playing a movie or sound file in Bento is similar to how you play a movie or sound file
in QuickTime Player.
To play a movie or sound file:
1

Click in the media field.

Click

in the playbar to start the movie or sound file.

Drag the slider up or down to adjust the volume.
3

To pause the movie or sound file, click
sound file, click

. To restart playing the movie or

Positioning Images
You can move an image in any direction within a media field.
To position an image:
1

Click in the media field.

Drag the image within the field.
If you drag the image out of view, select Fit to Frame to bring it back into view.

Chapter 9 Using Fields

Changing the Display Size of Images
You can change the display size of an image within the media field.
To change the display size of an image:
1

Click in the media field.

Drag the zoom slider to zoom in or out on the image.

Select Fit to Frame to make the image the same size as the field.

Exporting Images
You can export (save) any image file with a different name or in a different location. It
is saved in its original file format.
To export an image:
1

Click in the media field.

Click

In the Save As dialog, navigate to the folder where you want to save the
image file.

Type a name, then click Save.

Deleting Media Files
When you delete a media file from a record, it is permanently deleted from its library
and from any collections within the same library.
To delete content in a media field:
1

Click in the media field.

Press the Delete key or choose Edit > Clear.

Working with Encrypted Fields
In Bento, to encrypt data in a field, you must first create a field of the type encrypted.
See ”Creating Fields” on page 76.
You can store sensitive data in encrypted fields. When you enter data in encrypted
fields, it is securely stored in your Bento database and can only be read within Bento.
Encrypted data in a locked field is displayed as bullets.

Chapter 9 Using Fields

If you attempt to enter data in an encrypted field and you have not already set the
Database Password, you won’t be able to proceed until you do so. For information
about setting the Database Password, see ”Setting a Password for Your Bento
Database” on page 98.
You can search encrypted fields if they are unlocked. For more information about
searching, see ”Search Field and Advanced Find” on page 25.

Setting a Password for Your Bento Database
You can set a password to protect your database. The Database Password also protects
all encrypted fields. To set a password for accessing a shared database, see ”Setting a
Password for a Shared Database” on page 34.
To set the Database Password:
1

Choose Bento > Preferences.

Click Security at the top of the window.

Select Use Database Password.

For Enter Database Password, type the password. Maximum length is 20
characters.

For Confirm, type the password again.

(Optional) For Password Hint, type a word or phrase to help you remember
the password.

Keep your password in a safe place.
Important If you forget your password, it is not possible to recover it.

Click Set Password.

Click the lock to prevent further changes.

To clear the Database Password:
1

Choose Bento > Preferences.

Click Security at the top of the window.

Click the lock to make changes.

Enter your Database Password, then click Submit.

Deselect Use Database Password.
You can’t deselect Use Database Password if there are encrypted fields in use.

Chapter 9 Using Fields

Locking Bento
You can lock Bento to hide the Bento window and protect your data.
To lock Bento:
1

Choose Bento > Preferences.

Click Security at the top of the window.

Click the lock to make changes.

Select “Require Database Password when Bento starts.”

Choose Bento > Lock Bento.
The Bento window is hidden.

To make the Bento window visible again:
1

Enter your Database Password.

Click Submit.

Locking and Unlocking Data in Encrypted Fields
Locking encrypted fields helps keep your data safer, since you have to first unlock the
fields before viewing the data. After you lock encrypted fields, you can’t modify their
contents until you unlock them.
To lock data in all encrypted fields:
In form view, select an encrypted field and click
next to the field. Then select Lock
Encrypted Fields. In table view, select an encrypted field and click the pop-up menu in
the column header, then choose Lock Encrypted Fields.
A
appears next to all encrypted fields in form view, and bullets replace the
contents of all encrypted fields.
Note You can’t copy data from encrypted fields, and you can’t paste into encrypted
fields when they are locked.
To unlock data in all encrypted fields:
1

In form view, select an encrypted field and click
next to the field. Then
select Unlock Encrypted Fields. In table view, select an encrypted field and
click the pop-up menu in the column header, then choose Unlock Encrypted
Fields.

Enter your Database Password, then click Submit.
A

appears next to all encrypted fields in form view.

Chapter 9 Using Fields

Showing or Hiding Data in Encrypted Fields
To show data in an encrypted field:
In form view, select the encrypted field and click
. In table view, click the pop-up
menu in the column header, then choose Show Encrypted Field Contents.
The data you encrypted replaces the bullets.
To hide data in an encrypted field:
In form view, select the encrypted field and click
. In table view, click the pop-up
menu in the column header, then choose Hide Encrypted Field Contents.
Bullets replace the encrypted data.
Note You can’t copy and paste when the data in encrypted fields is hidden.

Working with Location Fields
In a library such as a vacation journal or customer visit log, you can use a location field
to track your location (latitude and longitude) and to see a map of the location in your
web browser.
For information about creating location fields and setting options for them, see
”Creating Location Fields” on page 79.
To enter latitude and longitude values:
1

Select a location field.

In the Latitude field, enter a value from -90 to 90 degrees.
Press Option-Shift-8 to enter the degrees symbol (“ ° ”).

In the Longitude field, enter a value from -180 to 180 degrees (or 0 to 360
degrees).
Decimal Degrees format (Example: 37.406300° N, 121.983400° W). If you type a
value that is a positive decimal number, Bento adds the degrees symbol and the
direction (N or E) automatically. For a negative decimal number, Bento adds the
degrees symbol and the direction (S or W) automatically.
Degrees, Minutes & Seconds format (Example: 37°24’ 23” N, 121°59’0” W). Type
the degrees value (positive or negative), followed by the degrees symbol (“ ° ”),
then the minutes value followed by the minutes symbol (‘), then the seconds
value followed by the seconds symbol (“).
Tip If you want Bento to format a coordinate for you, type just the degrees value
(without the degrees symbol). Bento provides default values for the rest of the
coordinate. Then you can change the minutes, seconds, and direction values as
needed.

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To display a map of the selected location:
In form view, select a location field, then click
web browser.

. The map is displayed in your default

To get directions to or from the selected location:
In form view, select a location field, click
or Directions From.

next to the field, and choose Directions To

To capture your current location:
In form view, select a location field, click
Current Location.

next to the field, and choose Set to

Note This option requires an active connection to a wireless network and Mac OS X
10.6 installed.

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101

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Importing, Exporting, and Printing

This chapter describes the various ways you can import and
export information so others can view or use it. You can also
print information to share with others.
A good way to start using Bento is by importing existing information. Bento supports
importing information from a variety of file formats: comma-separated values (.csv)
file, tab-separated values (.tab) file, Numbers, Excel, Excel 2008, and library template.
For example, you can import .csv files created from spreadsheets, exported from other
databases, or downloaded from banking or stock websites.
If you need to share your information, you can export your Bento information as a .csv,
.tab, Numbers, Excel 2008, or library template file. You can export records from a
library (including shared libraries) or from a collection. You can also export a group of
records from a search or Advanced Find. If you create a library with forms that you
want to give to another Bento user, you can export the library as a library template file
(with or without data).
Bento lets you print information from form view, table view, split view, and from
search and Advanced Find. You can also print labels from within Bento.

