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FileMaker Pro 11
®

User’s Guide

© 2007–2010 FileMaker, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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.
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 www.filemaker.com.
Edition: 01

Contents
Chapter 1
Introducing FileMaker Pro
About this guide
Using FileMaker Pro documentation
Where to find PDF documentation
Online Help
Templates, examples, and more information
Suggested reading
FileMaker Pro overview
Creating simple or complex databases
Using layouts to display, enter, and print data
Finding, sorting, and replacing data
Protecting databases
Creating scripts to automate tasks
Sharing and exchanging data
Saving and sending data in other formats

Chapter 2
Using databases
About database fields and records
Opening files
Opening multiple windows per file
Closing windows and files
Saving files
When FileMaker Pro saves a file
About modes
Using the status toolbar
Viewing records
Selecting the active record
Moving through records
Adding and duplicating records
Adding and duplicating related records
Deleting records
Entering data
Selecting a field
Entering and changing data in fields
Working with data in Table View
Displaying data in Table View
Working with records in Table View

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FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

Finding records
Performing quick finds in Browse mode
Making find requests in Find mode
Finding text and characters
Finding numbers, dates, times, and timestamps
Finding ranges of information
Finding data in related fields
Finding empty or non-empty fields
Finding duplicate values
Finding records that match multiple criteria
Finding records except those matching criteria
Viewing, repeating, or changing the last find
Saving find requests
Deleting and reverting requests
Hiding records from a found set and viewing hidden records
Finding and replacing data
Sorting records
Previewing and printing databases
Previewing data on a layout
Printing records
Printing labels and envelopes
Printing scripts
Printing table and field information
Printing the relationships graph
Automating tasks with scripts
Backing up database files
Setting preferences

Chapter 3
Creating databases
Planning a database
Creating a FileMaker Pro file
Creating a file using a Starter Solution
Creating a blank, empty file
About naming fields
About choosing a field type
Creating and changing fields
Creating and changing fields in the Manage Database dialog box
Creating and changing fields in Table View
Creating calculation fields
Creating summary fields
Using supplemental fields

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Setting options for fields
Defining automatic data entry
Defining field validation
About storage and indexing options
Creating database tables
Creating layouts and reports
About layout types
Setting up a layout to print records in columns
Setting up columns in a layout
Changing the width of columns
Working with objects on a layout
Using the Inspector to format objects
Using the Inspector to position objects
Selecting objects
Working with fields on a layout
Placing and removing fields on a layout
Setting up checkbox sets and other controls on a layout
Deciding where to place related fields
About merge fields
Formatting field data on a layout
Allowing or preventing entry into fields
Working with parts on a layout
About layout part types
Displaying data in charts
Creating a chart

Chapter 4
Working with related tables and files
About relationships
Relational database terminology
About the relationships graph
About match fields for relationships
Types of relationships
Planning a relational database
Working with the relationships graph
Creating relationships
Changing relationships
Summarizing data in portals
Filtering records in portals
About lookups
Creating lookups
Editing lookups

Contents

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FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

Chapter 5
Sharing and exchanging data
Sharing databases on a network
Enabling file sharing and hosting files
Opening shared files as a client
Opening shared databases remotely using a URL
Closing a hosted file
Importing and exporting data
Saving and sending data in other formats
Sending email messages based on record data
Supported import/export file formats
Setting up recurring imports
ODBC and JDBC
Methods of importing data into an existing file
About adding records
About updating existing records
About updating matching records
About the importing process
Converting a data file to a new FileMaker Pro file
About the exporting process
Working with external data sources
Publishing databases on the web

Chapter 6
Protecting databases
Protecting databases with accounts and privilege sets
Accounts, privilege sets, and extended privileges
About the predefined accounts
About the predefined privilege sets
Planning security for a file
Password-protecting a file
Creating accounts and privilege sets
Viewing accounts and privilege sets
Creating accounts
Creating accounts that authenticate via an external server
Creating privilege sets
About enabling record-level access
Viewing extended privileges
Authorizing access to files
Security measures
Enhancing physical security
Enhancing operating system security
Establishing network security
Backing up databases and other important files
Installing, running, and upgrading antivirus software

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Chapter 7
Converting databases from FileMaker Pro 6
and earlier

Contents

Conversion overview
Solving basic conversion problems
Converting passwords
Application support changes in FileMaker Pro 11
QuickTime support
Third-party plug-in application support

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Index

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FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

Chapter 1
Introducing FileMaker Pro
FileMaker® Pro is the leading workgroup database software for quickly creating and sharing solutions adapted
to your business needs. Powerful features, broad platform support, and an easy-to-use interface make
FileMaker Pro indispensable for anyone who needs to track and manage people, projects, and information.

About this guide
This User’s Guide contains an introduction to FileMaker Pro features and provides step-by-step instructions
on the most common FileMaker Pro tasks. You may need to refer to FileMaker Pro Help for detailed
information on more advanced product features.
To send your feedback on this guide, see www.filemaker.com/company/documentation_feedback.html.

Using FileMaker Pro documentation
The FileMaker Pro documentation provides a learning path to productivity, installation instructions, online
Help, and more.
The following manuals are included:

1 FileMaker Pro User’s Guide (this manual): contains key concepts and basic procedures
1 Installation and New Features Guide for FileMaker Pro and FileMaker Pro Advanced: contains
installation instructions and a list of the new features in the current version

1 FileMaker Pro Tutorial: contains step-by-step lessons that teach you how to create and use
FileMaker Pro databases

1 FileMaker Instant Web Publishing Guide: describes how to make FileMaker Pro databases accessible to
web browser users over an intranet or the internet

1 FileMaker ODBC and JDBC Guide: describes how you can use FileMaker software as an ODBC client
application and as a data source for ODBC and JDBC applications

Where to find PDF documentation
To access PDFs of FileMaker documentation:

1 in FileMaker Pro, choose Help menu > Product Documentation
1 see www.filemaker.com/documentation for additional documentation
Most PDF manuals are located in the folder where you installed FileMaker Pro. If you installed
FileMaker Pro in the default folder location, the PDF manuals are located here:

1 Windows: C:\Program Files\FileMaker\FileMaker Pro\English Extras\Electronic Documentation
1 Mac OS: Macintosh HD/Applications/FileMaker Pro/English Extras/Electronic Documentation

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

All of the PDF files use the tagged Portable Document Format (PDF). Tagged PDF files work with assistive
technology such as the screen readers JAWS and Window-Eyes for Windows. For more information about
tagged PDF files, see the Adobe website at www.adobe.com.

Online Help
FileMaker Pro Help provides comprehensive step-by-step instructions on FileMaker Pro features. You can
open Help from the Help menu in FileMaker Pro.
There are three ways to access Help:

1 Browse the Help table of contents to locate topics by subject.
1 Search for particular topics by entering keywords.
1 Get information about the currently displayed dialog box by pressing F1 (Windows) or 2-? (Mac OS).

Templates, examples, and more information
FileMaker Pro includes database template files (Starter Solutions) that you can use to quickly get started.
Starter Solutions take advantage of the best new FileMaker Pro features, to help you create the most
effective database solution for your needs. When you start creating databases, check the list of templates to
see if one is available that suits your needs.
The English Extras folder contains references and examples to help you with specific features such as XML support.
You can find more information, tips, and database ideas on the FileMaker website at www.filemaker.com.

Suggested reading
Here are some suggestions for using the documentation to help you learn how to do specific tasks in
FileMaker Pro.
Type of user

Suggested reading

Data entry person

Chapter 2, “Using databases,” in this guide

Small business owner or educator who Chapter 3, “Creating databases,” in this guide. As features are added to the database, refer
creates a basic database to start, then to Help
improves it over time
Database administrator

1
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All chapters in this guide
Help, for information on advanced topics
FileMaker Instant Web Publishing Guide
FileMaker ODBC and JDBC Guide

New FileMaker Pro user

1 Installation and New Features Guide for FileMaker Pro and FileMaker Pro Advanced
1 FileMaker Pro Tutorial
1 All chapters in this guide

User upgrading from a previous
version

1 Installation and New Features Guide for FileMaker Pro and FileMaker Pro Advanced
1 Chapter 7, “Converting databases from FileMaker Pro 6 and earlier,” in this guide

Note If your database was developed using FileMaker Pro Advanced, you may see customized menus or
tooltips for layout objects. For an overview of these features, see Help.

Chapter 1

Introducing FileMaker Pro

FileMaker Pro overview
Here is an overview of the capabilities of FileMaker Pro.

Creating simple or complex databases
With FileMaker Pro you can create simple databases consisting of just one database table, such as an address
list, or you can create a complex database with relationships and multiple database tables. For example, you
can create a complex database that relates two tables based on a single common value, such as a serial
number or an ID number.

An address list database
consisting of one table
A database consisting of multiple tables, with a
portal to display records from a related table

You can organize your databases as a single table in a single file, as multiple tables in a single file, or as
multiple tables in multiple files.
FileMaker Pro provides database templates (Starter Solutions) designed for business, education, and
personal purposes. The templates can be quickly customized to suit your needs.
For more information about creating databases, see chapter 3, “Creating databases.”

Using layouts to display, enter, and print data
FileMaker Pro layouts determine how information is organized for viewing, printing, reporting, finding, and
entering data. Layouts do not store your data—they just display it.
Database files can have many different layouts, which display data in a variety of ways. Within one database
file, you can design separate layouts for entering data, reporting summaries, printing mailing labels,
publishing a database on the web, and so on. You can change a layout’s design without affecting the data or
other layouts in the file. When you change the data in a field, the changes are reflected in the same field on
all the layouts in the database.
In a layout, you choose, arrange, and modify fields and field labels, create reports, add buttons to initiate
scripts, add graphics and text, and specify printing options.
Not all information needs to be stored in your FileMaker Pro database. For example, you can add a web
viewer to display a web page on a layout. There are some restrictions for displaying web content in
FileMaker Pro.
Choose different layout types in the New Layout/Report assistant. Use these different layout types for various
purposes, like displaying a data entry screen or printing a totaled sales report or formatting data as mailing labels.
You can customize each layout further by using the design tools that are available in Layout mode.

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

Steve Williams
789 Ninth Avenue
New York, NY 10001

Dear Sophie,

Phone List
Juanita Alvarez
Michelle Cannon
Andre Common
Marie Durand
Jean Durand
William Johnson
John Lee
Patrick Murphy
Le Nguyen
Kentaro Ogawa
Mary Smith
John Smith
Sophie Tang
Steve Williams
Betty Wilson

555-1234
555-1234
555-1234
555-1234
555-1234
555-1234
555-1234
555-1234
555-1234
555-1234
555-1234
555-1234
555-1234
555-1234
555-1234

Thank you for reserving a cruise with us.
We value your business and appreciate the
opportunity to serve you.
If you have any questions about your
reservations, please call us—we want you
to be satisfied with your cruise.
Sincerely,
John Lee

The same data can be arranged differently with multiple layouts

For more information about creating layouts, see “Creating layouts and reports” on page 70.

Finding, sorting, and replacing data
Features for finding, sorting, and replacing data allow you to manipulate your data in many ways.
You can find records that meet criteria you specify, such as records entered on a certain date or addresses in
a particular city. You can open another window in order to perform different searches on the same data.
You can rearrange records in order to view or print them in a different sequence. For example, you can sort
fields alphabetically, numerically, by date, or by a custom sort order.

You can search for and replace data across multiple fields, similar to the way you find and replace data in
word processing applications. You can also save a found set of records as a snapshot link and send the link
to another person.
For more information about finding, sorting, and replacing data, see “Finding records” on page 30, “Sorting
records” on page 42, and “Finding and replacing data” on page 41.

Protecting databases
You can restrict what users see and do in a database file by defining accounts and privilege sets. Accounts
authenticate users who are attempting to open a protected file. Each account specifies an account name and
(usually) a password. Any user that cannot specify valid account information won’t be able to open a
protected file. A privilege set specifies a level of access to a database file. Each account is assigned a
privilege set, which determines the level of access when someone opens a file using that account.

Chapter 1

Introducing FileMaker Pro

Extended privileges determine the data sharing options that are permitted by a privilege set, such as whether
a privilege set permits users to open a shared file or view a database in a web browser.
You can further protect a file by authorizing other FileMaker Pro files to create references to the schema
(tables, layouts, scripts, and value lists) in that file, and by preventing versions of FileMaker Pro earlier than
version 11 from opening the file.
For more information about FileMaker Pro database security, see chapter 6, “Protecting databases.”

Creating scripts to automate tasks
Scripts can do simple tasks like setting print orientation or complex tasks like preparing a customized
mailing to clients.
For example, you could define a script that creates a thank you letter to clients in your database who have
made a purchase in the last week. The script composes a letter customized to each client. The script then
switches to Preview mode and pauses so that you can see what the letter looks like before it prints. The
whole task is started by clicking a button on a layout.
You can build scripts by selecting from a list of FileMaker Pro script steps, specifying options, and arranging
the steps in the correct order to perform the task. FileMaker Pro makes it easy to manage and maintain
scripts, even for complex databases. You can simultaneously view, edit, and manage scripts from different
databases. For more information about scripts, see “Automating tasks with scripts” on page 48.

Sharing and exchanging data
A benefit of storing data in FileMaker Pro is sharing your data with others. You can share your data with
other FileMaker Pro users on a network, use the web publishing capabilities to share data over the web, or
import or export data from another file. In addition, you can use ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) and
JDBC (Java Database Connectivity) to share FileMaker Pro files with ODBC- and JDBC-compliant
applications, or you can access data from external data sources.
If your computer is connected to a network, you and other Windows and Mac OS FileMaker Pro users can
use the same FileMaker Pro database file simultaneously. FileMaker Pro Network Sharing supports the
sharing of files with up to nine concurrent users.
Note If you need to share files with more than nine concurrent users on a network, FileMaker recommends
the use of FileMaker Server.
You can set up a FileMaker Pro file to automatically update data imported from another application such as
Microsoft Excel. Recurring import occurs automatically the first time you view the layout containing the
data from the external file. For more information about recurring import, see “Setting up recurring imports”
on page 114.
You can quickly and easily publish FileMaker Pro layouts as web pages, which allows anyone with a web
browser on your intranet (or the internet) to access your FileMaker Pro databases. With FileMaker Pro
accounts and privilege sets and other security features, you can make your web databases secure.
For more information about sharing and exchanging data, see chapter 5, “Sharing and exchanging data.”

Saving and sending data in other formats
FileMaker Pro lets you save data in different file formats, such as Microsoft Excel worksheets and Adobe PDF
files, so you can give the files to users who do not have FileMaker Pro. You can automatically email the files
after saving them. For more information, see “Saving and sending data in other formats” on page 114.

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

Chapter 2
Using databases
This chapter explains the basics of how to:

1
1
1
1
1
1

open, close, and save files
create records in a database
add and edit data in fields
find records using different criteria
omit records from the found set
find and replace data

1 sort data
1 print data, scripts, table and field information, and the relationships graph
1 use scripts
See Help for detailed, comprehensive information and step-by-step procedures about using FileMaker Pro.
Note Some procedures refer to using a shortcut menu. To display a shortcut (or context) menu, right-click
an object or area to see a list of commands. If the mouse for your Mac computer doesn’t have multiple
buttons, Control-click to display the shortcut menu. (On the Mac, you can change your mouse configuration
in System Preferences.)

About database fields and records
A database is a collection of information, or data, that you can organize, update, sort, search through, and
print as needed. Unlike an electronic spreadsheet, which is used to tabulate and calculate data stored in the
cells of a rectangular table, a database is a collection of knowledge tied together by a schema that describes
the organization of database tables, their fields, and the relationships between the fields and tables.
Certain tasks are better suited to each of these important business productivity tools. Spreadsheets are best
used for tasks such as maintaining a business ledger, where data needs to be recorded and calculated, but not
presented or analyzed in multiple formats. Databases are best for tasks such as inventory control, where you
need to track consumption and losses and generate reports on inventory status over time. An inventory
database can sort and report on inventory information in many ways, allowing you to analyze data by item
type, by sales figures, by monthly consumption, and so on.
Your own address book or filing cabinet is an example of a simple database. With the address book and filing
cabinet, you store similar pieces of information organized for easy retrieval. With a filing cabinet, you must
choose a way to sort your data, for example, alphabetically by last name or by region. By storing contacts
and addresses in FileMaker Pro, you can organize your information in many ways. You can sort your
information by country, city, last name, or even sort by all three of these fields.

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

C
Records

Michelle

Cannon

Fields

123 4th St. SW
Edmonton

CAN

N4V 1LN

(717) 555-0011

Your address book is like a database

An invoicing system is an example of a more complex database, with multiple related tables, multiple
layouts, and calculated fields.
You can also view a subset of your data; for example, view only invoices for a particular month. A database
doesn’t just hold information—you use a database to organize and analyze information so that you
understand its significance.
Fields are the basis of a database table. Fields are used to store, calculate, and display the data you enter into
a record. Each piece of information in a record—like name, ID number, and telephone number—is stored
in a field.
A database table contains one or more records. Each record contains fields that hold similar information
about one subject or activity. For example, the fields on a record in the Clients table contain address
information for one client.
A database can consist of one file with one table, which might hold the names, addresses, and telephone and
fax numbers of all your clients. A database can also consist of several files, each of which can contain one
or more tables that, together, contain all the information about related topics (sometimes called a database
system). Using the relational capabilities of FileMaker Pro, you can join information between files and
tables to create a relational database.
For example, one table can show you which clients bought a particular item and a related table can show
how much they paid.
Products table

Clients table
Client ID

002

Prod ID

ET3

Name

Andre Common

Product

Travel bag

Phone

818-555-1234

Price

$29.00

Stock

Invoices table
Client ID

002

Client Name Andre Common
Phone

818-555-1234

Invoice ID

12345

Prod
ID
Product
ET3 Travel bag
ET4 Travel book

Price
$29
$32

Chapter 2

Using databases

To enter data in a database table, you make a new record and enter values into the fields that belong to that record.
Values can be typed into a field, imported from another application, or entered in a number of other ways.
FileMaker Pro also allows you to access and view data that is stored in non-FileMaker Pro files. For
example, if you have access to data stored in a SQL database, you can display information from the external
database and work with that data in your FileMaker Pro file.

Opening files
To open a file if FileMaker Pro isn’t running
Choose one of the following methods:

1 Double-click the FileMaker Pro file.
1 Drag the file onto the FileMaker Pro application icon.
1 Double-click the FileMaker Pro application icon and choose the file you want to open. If you see the
Quick Start Screen, see “To open a file using FileMaker Quick Start,” below, for more information.
To open a file if FileMaker Pro is already running
1. Choose File menu > Open.
Tip You can also choose File menu > Open Recent or File menu > Open Favorite.
2. In the Open File dialog box, select the filename and click Open.
3. If you’re asked for an account name and password, type them in the Password dialog box, then click OK.
To open a file using FileMaker Quick Start
1. To have the Quick Start Screen appear, do one of the following:

1 Start FileMaker Pro.
1 If FileMaker Pro is running or if you start FileMaker Pro and you don’t see the FileMaker Quick Start
Screen, choose Help menu > Quick Start Screen.

FileMaker Quick Start Screen (Mac OS)

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

2. When the FileMaker Quick Start Screen appears, do one of the following:
Do this

Click Recent Files in the box at the
center of the Quick Start Screen

Display a list of FileMaker Pro files that you have recently opened. If no recent files are
listed, choose Edit menu > Preferences (Windows) or FileMaker Pro menu > Preferences
(Mac OS), select Show recently opened files, enter a value from 1 to 30 indicating the
number of recent files you want to display in the list, then click OK. (To remove the list of
recently opened files, choose File menu > Open Recent > Clear Recent Files.)

Click Favorite Files in the box at the Display a list of FileMaker Pro files that you have marked as favorite.
center of the Quick Start Screen
Click the host name or IP address of Display a list of FileMaker Pro files stored on a remote computer.
a remote computer
Click Browse

Locate the local or remote files that you want to open.

3. Double-click a file to open it.
The FileMaker Quick Start Screen provides a central place where you can do several tasks in a variety of
ways. In addition to opening files, you can:

1 Create and design a new empty FileMaker Pro file. See “Creating a FileMaker Pro file” on page 55.
1 Convert a file of a different format (such as Microsoft Excel) that already contains data. See “Converting
a data file to a new FileMaker Pro file” on page 118.

1 Create files using empty pre-designed Starter Solutions provided by FileMaker, Inc. See “Creating a
FileMaker Pro file” on page 55.
For more information about using FileMaker Quick Start, see Help.
To open a file that is being shared over a network
1. Choose File menu > Open Remote.
2. In the Open Remote File dialog box, select View for a list of hosts.
Choose

To display

Favorite Hosts

Hosts you previously added as favorites

Local Hosts

FileMaker Pro hosts on your TCP/IP subnet

Hosts Listed by LDAP

FileMaker Pro hosts available through the specified LDAP server

3. To see the available files from a host, select the host. In the Available Files list, select the file you want
to open.
Or, for Network File Path, type the network path (for example, fmnet:/hostIPaddress/fileName).
4. Click Open.
Depending on how FileMaker Network Sharing is configured on the host, you might be required to enter
an account name, password, and domain name (Windows only).

Chapter 2

Using databases

Keep these points in mind:

1 If you have Show recently opened files selected in the General preferences, files you have recently
accessed appear in the File menu’s Open Recent list and in the Recent Files list in the FileMaker Quick
Start Screen. See Help for information about adding local or remote files to the Favorite Files list in the
FileMaker Quick Start Screen.

1 To open and share a file, see “Enabling file sharing and hosting files” on page 110.
1 You can open FileMaker Pro files created in Windows on a computer running the Mac OS, and vice versa.
If you intend to move files across platforms, it’s best to include the .fp7 extension in the filename. If you
add or remove filename extensions, you must redefine the FileMaker data sources for related files and for
files with external scripts.

1 You can set a default account name and password for a file in the Open/Close tab of the File Options
dialog box. When you do so, users automatically log in using a specific account and password (if
specified) when they open a database. For more information, see Help.

Opening multiple windows per file
You can open more than one window per file. This allows you to view the same layout in separate windows,
or simultaneously view different layouts in the same file. You can perform find or sort operations
independently in the different windows.
To open an additional window, choose Window menu > New Window. Another window appears. Initially,
the window displays the same layout, sort order, and found set as the previously active window.

The original database
window, in which you
can search the records

A second window, in
which you can perform
a different search on
the same found set

To view a different layout in the new window, choose a layout from the Layout pop-up menu in the layout
bar, or choose View menu > Go to Layout. For information on finding records, see “Finding records” on
page 30. For information on sorting records, see “Sorting records” on page 42. For more information about
opening multiple windows, see Help.

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

Closing windows and files
You can close FileMaker Pro windows and files as you would in most Windows and Mac OS applications.
To close a window, do one of the following:

1 Windows: Double-click the document icon in the upper-left corner of the document window.
1 Windows: Click the close box in the upper-right corner of the document window.
1 Mac OS: Click the red close button in the upper-left corner of the document window.
1 Choose File menu > Close.
To close a file, use the procedures above to close all the open windows for a file.
Note Even if you close a file, it may remain open as a hidden file if the window of any other file is displaying data
from that file. (For example, another window may be displaying related data from the file you attempted to close.)
FileMaker Pro will close the file when you close all the dependent windows.

Saving files
By default, FileMaker Pro automatically saves changes to your data as you work, so there is no Save
command. If you want more control over when record data is saved, you can clear the Save record changes
automatically option individually for each layout. For more information, see FileMaker Pro Help.
You can save a copy of your file as a backup or save a clone of your file with no data. To save a copy of your
file in a non-FileMaker format, see “Saving and sending data in other formats” on page 114.
Some minor changes to files are not always saved with the file. For details, see the next section, “When
FileMaker Pro saves a file.”
Important Always save a copy of a file before you make extensive changes. You can’t restore data after you delete
a field from the Manage Database dialog box or remove records using the Delete Record or Delete All commands.
To save a copy of your file:
1. Make the file you want to save the active file, and choose File menu > Save a Copy As.
2. Navigate to where you want to save the copy on your hard disk.
3. For File name (Windows) or Save As (Mac OS), type a filename.
4. For Save as type, choose FileMaker Files (Windows only).
5. For Save a (Windows) or Type (Mac OS), choose one of the following options:
Choose

Copy of current file

Duplicate the entire file, including the tables, field definitions, layouts, scripts, page setup
options, and data. Duplicating a file is useful before you make extensive changes to the file.

Compacted copy (smaller)

Compact the entire file into less disk space by reclaiming unused space in the file. Saving a
compacted copy is useful if you edit many records frequently.

Clone (no records)

Save a file’s tables, field definitions, layouts, scripts, and page setup options, without the
data. Make a clone when you want a template of the file schemas.

6. Click Save.

Chapter 2

Using databases

When FileMaker Pro saves a file
FileMaker Pro saves a file whenever you perform an action such as modifying data. The following actions
do not cause the file to be saved:

1
1
1
1
1
1

Displaying a different record or layout (unless that record or layout has been modified)
Sorting records or modifying a sort order
Performing find operations such as Find, Show All Records, Omit Record, or modifying a find request
Changing the position and size of windows or hiding/showing the status toolbar
Changing layout object default settings
Changing ruler display settings

If you perform any of the above actions without also performing an action that does cause a save (such as
modifying data), the change won’t be saved when you close the file. FileMaker Pro considers the above
actions to be minor changes, and they are not saved with the file unless the file is also modified in a more
significant way.
For example, if you open a file and perform a find, then close the file, FileMaker Pro does not save the found
set with the file. However, if you open a file, add a new record, perform a find, then close the file,
FileMaker Pro saves the found set as well as the new record with the file.
For more information about saving files, see Help.

About modes
You work with data in FileMaker Pro in Browse, Find, Layout, or Preview mode. You can choose a mode
from the View menu or from the mode pop-up menu at the bottom of the document window.

Mode pop-up menu

Use this mode

Browse mode

Work with the data in a file. You can add, view, change, sort, omit (hide), and delete records. Browse
mode is where you’ll do most of your work, such as data entry.

Find mode

Search for particular records that match a set of criteria. You can then work with this subset of your
records, called the found set. After you find a group of records, FileMaker Pro returns to Browse mode
so you can begin working with them.

Layout mode

Determine how information is presented on your screen or in printed reports, labels, and forms. Design
layouts for specific tasks, like data entry or printing invoices or envelopes. Select and arrange fields and
other objects to modify an existing layout or create new layouts.

Preview mode

See how data in forms or reports will look before you print. Preview mode is especially useful for viewing
layouts with multiple columns (like mailing labels) and reports with summaries.

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

Using the status toolbar
The status toolbar provides quick access to many FileMaker Pro menu commands. In all modes, it includes
navigation tools, customizable buttons, and a layout bar for working with layouts. In Layout mode, it includes
layout tools. Move the pointer over a button to see its description. You can also switch modes by clicking
buttons in the status toolbar. The buttons in the status toolbar vary depending on which mode you’re in.

Status toolbar

Layout bar
Formatting bar

In Layout mode, you can also use the Inspector when you format and edit objects on a layout. For more
information, see “Using the Inspector to format objects” on page 78.
For more information about using the status toolbar, see Help.

Viewing records
FileMaker Pro provides three views of each layout: form, list, and table. When you change views, you
temporarily change the way records display or print.
To view records

Do this in Browse mode or Find mode

Individually

Choose View menu > View as Form, or click Form View

In a list

Choose View menu > View as List, or click List View

In a spreadsheet-like table

Choose View menu > View as Table, or click Table View
in the layout bar. For
information about working with data in a spreadsheet-like table, see “Working with data
in Table View” on page 29.

in the layout bar.
in the layout bar.

Chapter 2

Using databases

The following illustration shows the same layout in three views.
Form View

Field labels

One record

List View

One record

Field labels

Field labels
Table View
A row is
one record

Selecting the active record
In Browse mode, a table has one active (selected) record at a time for each window. For more information
about working with multiple windows, see “Opening multiple windows per file” on page 19.
In this view

The active record is

Form View

The record that you’re displaying.

List View

The record that’s marked with a solid bar along the left side. To work with another record, click
in the record to make it active.

Table View

The record that’s marked with an arrow at the left side.

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

Current record
in List View

To select a related record in a portal, select the portal row (click inside the row but outside any fields in the row).

Portal

Click inside the portal row to
select a related record

For information about related records and portals, see chapter 4, “Working with related tables and files.”

Moving through records
To move from one record to another, use the book in the status toolbar.
Book

Current record
number

Number of records in the table

Type search words for
quick finds

Slider

To move

Do this

To the next record in the current table Click the right page of the book or choose Records menu > Go to Record > Next.
To the previous record in the current
table

Click the left page of the book or choose Records menu > Go to Record > Previous.

Quickly to a specific record

1 Click the current record number, type the record number you want, then press Enter
(Windows) or Return (Mac OS).

1 Press Esc, type the record number, then press Enter or Return.
1 Choose Records menu > Go to Record > Go To..., then type the number of the record.
Quickly through records

Drag the slider right or left to move forward or backward.

Chapter 2

To move

Do this

Through records in List View or
Table View

Use the scroll bar on the right side of the window.

To a record with a unique value that
you know

See “Finding records” on page 30.

Using databases

You can also use a mouse scroll wheel to move through records. For more information about viewing
records, see Help.

Adding and duplicating records
When you add or duplicate records, FileMaker Pro stores new records at the end of the current table. In
Browse mode, you see the new record after the current record, or after the last record in the found set (the
set of records made active by a find request).

1 If records are sorted, the new record appears in the correct position in the sort order when you commit
the record. In Table View, a new row is added to the last row of the current record’s sort category. For
more information about working in Table View, see “Working with records in Table View” on page 29.

1 If records are unsorted, the new record appears after the last record in the found set. For more
information, see “Sorting records” on page 42.

Do this in Browse mode

Add a new blank record

In Browse mode, click New Record in the status toolbar. You see a blank record with
one field selected.

Quickly add a record with the same or
similar data as an existing record

Select the record to duplicate. Then, choose Records menu > Duplicate Record.

Add or duplicate related records

See “Adding and duplicating related records” on page 26.

Note If a file is locked or write-protected, or if you don’t have access privileges to create records,
FileMaker Pro will not add or duplicate records.
If the field is defined to automatically enter field values, you see those values entered in the new record. See
“Defining automatic data entry” on page 65.
To enter or change values in the new record, see “Entering and changing data in fields” on page 27.

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

Adding and duplicating related records
If you’re working with records in related tables, you can add records to a related table when you enter data
in a record in the current table.
Note You can only add related records from the current table if the relationship is defined to allow the
creation of related records. If a related table is in a write-protected file, or if you don’t have access privileges
to create records, FileMaker Pro will not add or duplicate records. For more information, see “Creating
relationships” on page 103.
To

Do this in Browse mode

Create a record in the current table

Click New Record in the status toolbar.

Add a record to a related table

1 If the related field is in a portal, type data into the field in the last (empty) row of the portal,
then press Enter.

1 If the related field isn’t in a portal, type data into the field, then press Enter.
Duplicate a record that is displaying
related data

Be sure no records in a portal are selected, then choose Records menu > Duplicate Record.

Duplicate a related record in a portal

Select the record in the portal, then choose Records menu > Duplicate Record.

Portal with related
records from Line
Items table

Type in the last row of the portal to add
a related record to the Line Items table

For more information about adding and duplicating records, see Help.

Deleting records
When you delete a record, you permanently discard the data in all the fields in that record.
Important You can’t retrieve deleted data, and you can’t undo the action of deleting records. Before you
delete records, consider making a backup copy of your file.
If you’re working in a relational database and the option to delete related records is selected in the Edit
Relationship dialog box, FileMaker Pro deletes related records when you delete a record.
To delete

Do this in Browse mode

One record

Select the record to delete. In the status toolbar, click Delete Record, then click Delete.

A related record

Select a portal row in the current table by clicking inside the row but outside any fields in the row.
In the status toolbar, click Delete Record, then click Delete.
Note To delete related records, Allow deletion of portal records must be selected in the Portal Setup
dialog box.

Chapter 2

Using databases

To delete

Do this in Browse mode

A group of records

Make sure the found set contains only the records you want to delete. (See “Finding records” on
page 30.) Choose Records menu > Delete Found Records, then click Delete.

All records in a database

Click Show All in the status toolbar, or choose Records menu > Show All Records. Then choose
Records menu > Delete All Records.

Entering data
Note If a file is locked or write-protected, or if you don’t have privileges to edit certain records or fields,
you may not be able to modify data.

Selecting a field
To

Do this in Browse or Find mode

Select a field

Click in the field.

Select the contents of a field

Select the field, then choose Edit menu > Select All.

Move to the next field in the tab order

Press Tab.
Note To set the Return or Enter key(s) to move to the next field, in Layout mode, select
in the layout bar, then click Data. In the Behavior area,
the fields. Click Inspector
for Go to next object using, select the keys you want to use for exiting fields.
Buttons and tab controls can be included in the tab order. Fields on tab panels that are
not in front are skipped.

Move to the previous field in the tab order Press Shift-Tab (or Shift-Return or Shift-Enter, if enabled).
Move to items in a value list

Press the arrow keys.

Entering and changing data in fields
You can enter or import data up to the character limit for the field type. You can view and print only the data
that fits within the field boundaries.
Note For information about how FileMaker Pro uses system formats to display and sort dates, times, and
numbers, see Help.
To

Click in the field in Browse mode, then

Enter data in a text field

Type the text (up to 1 billion characters).
Note In a field set up to auto-complete, you see suggestions based on what you type.

Enter data in a number field

Type the values (from 10400 to 10-400).

Enter data in a date field

Type one date on one line in the field. Type the day, month, and year as numbers (for
example, 3/3/2010), separated by a nonnumeric character like – (minus) or / (forward slash).
Note You cannot use a : (colon) as a date separator.
Important If you enter dates with two-digit years, FileMaker Pro converts them to fourdigit year dates using a conversion method described in Help. To avoid misinterpretations
during conversion, always enter dates with four-digit years.

Enter the current date in a date,
number, or text field

Choose Insert menu > Current Date.
Select the date using the drop-down calendar, if available.

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

Click in the field in Browse mode, then

Enter data in a time field

Type the time of day (or time duration) as:
1 hours

1 hours and minutes
1 hours, minutes, and seconds
1 hours, minutes, seconds, and fractional seconds
Separate hours, minutes, and seconds by a nonnumeric character like : (colon).
Separate fractional seconds by a . (period).
Type the time of day in 24- or 12-hour format, with or without AM or PM. (AM is
assumed for a time less than 12:00.)
Enter the current time in a time,
number, or text field

Choose Insert menu > Current Time.

Enter data in a timestamp field

Type the date and time (for example, 10/15/2010 3:15:05 PM). Type the day, month, and
four-digit year as numbers, separated by a nonnumeric character like – (minus) or /
(forward slash).
Note You cannot use a : (colon) as a date separator.
Then type the time of day as:
1 hours and minutes

1 hours, minutes, and seconds
1 hours, minutes, seconds, and fractional seconds
1 Type AM or PM if the time is not in 24-hour format
Separate hours, minutes, and seconds by a nonnumeric character like : (colon).
Enter the current date and time in a
timestamp field

Choose Insert menu > Current Time.
Select the date using the drop-down calendar, if available.

Insert a tab character in a field

Click where you want to insert the tab. Press Ctrl+Tab (Windows) or Option-Tab (Mac OS).

Delete data from a field

Select the data, then press Backspace or Delete.

Add data to a container field

For information, see Help.

Insert a file in a container field

For information, see Help.

Add data to value lists (fields
formatted as radio or option buttons,
checkboxes, lists, or menus)

For information, see “Setting up checkbox sets and other controls on a layout” on page 83.

Edit, format, or check the spelling of
text in a field or edit dictionaries

For information, see Help.

Chapter 2

Using databases

Working with data in Table View
You can work with data in Table View to quickly create and change field definitions; add, modify, and delete
records; sort records; and create dynamic reports. FileMaker Pro displays each record in a separate row, and
each field in a separate column.

Column headings. Each
column displays one field
from the current layout.

Active
record

To work with data in Table View, click Table View
in the layout bar when you’re working in Browse
mode. You can also work in Table View when you create a new database (see “Creating a FileMaker Pro
file” on page 55).

Displaying data in Table View
You can change the display settings in Table View.
To

Do this

Reorder columns

Click a column heading and drag it to a new location.

Resize a column

Move the pointer to the edge of the column heading. When the pointer changes to a double arrow
( ), drag it to the desired size.

Set a precise column width

Select one or more columns, then right-click and choose Set Column Width from the shortcut
menu. In the dialog box, type a width, choose units from the list, then click OK.

Change the color of the
background

Right-click the left or right margin of a record, then choose a color from the Part Color shortcut
menu. The color of the row for adding new records and the column for adding new fields will
be slightly darker than the main background color.

Display a different background
color for alternating records

Right-click the left or right margin of a record, then choose a color from the Alternate Color
shortcut menu.

Restore the default display
settings

Right-click a column heading and choose Reset Table View from the shortcut menu.
Note Resetting Table View doesn’t delete the fields and records.

Working with records in Table View
When you view records in a table, FileMaker Pro displays data in rows and columns. Each row displays a
record, and each column displays a field.
To

Do this in Browse mode

Add a new record

Click + in the left margin of the table.

Duplicate a record

Right-click the left or right margin of the record that you want to duplicate, then
choose Duplicate Record from the shortcut menu.

Delete a record

Right-click the left or right margin of the record that you want to delete, then choose
Delete Record from the shortcut menu.

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

Do this in Browse mode

Copy the data in a record

Right-click the left or right margin of the record that you want to copy, then choose
Copy Record from the shortcut menu. You can paste the copied, tab-separated data
into a field or into Microsoft Excel.

Sort records

1 Click a column heading (field) to change the sort direction. (You must have Sort
data when selecting column selected in the Table View Properties dialog box.)

1 Select one or more columns (fields), then right-click and choose a sort order from
the shortcut menu. If you select multiple columns, the order of the columns (left
to right) determines the sort order. (You can also choose Sort by Value List and
select a value list from the submenu.)

1 Right-click the left or right margin of a column, then choose Sort Records. For
more information, see “Sorting records” on page 42.
Create a dynamic report

For information, see Help. For example, you can create a quick report to group your
data by a field, display subtotals for a field, or create subtotals for each group of data.

Save data as a Microsoft Excel file or Adobe Right-click the left or right margin, then choose an option from the Save/Send
PDF file, or save the current found set of
Records As shortcut menu.
records as a snapshot link
Send email messages based on record data

Right-click the left or right margin of the record, then choose Send Mail from the
shortcut menu.

For more information about working with data in Table View, see Help.