About Comma-Separated and Tab-Separated Files
A comma-separated values file (.csv) or a tab-separated values file (.tab or .tsv) is a file
that represents a table of data. Each column/field value is separated by a comma or a
semicolon (for .csv) or a tab character (for .tab or .tsv). Each record is separated by a
carriage return. One record appears in each row of the data file. Often, the first row of
data in the .csv file represents the column names for the table, making it easier to
match the data to the fields in an existing library.
Note Some locales may use a different separator in .csv files rather than commas. The
default separator is defined by your locale setting.

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Exporting .csv and .tab Files from Other Applications
Note When exporting .csv or .tab files, make sure the filename extension is “.csv” or
“.tsv”; the extension must be in lowercase letters. Otherwise, Bento will not recognize
.csv or .tab files correctly.
For the best results when importing information into Bento, follow these guidelines:
• Export your data from the other application as a .csv or .tab file.
• If your Excel worksheet contains multiple tables, put each table in its own
worksheet, and make sure the column names are in the first row.
• Note whether your .csv or .tab file contains a row with the column names.
Bento can use the values in that row as field names when you import the
information into a new library. In Bento, these field names appear as labels in
form view and as column names in table view.
• Make a note of the order of the fields in the .csv or .tab file. If the file doesn’t
contain a row with the column names, you can refer to your notes to
manually name the fields when you import the file.
• ClarisWorks and AppleWorks create tab-separated files when you select the
ASCII Text option in the Save As dialog. Make sure you add the “.tab”
extension to the filename when you save an AppleWorks 6 file that you plan
to import into Bento. For example, if you have an AppleWorks file named
“MyData” save it as “MyData.tab” so that Bento recognizes it as a tabseparated file.

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Correcting .csv Files
If you are having difficulty importing a .csv file, open it in a text editor (such as
TextEdit) and do the following:
• Put double quotation marks around field values that have embedded
commas.
For example: “10,000 Donors“
• Put double quotation marks around field values with leading or trailing
spaces.
• Put double quotation marks around field values that contain embedded linebreaks.
• Put double quotation marks around field values that contain double
quotation marks. Change the embedded double quotation marks into a pair
of consecutive double quotation marks.
For example: “She said ““I will be there”” in her email.“
Example of a comma separated (.csv) file

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Importing Information into Bento
When you import information into Bento, you can either create a library or import the
information into an existing library or collection.

Creating a Library by Importing
You can create a library when you import a file.

Choose a file. The
options you see here
vary according to the file
format of the selected
file.
Enter the name for the
new library.

Click the pop-up to set
the field type. If you don’t
want to create the field,
choose “Do not create.”

Use the arrows to go to
the row that contains
column names, then
select “Use this record’s
values as column
names.”

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To create a library by importing:
1

Choose File > Import > File.

Click Choose, then select the file you want to import in one of the following
file formats: .csv, .tab, .tsv, .numbers, .xls, .xlsx.
• For .csv, .tab, or .tsv files, in the section “Choose the format,” choose
Comma separated, Semicolon separated, or Tab separated.
• For Numbers files, use the pop-up menus to select a sheet, then a table.
• For Excel files, use the pop-up menu to select a worksheet.

For “Choose a target,” choose New Library, and enter a unique name for the
library.

Indicate whether the file contains a row with values that you want to use as
field names.
• If the file contains a row with column names, click the arrow buttons to
go to that row and select “Use this record’s values as column names.”
Bento uses the values in this row as the new field names.
• If the file does not contain a row with column names, clear “Use this
record’s values as column names.”
Bento assigns default names to each new field. To change a default field
name, double-click the field name and type a unique name.

Bento sets the field types to “Text” by default. To change a field’s type, click
the pop-up menu and select a new field type.
• If there is a column that you do not want to import, click the pop-up
menu and select “Do not create.“
• For information on the field types supported for import, see ”Field Types
Supported for Import” on page 110.

Click Import.
When the import is done, Bento displays the records, which you can view in table
view, form view, split view, or grid view.

Importing into an Existing Library
If you want the information that you are importing to go into an existing library,
import the file into that library. Bento creates new records in the library.
You can also import a file into a collection. When you choose a collection as the target
for the import, Bento creates new records in the library that contains that collection,
and adds the new records to the collection.

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Choose a file. The
options you see here vary
according to the file
format of the selected file.

Click the pop-up and
select a field name to
manually map the fields
set to “Do not import.”

Use the arrows to go to
the row that contains
column names, then
select “Use this record’s
values as column
names.”

To import information into an existing library or collection:
1

Choose File > Import > File.

Click Choose and choose the file you want to import in one of the following
file formats: .csv, .tab, .tsv, .numbers, .xls, .xlsx.
• For .csv, .tab, or .tsv files, in the section “Choose the format,” choose
Comma separated, Semicolon separated, or Tab separated.
• For Numbers files, use the pop-up menus to select a sheet, then a table.
• For Excel files, use the pop-up menu to select a worksheet.

For “Choose a target,” choose the library or collection that you want your
information to be added to.
The example above shows the “Address Book” library as a target library.

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Indicate whether the file contains a row with values that you want to use as
column names.
• If the file contains a row with column names, click the arrow buttons to
go to that row and select “Use this record’s values as column names.”
Bento reads the column names in the file, and attempts to match them to the
field names already defined in the library or collection you have selected.
Bento maps the column names to field names when their names match
exactly. For any names that do not match, Bento sets the field name to “Do
not import” and you need to map the fields to the columns manually. You can
also manually map the record values that Bento has matched.
• If the file does not contain a row with column names, clear “Use this
record’s values as column names.”
Without column names, Bento has no way to map the record values to the
column names. Bento sets the column names to “Do not import” and you
need to map the fields to the columns manually.

If the new field’s name matches a column name in the file, Bento maps that
column’s records values to the new field. Otherwise, you can map your
column values to the new field manually.
For record values that are set to “Do not import,” click the pop-up menu and select
the column name or record value to manually map it to the adjacent field name.

If there is no field that you can map a given field to, you can create a field. To
do this, click Add Field. Bento opens the Create a Field dialog to allow you to
add a field to the library.

(Optional) See how the record values are mapped to the field names by
clicking the arrow buttons to move through the record contents.

Click Import.
When the import is done, Bento displays the records, which you can view in table
view, form view, split view, or grid view.

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Importing a Library Template
A library template file contains all of the forms, collections, Smart Collections, table
view settings, label settings, and related libraries (if they were included at the time of
export) of an exported library. Depending on the settings used to create the library
template, it may or may not contain records.

Choose a library
template file.

To import a library template:
1

Choose File > Import > Template.

Choose a library template file.

Click Open.

Bento adds the library, collections, and Smart Collections contained in the
library template file to the Libraries pane. If the library template file contains
multiple libraries, all of them are added to the Libraries pane.

Additional Ways to Import Information
In addition to the File > Import menu items, Bento provides the following ways to
import information:
• Choose File > New Library from Template to open the New Library dialog.
Then click Import Data.
• Drag a data file (Text, Numbers, Excel format) to the Libraries pane in Bento.
• Drag a data file (Text, Numbers, Excel format) to a specific library or collection
in the Libraries pane in Bento.
• Drag a library template file or data file (Text, Numbers, Excel format) to the
Bento application icon.