Finding records
To find particular records in your database, you can:

1 perform a quick find in Browse mode (see “Performing quick finds in Browse mode” on page 30)
1 make a find request in Find mode (see “Making find requests in Find mode” on page 31)

Performing quick finds in Browse mode
If a layout is enabled for quick find in Browse mode, you can use the search box in Browse mode to search
for data across multiple fields on the layout. Quick find is helpful if the data you are looking for might be in
multiple fields or if you don’t know which field contains the data.
By default, layouts are enabled for quick find and all fields that are supported for quick find (including merge
fields) are set to be included in the search. Quick find does not search summary, container, or global fields.
Note While quick finds are an easy way to search for data, they can work slowly depending on the type of
data in the database. For example, unstored calculations or related or remote data can slow progress,
compared with data that's local or stored.
To perform a quick find
1. In Browse mode, type one or more words in the search text box in the upper-right corner of the status toolbar.
2. Press Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac OS).
The search includes all the fields that are enabled for quick find on the layout. Your find request returns
in the status toolbar indicates the portion
a found set of records.The light green area of the pie chart
of the total records displayed.

Chapter 2

Using databases

Keep the following points in mind:

1 The only operator supported by quick find is the match phrase operator, double quotation marks (" ").
1 If you type more than one word in the search box, FileMaker Pro searches for records that have all of the
words you typed.
To view a list of recent quick finds
1. In Browse mode, click the down arrow in the search box.
2. Do one of the following:

1 Choose a search term from the search history list to perform a quick find for the term.
1 Choose Clear Recent Searches to remove the search history.
Note The list of recent quick finds is available only until you close the file.
To configure and enable quick find
In Layout mode, if the selected layout doesn’t show the quick find icons for supported fields, use the
following steps.
1. In Layout mode, choose View menu > Show > Quick Find.
A small icon next to each field shows if the field has been enabled for quick find. If there is no quick find
icon next to a field, the field is not searchable either because it is not supported for quick find or because
it is not set to be included in the search. A gray icon indicates that the layout is disabled for quick find.
A green icon indicates that the field is searchable. A yellow icon indicates that the field is
searchable, but the search might take longer than fields with the green icon.
2. Select one or more fields.
3. Click Inspector

in the layout bar, then click Data.

4. In the Behavior area, select Include field for Quick Find.
5. To enable quick find, click Layout Setup
Enable Quick Find, then click OK.

in the layout bar. In the Layout Setup dialog box, select

For more information about quick finds, see Help.

Making find requests in Find mode
When you perform a find in Find mode, you type criteria (the value or values to find) into fields in a find
request, which looks like a blank record. FileMaker Pro searches through all the records in a table,
comparing the criteria you specify with the data in the table.
Records with data matching the criteria become the found set, which is the subset of records being browsed.
Records that don’t match are omitted. You can constrain (narrow) or extend (broaden) the found set in Find mode.
You can work with just the records in the found set. For example, you can view, edit, calculate summaries
for, sort, print, delete, export, or replace data in these records. You can also open a new window in order to
perform different find requests on the same data.
You can save the found set of records and email it as a snapshot link. (For more information, see Help.)
You cannot perform a find in summary fields, container fields, or fields defined with the global storage option.

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

To make a find request
1. In Find mode, from the Layout pop-up menu, select a layout that includes the fields that contain the data
you want to search.
If necessary, you can change layouts and enter criteria on more than one layout.
2. In the find request, select a text, number, date, time, timestamp, or calculation field to use for finding,
and then type a value in the field.
You can use the Insert Operators list in the layout bar to help you enter criteria. You can click Omit to
exclude records matching a specific set of criteria.
Type find criteria in fields

Choose a layout
with fields you
want to search on

An icon indicates you
can search on the field

Click to see
operators

3. Click Perform Find.
Your find request returns a found set of records. The light green area of the pie chart in the status toolbar
indicates the portion of the total records displayed.

Chapter 2

Using databases

You can do one or more of the following during or after performing a find request:
To

Do this

Cancel a find operation before it is finished and leave Press Esc (Windows) or 2-period (Mac OS).
the previous found set unchanged
Change or refine criteria after performing a find request See “Viewing, repeating, or changing the last find” on page 40.
Narrow an existing found set

See “Constraining (narrowing) a found set” on page 38.

Broaden an existing found set

See “Extending (broadening) a found set” on page 39.

Show all records again

In Browse mode, choose Records menu > Show All Records.
In Find mode, choose Requests menu > Show All Records.
You don’t need to choose Show All Records before performing finds.
FileMaker Pro always searches all records in the tables you specify unless
you have narrowed the existing found set.

Open another window in order to perform different
find requests on the same data

Choose Window menu > New Window.

Finding text and characters
Search for text in text fields, or in calculation fields that return a text result.
Unless you search for phrases and exact matches, the field can contain other values in addition to the one(s)
you specify, and the values can be in any order. For example, typing hotel in a field named
Accommodation finds records for Hotel, Discount Hotel, and Hotel, Luxury.
To find

Type this in the field

Examples

Words that start with specific Roman
characters (works with fields that use any
language except Japanese)

The characters

Chris Smith finds Chris Smith, Smith

Words that start with Japanese Hiragana,
Katakana, or Kanji characters

The characters between = and *

Chris, Chris Smithson, and Smith
Christenson
= 小田 * finds 小田 , 小田山 , and 小田川

A phrase or sequence of characters that
The literal text (characters), including "Marten and Jones Interiors" finds
match when they are the first characters in a spaces and punctuation, between
Marten and Jones Interiors but not Jones
word (match phrase from word start)
double quotation marks (")
and Marten Interiors
", Ltd." finds all companies with ", Ltd."
in the name, but not those without the
comma
“Spring” finds Springville but not
ColdSpring Harbor or HotSpring
Words with one or more unknown or
variable characters (any one character)

One wildcard character (@) for each
unknown character

Gr@y finds Gray and Grey

Invalid characters in a text field

Invalid characters display as blank
characters
Note To find the ? character, search for “?”

Digits in a text field (any one digit)

A # character for each digit

# finds 3 but not 30

@on finds Don and Ron but not Bron

## finds 30 but not 3 or 300
#3 finds 53 and 43 but not 3

Words with zero or more unknown or
variable text characters in a row (zero or
more characters)

* for all unknown characters

Jo*n finds Jon and John
J*r finds Jr. and Junior
*phan* finds Phan and Stephanie

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

To find

Type this in the field

Operators or other non-alphanumeric
characters, such as punctuation or spaces

The literal text (characters), including "@" finds @ (or an email address, for
spaces and punctuation, between
example)
double quotation marks (")
"," finds records containing a comma
"
" finds three spaces in a row

A character with special meaning, such as
the find operators recognized by
FileMaker Pro: @, *, #, ?, !, =, <, >, "
(escape next character)

\ followed by the special character

Words with accented characters

The literal text (characters), including "òpera" finds òpera but not opera
spaces and punctuation, between
(òpera without quotes finds both òpera and
double quotation marks (")
opera)

Partial phrases, a sequence of words or
characters (match phrase from anywhere)

Characters, punctuation, and spaces
*"son & Phillips" finds Johnson &
between double quotation marks ("); Phillips and Paulson & Phillips
use * to find this text in the middle of a
longer text string

Exact matches of the text you specify
(match entire field)

== (two equal signs) for a field content ==John finds John but not John Smith
match
==John Smith finds John Smith but not
Smith, John or John Smithers

\"Joey\" finds "Joey"
joey\@abc.net finds the email address

joey@abc.net

Exact matches of whole words you specify =
(match whole word)

Words that contain Japanese Hiragana,
Katakana, and Kanji characters (Japaneseindexed fields only)

Examples

The characters

Kana characters in a Japanese-indexed field ~ (tilde) and the character, to do a
without differentiating between Hiragana/ relaxed search
Katakana, Voiced/Semi-Voiced/Unvoiced
Kana, Small/Regular Kana, and Kana
Voiced/Unvoiced Iteration Marks
Ranges of information

See “Finding ranges of information”
on page 36.

Case-sensitive text

Change the default language for
indexing the field to Unicode.
Note This procedure will change the
order in which records sort. For more
information, see Help.

=Market finds Market, Market Services,

and Ongoing Market Research but not
Marketing or Supermarket
=Chris =Smith finds Chris Smith or
Smith Chris but not Chris or Christopher
Smithson
京都 finds 京都 , 東京都 , and 京都府

~ は finds は , ば , ぱ , ハ , バ , and パ

fred finds fred but not Fred

Note To find case-sensitive text (for example, fred finds fred but not Fred), change the default language for
indexing the field to Unicode. This procedure will change the order in which records sort. For more
information, see Help.

Chapter 2

Using databases

Finding numbers, dates, times, and timestamps
Numbers, dates, times, and timestamps should be entered in the corresponding field types (or calculation
fields returning the corresponding field type) to ensure correct behavior when finding them. See “About
choosing a field type” on page 58.
Important To avoid confusion when working with dates, always use four-digit years. For more information,
see the Help topic “Conversion of dates with two-digit years.”
To find

Type this in the field

Examples

A number in a number field or in a
calculation field that produces a numeric
result

The number

.50 finds .5, .50, and $.50

A Boolean number in a number field or in a 1 to find True values
calculation field that produces a Boolean
0 to find False values
result

1 finds 1
0 finds 0

A date in a date field or in a calculation field The date as digits, separated by a valid 3/3/2010 finds 3/3/2010, March 3, 2010,
that produces a date result
date separator character (such as a
and 3-3-2010
slash or hyphen)
Today’s date in a date field or in a
//
calculation field that produces a date result
A time in a time field or in a calculation
field that produces a time result

// finds April 4, 2010 (when the current date
is 4/4/2010)

The time as digits, separated by colons 12:53:09 finds 12:53:09

A timestamp in a timestamp field or in a
The date as digits, separated by a valid 3/3/2010 12:53:09 PM finds 3/3/2010
calculation field that produces a timestamp date separator character, then the time 12:53:09 PM
result
as digits, separated by colons
Invalid dates, times, timestamps, or
calculated date or time results

? finds:

Next Tuesday or 2/33/2010 in a date field, or
midnight in a time field

Invalid data (fields containing no numbers) ?
in a number field or calculation field that
produces a numeric result

? finds:

Dates on a day of the week in a date or
timestamp field

Tuesday finds all dates that occur on a

The day of the week
Note Full or short day names (for
example, Friday or Fri) are
acceptable in day of week searches.

Any valid value for a date or time
component in a date, time, or timestamp
field

* or leave component unspecified,

Ranges of information

See the next section, “Finding ranges
of information.”

twelve but not 12 or twelve30

Tuesday
=Thu finds all dates that occur on a

Thursday

3/3/* finds the 3rd day of March in any
while specifying the other components year
you want to find
*:15 finds times that are 15 minutes after
any hour
1/1/* 7 PM finds timestamps in the
7 o’clock hour on January 1st in any year
Note When the year is unspecified, the
current year is assumed. 3/3 finds the 3rd
day of March in the current year

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

Finding ranges of information
To find values that are

Use this operator

Examples

Less than a specified value

<40
<9/7/2010

>95129
>9/7/2010
>M

Greater than or equal to a specified value

>=
or ≥ (Mac OS)

>=100
>=9/7/2010
≥8:00
≥M

Within the range you specify. A range is different based on the data
type:
1 Numbers: least to greatest

.. or ... (two or three periods) 12:30...17:30
1/1/2010..6/6/2010
A...M

1 Dates and times: earliest to latest
1 Text: first to last word, based on the index order of words (not the
sort order)

To find dates

Type this in the field

In June 2010

6/2010

From July 2010 through October 2011

7/2010...10/2011

That occur on a Friday

=Friday

From the 10th through the 16th of October or November 2010
(if the date format is MM/DD/YYYY)

{10..11}/{10..16}/2010

That occur on March 1st between 1868 and 1912 in the Japanese
Emperor Year era of Meiji

m*/3/1

That occur on December 31st between 1930 and 1940 in the Japanese S{5..15}+12+31
Emperor Year era of Showa

To find times

Type this in the field

In the 3 o’clock hour, not including 4:00 PM

3 PM

Between 8:00 AM and 8:59:59 PM

8 AM..8 PM

In the morning

Any of the times 4:30, 5:30, 6:30 PM

{4..6}:30 PM

To find timestamps

Type this in the field

In the 3 o’clock hour today

// 3 PM

In the 7 o’clock hour in May 2010

5/2010 7 PM

Chapter 2

To find timestamps

Type this in the field

That occur on a Monday in 2010

=Mon 2010

Using databases

From the 10th through the 16th of November 2010 and from 3:00 PM 11/{10..16}/2010 {3..5} PM
to less than 6:00 PM (if the date format is MM/DD/YYYY)

Finding data in related fields
You can enter find criteria in related fields that are displayed in a portal or directly on a layout.
When you perform a find in a related field, FileMaker Pro displays all the records that have a related record
matching the criteria you enter. For example, suppose you have an invoice file that displays line items as
related records in a portal. To find all invoices listing a computer, type Computer in the Item field in the
portal. For information about related fields, see chapter 4, “Working with related tables and files.”
Find request
Invoice ID
Name
Item ID

Item
Computer

Records in table
Invoice ID

E154

Name

Alvarez

Item ID
I100
I202
I153
I229
I448

Item
Computer
Desk
Lamp
Bookcase
Chair

Invoice ID

E153

Name

Tang

Item ID
I202
I443
I153
I288
I100

Item
Desk
Long table
Lamp
Round table
Computer

Invoice ID

E152

Name

Durand

Item ID
I384
I554
I288
I100
I448

Item
Swivel chair
Panels
Round table
Computer
Chair

For information about omitting related records, see “Finding records except those matching criteria” on page 39.

Finding empty or non-empty fields
To find fields that are

Type this in the field

Not empty (fields that have data)

Empty

Finding duplicate values
You can find all records for which one or more fields contain duplicate values. For example, you might want
to find all records that aren’t unique, then examine them to decide which records to use or delete.
To find all duplicate records, in Find mode, type ! in the field.

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

Finding records that match multiple criteria
You can narrow or broaden your search by using more than one criterion.
Logical AND search
To narrow your search, enter criteria in as many fields as needed to make your request specific, then click
Perform Find.
Constraining (narrowing) a found set
You can narrow find results incrementally, looking for more specific detail as you search your database.
For example, after searching for all of the employees who work in Sales, you can narrow the search to find all of the
employees in Sales named Alvarez:
1. Perform a find to find all of the employees who work in Sales.
FileMaker Pro displays the found set in Browse mode.
2. Click Find and type the criteria to narrow the search (type Alvarez in the Last Name field).
3. Choose Requests menu > Constrain Found Set.
The found set now consists of employees in Sales named Alvarez.
Note To quickly constrain the found set in Browse mode, use the shortcut menu. Click in the field (or select
a partial value in the field), then right-click, and choose Constrain Found Set.
Logical OR search
To widen your search, enter criteria in the first request. Click New Request. Enter the second (set of) criteria.
Continue adding requests for each (set of) criteria, then click Perform Find.
You can navigate among multiple requests using Go to Request on the Requests menu or clicking the book
in Find mode.
Examples:

1 To include customers in New York and customers in Paris in the found set, type

New York

in the City

field in the first request, then type Paris in the City field in the second request.

1 To include companies with more than 100 employees and companies with more than $100 million in
assets, type >100 in Number of Employees in the first request, then type >100,000,000 in Capitalization
in the second request.

1 To include 6th grade students who are in Algebra and 7th grade students who are in Geometry, type

in Level and Algebra in Course in the first request, then type 7 in Level and Geometry in Course in
the second request.

Chapter 2

Using databases

Extending (broadening) a found set
You can broaden a found set to expand your search to include additional applicable records without starting over.
For example, after searching for customers in New York, you can broaden the search to also find customers
in Hong Kong:
1. Perform a find to find customers in New York.
FileMaker Pro displays the found set in Browse mode.
2. Click Find and type the criteria to broaden the search (type Hong Kong in the City field).
3. Choose Requests menu > Extend Found Set.
The found set now consists of customers in New York and Hong Kong.
Note To quickly extend the found set in Browse mode, use the shortcut menu. Click in the field (or select
a partial value in the field), then right-click, and choose Extend Found Set.
Records that match one set of criteria but not another
To narrow your search by excluding records that meet specified criteria (for example, to find vendors in New
York state that are not in New York City), see “Finding some records while omitting others” on page 39.

Finding records except those matching criteria
You can exclude (omit) records while performing a find. In other words, you can find information in your
database that “does not equal” your specified criteria. For example, you can find all invoices except those
created in the past 30 days.
Finding records that don’t match criteria
1. In Find mode, type criteria for the records to omit.
2. Click Omit in the layout bar.

Click Omit to exclude records
that match the request

3. Click Perform Find.
Finding some records while omitting others
For example, to find vendors in the state of New York except those in New York City:
1. In Find mode, type the criteria for the records to find (type New York in the State field).
2. Click New Request.
3. Type criteria for the records to exclude (type New York in the City field).

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

4. Click Omit.
5. Click Perform Find.
Keep these points in mind:

1 You can have omit criteria in more than one request.
1 FileMaker Pro works through the requests in the order you create them. For example, in a Clients
database with clients in the US and France:

1 If the first request finds all clients in Paris and the second request omits all clients in the US, the found
set contains all clients in Paris, France but none in Paris, Texas, or anywhere else in the US.

1 If the order of the requests is reversed (the first request omits all clients in the US and the second
request finds all clients in Paris), the found set includes all clients in Paris, France, and in Paris, Texas,
but no records for clients elsewhere in the US.

1 To omit a related record from a portal row (or set of related records), you must change the relationship
or the value in at least one of the match fields so that the record is no longer related. For information about
related fields, see chapter 4, “Working with related tables and files.”

1 You can open another window in order to perform different find requests on the same data. See “Opening
multiple windows per file” on page 19.

1 To omit records from a found set after performing a find, see “Hiding records from a found set and
viewing hidden records” on page 41.

Viewing, repeating, or changing the last find
To view the most recent find criteria, choose Records menu > Modify Last Find. Then, to return to the found
set, switch to Browse mode. To repeat the find, click Find. Or you can modify the find criteria, then click
Perform Find.

Saving find requests
When you have a complex find request that you want to use regularly, you can save the request and retrieve
it when you need it later. You can save and retrieve find requests without having to go to Find mode.
FileMaker Pro automatically saves the last five finds you have performed so you can access them again.
Once a find is saved, the saved find is also available to any network clients that share the account. For more
information about saving find requests. see Help.

Deleting and reverting requests
To delete a request, go to the request you want to delete, then click Delete Request.
To restore a request to the way it was when you last committed it, choose Requests menu > Revert Request.
Requests are committed, for example, when you click out of all fields, go to a different layout or request, or
perform a find.

Chapter 2

Using databases

Hiding records from a found set and viewing hidden records
All records that are not in the found set are omitted, or hidden. You can omit additional records from the
found set without doing a new find.
Important Omitted records are temporarily excluded from the found set. They still exist in the database.
To

Do this

Omit a specific record

Display or select the record to omit, then click Omit in the layout bar.

Omit a series of records

Display or select the first record in a number of consecutive records to omit, then choose
Records menu > Omit Multiple. In the Omit Multiple dialog box, type the number of records
to omit, then click Omit.

View the omitted set

Click Show All in the status toolbar.

Bring back all the records in the file Choose Records menu (Browse mode) or Requests menu (Find mode) > Show All Records.

Finding and replacing data
As in a word processing application, you can find and replace data across multiple fields (including related
fields) in a record or in a find request, across a found set of records or find requests, or across text objects in
a layout. You can search for data in any type of field except container fields and fields that are not modifiable.
If you have added a tab control to a layout, when you find and replace data in Browse and Find modes,
FileMaker Pro only finds and replaces data in the tab panel that is in front. In Layout mode, FileMaker Pro
finds and replaces data in all tab panels.
1. In Browse, Find, or Layout mode, choose Edit menu > Find/Replace > Find/Replace.
2. In the Find what box, type the data you want to search for. In the Replace with box, type the replacement data.
You can’t replace data in fields that are formatted as pop-up menus, radio buttons, or checkboxes. These
fields will be counted and reported as skipped at the end of a Replace all operation.
3. Set the search options you want to use.
Select

An option from the Direction list Choose the search direction: Forward, Backward, or All.
Match case

Search for only those occurrences in which the capitalization matches the data you specified
in the Find what box.
Note In files that contain Japanese data, a find with the Match case option cleared does not
simultaneously find both the half-width and full-width version of the same character. To
comprehensively find and replace both characters, make sure you perform separate finds for
both the half-width and full-width character.

Match whole words only

Search for only those occurrences that are whole words or are bounded by spaces and/or
punctuation characters.

An option in Search across

In Browse mode, search across all records in the current layout or just in the current record.
In Find mode, search across all find requests in the current layout or just in the current find request.
Note In Layout mode, FileMaker Pro searches just in the current layout.

An option in Search within

In Browse and Find modes, search within all fields in the current layout or just in the current field.

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

4. Click one of the buttons to perform the type of find/replace operation you want.
Click

Find Next

Search for and select the next occurrence of the Find what data.

Replace & Find

If there is selected data that matches the Find what data: Replace the Find what data with the
Replace with data, search for and select the next occurrence.
If there is no selected data that matches the Find what data: Search for and select the first
occurrence of the Find what data.

Replace

Replace the Find what data with the Replace with data.

Replace All

Replace all occurrences of the Find what data with the Replace with data.
At the end of the Replace All operation, you see a summary of the number of occurrences found
and replaced.

For more information about finding and replacing data, see Help.

Sorting records
FileMaker Pro stores records in the order they were added to the file. Sorting temporarily rearranges records,
so you can view, update, or print them in a different sequence.
You choose the fields whose contents you want to sort by. The first sort field arranges the records based on the
field’s contents. The second sort field arranges records when two or more records have the same value in the first
sort field, and so on. You can sort records in ascending order, descending order, or in a custom order.
The records remain sorted until you perform a find, add new records, or sort the records again. When you
add a new record to a sorted found set, the new record appears in the correct position in the sort order when
you commit the record.
To sort the records in the current found set:
1. In Browse mode, click Sort in the status toolbar.
Note To sort records in Table View in Browse mode, see “Working with records in Table View” on page 29.
2. In the Sort Records dialog box, choose fields for sorting, in the order you want them sorted by, and sort
options.
To choose a sort field visible on the current layout, no matter what table it is in, choose Current Layout
(LayoutName) from the table list, then double-click a field in the list.
To choose a sort field that is in the current layout’s table, whether or not it is on the current layout, choose
Current Table (TableName) from the table list, then double-click a field in the list.
For information about sort options, see Help.
3. Click Sort.
To cancel before sorting is finished, press Esc (Windows) or 2-period (Mac OS).
Note You can sort records on one field without opening the Sort dialog box by using the field’s shortcut menu.
For information about how FileMaker Pro uses system formats to sort and display dates, times, and
numbers, see Help.

Chapter 2

Using databases

Previewing and printing databases
With FileMaker Pro, you can print:

1
1
1
1

all the records in the database, a subset of the records, or only the current record
a blank record to create a paper form
definitions of scripts, fields, tables, and relationships to see the structure of your database
data saved as a PDF file

FileMaker Pro prints records using the current layout. You can create layouts to print the same data in
different ways. For example, you can print records one by one, in a columnar list, or in a complex sorted
report with totals, headers, and footers. You can also create layouts for mailing labels or envelopes.
The New Layout/Report assistant (in Layout mode) makes it easy to create such layouts and reports. See
“Creating layouts and reports” on page 70.
Phone List
Name
Juanita Alvarez
Michelle Cannon
Andre Common
Marie Durand
Jean Durand
William Johnson

Phone
408-555-1234
213-555-2345
714-555-3456
619-555-4567
408-555-5678
408-555-6789

Phone List
Name
Juanita Alvarez

Phone
408-555-1234

Phone List

Name

Records being
browsed

Phone

Current record
Blank record

Print Phone List
Go to Layout [Phone List]
Sort [Sort Order: Last name (Ascending) ]
[Restore sort order, No Dialog]
Enter Preview Mode
[Pause]
Print
[no dialog]
Enter Browse Mode

Field Name

Field Type

First Name
Last Name
Address1
Address 2
City
State
Postal Code
Phone

Text
Text
Text
Text
Text
Text
Number
Text

Formula/Entry Options

Script
Table and field
definitions
Relationships graph
You can print data based on the current layout or print information about
the structure of the database

You can control page margins, remove blank space, and keep specified objects from printing.

Previewing data on a layout
When you switch to Preview mode, you see the layout as it appears on the printed page. You can’t enter or
edit information in fields in Preview mode.
In Preview mode, you see:

1 how many records fit on a printed page
1 how the pagination settings you choose affect page breaks
1 subsummary parts with calculated summary fields
1 variable information supplied by FileMaker Pro, like page numbers, the current date, and so on
1 the page margins you define
1 how fields set with sliding options close up blank space

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

1 records arranged in columns if the Layout Setup is defined to print in columns
1 the tab panel in the front if the page contains tab controls
To preview data on a layout, you follow the same preliminary steps that you perform when you print, including
specifying a printer and printing options and verifying that the found set contains the records you want to
preview (see steps 1 through 4 in the next section, “Printing records”). Then, switch to Preview mode.

Printing records
You can print information from your database, or you can print a blank record in order to print a blank “form.”
To print records:
1. If you have more than one printer, specify which one you want to use.
2. Confirm printing options by choosing File menu > Print Setup (Windows) or File menu > Page Setup
(Mac OS), then click OK.
If you’re in Preview mode, you can also click Print Setup (Windows) or Page Setup (Mac OS) in the
status toolbar.
For information about printer options, refer to your printer and system documentation.
3. Switch to the layout you want to use.
4. Make sure the found set is the way you want it by:

1 using Find mode and commands on the Records menu to change the found set
1 sorting the records
5. Switch to Preview mode to see exactly how your paper copy will look.
Some items, like sliding objects, records arranged in columns, and variable information like page
numbers, appear correctly only in Preview mode. If a record contains tab controls, only the tab panel that
is in the front is printed.
6. Choose File menu > Print.
7. In the Print dialog box, for Print, choose an option (Windows) or choose FileMaker Pro from the pop-up
menu (Mac OS).
To print

Choose

All records (or only records in the found set)

Records being browsed

Only the record currently selected in Browse mode

Current record

A blank record using the current layout (use this
option to print a blank “form”)

Blank record, showing fields, then choose a formatting option

Chapter 2

Using databases

Click to change the page orientation (vertical or
horizontal), scaling, and other printing options

Choose the
data to print

Select to update
linked OLE objects
before printing
Print dialog box (Windows)
Choose FileMaker Pro from the list

Choose the data to print
Print dialog box (Mac OS)

8. Select the print range, number of copies and other printing settings, then click OK (Windows) or Print (Mac OS).

Printing labels and envelopes
You can create layouts for formatting and printing data onto mailing labels and envelopes. The process for
printing envelopes is similar to that for printing labels.
You use the New Layout/Report assistant to create a Labels layout that includes data from the fields you
choose, arranged to print on many types of label stock (for example, Avery 4014). FileMaker Pro provides
the dimensions of numerous standard label types and their codes. If the label type you want isn't available,
you can specify custom label dimensions.
Labels layouts use merge fields, which are placeholder fields for displaying and printing only; you can’t
enter data into merge fields. Merge fields expand and contract to fit the data in the field as needed, closing
up space if the field is empty.

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

There are three general steps for creating and printing labels:
1. Create a Labels layout.
2. Set up the merge fields.
3. Print the labels.
Tip If you need help as you use the New Layout/Report assistant, click the Help button in each panel.
Creating a Labels layout
1. Open the file that contains the data you want to print on labels.
2. Find the records containing the data you want to print on labels.
3. Choose File menu > Manage > Layouts.
4. In the New Layout/Report assistant, for Layout Name, type a name for the layout.
To have the layout name appear in menus used for choosing layouts, select Include in layout menus.
5. For Select a layout type, click Labels (for data that reads top to bottom horizontally). Or click Vertical
Labels (for data that reads right to left vertically). Then click Next.
For an Envelope layout, click Envelope, and skip to “Choosing and formatting the merge fields.”
6. Specify the measurements of your mailing labels.

1 To choose a predefined measurement based on common label types, for the Use label measurements for
list, choose the code that matches your labels. (You see this information on the package your labels came
in.) FileMaker Pro creates a Labels layout that uses the exact dimensions of label stock code you choose.

1 To specify a custom measurement, choose Use custom measurements, and enter values for Labels
across the page, Width, and Height. Measure the unused margins on the label stock. Then select Fixed
page margins and enter values for Top, Bottom, Left, and Right.
7. Click Next.
Choosing and formatting the merge fields
1. In the next panel, for the Available fields list, double-click the first field whose data you want on the labels.
<> appears in the Label Contents area. Angle brackets indicate this is a merge field, and field
data will display in and print on the labels.
To include fields from related tables, choose the table from Available fields.
2. Continue selecting the fields you want on the labels.
Include all punctuation, blank spaces, and line breaks (to place a merge field on the next line) that you
want to print on the labels.
3. Click Next.

Chapter 2

Using databases

Previewing and printing labels
1. In the next panel:

1 To see how the data will appear on the labels before printing them, select View in Preview mode, and
click Finish.

1 To edit the labels, select View in Layout mode, and click Finish.
2. To print labels from Browse, Layout, or Preview modes, load the labels into your printer according to the
instructions that came with your labels and your printer. Then choose File menu > Print, choose the
printer and any additional options, and click Print.
Keep these points in mind:

1 To choose options for how you want labels printed on the page, choose Layouts menu > Layout Setup,
and click the Printing tab. Then choose the number of columns (labels) across and the direction in which
you want the labels printed, and set custom page margins, if needed.

1 You may need to adjust your printer settings to print the labels correctly. Choose File menu > Print Setup
(Windows) or Page Setup (Mac OS).

1 Some labels might not have the same number of printed lines as others. This happens because if there is
no data in a field, FileMaker Pro closes up the blank space.
For more information about creating a layout for labels or envelopes, choosing printing and layout setup
options, and additional considerations when you create a Labels or Envelope layout, see FileMaker Pro Help.

Printing scripts
You can print a list of all script steps for one or more scripts in a file.
1. Choose Scripts menu > Manage Scripts, or choose File menu > Manage > Scripts.
2. In the Manage Scripts dialog box, select the script or scripts you want to print.
To select more than one contiguous script in the list, Shift-click the scripts. To select more than one
noncontiguous script, Ctrl+click (Windows) or 2-click (Mac OS) the scripts.
3. Click

at the bottom of the dialog box.

4. Click OK (Windows) or Print (Mac OS).
The selected script steps and options are printed.

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

Printing table and field information
You can print table or field information.
1. Choose File menu > Manage > Database, then click the Tables or Fields tab.
2. Select the table(s) or field(s) you want to print.
To select more than one contiguous table or field in the list, Shift-click the tables or fields. To select more
than one noncontiguous table or field, Ctrl+click (Windows) or 2-click (Mac OS) the tables or fields.
3. Click Print.
4. Click OK (Windows) or Print (Mac OS).
The field names, field types, and formulas or data entry options are printed for each selected table.

Printing the relationships graph
You can print a graphical representation of your database by printing the relationships graph.
1. Choose File menu > Manage > Database, then click the Relationships tab.
2. Click
3. Click

to display page breaks in the relationships graph.
to display the Print Setup (Windows) or Page Setup (Mac OS) dialog boxes.

4. Click Print.
5. In the Printing Options dialog box, choose an option.

1 Choose Print graph on multiple pages to print the graph on more than one page.
1 Choose Print graph on one page to resize the graph to fit on one page.
6. Click Continue.
7. Click OK (Windows) or Print (Mac OS).
For more information about previewing and printing databases, see Help.

Automating tasks with scripts
Scripts can do simple tasks like setting print orientation or complex tasks like preparing a customized
mailing to clients. Scripts can incorporate conditional decisions (if-else statements) and perform repetitive
tasks (loop statements).
You can build scripts in the Edit Script dialog box by selecting from a list of FileMaker Pro script steps,
specifying options, and arranging the steps in the correct order to perform the task.
Use scripts to combine and automate tasks like:

1 switching to another layout or mode
1 finding, sorting, and printing records
1 importing data from the same source

Chapter 2

Using databases

FileMaker Pro makes it easy for you to manage scripts. You can display a default script to use as a template
when writing your own scripts. You can open several scripts at once to compare them. You can copy and
paste entire scripts between files. You can copy and paste script steps from one script to another script in the
same file or to a script in a different file. You can assign scripts to groups to make it easy to find scripts of a
specific type (for example, copy an entire group of scripts to another file or delete an entire group of scripts).
And you can design scripts to run when a particular event occurs (such as when users enter a field, press a
key, or add a new record to the database).
Procedures for creating and managing scripts and a reference to all FileMaker Pro script steps (organized
alphabetically or by category) are available in Help.

Backing up database files
Routine backups are imperative for any document stored on a computer. It is easier to restore a backed up
database than it is to recreate it. How often you should back up depends on the amount of data you are adding
to your databases, and how difficult it would be to recreate your files if they become corrupt.
For very important files, it’s a good idea to routinely store backups at an offsite location.
For file backup recommendations, see “Backing up databases and other important files” on page 136. For
an example of a backup script, see Help.

Setting preferences
You can customize the appearance and behavior of FileMaker Pro to suit the way you work by changing
standard settings called preferences. Preferences affect the behavior of the application and are not specific
to any file.
Settings in the File Options dialog box affect the current file’s default layout, opening and closing scripts,
login information, and spelling.
To set application preferences:
1. Windows: Choose Edit menu > Preferences.
Mac OS: Choose FileMaker Pro menu > Preferences.
2. In the Preferences dialog box, click a tab, then set the options you want to use.
To set file preferences:
1. Choose File menu > File Options.
2. In the File Options dialog box, click a tab, then set the options you want to use.
For more information about setting application and file preferences, see Help.

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

Chapter 3
Creating databases
This chapter explains the basics of how to:

1
1
1
1
1

plan a database
define and modify fields
define tables
create layouts
work with fields, objects, and parts on a layout

Note See Help for detailed, comprehensive information and step-by-step procedures about using
FileMaker Pro.

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

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

Typically, databases are organized in one of three ways:

1 A single table in a single file. Use a single table if you need to track data in one category only, such
as names and addresses.

1 Multiple tables in a single file. Use multiple tables if your data is more complex, such as students,
classes, and grades.

1 Multiple tables in multiple files. Use multiple files if you need to share the same data among several
different database solutions. For example, you can store your tax rates or shipping information in a
separate file if you plan to use that information in more than one solution.
Note Use relationships to share data between tables in the same file or with tables in external files. Other
database elements, such as scripts and access privileges, are stored at the file level; therefore, some
complex solutions will benefit from using multiple files.
5. Determine the database tables and the data they will include, and, in turn, which fields you will need.
Tip To make it easy to search and sort records, create separate fields for first and last name, titles, (like
Mr. or Dr.), and items in addresses (city, state or province, country, and postal code). Separating your
data into multiple fields at the time of data entry can make it easier to generate future reports. For
example, using separate fields to capture transaction details such as the date, item number, quantity, and
unit price of each transaction makes it easier to compile summary and subsummary reports at the end of
a week, month, or year.
6. Decide which fields will contain common data among the tables.
For example, a database for a travel agency might include these tables: a Clients table, which stores client
information; a Routes table, which stores route information; and a Tours table, which stores the tours and
their current prices.
A Clients table might have fields for a client identification number, and the client’s name, address and
phone number. A Routes table might have fields for a route identification number, the departure city, and
the destination city. A Tours table might have fields for a tour identification number and tour name.

Client ID
Client Name
Street

Route ID
Origin
Destination

City

Tour ID
Tour Name
Route ID
Origin

Postal Code

Destination

Phone
Tour ID
Tour Name
Clients table

Routes table

Tours table

Chapter 3

Creating databases

7. Determine the match fields for each table, and circle each one in your plan.
For more information, see “About match fields for relationships” on page 98.

Client ID
Client Name
Street

Route ID
Origin
Destination

Tour ID
Tour Name

City

Route ID

Postal Code

Origin

Phone

Destination

Tour ID
Tour Name
Clients table

Routes table

Tours table

For example, in the Clients table you might want to assign each client a unique, identifying number. You
wouldn’t enter a client identification number into the table unless you had a new client to add, so the
existence of a client number determines the existence of a record.
8. For each table, decide which fields will store data, and which ones will be used from other (related)
tables.
Each table has only one subject, and all fields in a table describe only that subject.
For example, the fields in one record of the Clients table together store all the information about one client.

Client ID
Client Name
Street

Route ID
Origin
Destination

Tour ID
Tour Name

City

Route ID

Postal Code

Origin

Phone

Destination

Tour ID
Tour Name
Clients table

Routes table

Tours table

Based on a table’s subject, you can see where it makes sense to store the data and where to use data from
a related table. Other than match fields, all fields should appear only once in your database. Cross out
occurrences of fields that don’t pertain to the table’s subject.

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

9. Determine the relationships between the tables. In your plan, draw a line from each match field in a table
to the corresponding match field in the related table.
What establishes a relationship between tables is that their match fields contain matching data.

Client ID
Client Name

Route ID

Street

Origin

City

Destination

Tour ID

Postal Code

Tour Name

Phone

Route ID

Tour ID

Origin

Tour Name

Destination

Clients table
Routes table
Tours table

Relationships also make it possible to group your data to resolve complex queries. For example,
relationships can be used to determine current inventory levels, sales projections, and other tasks where
it is necessary to query data across multiple tables. For more information about relationships, see
chapter 4, “Working with related tables and files.”
10. Determine whether you need to share your database with other users, and how they will access the file.
For more information about sharing databases, see “Sharing databases on a network” on page 109.
11. If you’re designing the database for other people to use, show them your paper plan and ask them to
review it and suggest any changes.
12. Consider who will use the database and whether you want to restrict access to it. When you create the
database, assign access privileges as needed.
For more information about accounts and privilege sets, see chapter 6, “Protecting databases.”
13. Decide what layouts you need, and plan a separate layout for each task.
For example, create separate layouts for printing labels or envelopes.
For more information about creating layouts, see “Creating layouts and reports” on page 70.
14. Create a form such as the one shown below to list the files and tables you need and the fields for each
table. Also list the forms and reports you will generate from each table.

Chapter 3

Creating databases

Sample Database Design Form
Project Name
Purpose of this database
Filename for this database
Table name
Field name

Field type

Comments

Field type

Comments

Table name
Field name

Layouts
Name

Purpose

Screen Print

Web

15. Create your database.
16. If you’ve designed the database for others to use, ask a few people to test it. Then, fix any problems they
found before you make the database available for everyone to use.