Field Types Supported for Import
You can import data into the field types listed in the following table.

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For this field type

This data can be imported

text

Any text

choice
address
phone number
IM account
encrypted (when
unlocked)
email address

Any text, but a valid email address must include the @ character.

URL

Any text, but the URL field does not support URL values that contain
Japanese characters.

checkbox

“1” for checked; “0” for not checked
“True” for checked; “False” for not checked
“Yes” for checked; “No” for not checked

number

Numeric data

currency
rating

A number between 0 and 10

time

Numeric data in the form HH, HH:MM, or HH:MM:SS, optionally with
“AM” or “PM” where:
•

HH represents the hour (between 0 and 24, if you don’t use “AM” or
“PM”, or between 0 and 12 if you use “AM” or “PM”)

•

MM is minutes (between 0 and 59)

•

SS is seconds (between 0 and 59).

For example: 12:59:59 PM
date

Numeric data in the form DD, MM/DD, or MM/DD/YYYY, where:
•

DD is the day (between 1 and 31, as valid for the month)

•

MM is the month (between 1 and 12)

•

YYYY is the year (between 1 and 9999).

A date field can also contain a “time” value, as described for the time
field.
Note: These formats vary depending on the current system date settings.

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For this field type

This data can be imported

duration

Text representing a duration in weeks, days, hours, minutes, and seconds.
The text may use the following abbreviations:
•

w for weeks

•

d for days

•

h for hours

•

m for minutes

•

s for seconds

For example, the following are all valid duration text:

location

•

8 days, 5 hours

•

8d,5h

•

8d5h

Location information (latitude and longitude) either in decimal degrees
or in degrees, minutes, hours.

You cannot import into these field types: file list, media, automatic counter,
calculation, related data, message list, or encrypted (when locked).
When you import into an address, phone number, email, URL, or IM account field, the
data is automatically added to the associated address list, phone number list, email
address list, URL list or IM account list field.
See ”Using Fields” on page 73 for additional information on field types.
Note The message “Some values in some records can’t be imported” in the Import
dialog means that one or more record values are not valid for the type of field to which
you are importing the values. For example, you cannot import alphabetic text into a
number field or into a date field. You can either change the field type to match the
data, or proceed with import. If you proceed with import, the invalid values will not be
imported. Other options are to change the contents of the file or to import the data
into a Text field. Text fields accept all values.

Exporting Information from Bento
Bento can export information into a .csv, .tab, Numbers, or Excel 2008 file from a
library, from a collection, from a Smart Collection, or from the results of a search or
Advanced Find.
Bento can export a library into a library template file. This is a good way to preserve
the structure of an individual library or give a library to another Bento user. A library
template file contains all of the forms, collections, Smart Collections, table view
settings, and related libraries (if they were included at the time of export) of an
exported library. You can include or omit records from the library template. You can
give the library template file to other Bento users.

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You can also export (submit) a template that you’ve designed to the Bento Template
Exchange website, so others can use it. You can submit only the template and not any
records associated with it. For more information, see ”Submitting Templates to the
Bento Template Exchange” on page 114.

Exporting from a Library, Collection, or Smart Collection
When you export records from a library or collection, you can choose to export all the
values from all of the fields in table view or only those fields that are currently
displayed in table view.
Exported files (for example, in a file list field) cannot exceed 200 megabytes (MB) of
data each.
To export from a library, collection, or Smart Collection:
1

Select the library, collection, or Smart Collection that contains the
information you want to export.

Choose File > Export.

Click Numbers, Excel, Text, or Template.
To export a file compatible with versions of Excel earlier than Excel 2008, export a
Text file.
• For Numbers, Excel, or Text, choose “All records” or “Only current records.”
• For Template, choose any related libraries that you want to export. To
export records with the template, including those of any related libraries
you have chosen, select “Include records in template.” (Bento by default
includes records.) Aliased files referenced in any file list fields are also
exported when this option is selected.

You can include
related libraries and
their data when you
export a library.
You can export
records.

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Choose how to export the data.
• For Numbers, Excel, or Text, choose “All table view fields” or “Only fields
displayed in table view.”
• For Text, choose Comma separated (.csv), Semicolon separated (.csv), or
Tab separated (.tab).

Click Next, then specify the filename and location for the file.
Bento exports the specified data from the library, collection, or Smart Collection
into a file with the name you specify.

Submitting Templates to the Bento Template Exchange
You can submit your own Bento templates to the Bento Template Exchange website,
either directly from within Bento or through your web browser. You cannot include
records with the template.
To learn more about the Bento Template Exchange, including how to submit
templates directly to the website and how to download other designers’ templates,
choose Help > Bento Template Exchange.
Note Before you submit templates to the Bento Template Exchange, make sure your
computer is connected to the internet.
To submit a template from within Bento:
1

Open the library or collection whose template you want to submit.

Choose File > Export, then click Template in the dialog that appears.

Select the names of any related libraries you want to include.

Make sure “Include records in template” is deselected; you cannot submit
records with the template.
Important If you try to submit a template with records, Bento will remove
them before submitting the template.

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Click “Send to Template Exchange.”

Make sure this option
is not selected.

You can include
related libraries
when you submit
your template.

Then click this button.

In the template exchange dialog, enter the required information, and follow
the onscreen instructions. Continue following the onscreen instructions in
each dialog that appears.
Bento compresses the template and places the file (which is the library name with
the .zip filename extension) on the desktop of your Mac. If a file with the same
name already exists, Bento appends a number to the filename. This file is removed
from the desktop after the template has been successfully submitted to the Bento
Template Exchange. A template file (compressed) can be up to 20 MB in size.

When you’re asked to choose the file to upload, select the compressed
template (.zip) file from the desktop folder, then continue following the
onscreen instructions.
Don’t click Close until you see a confirmation that your template was uploaded;
doing so will stop the uploading process.

Exporting from Search or Advanced Find
If you want to export a subset of records, you can use search or Advanced Find to
narrow the set of records in a library or collection, and then export the records.
To export from a subset of records:
1

Use the search field or Advanced Find to create a subset of records.
See ”Search Field and Advanced Find” on page 25.
• For search, the set of records that matches the criteria is displayed as you
type the search string.
• For Advanced Find, click Find to display the set of records that matches
the criteria.

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Follow steps 2-5 in ”Exporting from a Library, Collection, or Smart Collection”
on page 113.
Bento exports the table view field data from the subset of records into a file with
the name you specify.

Additional Ways to Export Information
In addition to the File > Export menu item, Bento provides another way to export
information as a file:
• Drag a library or a collection icon from the Libraries pane in Bento to the
desktop or to any folder in a Finder window. Bento exports the field data from
all the records in the library or the collection into a file with a name matching
the library or collection name and the file format matching the current Export
Format setting in the Preferences dialog.

For files that you
export by dragging
them to the Finder,
select a file format.

Export Considerations for Specific Field Types
If you are exporting into a Numbers, Excel, or Text file you cannot export:
• Contents of address list fields, phone number list fields, email list fields, URL
list fields, IM account list fields, or message list fields. However, you can export
data from individual address, phone number, email, URL and IM account
fields that are displayed in table view.
• Contents of locked encrypted fields.