Creating a FileMaker Pro file
You can create a file from a FileMaker Pro Starter Solution, or template—a predefined database file that you
can modify to suit your needs. Or, you can create a file without using a template.
You can also create a file by making a copy of an existing FileMaker Pro file. See “Saving files” on page 20.

Creating a file using a Starter Solution
1. Choose File menu > New From Starter Solution.
You can also use the FileMaker Quick Start Screen to create files. Choose Help menu > Quick Start
Screen, then click Use a Starter Solution.
2. Select All Solutions to view a list of all available solution files, or choose a solution category to narrow
the list of choices.
If the FileMaker Quick Start Screen appears but there are no FileMaker Pro Starter Solutions displayed
in it, the Starter Solutions weren’t installed. For more information, see Help.
3. Select a solution from the list (Windows) or the group of thumbnails (Mac OS), then click Choose.
4. Type a name for the file (choose a different folder, if needed), then click Save.
Windows: For Save as type, select FileMaker Files.
FileMaker Pro creates the file on your disk and opens the file. You can modify fields and layouts in
Starter Solutions. For more information, see the remaining sections in this chapter.

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

Creating a blank, empty file
1. In FileMaker Pro, choose File menu > New Database.
You can also use the FileMaker Quick Start Screen to create a blank, empty file. Choose Help menu >
Quick Start Screen, then click Create a New Database.
2. Type a name for the file (choose a different folder, if needed), then click Save.
Windows: For Save as type, select FileMaker Files.
FileMaker Pro creates the file in Table View, displaying an empty database in a spreadsheet-like table.
Create field names by typing in
column headings

Add data to records
by typing in rows

3. To define the first field, click Create Field in the first column heading.
By default, FileMaker Pro creates a text field. If you want to change the field type, right-click the column
heading (or click the arrow at the right of the column heading) and choose a different field type. See
“About choosing a field type” on page 58.
If you cannot select column headings to create fields in Table View, confirm that the Include column
headers option is selected in the Table View Properties dialog box. For more information, see Help.
4. Type a name for the field.
For more information on naming fields, see “About naming fields” on page 57.
5. To create additional fields, click + in the column heading or click in the right margin.
A new column is added to the last column of the table.
6. To add the first record, click under the first column heading or click + in the left margin of the table.
7. Type the data for your record.
For information on tasks such as deleting, duplicating, and sorting records, see “Working with records
in Table View” on p. 28.
8. Continue adding fields and records to your database.
FileMaker Pro saves changes to your data as you work. To see how your data looks in other views, click
or List View
in the layout bar.
Form View
9. You can set field options such as validation or indexing when you define a field, or at a later time. For
more information, see “Setting options for fields” on page 65.

Chapter 3

Creating databases

The previous steps create a simple, one-table file. In Table View, you can only create and make changes to
fields in local files. However, you can create simple and complex files by choosing File menu > Manage >
Database and working in the Manage Database dialog box. For more information, see “Creating and
changing fields in the Manage Database dialog box” on page 59.
Keep these points in mind:

1 By default, choosing File menu > New Database displays an empty database in Table View. To change
the default setting and open the Manage Database dialog box whenever you create a new database,
choose Edit menu > Preferences (Windows) or FileMaker Pro menu > Preferences (Mac OS). In the
Preferences dialog box, click the General tab, then select Use Manage Database dialog to create files.
(Note that this option does not apply when you create a database using the Quick Start Screen. When you
create a database using the Quick Start Screen, Table View is the default.)

1 To prevent records from being sorted by a field when you click the column heading in Table View,
deselect Sort data when selecting column in the Table View Properties dialog box. For more information,
see Help.

1 You can prevent new fields that you create from being automatically placed on the current layout by
deselecting Add newly defined fields to current layout in the Preferences dialog box. For more
information, see Help.

About naming fields
Follow these guidelines when naming fields:

1 Field names must be unique. They can contain up to 100 characters.
1 Use descriptive names that clearly identify the contents of the field. Avoid abbreviations, acronyms, or
other terms that may cause confusion.

1 Don’t use any of the following symbols or words in the field name:
1 , (comma) + – * / ^ & = ≠ > < ≥ ≤ ( ) [ ] } " ; (semicolon) : (colon) :: (relational indicator) $ (variable
indicator)

1 AND, OR, XOR, NOT, or the name of any FileMaker Pro function
1 Don’t begin a field name to be used in a calculation formula with a space, period (.), or number.
1 Use _ (underscore) in place of a space to avoid restrictions in ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) or
JDBC (Java Database Connectivity), exporting, web publishing, and other operations.

1 If you’re exchanging data with another application, check the field naming restrictions in the file formats
supported by the other application.

1 If you’re using ODBC or JDBC to share FileMaker Pro data, avoid using SQL keywords in field names.

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

About choosing a field type
When you define a field, you select a field type based on the kind of information the field will contain. The
field type determines what kind of data can be entered and what kinds of operations FileMaker Pro can
perform with the data. FileMaker Pro uses the field type to interpret the data for tasks like sorting records
and performing calculations.
Select this
field type

If the field data will be

Text

Up to approximately 1 billion letters, symbols, and/or numbers used as text per field repetition, limited
by available RAM and disk space. Indexes nominally based on the first 100 characters of each word or
value. Text fields may contain carriage returns.

Number

Values up to 800 digits or other characters, and the negative values of the same range. Number fields can
also contain Boolean values (0 or 1), to indicate, for example, true, false, yes, and no. Number fields can’t
contain carriage returns.

Date

Dates only. Uses the Gregorian calendar with a range of 1/1/0001...12/31/4000. Month, day, and year
order is based on system settings when the file is created.

Time

Times only. A time field can contain the hours, minutes, and seconds portion of a time. A time field can
contain a negative time duration, for example,-08:40:00.

Timestamp

Dates and times to reference a fixed point in calendar time. For example, 10/25/2010 2:39:46 AM

Container

1
1
1
1

Graphics, movies, photos, bitmaps, sounds of up to 4 GB per field
Documents, including Microsoft Word or Excel files, PDF files, and so on
Multimedia file types supported by QuickTime 7.5
Software

Calculation

The result of a calculation formula that uses field values from the current record or related records. The
formula can use values of all field types. The result can be one of these types of data: text, number, date,
time, timestamp, or container.

Summary

A value that’s produced by summarizing field values from more than one record in the same table.

Sales Report
Agent

Item

Qty

Amount

David Michaels
David Michaels
David Michaels
David Michaels

ET3
ET4
ET1
ET5

1
1
2
3

$29.95
$32.25
$73.90
$98.85

Sophie Tang
Sophie Tang
Sophie Tang
Sophie Tang

ET6
ET7
ET2

2
5
2

Total

Total
Grand Total

$234.95
$64.50
$12.50
$25.00
$102.00
$336.95

Summary fields produce
results from values in
multiple records
Calculation fields produce results from values
in the current record or related records

Chapter 3

Creating databases

Keep these points in mind:

1 Any field type except summary can store a global value. For more information, see “About storage and
indexing options” on page 68.

1 Be sure to use a date field (instead of a text or number field) to store dates. To avoid confusion when using
dates, always use four-digit years.

1 Use text fields instead of number fields to store postal codes, phone numbers, and other values with
leading zeroes or characters like hyphens or parentheses.

1 Although you can’t find or sort records based on a container field, you can define a text field to describe or
identify the contents of the container. Then, you can find or sort records based on the data in that text field.

1 To change the way data is displayed in text, number, date, time, and timestamp fields, see “Formatting
field data on a layout” on page 85.

Creating and changing fields
To define a new field, you give it a name and select a field type. Then you select options that determine how the field
interprets, enters, calculates, stores, and displays data. These characteristics make up the field definition.
Product ID

ET14

Product Name

Jacket

Category

Clothing

Colors

Blue
Black

This field stores multiple values

Unit Price

$52.50

This field stores only numbers

Discount

$5.25

This field calculates a value based on
another value in the record
(“Discount” is 10% of “Unit Price”)

These fields store text

See “Formatting field data on a layout” on page 85 for information about setting options for field formats,
which control how data appears on a layout.

Creating and changing fields in the Manage Database dialog box
Important Changing the field type can permanently and irretrievably erase data.
1. With the database open, choose File menu > Manage > Database.
2. In the Manage Database dialog box, click the Fields tab.
Choose the way
fields are listed in
the dialog box

Click to sort by
field name or type
Field names
and definitions
Type a name for
a new field

Click after you type a field
name and select a field type

Select a
field type

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

3. If your file contains more than one table, select the appropriate table from the Table list.
You see tables from the current file and any related external files.
4. For the Field Name box, type a name for the field.
Or, to change a field’s name, select the field in the list, then type a new name in the Field Name box.
See “About naming fields” on page 57.
5. For Type, select a field type.
See “About choosing a field type” on page 58.
You can enter a description of the field in the Comment box.
For more information about creating calculation fields, see “Creating calculation fields” on page 61. For
more information about creating summary fields, see “Creating summary fields” on page 63.
6. Click Create if you’re creating a new field. If you’re changing the field, click Change.
7. To delete a field, select one or more fields that you want to delete, click Delete, then click Delete again.
Important Before you delete a field, confirm that you don’t need any of the data it contains.
8. To define options for the field, click Options.
For more information, see “Setting options for fields” on page 65.
To

Do this in the Options for Field dialog box

Automatically enter values into the
field

Click the Auto-Enter tab, select the options, then click OK. For more information, see
“Defining automatic data entry” on page 65.

Make sure data is entered into the
field correctly

Click the Validation tab, select the options, then click OK. See “Defining field
validation” on page 66.
Important To avoid confusion when using dates in FileMaker Pro, set field validation
options to make sure dates are always entered with four-digit years.

Make the field repeating

Click the Storage tab, then select Maximum number of repetitions. Type the number of
repetitions (up to 1000), then click OK. For more information, see Help.

Select options for indexing the field

Click the Storage tab, select the options, then click OK.

Make the field use one value for all
records in the file

Click the Storage tab, select Use global storage, then click OK.

Create a link between the “parent”
data field and the Furigana “child”
field, so that when you input Kanji
characters into the “parent” field, the
corresponding Kana reading appears
in the Furigana “child” field.

Click the Furigana tab, select Use Furigana Field, the Furigana field, and the Kana
reading input format, then click OK.
Note This option is available for text fields only, and if your operating system is
configured to support Japanese text entry.

9. Continue to define or change fields, or click OK.

Chapter 3

Creating databases

Creating and changing fields in Table View
Important Changing the field type can permanently and irretrievably erase data.
1. With the database open, in Browse mode, click Table View

in the layout bar.

2. Create new fields or change existing fields.
To

Do this in Table View

Create a field

To create the first field, click Create Field in the first column heading. To create
additional fields, click + in the column heading, or click in the right margin.

Change a field name

Double-click the column heading for the field you want to rename, then type the new
name. For more information, see “About naming fields” on page 57.

Choose a field type

Right-click the column heading, then choose an option for Field Type. For more
information about field types, see “About choosing a field type” on page 58.

Set field options

Right-click the column heading, then choose Field Options. For more information, see
“Setting options for fields” on page 65.

Delete a field

Right-click the column heading, then choose Delete Field.
Important Before you delete a field, confirm that you don’t need any of the data it contains.

Display more fields or hide fields

Click Modify in the layout bar and use the options in the Modify Table View dialog box.
Or, right-click a column heading, then choose Hide Field to hide the selected field.
To display an existing field in Table View, right-click the + column heading, then
choose a field from the list of existing fields.

For information on working with records in Table View (for example, adding, deleting, and sorting records),
see “Working with records in Table View” on page 29. For information about displaying data in Table View
(for example, reordering columns and setting column widths), see “Displaying data in Table View” on page 29.

Creating calculation fields
1. To create a calculation field, follow steps 1–5 in “Creating and changing fields in the Manage Database
dialog box” on page 59.
2. Choose Calculation as the field’s type, then click Create.
3. In the Specify Calculation dialog box, if necessary, for Evaluate this calculation from the context of,
choose a table from the list.
Setting the context for a calculation is only necessary when you’re creating a calculation field in a source
table that has two or more occurrences in the relationships graph. The source table is the table defined in
the Tables tab of the Manage Database dialog box. The choice you make may affect the calculation
results, particularly if your calculation will include fields in related tables.

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

4. Build a formula for your calculation.
Click where you want the item to appear in the formula box, then do the following. You can also type
the formula into the box.
To add a

Do this

Reference to a field

In the field list, double-click a field name.
To display field names from another table, choose a table from the table list.

Mathematical or text operator

In the keypad in the dialog box, click an operator. (Quotation marks and parentheses
are copied to the formula as a pair, with the insertion point blinking in the middle).

Comparison or logical operator, or an
exponent

For Operators, choose an operator from the list.

Constant value

Type the value. A constant can be text, number, date, or time. Use date constants with the
functions Date and GetAsDate, time constants with the functions Time and GetAsTime,
and timestamp constants with the functions Timestamp and GetAsTimestamp.
Text constants can be up to 29998 characters long.

Function

In the functions list, double-click a function (a predefined, named formula that
performs a specific calculation and returns a single, specific value). In the formula box,
replace the placeholder parameter with a value or expression.

Procedures for working with formulas and a reference to all FileMaker Pro functions (organized
alphabetically or by category) are available in Help.
5. Select calculation options for the field.
Choose the table from which the
calculation will be evaluated
Select mathematical
and text operators

Select comparison and logical operators
Choose the way
functions are listed
in the dialog box

Choose a table
from the list
Choose field
references

Select
functions

Formula box
Choose a formula
result type
Click to display online
Help on defining
calculations

Choose indexing
and storage options

Calculate only if at least
one field in the formula has
a value

Make the calculated
field repeating

Chapter 3

Creating databases

Do this

Set the field type of the result

Choose a data type for Calculation result is . Choose the correct type for the
result you want. See “About choosing a field type” on page 58.

Make a calculated field repeating

Select Number of repetitions, then type the number of repetitions.

Prevent calculation if all referenced
fields are empty

Select Do not evaluate if all referenced fields are empty.
When enabled, FileMaker Pro does not evaluate a calculation if all fields used by the
calculation are empty.

6. To select indexing and global storage options for the field, click Storage Options, select options in the
Storage Options dialog box, then click OK.
7. Click OK to close the Specify Calculation dialog box.
8. Continue to define fields, or click OK.
Note If your FileMaker Pro file accesses data from external ODBC data sources, you can add supplemental fields
to specify calculations using external data. For more information, see “Using supplemental fields” on page 65.
For more information about creating or changing calculation fields or the use of context in calculations, see Help.

Creating summary fields
Use summary fields to calculate values such as subtotals, averages, and grand totals across multiple records.
For example, a summary field can display in a report the grand total of all sales in the month of May.
Use the New Layout/Report assistant to create a report with grouped data (data in a summary field). See
“Creating layouts and reports” on page 70.
Tip You can use Table View in Browse mode to quickly create a dynamic report that groups your data by a
field, displays subtotals for a field, or creates subtotals for each group of data. For more information, see Help.
The value in a summary field can change depending on where you place the field on a layout, how many
records are in the found set, whether the records are sorted, and which mode you’re using.
If you’re modifying a layout that contains a summary field, you must know about layout parts to get the
results you want (see “Working with parts on a layout” on page 90).
1. To create a summary field, follow steps 1–5 in “Creating and changing fields in the Manage Database
dialog box” on page 59.
2. Choose Summary as the field’s type, then click Create.
3. In the Options for Summary Field dialog box, select a summary type, then select the name of the field
you want to group by.
Select this type of
summary

To summarize values in a field in the found set of records by

Total of

Calculating the total of values in the field

Average of

Calculating the average of values in the field

Count of

Counting the number of records that contain a value for the field. For example, if a field
contains 100 values (one value for each record), the result of the count is 100.

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

Select this type of
summary

To summarize values in a field in the found set of records by

Minimum

Finding the lowest number, or the earliest date, time, or timestamp for a field

Maximum

Finding the highest number, or the latest date, time, or timestamp for a field

Standard Deviation of

Finding how widely the values in a field differ from each other. This option calculates the
standard deviation from the mean of the values in a field. (The formula is n-1 weighted,
following the normal standard deviation.)

Fraction of Total of

Calculating the ratio of the value in the field to the total of all the values in that field. For
example, find what fraction of total sales can be attributed to each salesperson.

Choose a
summary type

Choose the field
you want to
group by

Select an
option for the
summary type
Restart the
total or count

Select an option for summarizing repetitions

4. Select an option, if applicable, for the summary type.
Options change according to the summary type you select in the previous step.
For this summary type Select

Total of

Running total

Average of

Weighted average. In the list of fields that Determine the average in one field based on a value
appears, select the field that contains the in another field that’s used as a weight factor
weight factor

Count of

Running count

Show the cumulative count of the current and all
previous records. To restart the running count for
each sorted group, also select Restart summary for
each sorted group. Then, from the fields list, select
the field that the sort will be restarted from.

Standard Deviation of

by population

Calculate population standard deviation, where the
formula is n-weighted

Fraction of Total of

Subtotaled. In the list of fields that
Calculate a fraction of the total based only on a
appears, select a field to group by. (When group of records
you return to Browse mode, sort by this
field to calculate the value correctly.)

Show the cumulative total for the current and all
previous records. To restart the running total for each
sorted group, also select Restart summary for each
sorted group. Then, from the fields list, select the
field that the sort will be restarted from.

5. Select an option, if applicable, for summarizing a repeating field.
Select

All together

Calculate a single summary value for all repetitions in the field

Individually

Calculate a summary value for each repetition

Chapter 3

Creating databases

6. Click OK.
7. Continue to define fields, or click OK.
Note If your FileMaker Pro file accesses data from external ODBC data sources, you can add supplemental
fields to specify summary fields for external data. For more information, see the next section.

Using supplemental fields
If your FileMaker Pro file accesses data from external ODBC data sources, you can use supplemental fields
to display unstored calculation and summary results using ODBC data. Because you can’t use
FileMaker Pro to change the schema of an external ODBC database, supplemental fields are the only fields
you can add to external tables.
For information about how to access and work with SQL data interactively, see “Working with external data
sources” on page 120. For more information about using supplemental fields, see Help.

Setting options for fields
You can set field options when you define a field, or at a later time. You can set options for:

1
1
1
1
1
1

entering default data into a field
checking data against validation requirements
making a repeating field
creating an index
storing a global value
Furigana fields (Japanese language fields only)

Some field options help ensure the accuracy and consistency of your data. For example, if you type Frnc
instead of France into the Country field, you won’t find that record when you later search for all customers
from France. To be sure that all country names are entered correctly, you can define a value list containing
the names, then select the Member of value list validation option for the Country field. When you enter data
into the field, the data must match a value in the list.
You can set field options while you’re working in Table View, Form View, or List View.
For more information on value lists, see “Setting up checkbox sets and other controls on a layout” on
page 83. To set options for summary fields, see “Creating summary fields” on page 63.

Defining automatic data entry
To automatically enter a default value into a field for each record:
1. With the database open, do one of these:

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

4. In the fields list, double-click a field that you want to define.
5. In the Options for Field dialog box, click the Auto-Enter tab and select options. (The available options
depend on the field type.)
To

Do this

Enter a date, time, timestamp, user name, or account Select Creation or Modification, then choose an option from the list.
name when the record is created or modified
Assign a sequential number to the field in each
record

Select Serial number. Select On creation to assign the number when a
record is created. Select On commit to assign the number when the
record is committed. For next value, type a starting value (for example,
1001), then type the number to increment by.

Enter the value from the previously accessed record Select Value from last visited record.
Enter data you specify

Select Data, then type up to 255 characters.

Enter the result of a calculation in the field

Select Calculated value, define the formula in the Specify Calculation
dialog box, then click OK. For more information about the Specify
Calculation dialog box, see “Creating calculation fields” on page 61.
Select Do not replace existing value of field (if any) to prevent
overwriting data already present.

Enter a value that’s copied from a field in the same
or a different table or file

Select Looked-up value, define the lookup, then click OK. See “Creating
lookups” on page 106.

Prevent users from changing an automatically
entered value

Select Prohibit modification of value during data entry.

Turn off automatically entered data

Clear all selected checkboxes.

Click Auto-Enter

Select options for
entering default
data in the field

6. Click OK to close the Options for Field dialog box, or click another tab to set additional field options.

Defining field validation
You can select field validation options to ensure that data is entered into the field correctly. FileMaker Pro displays a
message if you enter data incorrectly.
Important To avoid confusion when using dates in FileMaker Pro, set date field validation options to make
sure dates are always entered with four-digit years.

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1. With the database open, do one of these:

1 If you’re working in Table View, right-click the field name, then choose Field Options. Then skip to step 5.
1 Choose File menu > Manage > Database.
2. In the Manage Database dialog box, click the Fields tab.
3. If your file contains more than one table, select the appropriate table from the Table list.
4. In the fields list, double-click a field you want to define.
5. In the Options for Field dialog box, click the Validation tab.
6. Specify how FileMaker Pro handles an invalid entry.
For Validation options for this field, select Always for ongoing field validation, or Only during data entry
to limit validation to instances when data is being entered. Deselect Allow user to override during data
entry if you want to prevent users from entering invalid data.
7. Select validation options for the field.
To require that the entered value

Select

Contains only numbers

Strict data type, then choose Numeric Only from the list

Is a date containing numeric values for the month and day, and Strict data type, then choose 4-Digit Year Date from the list
four digits for the year (for example, 5/12/2010)
Is a time containing numeric values for hours and minutes
between 00:00 and 23:59 (seconds are optional)

Strict data type, then choose Time of Day from the list

Is not blank

Not empty

Does not duplicate a value found in this field in other records Unique value
Matches another value in the same field in any other record

Existing value

Matches a value in a specified value list

Member of value list, then choose an existing value list or
define a new one

Is within a specific range of letters, numbers, dates, or times

In range, then type the beginning and ending values

Matches the result of a calculation

Validated by calculation, then enter a calculation in the
Specify Calculation dialog box. Select or clear Validate only if
field has been modified. Then click OK.
The result must be Boolean—true or false. The result is true
when the result is any number except zero; any other result
(zero, no data, or non-numeric data) is false.
For more information about the Specify Calculation dialog
box, see “Creating calculation fields” on page 61.

Does not exceed the specified number of characters

Maximum number of characters, then type the maximum
number of characters allowed

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

Click Validation

Select validation
options for the field

8. To display a custom message when the data doesn’t meet the validation requirements, select Display custom
message if validation fails, then type up to 255 characters.
9. Click OK to close the Options for Field dialog box, or click another tab to set additional field options.
For more information, see Help.

About storage and indexing options
FileMaker Pro provides options for indexing fields and for storing the results of calculations. You can:

1 Create an index, which is a list of the values stored in a field. An index greatly speeds searches, but takes up space on
your disk. You can index text, number, date, time, and timestamp fields. You can also index calculation fields if the
results are text, numbers, dates, times, or timestamps.

1 Store the result of a calculation field in your database, or you can tell FileMaker Pro to perform the
calculation only when needed (unstored). Storing the result is faster but takes up more space on the disk.
You can specify storage options for text, number, date, time, timestamp, and calculation fields.

1 Set any field (except summary fields) to share one value across all records in a file if you select Use global
storage in the Storage tab of the Options for Field dialog box. Fields defined with global storage are also
referred to as global fields.

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Creating databases

Click Storage
Select the
storage option
for the field

For more information about setting field options, see Help.

Creating database tables
Use database tables to organize and group your data by a common characteristic or principle. Your database
can contain as many tables as you need to organize your data.
In addition to storing data, FileMaker Pro uses tables to describe relationships in the relationships graph, and
establish the context for layouts and some calculations. In FileMaker Pro, context is the starting point from
which calculations and scripts are begun and from which a relationship is evaluated in the relationships graph.
When you create a new file, FileMaker Pro automatically creates the first table and the first layout. The table
and the layout are given the same name as the file.
You create additional tables in the Manage Database dialog box.
1. With the database open, choose File menu > Manage > Database.
2. In the Manage Database dialog box, click the Tables tab.

Type a name
for the table

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

3. In the Table Name box, type a name for the table, then click Create.
The table can be renamed or deleted. Tables you add to a file are automatically displayed in the
relationships graph.
4. Continue to define tables, or click the Fields tab to define fields.
For information about relationships, tables, and the relationships graph, see chapter 4, “Working with
related tables and files.”

Creating layouts and reports
FileMaker Pro layouts determine how information is organized for viewing, printing, reporting, finding, and
entering data. Layouts don’t store your data—they just display it. Layouts are sometimes called reports,
especially when printed.
You can create as many layouts as you need for a file (for example, layouts for entering data, reporting
summaries, or printing mailing labels). You can change a layout’s design without affecting the data or other
layouts for the file. Layouts can include certain fields and exclude others.When you change the data in a field
(in Browse mode), the changes are reflected in the same field for the same record on all the layouts in the file.
Layout pop-up menu

Parts: use headers,
footers, the body, and
summaries to divide a
layout into special
purpose areas

Buttons: use to automate frequent tasks

Layout text: use for
titles, column headings,
field labels, instructions,
and form letters

Fields: use for entering
and displaying data

Mode pop-up menu

When you create a database file (without using one of the database template files shipped with
FileMaker Pro), FileMaker Pro automatically creates a layout for the initial table in the file, and for each
newly added table that contains fields.

Chapter 3

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Tab controls are a useful way of organizing data. For example, in a personnel database, you could create tab
panels for the employee’s photo, job description, and financial information. To create a tab control, in Layout
mode, choose Insert menu > Tab Control or click the Tab Control tool. For more information, see Help.

Tab Control tool
Click to move to another tab panel

Tab control

You create additional layouts by switching to Layout mode and using the New Layout/Report assistant, a
wizard that guides you through creating a layout according to options you choose. Use the different layout
types for various purposes, like displaying a data entry screen or printing a totaled sales report or mailing
labels. You can customize each layout by using the design tools that are available in Layout mode.
Important FileMaker Pro considers the selected printer, and print or page setup information when it
calculates margins and other measurements on the layout. Printer and print settings depend on the printer
and system software you’re using. Refer to your printer and system documentation for more information.
Keep the following points in mind:

1 It is usually easier to create the fields you want to include on a layout before you begin the New Layout/
Report assistant (see “Creating and changing fields” on page 59). However, you can also create fields
within the New Layout/Report assistant.

1 Before you begin, if you intend to print the new layout in landscape orientation or on a special paper size,
in Browse or Layout mode, choose File menu > Print Setup (Windows) or File menu > Page Setup
(Mac OS), confirm the orientation and paper settings, then click OK. Modified Print Setup and Page Setup
settings affect all other layouts in the current file, so you may need to change these settings later to print
other layouts properly.

1 You can easily manage the layouts and layout folders in your database using the Manage Layouts dialog
box. For example, add, delete, and duplicate layouts and folders, open multiple layouts, and change the
order in which layouts and folders appear in the Layout pop-up menu. For more information, see Help.

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

To create a layout:
1. In Browse mode, choose File menu > Manage > Layouts, and click New. In Layout mode, click New
Layout/Report in the status toolbar.
You see the New Layout/Report assistant, a series of panels that assist you with creating the type of
layout you choose in the first panel.
2. If the file has multiple tables, select the table from which you want records displayed in this layout and
give the layout a name.
3. Follow the onscreen instructions to create the type of layout you chose in the first panel.
For a description of each of the layout types you can create with the assistant, see the next section, “About
layout types.”
4. When you have completed the series of panels, click Finish.
You can use the new layout right away, or further customize it using the tools and commands in Layout
mode. For more information, see “Working with objects on a layout” on page 77 and “Working with fields
on a layout” on page 81.

About layout types
The following sections describe each of the layouts that you can create with the New Layout/Report assistant.
Standard form
A Standard Form layout is a good choice for data entry or onscreen browsing. It contains the fields you
select, each on a separate line, in the order you specify, with field labels to the left of the fields. In Browse
mode, you see one record, or form, at a time (unless you switched from Form View).

Field
labels

Fields you defined, in the
order they appear in the
Clients table in the Manage
Database dialog box

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Creating databases

Table view
A Table view layout contains the fields you select displayed in a grid in the order you specify from left to
right. Field names are the column headings.
If you choose the Table view layout type, the layout is automatically created with Table View as the default
view for displaying the layout in Browse mode. Table View is one of three views available for any layout in
FileMaker Pro; the other views are Form View and List View. Table View provides a view of your data in a
spreadsheet-like format that allows you to quickly rearrange fields, add or delete records, or define fields in
Browse mode. For example, you can quickly reorder, resize, or sort columns (fields) with just a mouse click
(if those options are set). For more information about Table View, see “Working with data in Table View”
on page 29.
You can also view summary data in Table View, which lets you group your data by one or more columns
(fields) and check subtotals for each group of grand totals for the table. The summary results recalculate and
update in real-time when you change data values in Table View. For more information on creating dynamic
reports, see Help.

List view
A List view layout contains the fields you select, in the order you specify from left to right across the page,
with field names as column headings. This layout is good for viewing or printing multiple records in rows
(a list of records). If there are many fields, columns will extend beyond the right page margin of the layout.
To prevent this, you can constrain columns to the page width.
In the assistant, you can choose to:

1 add header and footer parts with static text (like your company's name), dynamic text (like the page
number or current date), or a graphic (like your company logo)

1 group records by sorting
1 save information in a script to rerun the report (for example, switch to the report layout, sort the data, and
pause to let you preview the report)
You can modify any of these options after you complete the assistant.

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

Report
A Report layout lets you set up a report with grouped data and optional totals and subtotals. For example,
you can group sales data by region, then subtotal—or subsummarize—sales for each region, and add a grand
total. As with a List view layout, you can add header or footer parts and save information in a script.
For more information about Report layouts, see Help.
Blank layout
Use a Blank layout as the starting point for a layout that you create entirely from scratch, for example, a
complex data entry screen. You add the fields and other objects you want on the layout in Layout mode.
For more information about creating layouts and reports, see Help.
Labels
Use a Labels layout to arrange fields you select to print on one of the predefined standard label sizes.
(FileMaker Pro includes the dimensions of a large number of standard label types.) If the label type you want
isn’t available, you can specify custom label dimensions.
With the Vertical Labels layout, Asian and full-width characters are rotated so that labels can be used vertically.
For information about vertical writing, see “Formatting fields and text for vertical writing” on page 89.

For more information about creating a Labels layout and printing labels, see “Printing labels and envelopes”
on page 45.
Vertical labels
A Vertical labels layout is like the Labels layout, except that Asian and full-width characters are rotated so
that labels may be used vertically. For more information on vertical writing format, see “Formatting fields
and text for vertical writing” on page 89.

Chapter 3

Creating databases

Envelope
Use an Envelope layout to print the fields you select, arranged to print on a standard “Number 10” business envelope.

For more information about creating an Envelope layout and printing on envelopes, see “Printing labels and
envelopes” on page 45.

Setting up a layout to print records in columns
You can set up a layout to print (or preview) records in columns, for example, for a directory of names and
addresses. This is in contrast to a List view layout, which arranges fields in columns.
When you set up records to print in columns, all the field values (and labels, if specified) for one record are
printed together in a block (much like on a label), then all the values for the next record are printed together,
and so on. You only see multiple columns in Layout and Preview modes and when you print (not in Browse
mode or Find mode).
You can choose to arrange columns across the page or down the page.

Down first

Across first

Setting up columns in a layout
1. Choose a printer, and print or page setup options.
FileMaker Pro considers the selected printer, and print or page setup information when it calculates
margins and other measurements on the layout.
2. In Layout mode, create a layout or choose a layout from the Layout pop-up menu.
It’s easiest to start with a Blank layout or a layout with no objects in the body part.
3. Choose Layouts menu > Layout Setup.

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

4. In the Layout Setup dialog box, click the Printing tab, select Print in columns, select options for
the columns, then click OK.
To

Do this

Specify the number of columns

For Print in columns, type a number between 1 and 99.

Arrange records to flow across the page first (left to right, Select Across first.
a row at a time)
Use this option for reports like labels, to use the fewest number of
rows and preserve label stock.
Arrange records to flow down the page first (top to
bottom, a column at a time)

Select Down first.
Use this option for reports like directories, where you read from top
to bottom, column by column.

5. On the layout, you see vertical lines indicating columns.
6. Place or arrange fields and other layout objects so they are contained within the sample column on the left.
Use merge fields or fields or objects with sliding enabled to fit more data into the width of a column.
With either of these two features, fields can extend into the gray area of the second column, and blank
space in fields is eliminated when you view or print data.
Sample column

Manually resize column
widths by dragging

Changing the width of columns
The initial width of each column is calculated based on the paper size, orientation, and any margins you have
set. To change the width of columns, do one of the following:
To

Do this

Interactively adjust the width of the
columns

Drag the right column boundary (the vertical dashed line at the right edge of the sample
column). If you widen the column, you see a medium-gray area that indicates a “gutter”
area that won’t print.

Precisely measure and adjust the width Click Inspector
in the layout bar. Click Position. Position the pointer over the right
column boundary, hold down the mouse button (be careful not to drag the column width),
of the columns
and read the column Width value in the Size area.

If you change the number of columns, FileMaker Pro adjusts the width of the columns to fit within the width
of the paper size you have defined, not including fixed margins. You may need to readjust fields to fit within
the sample column.
For more information about setting up a layout to print records, see Help.

Chapter 3

Creating databases

Working with objects on a layout
An object is a discrete element—a field, text, a graphic object (such as an oval or imported picture), a button,
a portal (for displaying rows of related records), a tab control, a chart, or a web viewer—that you can select,
move, resize, delete, copy, format, or otherwise change. Place objects on a layout to enhance its design.
For each type of object you work with, you use specific tools from the status toolbar.

Status toolbar in Layout mode (Windows)

Status toolbar in Layout mode (Mac OS)

Note If you don’t see the status toolbar at the top of the document window, the status toolbar might be
at the bottom-left
hidden. Make sure you’re in Layout mode, then click the status toolbar control button
corner of the document window (or choose View menu > Status Toolbar).

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

Using the Inspector to format objects
In Layout mode, you can use the Inspector to view and modify the settings for objects. Each tab focuses on a
different aspect of formatting. Hold your pointer over options in each tab to see a description of what they do.
To open the Inspector:

1 Click Inspector
in the layout bar.
1 Choose View menu > Inspector.
Click the tabs to format
different aspects of an object

Enter settings for an object’s
position on the layout

Anchor the object to the top,
bottom, left, or right side of the
window (in Browse or Find
mode) or the left or right (in
Preview mode or when printing)

Select settings for an object’s
relative position, and for
resizing an object

Select settings for
printing and
previewing objects

You can open multiple Inspector windows to make it easier to work on a layout. For example, display the
Data tab of an Inspector window and the Appearance tab of another Inspector window to have access to the
options on each tab. To open another Inspector window, choose View menu > New Inspector.
For more information about using the Inspector, see Help.

Using the Inspector to position objects
Use the Inspector to precisely position or size objects on a layout. Or you can set objects to automatically resize
or move horizontally or vertically when the FileMaker Pro window is resized. Horizontal settings also apply
to Preview mode and printing when the page size is wider than the size of the layout being viewed or printed.
When layout objects are set to resize, they maintain a constant distance from the object to which they are
anchored. This allows objects to move, expand, or contract when the FileMaker Pro window is resized.
Anchor points are either the layout margin or the container margin in which an object resides. By default,
objects are anchored on both the top and left side of the layout or page.

Chapter 3

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Precisely positioning or sizing objects
1. In Layout mode, select one or more objects.
For more information, see “Selecting objects” on page 80.
2. Click Inspector

in the layout bar, then click Position.

3. In the Position area, type a new value into one of the fields.
Note To change the unit of measure, choose Layouts menu > Set Rulers. In the Set Rulers dialog box,
for Units, choose a unit of measure, then click OK.
4. Type a new value in one of the following fields.
Field

Indicates

Name

The name of the selected object (optional). You can assign names to objects and grouped objects.
Some script steps and functions use these names to specify which object to act upon. For more
information, see Help.

Left

The distance from the left edge of the selection to the left edge of the layout.

Top

The distance from the top of the selection to the top of the layout.

Right

The distance from the right edge of the selection to the left edge of the layout.

Bottom

The distance from the bottom of the selection to the top of the layout.

Width

The object's width.

Height

The object's height.

If you can't type a value, that field doesn't make sense for the selected object (for example, a horizontal
line doesn't have a height), or the selection is locked.
5. Press Enter or Tab, or click outside the Inspector to apply the changes.
Allowing objects to resize or move on the layout
When layout objects are set to resize, they maintain a constant distance from the object to which they are
anchored. This allows objects to move, expand, or contract when the FileMaker Pro window is resized.
Anchor points are either the layout margin or the container margin in which an object resides. By default,
objects are anchored on both the top and left sides of the layout or page.
To allow objects to resize or move when the FileMaker Pro window is resized:
1. In Layout mode, select one or more objects on the layout.
For more information, see “Selecting objects” on page 80.
2. Click Inspector

in the layout bar, then click Position.

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

3. In the Autosizing area, select the line that indicates the side of the object that you want anchored to the
layout or container.

Select the line for the
side of the object you
want anchored

Note Objects located in containers on layouts (such as fields located in tab panels or portals) do not inherit
resize settings from their container.
Important Multiple objects positioned side-by-side or stacked vertically and anchored to both left and right
margins or both top and bottom margins move or resize relative to the window or container margin, not each
other. Therefore, adjacent objects will not maintain a relative distance from one another and may overlap
when the window is resized.
For more information about setting objects to resize, see Help.

Selecting objects
To work with an object on a layout, select it in Layout mode. You see small black squares, or handles, at the
corners of the selected object.
Handles appear at the corners
of a selected object

Note If an object’s selection handles are gray instead of black, the object is locked.
To select an object, click the selection tool
Then do one of the following.

in the status toolbar. The pointer becomes an arrow pointer.

To select

In Layout mode, do this

One object

With the arrow pointer, click the object. (If the object is transparent, click its border.)

Several objects at once

Drag the arrow pointer to make a selection box that completely surrounds the objects. (If you press
Ctrl (Windows) or 2 (Mac OS) while dragging, the selection box does not have to completely
surround the objects.)
Or, press Shift as you click each object individually.

All objects on the layout

Choose Edit menu > Select All.

All objects of the same type Click the tool for the type of object to select, then choose Edit menu > Select All. This method does
(for example, all text objects not select buttons.
or all rectangles)
Or, with the arrow pointer, click a field, press Shift (Windows) or Option (Mac OS), and choose Edit
menu > Select All (Windows) or Select Same (Mac OS).
All fields

With the arrow pointer, click a field, press Shift (Windows) or Option (Mac OS), and choose Edit
menu > Select All (Windows) or Select Same (Mac OS).