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• Information displayed in related data fields.
• File aliases stored in file list fields.
• Movie and sound files you have added to media fields. To export images, see
”Exporting Images” on page 97.

Printing Information
You can print information from a library, from a collection, or from the results of a
search or Advanced Find.

Printing from Libraries and Collections
When you print records from a library or a collection, the selected view determines the
appearance of the printed output. In split view, the location of the insertion point at
the time of printing determines the appearance of the printed records.
You can also print information on labels. See ”Printing Labels” on page 119.
To print records from a library or collection:
1

Select the library or collection that contains the information you want to
print.

Select the form or table view that contains the fields you want to print.

Choose File > Print > Table/Form.

Specify options for the printed output.
• Select “Selected records only” to print the currently viewed record only
(in form view) or to print all selected records (in table view).
• Select “All displayed records” to print all of the records in the currently
viewed library or collection.
• Select “Don’t print background” to print without the background in form
view or without the alternating row colors in table view. This option
prints in black and white without any background color and saves ink.
• When printing form view data, select “Print one record per page” to print
one record per page.
• When printing form view data, select “Form only (no data)” to print a
blank form.
• Select additional options to include the title banner, page numbers, date,
and time.
• When printing table view data, select “Fit to width” to scale the columns
to fit on one page, instead of printing them across multiple pages.
• When printing form view data, select “Show field labels” if you want field
labels printed.

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• When printing form view data, select “Show field borders” if you want to
include field borders. (The setting of this option when you open the Print
dialog box depends on the setting of View > Show Field Borders.)
• To create custom page margins for form view, see ”Creating and Using
Custom Page Sizes for Form View” on page 118.
Tip If you want to prevent certain fields from being printed (for example, Date Created
or Date Modified), drag them off the form before you print. Remember to drag the
fields back on to the form after printing is finished. You can also duplicate the form
and then remove the fields that you don’t want printed (giving you one form for
viewing and another for printing).

Creating and Using Custom Page Sizes for Form View
You can create and then use custom page sizes when you print from form view.
To create a custom paper size:
1

In the printing dialog box, for Paper Size, choose Manage Custom Sizes.

In the Custom Paper Sizes dialog box, click +, then double-click Untitled in
the list and type a name for your custom paper size.

For Paper Size, type the width and height of the paper.

To use the printer margins of an installed printer, choose the printer from
Non-Printable Area. To define your own margins, choose User Defined, then
type values for the top, right, bottom, and left margins in the boxes.

Click OK to save your custom paper size.
• To remove a custom paper size from the list, select the name in the list,
then click – .
• To copy a custom paper size, select the name in the list, then click
Duplicate. You can then make changes to the duplicated paper size.

To use a custom paper size:

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Choose File > Print > Table/Form.

For Paper Size, choose the custom size you want.

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Printing from Search or Advanced Find
If you want to print a subset of records, you can use search or Advanced Find to narrow
the set of records in a library or collection, and then print the records.
To print a subset of records:
1

Choose File > Print > Table/Form.

Specify which records in the subset to print.
• Select “Selected records only” to print the currently viewed record only
(in form view) or to print all selected records (in table view).
• Select “All displayed records” to print all of the records in the current
subset.

Printing Labels
You can print labels from within Bento.
You can:
• Use information from fields in your own library or a shared library.
• Print up to six lines of information per label. Text can be left-aligned, rightaligned, or centered on the label.
• Add a picture or a logo to your labels.
• Print labels for selected records.
• Choose font, style, size, and color.
• Specify the label you want to start printing from.
• Preview labels.
• Save label settings for the selected library.
• Export label settings when you export a template. For more information
about exporting templates, see ”Exporting from a Library, Collection, or
Smart Collection” on page 113.

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To print labels:
1

Select the library or collection that contains the information you want to
print.

(Optional) Create a subset of records by using the search field, Advanced Find,
or selecting records in table view.

Choose File > Print > Labels.

Click the Setup tab to specify the fields you want to use in your labels.
To customize label content, you can type text before or after any field.
Click the Address Labels checkbox to automatically add address fields to the
labels for those records that contain address data. In the dark gray section, you
can choose to print all the addresses that appear in your records or just the
addresses from a specific field. You can also choose to print a specific type of
address from the selected field.
Select Country to include each record’s country on the labels. Select “Except my
country” to omit your country from the labels.

Click in the text
box and type text
to customize the
labels.

If you click the Address
Labels checkbox, you
see the dark gray
section.

Choose the type
of address.

Choose a specific
address field or the
address list field of the
current library.

Choose a field
from the current
library.

Click to automatically
add address fields to
the labels for those
records that contain
address data.

Click to save or
load a label setup.

Click to print the
currently selected
records in table view.

Choose an image
to add to the labels.

Click to preview
the labels.

Move the insertion point to the line where you want a field’s data to print,
then click Insert Field and choose a field from the pop-up menu.
If the label layout has a line that contains a single field and there is no data in that
field in some records, Bento closes up the space and doesn’t print a blank line on
those labels.

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To add an image, click the pop-up menu below Insert Field, then choose a
media field or an image file.
If you choose a media field, what is printed depends on the contents of the media
field for each record. If you choose an image file, the same image prints on all
labels.
Left Align is the default alignment. Select Right Align to print the media field or
image file on the right edge of each label.

To print labels for the currently selected records in table view, click Print
Selected Records.

Click the Layout tab to specify the label type.
Choose a label type from the Page pop-up menus.
For your convenience, the margin and gutter measurements for the label type and
size are displayed. Use the Size pop-up menu to change the displayed unit of
measurement.

Click “Start printing on” to specify which label number you want to start
printing from. Click OK.

10 Click the Appearance tab to specify options that affect the look of the labels.
Click Set to change a font’s style, size, and other options. Click the color well next
to Text Color to change the text color.
Choose an alignment option from the Alignment pop-up menu.
Select Print Label Border to print a thin border on each label.
Click to display the Mac OS
Fonts window.
Click to display the Mac OS
Colors window.

Click to print a thin border
on the label.

Click to choose how you want
text aligned on the label.

11 To preview the current page of labels in a Quick Look window, click Preview
Labels.
12 Click Print.
Note Data in a selected checkbox field prints on labels as
checkbox field prints as

. Data in an unselected

. Data in a rating field prints the number of stars

representing the numeric value in the field (for example,

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To save a label setup for the selected library:
1

Click the Setup tab.

Click Save/Load Label and choose Save As from the pop-up menu.

Type a name for the label setup, then click OK.
Your new label setup appears in the Save/Load Label pop-up menu.

Set up the labels as desired.

To print from a saved label setup:
1

Choose File > Print > Labels.

Click the Setup tab.

Click Save/Load Label and choose a label setup from the pop-up menu.

Click Print.

To define a custom layout setup for the selected library:
1

Choose File > Print > Labels.

Click the Layout tab, click Page, then choose Define Custom from the pop-up
menu.

Type a name for the custom layout setup, then click OK.

Set the page margins, the number of labels on a page, and the gutter space
between labels.
Your custom layout setup appears in the Page pop-up menu.