A portal

With the arrow pointer, click the border of the portal, or any other area within the portal that doesn’t
contain a field or object.

Tab controls, tab panels,
and objects in tab panels

See Help for information on creating and working with tab controls.

Deselect selected objects

Click a blank area of the layout or any tool in the status toolbar. Or, press Shift and click selected objects.

For more information about working with objects on a layout, see Help.

Chapter 3

Creating databases

Working with fields on a layout
After you create a layout, you can place fields on it, remove fields you don’t want displayed, determine
control settings for data entered in fields, and determine the format in which you want data displayed.
Fields on a layout are objects, which you can select, move, resize, and reshape. In Layout mode, each field
displays its field name, formatted with its attributes for font, size, style, alignment, line spacing, and color.
All fields except container fields display text baselines to indicate where the data appears in Browse mode
and to help you align fields with each other.

Field label
Fields display
field names
Text baseline

Keep these points in mind:

1 A field that doesn’t appear on a layout still exists in the database, and its data can be used in calculations
and summaries.

1 To set the default formatting, appearance, and behavior of a field, choose options with no fields selected.
FileMaker Pro applies these defaults to all fields added later. See “Formatting field data on a layout” on
page 85, “Allowing or preventing entry into fields” on page 90, and Help. You can also specify options
individually for each field.

Placing and removing fields on a layout
You can place a field anywhere on any layout, as many times as you want. (You can place only fields that
you’ve defined. See “Creating and changing fields” on page 59.)
You get different results by placing the same field in different locations on the layout. For example:

1 Add the same summary field to a subsummary part to calculate totals for each group of sorted records,
and to a grand summary part to get totals for all the records in a table.

1 Add a field to the header or footer part to repeat data from the first record or the last record on the page
as a header or footer. (For example, add a Last Name field to the header in a directory.)

1 Add the same related field directly on a layout to see the field’s value in the first related record, or inside
a portal to see values from more than one related record. (A portal is a layout object that displays records
from related tables.)

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

Placing a field on a layout
1. In Layout mode, choose the layout you want to work with from the Layout pop-up menu.
2. Do one of the following:

1 Drag a field from the Field tool

in the status toolbar to the position you want it on the layout. As
you drag the field onto the layout, you see a border and text baselines to help you align the field with
other objects on the layout. Release the mouse button when the field is where you want it.
The field’s border and baselines appear
as you drag the fields onto the layout.

Field tool

1 To add and resize a field, click the Field/Control tool

in the status toolbar. Drag the crosshair to

draw the field.

1 To display field data in a drop-down list, pop-up menu, checkbox set, radio button set, or drop-down
calendar, click the arrow next to the Field/Control tool
(Windows) or click and hold the Field/Control
tool
(Mac OS), then select the type of field or control to add to the layout. Drag the crosshair to draw
the field. To format and choose a value list for the field, see “Setting up checkbox sets and other controls
on a layout” on page 83.
Note If you're placing a related field in a portal, position it in the first row of the portal. Make sure each
field in the portal is from the same related table from which the portal is set up to display records. For
more information, see Help.
3. In the Specify Field dialog box, select the field to place.
To place a field from
another table, choose
the table
Select the
field to add

Select to use the field
name as the field label

To choose a field in another table, choose the table from the table list above the list of fields. Then select
a field from the fields list. Or choose Manage Database in the table list to create a relationship or table
(see “Creating relationships” on page 103).
4. To include the field name as text on the layout, select Create label.
5. Click OK.
You see the field name in the field on the layout unless you have chosen to display sample data from the
current record (by choosing View menu > Show > Sample Data). Fields from related tables appear as
::Field Name (preceded by two colons).

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Replacing a field with another field
In Layout mode, double-click the field, then select another field name in the Specify Field dialog box and click OK.
Removing a field from a layout
In Layout mode, click the field to select it, then press Backspace or Delete, or choose Edit menu > Clear.
Removing a field from a layout does not delete the field or its data from your database.

Setting up checkbox sets and other controls on a layout
You can format fields to display as drop-down lists, pop-up menus, checkboxes, radio buttons, and dropdown calendars. You can also format fields to auto-complete by suggesting possible matches as the user
types data in the field. All of these options aid in data entry.
To set up a field to display a pop-up menu, checkbox set, or other control:
1. In Layout mode, select the field.

1 If the field isn’t already on the layout, see “Placing and removing fields on a layout” on page 81.
1 If the field hasn’t been defined yet, choose File menu > Manage > Database to define a new field.
2. Click Inspector

in the layout bar, then click Data.

3. In the Field area, choose the Control style you want:

1
1
1
1
1
1

Edit box
Drop-down list
Pop-up menu
Checkbox set
Radio button set
Drop-down calendar

For example, use a radio button set to display a value list of frequently used text, number, date, or time
values. During data entry, users can choose from the defined values rather than type the values.
Country
Choose from a list of
values during data entry
Value list attached to Country field

When you choose different control styles, you see different options in the Inspector.
4. Choose the value list you want from the Values from list.
To create a value list, see Help.
5. If you selected Drop-down list for the Control style, you can format the appearance of the list by selecting
Include arrow to show and hide list.
An arrow control appears in the edit box. Users click the arrow or press Esc to show or hide the dropdown list.

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

6. To allow users to enter values other than those defined by the value list, select Allow editing of value list.
This option is not available if you selected Checkbox set or Radio button set or if the value list you
selected in step 4 uses values from a field.
7. To choose the field to display data from, click the icon next to Display data from.
8. In the Specify Field dialog box, select the field to display data from.
To include the field name as text on the layout, select Create label.
9. Press Enter or Tab, or click outside the Inspector to apply the changes.
10. To set up fields to suggest possible matches as the user types data in the field, select Auto-complete
using value list. or Auto-complete using previously entered values.
Note Auto-complete only works with text fields.
11. Click OK.
For more information on defining value lists and using auto-complete, see Help.

Deciding where to place related fields
You can place related fields directly on layouts or in portals.

1 Directly on layouts: Place related fields directly on a layout to display data from the first related record,
even when there are more than one related records that matches the criteria of the relationship. (The first
related record that’s displayed is determined by whether the relationship specifies a sort order. For more
information, see “Creating relationships” on page 103.)

1 In portals: Place related fields within a portal on a layout to display data from all related records that
match the criteria of the relationship. For examples of when to place related fields in portals, see Help.
Note Before placing related fields on a layout, you should understand the concepts presented in chapter 4,
“Working with related tables and files.”

About merge fields
Use merge fields to combine field data and text in documents like form letters, labels, envelopes, or
contracts. You create merge fields in text blocks, which allows you to use static text and field data together.
Merge fields shrink or expand to fit the amount of text in the field for each record. For example:

1 When the merge field <> is between the text Dear and a colon, (as in Dear <>:), FileMaker Pro displays Dear Charles: in Browse mode or Preview mode if the First Name
field contains Charles.

1 When a merge field is on a line by itself (such as an empty Address Line 2 field in a mailing label),
FileMaker Pro removes the blank line from the text block.
FileMaker Pro uses merge fields to create Labels and Envelope layouts.
Note You can also use a merge variable to display data. For more information, see Help.

Chapter 3

Creating databases

Formatting field data on a layout
Use FileMaker Pro field formats to control how data appears on a layout. The formats you specify don’t
change the data as it’s stored in the database, and you can specify different formats each time you place a
field on a layout (whether it’s on the same layout or a different layout). For example, if you enter –5123
into a number field, you can format it in one place to display as –$5,123.00 and in another place as <5123>.
FileMaker Pro applies field formatting in the following precedence:

1 If you don’t specify formats, FileMaker Pro displays numbers, dates, and times based on the system
formats set in the Regional and Language Options control panel (Windows) or the International pane in
the System Preferences (Mac OS) when the file was created.

1 In FileMaker Pro, you can specify display formats for text, number, date, time, timestamp, or container
fields with no objects selected. FileMaker Pro applies these default formats to fields you place on layouts
later. For number, date, time, and timestamp fields, these display formats override the system formats.
Specifying text formats for fields
In Layout mode, you can specify a set of text character attributes for each field. All the characters in that
instance of the field (including all repetitions of repeating fields) share the same font, size, style, color, line
spacing, tab, and paragraph settings.
Note You can also format characters in text fields in Browse mode (for example, italicize or underline a
word for emphasis). Unlike text formatting specified in Layout mode, this formatting is stored with the data,
and you see it in any layout that displays that field.
1. In Layout mode, select one or more fields.
Or, to set text formats for fields you place later, start with no fields selected.
2. Click Inspector

in the layout bar, then click Appearance.

3. Select the formats you want to use.
Use the Text area to format the style, size, font, or color of the text or make text highlighted, bold, italic,
or underlined. Use the Paragraph area to set paragraph alignment, indenting, and line spacing for fields.
Use the Tabs section to position and align tab stops, and create a leader character to fill the width of the
tab indention.

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

Specify font, style, size,
and color

Highlight text

Set vertical and
horizontal alignment,
line spacing, and
paragraph indents

Set tab position
and alignment

Type a character to
fill across to the tab

4. Press Enter or Tab, or click outside the Inspector to apply the changes.
For more information about specifying text formats for fields, see Help.
Specifying formats for fields containing numbers
You can control how FileMaker Pro displays the values in number fields, calculation fields with numeric
results, and summary fields.
1. In Layout mode, select one or more fields that display numeric values.
2. Click Inspector

in the layout bar, then click Data.

3. In the Data Formatting area, click Number

4. Select the number format you want to use from the Format list, then select additional formats for the
number field.
The options that appear depend on the format you choose.

Chapter 3

Creating databases

Choose options for
Boolean or decimal
numbers, currency,
and percent

Set options for
currency and
negative values

Set options for displaying different
Japanese numeral types

5. Press Enter or Tab, or click outside the Inspector to apply the changes.
For more information about specifying formats for fields containing numbers, see Help.
Specifying formats for date fields
You can control how FileMaker Pro displays the values in date fields, and calculation fields with date results.
Important No matter how you format a date field in Layout mode, whenever you click or tab into the field
in Browse mode, FileMaker Pro displays the date with a four-digit year. FileMaker recommends that you
always enter dates with four-digit years. If you enter dates with two-digit years, they are converted to fourdigit year dates. For more information, see “Conversion of dates with two-digit years” in Help.
1. In Layout mode, select one or more date fields or calculation fields with a date result.
2. Click Inspector

in the layout bar, then click Data.

3. In the Data Formatting area, click Date

4. Select the date format you want to use from the Format list, then select additional formats for the date field.

Choose options for
day, month, date,
year, and separator
characters
Choose options
for displaying
Japanese dates

5. Press Enter or Tab, or click outside the Inspector to apply the changes.
For more information about specifying formats for date fields, see Help.

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

Specifying formats for time fields
You can control how FileMaker Pro displays time values in fields.
1. In Layout mode, select one or more time fields, or calculation fields with a time result.
2. Click Inspector

in the layout bar, then click Data.

3. In the Data Formatting area, click Time

4. Select the time format you want to use from the Format list, then select additional formats for the time field.
If you want to format the seconds component to display fractional seconds, continue with the next step.
If you don’t want to format the seconds component, skip to step 6.
5. Click Number

in the Data Formatting area, then select the formatting options you want.

Only two options affect the display of the seconds component: Fixed number of decimal digits and
Decimal (to the right of Separators). The remaining options have no effect.

Choose to display times
as entered, in a
predetermined format, or
in a format you specify
Choose options for
displaying
Japanese times

6. Press Enter or Tab, or click outside the Inspector to apply the changes.
For more information about specifying formats for time fields, see Help.
Specifying formats for timestamp fields
You can control how FileMaker Pro displays timestamp values in fields. You format a timestamp field by
separately formatting its three components: date, time (excluding the seconds portion), and seconds
(including fractional seconds).
1. In Layout mode, select one or more timestamp fields, or calculation fields with a timestamp result.
2. Click Inspector

in the layout bar, then click Data.

3. To format the date component, in the Data Formatting area, click Date
options you want.

, then select the formatting

Chapter 3

Creating databases

4. To format the time component (except the seconds portion), in the Data Formatting area, click Time
then select the formatting options you want.

5. To format the seconds and fractional seconds component, in the Data Formatting area, click Number
then select the formatting options you want.

Only two options affect the display of the seconds component: Fixed number of decimal digits and
Decimal (to the right of Separators). The remaining options have no effect.
6. Press Enter or Tab, or click outside the Inspector to apply the changes.
Note You must specify formats for both date and time components before any formatting will be applied. If
you select As entered for either Date or Time, then the data in the timestamp field appears the way it is entered.
For more information about specifying formats for timestamp fields, see Help.
Specifying formats for container fields
You can control how FileMaker Pro displays images and file icons in container fields.
Note The following instructions also apply to formatting graphic objects that you insert onto a layout.
1. In Layout mode, select one or more container fields or inserted graphics.
2. Click Inspector

in the layout bar, then click Data.

3. In the Data Formatting area, click Graphic

, then select the formats you want to use.

Choose how to fit the
graphic in the frame
Choose how to align the graphic
horizontally within the field

Choose how to align the graphic
vertically within the field

For more information about specifying formats for container fields, see Help.
Formatting fields and text for vertical writing
If your operating system is configured to support Japanese text entry, you can format field objects and text
objects that display Japanese text in vertical writing format. In vertical writing, characters are displayed and
read from top to bottom, with successive columns displayed vertically from right to left. This is useful when
printing addresses on labels.
When you select one or more fields, then choose Format menu > Orientation > Sideways (Asian text only),
the characters are rotated 90 degrees counter-clockwise within the field. The field itself is not rotated. To
rotate the selected fields, choose Arrange menu > Rotate.
Depending on how you want the text to print, you may want to change the page orientation of the layout. To
do so, choose File menu > Print Setup (Windows) or Page Setup (Mac OS), and change the page orientation
to Landscape or Portrait.
For more information about formatting fields and text for vertical writing, see Help.

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

Allowing or preventing entry into fields
You can allow or prevent entry into a field. For example, you can restrict entry into a field containing a
serialized number, so the field can’t be modified. You can set separate Browse mode and Find mode data entry
options, which would allow you to permit finding serialized numbers even though they can’t be entered.
If you allow entry into a field, you can also control whether the entire contents of the field is selected when
you click or tab into the field in Browse mode or Find mode. Otherwise, FileMaker Pro places the insertion
point after the last character in the field.
1. In Layout mode, select one or more fields.
2. Click Inspector

in the layout bar, then click Data.

3. In the Behavior area, for Field entry, select the following options:
To

Do this

Prevent entry into a field in Browse mode

Clear Browse mode.

Prevent entry into a field in Find mode

Clear Find mode.

Select the entire field's contents when the field is entered Choose Select entire contents on entry.

For more information about working with fields on a layout, see Help.

Working with parts on a layout
FileMaker Pro layouts are divided into layout parts, sections of the layout that determine how data in a field
is treated and displayed. By using parts, you can control how FileMaker Pro prints data, for example:

1 once for each record
1 only at the top of each page
1 only before or after groups of sorted records (for example, to include a subtotal for each group of records)
Each layout must have at least one part. Layout parts can contain fields, portals, buttons, text, and other
objects. In Layout mode, dotted horizontal lines mark the division between layout parts, and the part label
appears at the left end of the bottom dividing line.

Chapter 3

Creating databases

The New Layout/Report assistant automatically creates the appropriate layout parts depending on the
choices you make. You can add, change, or delete layout parts after you finish the assistant as needed. (See
“Creating layouts and reports” on page 70.)

Header
Body
Subsummary
Trailing Grand
Summary
Footer
Sales Report

A subsummary below the body
summarizes data for each
group of records sorted on the
break field (Agent Name)
Trailing grand summary
Footer

Agent Name

Product ID

Qty

Amount

David Michaels
David Michaels
David Michaels
David Michaels

ET3
ET4
ET1
ET5

1
1
2
3

$29.95
$32.25
$73.90
$98.85

Sophie Tang
Sophie Tang
Sophie Tang

ET6
ET7
ET2

2
5
2

Total

Total
Grand Total

EveryWhere Travel Confidential

$234.95
$64.50
$12.50
$25.00
$102.00
$336.95

June 2009

About layout part types
The following table describes layout part types.
Layout part

Description

Title header

Appears only once at the top of the first screen or page and replaces the normal header (if one is specified). In
reports, can be used to print a separate title page. You can have only one title header in a layout.

Header

Appears at the top of every screen or page (unless you add a title header, which supersedes the header on the
first page). Use for titles or column headings (in columnar reports). You can have only one header in a layout.

Body

Each object you put in the body, including fields, text objects, and graphics, appears once for each record in the
found set. You can have only one body in a layout.

Footer

Appears at the bottom of every screen or page (unless you add a title footer). You can have only one footer in a layout.

Title footer

Appears only once at the bottom of the first screen or page and replaces the normal footer (if one is specified).
You can have only one title footer in a layout.

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

To include summary data on a layout (for example, subtotals, grand totals, averages, counts, and so on), you
place summary fields in summary layout parts (see “Creating summary fields” on page 63). Summary parts
include grand summary and subsummary parts.

1 A grand summary part usually contains one or more summary fields that display summary information
(like totals) about all records being browsed.

1 A subsummary part usually contains one or more summary fields that display “subsummary”
information (like subtotals) for a subset of records. The records are grouped (sorted) by values in another
field, the break field. Whenever the value of the break field changes, the report “breaks” and
FileMaker Pro inserts the subsummary part. Subsummary parts appear in Table View and List View
when sorted by break fields, and update dynamically whenever data in the file is changed.
For more information about working with layout parts, see Help.

Displaying data in charts
You can create bar, line, area, and pie charts to compare data graphically in FileMaker Pro.
Before you create a chart, think about the data comparison you want to emphasize, then choose the chart
type that will show the comparison clearly.

1 Bar charts are good for comparing increases to decreases, highest with lowest, how many, or how often.
You can create vertical or horizontal bar charts.

1 Line charts are most useful for showing data that changes continuously over time, such as historical
financial data.

1 Area charts are often used to compare summary data, such as sales totals or averages over time.
1 Pie charts are good for showing market share and proportion of difference, but are rarely used for
statistical analysis when comparisons must be precise.

Example of a pie chart

Creating a chart
1. Open the layout in which you want to add the chart.
2. In Layout mode, click the Chart tool

in the layout bar.

Chapter 3

Creating databases

3. Click in the layout and drag a rectangle where you want your chart to appear.
Important You can create a chart in any layout part, but the data in the chart is evaluated based on the
layout part in which the chart is located.
Choose a chart type

Type a title
See your
changes
here

Enter the field
names for the
data series you
want to chart

Click to
format the
chart

Specify the
source of data
for the chart

4. In the Chart Setup dialog box, for Chart Type, choose the type of chart you want to create: Bar, Horizontal
Bar, Line, Area, or Pie.
5. For Chart Title, type a title for the chart (for example, Stock Value of ABC Company). Or, click
to specify a title.
After you type a title, it appears enclosed in quotation marks. When you specify a field or calculation,
you see the fully qualified field name in the Chart Title text box, and data from this field in your database
appears in the chart preview on the right.
6. Do one of the following:

1 Bar, line, or area charts: For Horizontal (X) Axis, type the fully qualified name of the field representing
the data series you want to chart (for example, Table 1::Month), or click
series for the X-axis.

to specify a data

Note For horizontal bar charts, the horizontal axis is the Y-axis and the vertical axis is the X-axis.