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Backing Up and Restoring
Information

This chapter describes how to create a backup copy of your
Bento data. Use the backup copy to recover your original
information if you make an inadvertent change, or to restore
your data in case of a problem such as a hard drive failure.
A Bento backup file contains the data in Bento at the time you run the back up
command. The back up command is easy to use; you simply specify a name and
location for the backup file. Restore is just as easy to use; you select the backup file
from which you want to restore data.
Because it’s a good idea to regularly back up your data, Bento provides an optional
reminder to periodically back up your data.
Note Backup and restore features apply to all of your data in Bento. If you want to save
the data from an individual library or collection, use the export feature described in
”Exporting Information from Bento” on page 112.
You can also use the Mac OS X application technology called Time Machine to back up
and restore your Bento data.
Tip To save a copy of your backup file, copy it to another location, such as an external
hard disk or a CD.

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About Bento Backup Files
When you create a Bento backup file, you create a copy of the data that is in Bento. The
backup file contains the data in your libraries and collections at the time you run the
back up command.
Important The Bento backup file does not contain the data from the Mac OS Address
Book and iCal applications. You should back up your Address Book and iCal data
whenever you back up your Bento data. However, if you add fields to the records in the
Address Book library, the iCal Events library, or the iCal Tasks library, then the data in
those additional fields is included in the Bento backup file.
Backing Up Address Book and iCal Data
• To create a backup of the data in the Mac OS Address Book application, use
the Address Book application’s archive feature.
• To create a backup of the data in the Mac OS iCal application, use the iCal
application’s backup feature.
How Field Types Are Backed Up
Consider the following when you back up file list fields, media fields, or related data
fields.
For

Bento backs up

File list fields

The listed filenames and locations, but not the contents of the files.

Media fields

The contents of the fields (for most media fields) because Bento stores copies of the
media files.
However, if you use aliases to media files rather than copying the media files into
bento.bentodb, Bento backs up the filenames and locations of the files that are added
to media fields, but not the contents of the files. You should back up these media files
to a location in the Finder.

Related data
fields

The data shown in related data fields, because these fields show data from libraries
and collections.
However, Bento does not back up the data from the Address Book, iCal Events, and
iCal Tasks libraries. If you use related data fields that reference those libraries, the
related data is based on the data in the Mac OS Address Book and iCal applications.

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Using the Back Up Reminder
By default, Bento reminds you to create a backup file once a week.

To create a Bento backup file from the back up reminder dialog:
1

Click Back Up.

In the dialog that appears, use the default name and location or type a name
and location for the backup file.

Changing the Back Up Reminder
You can change the default back up reminder frequency or turn off the back up
reminder.
To turn on the back up reminder or to change the reminder frequency:
1

Choose Bento > Preferences.

Select “Display a reminder to back up” and set the frequency for how often
you want to see a reminder to back up your data. You can get a reminder to
back up your data either every week or every month.

To turn off the back up reminder:
1

Choose Bento > Preferences.

Clear “Display a reminder to back up.”

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Creating a Backup File
When you create a Bento backup file, you create a copy of the data that is in Bento. It’s
a good idea to back up your Bento data before you make extensive changes, such as
importing data, deleting libraries, or significantly changing forms.

To create a backup file:
1

Choose File > Back Up Bento Data.

Use the default name and location or type a name and location for the
backup file.

Click Save.

(Optional) If you display Address Book or iCal application data in Bento, you
should back up the data in those applications next. The Bento backup file
does not include data from those applications.

Restoring from a Backup File
When you restore data from a Bento backup file, you replace the data that is in Bento
with the contents of the Bento backup file. Any additions you have made in Bento
since you created the backup file are lost. Any deleted records are recovered.
To restore data from a backup file:

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(Optional) If you display Address Book or iCal application data in Bento, you
should restore the data from those applications’ archive (Address Book) or
backup (iCal) files first. The Bento backup file does not include data from
those applications.

Choose File > Restore from Bento Backup and locate the backup file.

Click Open.

When Bento displays a confirmation dialog, click Continue. Bento loads the
contents of the Bento backup file.

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Using Time Machine with Bento
Time Machine is the Mac OS X application that backs up your computer (including
Bento data) on a regular basis. You can use Time Machine to restore the Bento data
from a specific backup date and time.
When you restore data from a Time Machine backup, you replace all of the data that is
in Bento with the contents of the backup file.
To set up the Time Machine options:
1

Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, and then click Time Machine.

In the Time Machine preferences, slide the switch to ON and choose a backup
disk.

Verify that the user's Library folder is backed up by Time Machine. (By default,
Time Machine backs up your entire hard drive.)

To restore Bento data using Time Machine:
1

Quit Bento.

(Optional) If you display Address Book or iCal application data in Bento,
restore the data from each application first. (The Bento backup file does not
include data from those applications.) For more information, see ”Backing Up
Address Book and iCal Data” on page 124.

Open a Finder window and go to the Bento folder in the user’s Library folder:
Library/Application Support/Bento/

Open Time Machine from the Dock or the Applications folder.

Use the arrows or the timeline along the right side of your screen to browse
through all the backups that Time Machine has created.

When you find the date for the data you want to restore, select the file
bento.bentodb and then click Restore.

Click Replace in the confirmation dialog.
The restored bento.bentodb file is copied to Library/Application Support/Bento/,
replacing all of the data that is in Bento.

Open Bento. Bento loads the contents of the restored bento.bentodb file.

Chapter 11 Backing Up and Restoring Information

127

128

Chapter 11 Backing Up and Restoring Information

Syncing

This chapter describes how to sync Bento for Mac with Bento
for iPhone and Bento for iPad.
Bento for iPhone and Bento for iPad are personal database apps that allow you to
create libraries, collections, records, and fields on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad.
You can sync any two iOS devices with Bento for Mac. For example, you can sync one
iPhone and one iPad, one iPhone and one iPod touch, or two iPads with Bento for Mac.
Bento for Mac syncs one set of libraries across all connected devices.
Although you can have two devices connected to Bento for Mac at the same time, you
sync each device with Bento for Mac one at a time. If you start a sync from a second
device but a sync initiated from the first device is still in progress, the first device’s sync is
not interrupted. The second device’s sync starts after the first device’s sync has finished.

Syncing Information Between Your Mac and Devices
Syncing allows you to share information between your computer and any two iOS
devices. For example, if you add information to a library in Bento for iPad, you can sync
with Bento for Mac to add that information to the library in Bento on your desktop and
Bento for iPhone.
For information about which versions of Bento for Mac, Bento for iPhone, and Bento
for iPad you can sync, see the FileMaker Knowledge Base.
Note You can’t sync Address Book, iCal Events, and iCal Tasks libraries with Bento 4 for
iPad. You can’t sync the iCal Events library with Bento for iPhone. By default, all other
libraries are synced. For information about migrating the data from Address Book and
iCal libraries, see ”Migrating the iCal, iPhoto, and Address Book Libraries” on page 41.

Connecting Your Device to the Same Wi-Fi Network as Your Computer
Bento for Mac can sync with Bento for iPhone or Bento for iPad when both the desktop
and device applications are open and connected to the same Wi-Fi network, including a
computer-to-computer (ad hoc) network. See Mac Help for information about networks.

129

To connect your device to the same Wi-Fi network as your computer:
1

On your device, click the Home button, then tap Settings, tap Wi-Fi, then
select a Wi-Fi network.

On your Mac, choose Apple menu > System Preferences > Network.

In the left side of the Network pane, click AirPort (Mac OS X 10.6) or Wi-Fi (OS
X Lion 10.7).

For Network Name, select the same Wi-Fi network that you connected your
device to.

Click Turn Airport On (Mac OS X 10.6) or Wi-Fi On (OS X Lion 10.7).

Click Apply, then close the Network pane.

Syncing for the First Time
After you have connected Bento for Mac and Bento for iPhone or Bento for iPad to the
same Wi-Fi network, you can sync the databases.
Before syncing, back up your Bento data. For more information, see ”Backing Up and
Restoring Information” on page 123.
To sync for the first time:
1

Do one of the following:
• Start Bento for iPhone, then tap
• Start Bento for iPad, tap

Tap Sync with a New Computer.

A four-digit passcode appears.

, then tap Sync.

Note If your device is not connected to a Wi-Fi network, an alert appears. To
connect to a Wi-Fi network, see ”Connecting Your Device to the Same Wi-Fi
Network as Your Computer” on page 129.
4

Start Bento for Mac, then choose File > Set Up Sync with Device.

Select your device, then click Continue.

In the Connect pane, enter the passcode that is displayed on your device.
The sync starts.

130

Chapter 12 Syncing

After the sync is complete, if you have an existing Address Book library, you
are asked to migrate the data. Follow the onscreen instructions to migrate the
data.
Note Bento does not support syncing your Bento Address Book library with
Bento 4 for iPad.
If the library includes any locked encrypted fields, you are asked to enter the
Database Password to unlock the fields. If you don’t unlock the encrypted fields,
Bento does not migrate the library.
To migrate the data, you can also choose your device in the Devices section of the
Libraries pane, then click Migrate. Follow the onscreen instructions to migrate the
data.
After the migration is complete, the Address Book library in Bento for Mac is
replaced with a Bento Contacts library. The new Bento Contacts library is not
connected to the Mac OS Address Book application. To view the new Contacts
library on your device, sync Bento for Mac with your iOS device again.
For information about migrating your data, see ”Migrating the iCal, iPhoto, and
Address Book Libraries” on page 41.

Syncing Bento for Mac with Bento for iPhone or Bento for iPad
After syncing for the first time, you can add, edit, or delete data in Bento for Mac, Bento
for iPhone, or Bento for iPad. To keep your data consistent across all your Bento
products, remember to sync regularly.
Bento for Mac can sync with Bento for iPhone or Bento for iPad when both the desktop
and device applications are open and connected to the same Wi-Fi network. For more
information, see ”Connecting Your Device to the Same Wi-Fi Network as Your
Computer” on page 129.
To sync Bento for Mac with Bento for iPhone or Bento for iPad:
1

(Optional) In Bento for Mac, in the Devices section of the Libraries pane, select
your device, then verify that the libraries you want to sync are selected.

Do one of the following:
• Start Bento for iPhone, then tap
• Start Bento for iPad, tap

, then tap Sync.

Tap Sync Now.

After the sync is complete, if you have an existing Address Book library, you
are asked to migrate the data. Follow the onscreen instructions to migrate the
Address Book library to a new Bento Contacts library. For more information,
see ”Migrating the iCal, iPhoto, and Address Book Libraries” on page 41.

Chapter 12 Syncing

131

Tip If you want to know when you last synced, check the timestamp in the Sync &
Setup screen (Bento for iPhone) or the Sync window (Bento for iPad).

Managing Connected Devices
You can sync your Bento desktop with any two iOS devices. If you have several devices
that you sync with your Bento desktop, Bento can help you keep track of which
devices are currently connected and when they were last synced.
To add a device to the list of currently connected devices:
1

In Bento for Mac, in the Devices section of the Libraries pane, click

At the bottom of the Setup screen, click Add.

If there are two devices already listed, first remove a device by selecting it, then
clicking Remove.
3

Follow the steps in ”Syncing for the First Time” on page 130.
The device is added to the list in the Setup tab. The list also displays the date and
time of the most recent sync for each device.

To remove a device from the list of currently connected devices:
1

In Bento for Mac, in the Devices section of the Libraries pane, click

At the bottom of the Setup screen, select a device, then click Remove.

The selected device is removed from the list in the Setup tab.

Troubleshooting Syncing
This section describes some common issues with syncing information between your
Bento products.
• Can I sync more than one Bento desktop with a device?
No. A device can only sync with one Bento desktop. If you sync a second Bento
desktop with your device, libraries from the first desktop are removed. To prevent
data loss, avoid connecting to additional desktops.
• Can I sync Bento 4 for iPad with my Bento for Mac Address Book library?
Bento 4 for iPad does not sync with the Bento for Mac Address Book library. You
can migrate the Bento for Mac Address Book library to a new Bento Contacts
library, then sync with your iOS device to view the data.
• Can I sync Bento 4 for iPad or Bento for iPhone with my Bento for Mac
iCal libraries?

132

Chapter 12 Syncing

You can’t sync iCal Events and iCal Tasks libraries with Bento 4 for iPad. You can’t
sync the iCal Events library with Bento for iPhone. You can migrate the Bento for
Mac iCal Tasks library to a new Bento Tasks library and the iCal Events library to a
new Bento Events library, then sync with your iOS device to view the data. See
”Migrating the iCal, iPhoto, and Address Book Libraries” on page 41.
• Why weren’t all of my media files synced?
Media files in Bento for Mac that are larger than 10 megabytes or that cannot be
opened or played on your device cannot be synced. Media files in Bento for iPad
or Bento for iPhone that are larger than 10 megabytes can be synced with Bento
for Mac.
• What if Bento for iPhone or Bento for iPad is interrupted while syncing?
If Bento for iPhone or Bento for iPad is interrupted while syncing (for instance, by a
phone call or power failure), you must restart the sync.
• When I sync, what happens if data in one device conflicts with data in the
other?
If there is a data conflict, data in Bento for iPhone or Bento for iPad overwrites data
in Bento for Mac. For example, you have John Smith’s phone number stored in
both Bento products. You change his phone number to 555-1010 in Bento for Mac
and 555-9090 in Bento for iPhone. When you sync, the phone number on your
device overwrites the phone number on your computer.

Chapter 12 Syncing

133

134

Chapter 12 Syncing

Keyboard Shortcuts

This section provides a reference of the keyboard shortcuts.
You can use your keyboard and mouse to quickly accomplish many tasks in Bento. To
find the shortcuts for common menu commands, look in the menus (or see the menu
shortcuts listed here). To complete an action, press the shortcut keys in the order
shown.
Note To tab and shift-tab to all fields in form and table view, you must set Full
Keyboard Access to “All controls.”
To set full keyboard access to all controls:
1

Open System Preferences (choose Apple menu > System Preferences).

Open Keyboard preferences.

Click the Keyboard Shortcuts tab.

Under Full Keyboard Access, select “All controls.”

Action

Shortcut

Working with Form View
Show or hide form tools

Option-Command-C

Move to next field

Tab

Move to previous field

Shift-Tab

Rename form

Double-click form name.

Select multiple fields

Click outside the first field, then drag the selection rectangle
through the other fields you want to select.

Extend field selection

With fields selected, Shift-click or Command-click to add or remove
items from the selected set of fields.

Select all fields

Command-A

Deselect all fields

Shift-Command-A

Select/deselect checkmark in
checkbox field

Select the checkbox field, then press the Space bar.

135

Action

Shortcut

Working with Table View
When One Cell is Selected
Edit a value

Option-Return

Save and move to next cell

Return

Add a carriage return in a text field

Command-Return

Move to cell above

Up arrow

Move to cell below

Down arrow

Move to next field

Tab

Move to previous field

Shift-Tab

Working with Table View
When One or More Cells are
Selected
Extend selection upward

Shift-up arrow

Extend selection downward

Shift-down arrow

Working with Table View
When Records are Selected
Select a record

Click the row number. The entire record is selected.

Select multiple records

Select one record, then Shift-click another record to select all
records in between.

Extend record selection

With records selected, Command-click record to add a record to
selection, if it is not selected, or to remove a record from selection,
if it is selected.

Move to record above

Up arrow

Move to record below

Down arrow

Working with Records
Add record

Command-N

Duplicate record

Shift-Command-D

Delete record (Library)

Command-Delete

Remove record (Collection)
Go to next record

Command-right bracket (])

Go to previous record

Command-left bracket ([)

Go to first record

Option-Command-left bracket ([)

Go to last record

Option-Command-right bracket (])

Working with Text and Objects
Select all text within a field being
edited

136

Appendix A

Command-A

Action

Shortcut

Deselect all text within a field being
edited

Shift-Command-A

Cut

Command-X

Copy

Command-C

Paste

Command-V

Duplicate

Command-D

Delete

Check spelling

Command-semicolon (;)

Show spelling window

Command-colon (:)

Show special characters window

Option-Command-T

General
Create library from template (opens
New Library dialog)

Command-L

Create library from Template
Exchange

Option-Command-L

Create collection

Shift-Command-N

Create Smart Collection

Option-Command-N

Add field

Control-N

Show or hide Advanced Find

Command-F

Quick Look selected item

Command-Y

In table view, send email to one or
more selected email addresses

Shift-Command-M

Use search field

Option-Command-F

Show table view

Command-1

Show grid view

Command-2

Show split view (table/form or grid/
form)

Command-3

Show form view (repeat shortcut to
move to next form)

Command-4

Show or hide libraries and fields pane

Command-5

Move to next area of main window

Control-Option-right arrow

Move to previous area of main
window

Control-Option-left arrow

Show or hide summary row

Command-6

Import file

Shift-Command-I

Export current library or collection

Shift-Command-E

Print current library or collection in
the current view

Command-P

Print labels from the current library
or collection

Shift-Command-P

Appendix A

137

138

Action

Shortcut

Undo last action

Command-Z

Redo last undone action

Shift-Command-Z

Open window

Command-0 (zero)

Close window

Command-W

Minimize window

Command-M

Show preferences

Command-comma (,)

Lock encrypted fields

Shift-Command-L

Show Bento Help menu

Shift-Command-question mark (?)

Hide Bento

Command-H

Hide other windows

Option-Command-H

Quit Bento

Command-Q

Appendix A

Reverting to a Previous Version of
Bento

This section provides instructions for Bento 1, Bento 2, and
Bento 3 users who installed Bento 4 and then decide to go
back to their previous version.
Reverting to a Previous Version from Bento 4
If you have a previous version of Bento installed, Bento 4 will create a new database
file using your previous Bento database file. Your old Bento database is renamed to
bentoUpgradeBackup.bentodb, and the Bento 4 database is named bento.bentodb.
If you want to use data that you created in Bento 4 with your previous version of
Bento, export the Bento 4 records in .csv format before you revert the database. For
more information, see ”Exporting Information from Bento” on page 112.

139

To revert to Bento 1, Bento 2, or Bento 3 from Bento 4:
1

If Bento is currently open, choose Bento > Quit Bento.

In the Finder, choose Go > Home.

Open the Library folder, then the Application Support folder, then the Bento
folder.
You see the current Bento 4 database file (bento.bentodb) and the previous Bento
database backup file (bentoUpgradeBackup.bentodb).
Bento 1 and Bento 2 users: You see two database backup files:
bentoUpgradeBackup.bentodb and bentoUpgradeBackup 2.bentodb.

140

Appendix B

Drag the bento.bentodb (Bento 4) file to the Trash.

Rename the bentoUpgradeBackup.bentodb file to bento.bentodb.
Bento 1 and Bento 2 users: Rename only the bentoUpgradeBackup.bentodb file;
do not rename the bentoUpgradeBackup 2.bentodb file.

Appendix B

141

Your folder should now look like this (bentoUpgradeBackup.bentodb has
been replaced with bento.bentodb).

Locate and start the previous Bento application.
If you overwrote your previous Bento application with the Bento 4 trial, you can
download another copy from the Bento Support website.

Your data will appear in Bento 1, Bento 2, or Bento 3 as it did before you started
Bento 4.

Drag the Bento 4 application to the Trash.
Or, rename the Bento 4 application (and store it in another folder) in case you
need to use it again.

142

Appendix B

Index

A
Address Book application
Address Book groups 37
displaying data 38
import 42
Address Book library
described 37
displaying 38
fields updated in Address Book application 39
hiding 38
migrating 42, 132
syncing 129
troubleshooting 39
address fields 75
ad hoc networks 129
Advanced Find 25, 27
aliases to files or folders 78, 79, 96
aligning fields on forms 56
AppleWorks, exporting from 104
archiving. See backing up
auto-completing text 64
autofilling fields 66
autofilling text fields 64
automatic counter fields 75
Average function 67

B
backing up
described 123
turning off reminder 125
backups, restoring from 126
bento.bentodb 96, 127
Bento for iPad, syncing Bento with 129, 132
Bento for iPhone, syncing Bento with 129, 132
Bento forum 15
Bento Template Exchange 15, 114
bentoUpgradeBackup.bentodb 139
Blank template 30

calculations
in simple list fields 78
setting up 77
cards. See forms
changing field types 86
checkbox fields 74
checking spelling 137
choice fields 74
ClarisWorks, exporting from 104
collections 10
adding to Libraries pane 19
and Address Book groups 37
creating 44
deleting 45
described 20, 43
displaying different data from 47
importing to 107
relating records in different 80
viewing fields in 28
color of form, changing 54
column dividers 57
column names 107
columns in simple list fields. 67, 89
columns in table view. See also fields 67
described 59
reordering 66
resizing 66
showing or hiding 65
column width (forms) 54
comma-separated value files 9
described 103
computer-to-computer networks 129
contacts
displaying 37
emailing 87
Contacts library 42
copies of files in file list fields 78
copying records 49, 62
Count function 67

C
calculation fields 74
creating 77

143

creating
collections 44
fields 76, 85
forms 50
libraries 30
records in form view 48
records in table view 60
Smart Collections 45
csv files 9
described 103
filename extension requirement 103
importing from 107
currency fields 75
current date and time 49
customizing forms 53

D
Database Password 98
See also Sharing Password
databases
disconnecting shared 33
importing from 104
looking for shared 34
sharing 33
turning off sharing 34
data sources, specifying for related records 80
date fields 74
dates, current 49
deleting
collections 45
fields and data 85
fields from form 54
forms 50
libraries 36
media files 97
records 35, 49, 62
devices, syncing 129, 132
Devices section of Libraries pane 18
duration fields 74

E
email address fields 75
emails
sending in form view 87
sending in table view 87
encrypted fields
and Database Password 97
described 75
searching 25
shared 35
Events library 41

144

Index

exporting
by dragging files 116
in csv format 112
in Excel 2008 format 112
in library template format 112
in Numbers format 112
in tab format 112

F
field labels
changing text size 55
moving 55
field names 76
changing in Fields pane 85
changing in table view 63
setting up during import 107
fields
adding shading to 55
adding to a form 52
aligning on forms 56
autofilling 64, 66
calculating data in 77
creating 76, 85
deleting data from 85
deleting from form 54
described 73
displayed from Address Book 39
duplicating 85
in current library 28
in different form views 47
in form view 73
in table view 59, 73
list fields 75
location 100
locked in Fields pane 85
locking 99
media 95
moving between 53
protecting 98
resizing 53
selecting 53
sharing 35
summarizing data in 67
Fields pane 18
described 28, 84
hiding 18, 65
using to hide fields in table view 65

field types
address 75
and exporting 116
and importing 110
automatic counter 75
calculation 74
changing 86
checkbox 74
choice 74
choosing 76
currency 75
date 74
described 74
duration 74
email address 75
encrypted 35, 75, 97
file list 74
IM account 75
location 75, 79, 100
media 74
message list 74, 79
number 74
phone number 75
rating 75
related data 74
simple list 74, 89
text 74
time 74
URL 75
file list fields 74
creating 78
opening files from 88
files, storing in file list fields 78
filling text automatically 64
finding records 25, 27
flexible spaces 58
folders, library 35, 71
font size
changing in form view 55
changing in table view 60

forms
adding column dividers to automatically 57
adding fields to 52
adding media files to 96
adding objects to 56
changing column width 54
changing themes 54
creating 50
customizing 53
deleting 50
deleting column dividers from 57
duplicating 51
hiding or showing hidden 51
locking 52
renaming 51
thumbnails in grid view 69
unlocking 52
formulas 77
form view
described 23, 29, 47
Overview and Details buttons 25
forum 15

G
grid view, described 23, 69
grid view items
adding labels 70
changing display size 70
described 69
displaying 70
setting default form 71
setting default media field 70
grouping libraries 35, 71
groups, Address Book
and Bento collections 37

H
Home dialog 17

I
iCal Events library
migrating 41
syncing 129
iCal Tasks library
migrating 41
syncing 129
icons for libraries 32
IM account fields 75
image boxes 56
images 95
moving and resizing 96
saving 97

Index

145

importing 9
Address Book data 42
csv files 107
described 103
into existing library 107
into new library 106
library templates 110
Numbers files 107
preparing for 104
tab files 107
tsv files 107
iPad 129
iPhone 129
iPhoto library, migrating 42
iPod touch 129
iSight cameras 95
iTunes
adding files to media fields 96
playlists 43

J
JPEGs 95

K
keyboard shortcuts 135

L
labels
custom 119, 122
field 55
mailing 119
printing 120
saving setups 119, 122
setting up 119
layouts. See forms
libraries 9
adding to Libraries pane 19
changing icon 32
Contacts 42
creating by importing 106
creating by using templates 30, 110
deleting 36
described 19
displaying different data from 47
Events 41
exporting 112
grouping 35, 71
importing to existing 107
Photos 42
relating records in different 80
Tasks 41
viewing fields in 28

146

Index

Libraries pane
changing size of icons and text 19
described 19
Devices section 21
hiding 18
Shared section 21
library folders 35, 71
library templates. See templates
list fields 75
location fields 79, 100
described 75
searching 27
locked fields, in Fields pane 85
locking
Bento 99
fields 99
forms 52

M
Mac OS X Mail items 79
mailing labels. See labels 119
mapping fields 109
margins, creating custom for printing 118
Maximum function 67
media fields 74, 95
media files
adding 96
deleting 97
message list fields 74, 79
migrating
Address Book library 42, 132
iCal Events library 41
iCal Tasks library 41
iPhoto library 42
Minimum function 67
movies 96
MP3 files 95
music 96

N
navigation bar 25
number fields 74
Numbers files
exporting to 113
importing from 107

O
objects
image boxes 56
moving on form 53
resizing 53
selecting on form 53
text boxes 56
operators 77

P
pairing devices 129
passcode 130
passwords
for database and encrypted fields 98
for shared databases 34
maximum length 98
PDF files 78
phone number fields 75
photos 95
Photos library 42
previewing files with Quick Look 89
printing 117
creating custom page sizes 118
labels 119
selected records 119

Q
Quick Look 89
QuickTime 95

R
rating fields 75
records
adding 48, 60, 107
adding media files to 96
adding to collections 44
calculating data in 74
deleting 35, 49, 62
duplicating 49, 62
editing in form view 48
editing in table view 61
finding 25
in form view 47
in table view 59
related 80
removing 45
selecting in table view 60
sorting 63
records area 18
related data fields 12, 74
creating 80
navigating to 84
related records lists. See related data fields
relationships 12, 80
removing records from collection 45
restoring data 126
reverting to previous version of Bento 140
rows in table view. See records

searching
Advanced Find 25, 27
location fields 27
Search field 25
text in fields 25
sending emails
in form view 87
in table view 87
separators, horizontal 57
Shared section of Libraries pane 18
sharing databases 33
looking for shared 34
turning off shared 34
Sharing Password 34
See also Database Password
simple list fields
described 74, 89
summarizing data in 67
Smart Collections
creating 45
described 20, 45
sorting records
described 63
sound files 96
spacers 58
split view, described 23, 47, 60
spreadsheet format. See table view
spreadsheets, importing from 104
storing files in file list fields 78
Sum function 67
summary row 67, 91, 94
syncing
Address Book library 129
Bento with Bento for iPad 129, 132
Bento with Bento for iPhone 129, 132
iCal Events library 129
iCal Tasks library 129

T
tab files
described 103
filename extension requirement 104
importing from 107
table view
copying and pasting data in 61
described 22, 29, 59
selecting records in 60
text size 60
tab-separated value (tsv) files, described 103
Tasks library 41
technical support 15
template exchange 15, 114

Search field 25

Index

147

templates 8
Blank template 30
creating libraries with 30
described 20
text, changing size of 55
text boxes 56
text fields 74
Theme Chooser 54
themes
changing for a form 54
described 24
time, current 49
time fields 74
Time Machine 123, 127
troubleshooting
Address Book 39
syncing Bento with Bento for iPad 132
syncing Bento with Bento for iPhone 132
tsv files
described 103
filename extension requirement 103
importing from 107
tutorial 15

U
URL fields 75

V
views, described 21

W
Wi-Fi networks 129, 130

148

Index

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