1 Pie charts: For Label Data, type the fully qualified name of the field representing the data series you want
to chart (for example, Table 1::Company). Or, click

to specify a data series for the label data.

7. Do one of the following:

1 Bar, line, or area charts: For Vertical (Y) Axis, type the fully qualified name of the field representing the
data series you want to chart (for example, Table 1::Price). Or, click

to specify a data series.

1 Pie charts: For Value Data, type the fully qualified name of the field representing the data set you want
to chart (for example, Table 1::Company Count). Or, click

to specify a data series.

Note For pie charts, if you enter more than one data series for Value Data, only the first entry is
evaluated, and all others are ignored.

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

8. For Use Data From, specify the source of data for this chart: Current Found Set, Current Record (delimited
data), or Related Records.
To see an example for charting summary data, see Help.
9. To change the display characteristics of your chart, click Format Chart.

Select an
aspect of the
chart to format

See your
changes here

Choose
formatting
options

10. In the Format Chart dialog box, make your changes, then click OK.
11. Click Save Layout, then click Exit Layout to switch to Browse mode and view your chart.
Chart title

Vertical (Y) axis data

Horizontal (X) axis data
Example of a line chart

Note FileMaker Pro displays only a placeholder image of your chart in Layout mode. You must switch to
Browse or Preview mode to see the actual chart. The chart will also display accurately in Find mode.
For more information about displaying data in charts, see Help.

Chapter 4
Working with related tables and files
This chapter explains the basics of how to:

1 plan a relational database
1 create and edit relationships
1 create and edit lookups
FileMaker Pro uses related tables as the basis for relational databases and lookups. Relational databases
allow you to work with data from other tables dynamically, so that you can change data in one place and
your changes are reflected in all places where the related data appears. Lookups let you copy and paste data
from one table to another; once looked-up data has been inserted, it does not change unless you edit it or tell
FileMaker Pro to look it up again.
Use relational databases to:

1 See and work with data from another (or the current) table in its most up-to-date state. For example,
display data in related fields when you need current data from a related table, such as the current price of
an item. As data changes in the related records, you see those changes in the current table.

1 Set up and manage data efficiently and with flexibility. Instead of creating many database tables or files
with duplicate values, you store single occurrences of values and use relationships to make those values
available. You can then make changes to data in only one place, which eliminates data duplication and
promotes data accuracy.

1 Save disk space, because data is stored in only one place.
Use lookups to copy data from a related table and keep it as copied, even when the related data changes. For
example, use a lookup to copy the price of an item at the time of purchase into an Invoices table. Even if the
price in the related table changes, the price in the Invoices table stays the same.
FileMaker Pro can also access data stored in other FileMaker Pro files and external ODBC data sources,
which allows you to combine data stored in your FileMaker Pro file with data from these external sources.
You can work with data in SQL databases that share information through ODBC. You can also use
supplemental fields in FileMaker Pro to perform calculation and summary operations on data stored in
ODBC data sources. For more information about using FileMaker Pro with external data sources, see
“Working with external data sources” on page 120.
Note See Help for detailed, comprehensive information and step-by-step procedures about using FileMaker Pro.

About relationships
A relationship is a powerful method for organizing your data. Using a relationship, you can join data in one or
more tables based on common field values, different field values, or a comparison of values in two or more fields.

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

After you create a relationship, you can do either of the following to display the data from the related table:

1 Design a relational database, which is one or more tables that, when used together, contain all the data
you need for your work. Each occurrence of data is stored in only one table at a time, but can be accessed
and displayed from any related table. You can change any occurrence of your related data, and the
changes appear in all places where that related data is used.

1 Define a lookup to copy data from a related table into a field in the target table. The copied data is now stored
in two places, just as if it were copied and pasted into a target field. Looked up data is current at the time it
is copied, but once copied it remains static unless it is re-looked up or the lookup is triggered again.
Current table

Related table

Client ID

R20

Client ID

R20

Route

NY-Paris

Route

NY-Paris

In relational databases, data from the related table is
only displayed in the current table, not copied
Current table
Client ID
Route

Related table

R20

Client ID

R20

NY-Paris

Route

NY-Paris

Lookups copy data from the related table into the current table

For example, a database for a travel agency might have these tables: a Tours table, which stores the products
(tours) and their current prices; a Clients table, which stores client information; an Invoices table, which keeps
a record of each invoice; and a LineItems table, which stores sales data for each line of the invoice, including
the tour being sold and the price at which it is sold. Because invoices are a mix of dynamic and static data, you
use both relational databases and lookups to display your data. Records from the LineItems table are displayed
dynamically, in a portal on the Invoices layout, but the actual sales price of each line item is entered using a
lookup, so the invoice totals remain historically accurate, even if prices change at some future date.
Tours table

Invoices table

Tour ID

T10

Invoice No

A-200-61

Tour Name

NY-Roma

Date

16-Oct-2010

Client ID

C100

Name

Williams

Route
ID
Origin
R200 NY
R42 Paris

Destination
Paris
Roma

Clients table
Client ID

C100

Client Name

Williams

Phone

408-555-3456

Tour ID
T10
T20

Tour Name
NY-Roma
Roma-Istan

Tour
ID
Tour Name
T10 NY-Roma
T20 Roma-Istan
Total

Cost $
550.00
700.00
1,250.00

Records from the
LineItems table
displayed in a portal

Chapter 4

Working with related tables and files

You create a relational database by defining a relationship between two fields, called match fields. These fields
can be in different tables or they can be in the same table (a self-join). You are able to access related data when
the value in the match field(s) on one side of the relationship compares successfully with a value in the match
field(s) on the other side of the relationship, according to the criteria you establish in the relationship.
After you have created a relationship, you can use fields from the related table just as you would use any
fields in the current table: to display data on a layout, as part of a calculation formula, in a script, as a match
field for another relationship, and so on. You can work with the data in the related fields in all modes (if you
have access privileges) when you work with records in the current table.
When you display related data in a portal, values from all related records are displayed. When the related
field isn’t in a portal, the value from the first related record is displayed.
For more information about relationships, see Help.

Relational database terminology
Before you begin working with relational databases and lookups, you should understand the following
terms. These terms are explained in the sections that follow.
Term

Description

Current table

For relational databases, the table that you are currently working in.
For lookups, the table that the data is copied to.

External table

A table outside of the current file, in another file.

Lookup target field (for The field in a table that you want data copied to during a lookup.
lookups only)
Lookup source field
(for lookups only)

The field in the related table that contains the data you want copied during a lookup.

Match field

A field in the current table and a field in a related table that each contains values used to access matching
records. (A match field is sometimes called a key field.) For each relationship, you select one or more
match fields in each table.
For relational databases, values in match fields must match each other in some way for a relationship to
be established between the files. See “About match fields for relationships” on page 98.
For lookups, values in match fields do not have to be equal to match.

Portal

A layout object that displays records from related tables. Portals display data from related fields in rows,
one record in each row.

Related field

A field in one table that is related to a field in another table (or to a different field within the same table).
If a relationship has been created between two tables (even through another table), data in fields in one
table can be accessed from the other table.

Related record

A record in the related table whose match field (according to the relationship used) contains a value that
matches the value in the match field of another table.

Related table

For relational databases, the table that contains the data you want to access and work with in the current table.
For lookups, the table that contains the data to copy.
A table can be related to itself. This is called a self-join.

Relational operators

In the relationships graph, the symbols that define the match criteria between one or more pairs of fields
in two tables. These include: equal (=), not equal (≠), greater than (>), greater than or equal to (≥), less
than (<), less than or equal to (≤), and all rows, or cartesian product (X).

Relationship

Relationships provide access to data from one table to another. Relationships can join one record in one table
to one record in another table, one record to many other records, or all records in one table to all records in
another table, depending on the criteria you specify when you create the relationship in the relationships graph.
(A relationship is sometimes called a link or a join expression.)

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

Term

Description

Relationships graph

In the Relationships tab of the Manage Database dialog box, you can see the occurrences of tables both
in the current file and from any external, related database files. In this relationships graph, you join tables
and change relationships between fields in different tables.
When you create a new table, a visual representation, or occurrence, of the table appears in the
relationships graph. You can specify multiple occurrences (with unique names) of the same table in order
to work with complex relationships in the graph.

Source file

The file from which you add a table to the relationships graph.

Source table

The table upon which one or more tables in the relationships graph are based. The source table is the table
defined in the Tables tab of the Manage Database dialog box.

About the relationships graph
When you work with tables in the relationships graph, you organize your view of your data. Tables shown
in the relationships graph can be located in the current FileMaker Pro file, in an external FileMaker Pro file,
or in an external ODBC data source.
Each table occurrence in the relationships graph represents a separate view into your data. When you join
two tables, you are leveraging the two existing views to create a third view. As you add tables to your
relationships, each successive table represents an additional set of criteria that must be met before related
data can be accessed in that relationship.
You can create a relationship between any two tables in the relationships graph, but the relationship must
not create a cycle, or closed loop between tables. That is, each series of relationships must have a starting
table and an ending table, and those tables must be different tables.
Because each relationship represents an additional set of criteria, you must be aware of your context within
the relationships graph. Context is the point in the graph from which a relationship is evaluated. Because the
graph is never a cycle, each point along the graph offers a different perspective into your data.
Because FileMaker Pro does not permit you to create cycles within the relationships graph, any attempt to
create a cycle causes FileMaker Pro to generate a new, uniquely named table occurrence. A new occurrence
functions like any other occurrence in the graph and allows you to continue with your new relationship.
For more information about the relationships graph, see Help.

About match fields for relationships
When you create a relationship between tables, you choose one or more fields in each table as match fields.
Match fields usually have common values. In a typical relationship, a record in one table will be related to
records in another table that share a common match field value.
For example, a Customers table and an Invoices table can each use the field Client ID to uniquely identify
each customer and purchase. If the two tables are related using Client ID as the match field, a record in the
Customers table can display a portal showing each invoice with a matching Client ID, and in the Invoices
table, each invoice with the same Client ID can display consistent customer data.
The match fields used in a relationship can have different names. Match fields can be any field type except
container or summary.

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Types of relationships
When you join two tables using a relationship, you establish criteria that FileMaker Pro uses to display or
access related records.
Your criteria can be simple, such as matching a field in Table A with a field in Table B, or more complex. A
more complex relationship definition will usually return a narrower set of related records. Examples of
complex relationships include using multiple match fields on one or both sides of the relationship,
comparing match fields using non-equal relational operators, or using calculated match fields.
Single-criteria relationships
In a single-criteria relationship, data in one field is matched to data in another field.
For example, a record in either table is related to any record in the other table when the values in the Client
ID field in the Clients table and the Client ID field in the Phone Numbers table are the same.
Match field

Match field

Use a single-criteria relationship when you want to relate two tables based on a single common value, such as a
serial number or an ID number. For example, a clients database has two tables: Clients, which stores names and
addresses, and Phone Numbers, which stores phone numbers and types of phone numbers, such as work, home,
fax, and so on. The data is split between two tables because a single client can have multiple phone numbers.
The tables have the following fields:
Table

Field name

Comment

Clients

Client ID

Number field, auto-enter serial number. Match field for the Clients table

First Name

Text field

Last Name

Text field

Address1

Text field

Address2

Text field

City

Text field

State

Text field

Phone Number

Text field

Phone Number Type

Text field

Client ID

Number field. Match field for the Phone Numbers table

Phone Numbers

The Client ID field is the match field in the relationship between the two tables. In the Clients table, the
Client ID field is set to automatically enter a serial number, giving each record in the Clients table a unique
ID number. In the Phone Numbers table, the Client ID is just a simple number field.
Because the relationship is defined to allow the creation of related records in the Phone Numbers table, the
Client ID number from a Clients record will be automatically inserted in the Client ID field in the Phone
Numbers table in each new related record. This allows many records in the Phone Numbers table to be
related to a single record in the Clients table.
Users will be able to enter a phone number in an empty portal row, and FileMaker Pro will automatically
create a related record for that phone number.

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Multi-criteria relationships
In a multi-criteria relationship, you increase the number of match fields, which increases the criteria that
FileMaker Pro evaluates before successfully joining related records. In a multi-criteria relationship,
FileMaker Pro compares the values from each match field on each side of the relationship in the order in
which the fields appear. This is known as an AND comparison; to match successfully, every match field must
find a corresponding value in the other table.
Use a multi-criteria relationship when you want to relate two tables based on more than one common value,
such as a client ID and a date.
Match
fields

Match
fields

In this relationship, both Client ID and Rental Date are match fields to the Rental Line Items table. A record
in the Clients table with a Client ID value of 1000 and a Rental Date value of 10/10/2010 will only match
those records in the Rental Line Items table where both fields Client ID and Rental Date have values of 1000
and 10/10/2010, respectively. If Client ID fields in both tables have matching values, but Rental Date fields
in both tables do not, no related records are returned by the relationship.
For example, a travel equipment rental database has three tables: Equipment, a static table that stores equipment
rental inventory; Clients, which stores client names and addresses; and Rental Line Items, which stores a record
of each equipment rental, including the equipment ID, the client ID, and the rental date. The purpose of this
database is to track equipment rentals and display all rentals by a selected client on a selected date.
Although the database uses three tables, the multi-criteria relationship is between the Clients and Rental
Line Items tables. These tables have the following fields:
Table

Field name

Comment

Clients

Client ID

Number field, auto-enter serial number. One of the match fields to the Rental
Line Items table

Rental Date

Date field. The other match field to the Rental Line Items table

Client ID

Number field. One of the match fields to the Clients table

Rental Date

Date field. The other match field to the Clients table

Equipment ID

Number field

Rental Line Items

Because the relationship is defined to allow the creation of related records in the Rental Line Items table,
users will be able to enter rental information in an empty portal row, and FileMaker Pro will automatically
create a related record for that rental.

Select to allow creation of related
records in Rental Line Items table

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Relationships using comparative operators
In a comparative relationship, you use one or more of the following operators to compare match field values
in the two related tables. The relationship returns related records when the comparison evaluates
successfully, according to the criteria you establish.
Relational operator Matches these records
=

Values in match fields are equal

≠

Values in match fields are unequal

Values in the left match field are less than values in the right match field

≤

Values in the left match field are less than or equal to values in the right match field

Values in the left match field are greater than values in the right match field

≥

Values in the left match field are greater than or equal to values in the right match field

All records in the left table are matched to all records in the right table, regardless of the values in the match fields

Match field

Greater than relational operator

In this example, the Tour Date fields in the Tours table and the Clients table are match fields. If a record in
the Tours table has a Tour Date value of 12/11/2010, all the records in the Clients table with a Tour Date
value of 12/10/2010 or earlier are related to it. In the Clients table, if a record has a Tour Date value of
12/11/2010, all records in the Tours table with Tour Date values of 12/12/2010 or later are related to it.
Relationships that return a range of records
A relationship that returns a range of records is similar to a multi-criteria relationship, except that you use
comparative operators to find records that are greater than one of your criteria and less than your other criteria.
This type of relationship is commonly used to return records that fall between a range of dates or serial numbers.
For example, from within Table E you want to view all the records in Table F that have Date Field F values
that are greater than Starting Date E values and less than Ending Date E.
Match fields

Match field

Indicates that several different
relational operators are used in
this relationship
This relationship uses the
greater than and less than
relational operators

This relationship returns those records from Table F that have a Date Field F value that is later than Starting Date E
and earlier than Ending Date E.

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For example:
If fields

Contain values

These related records are returned from Table F

Starting Date E

11/01/2010

Ending Date E

12/01/2010

11/14/2010
11/27/2010

Another example:
If fields

Contain values

These related records are returned from Table F

Starting Date E

12/01/2010

Ending Date E

01/01/2011

12/02/2010
12/15/2010
12/17/2010
12/26/2010

Self-joining relationships
A self-join is a relationship in which both match fields are defined in the same table. Define a self-join to create
relationships between records in the same table. Use a self-join in a portal on a layout of the current table to
display a subset of data that is in the current table, such as all the employees of each manager.
When you define a self-joining relationship in the relationships graph, FileMaker Pro generates a second
occurrence of the table upon which you are basing the self-join. FileMaker Pro does this to prevent the
relationships graph from forming a cycle, which would make it impossible to evaluate the relationship.
Match field

Match field

Self-joining relationship

This relationship returns related records in Table G when the value in Text Field G1 is the same as the value
in Text Field G2.
For more information about the types of relationships, see Help.

Planning a relational database
For information about planning a relational database, see “Planning a database” on page 51.

Working with the relationships graph
Use the relationships graph to create, change, and view the relationships in your database file. The relationships
graph lets you duplicate tables and relationships, resize and align tables, and add text notes. You can highlight
tables that are connected to the selected table via a 1-away relationship, and you can highlight tables that have
the same source table as the currently selected table. For more information, see Help.

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By default, the relationships graph displays all of the tables in your current database file. You can add tables
from other FileMaker Pro files or external ODBC data sources, add more than one occurrence of the same
table to the graph, or remove tables from the graph using the buttons at the bottom of the graph.
Note When the table is from an external ODBC data source, the name of the table is typeset in italics in the
relationships graph. To display information about the external data source, move the pointer over the arrow
to the left of the table name.

Creating relationships
To create a relationship:
1. With the database open, choose File menu > Manage > Database.
2. In the Manage Database dialog box, click the Relationships tab.
3. In the relationships graph, locate the two tables you will be using for this relationship.
They can appear anywhere on the graph but they must be present on the graph in order to create the
relationship. For self-joining relationships, locate the single table; FileMaker Pro will create the second
table occurrence for you.
4. Click a field in one of the tables and drag to the corresponding match field in the other table.
Or, you can click

to open the Edit Relationship dialog box and create a relationship.

5. Repeat step 4 for each match field you intend to use in this relationship.
For more information about match fields, see “About match fields for relationships” on page 98.
6. Click OK to save your changes and close the relationships graph.

Click once to collapse all but
the match fields. Click again to
collapse all but the table name.
Click again to return the table to
its original size

Move the pointer to
the arrow icon to
display the names of
the source table and
source file

Click to display or
collapse a text note
Match fields are shown in
italics in their tables
Change the color of selected
objects

Delete selected objects

Add a text note to the graph
Enlarge or reduce the
view of the graph

Add a table

Display the Print Setup
(Windows) or Page Setup
(Mac OS) dialog box

Create a relationship
Duplicate selected objects
Edit a selected object

Change the alignment
of selected objects

The relationships graph

Show page breaks
Show 1-away tables or tables
with the same source

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Changing relationships
After you have created a relationship, you can add or change match fields, change relational operators, and
set options for creating, deleting, and sorting related records.
To change a relationship:
1. With the database open, choose File menu > Manage > Database.
2. In the Manage Database dialog box, click the Relationships tab.
3. In the relationships graph, locate the relationship to edit, and double-click the indicator line between the
related tables to open the Edit Relationship dialog box.
Or, you can select the relationship in the graph and click

to open the Edit Relationship dialog box.

Select the
relational operator

Select options for the
tables in the relationship

4. Edit tables and match fields for the relationship.
To

Do this

Change a match field

Select the new match field and click Change.

Add a match field

Select the new match field and click Add.

Change the relational operator

Select a new relational operator from the list and click Change.
See “Relationships using comparative operators” on page 101.

Duplicate a pair of relationship
criteria

Select the paired criteria from the list in the lower part of the dialog box and click Duplicate.

Delete a pair of relationship
criteria

Select the paired criteria from the list in the lower part of the dialog box and click Delete.

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5. Select options for the relationship.
To

Select

Add a related record (to the related table) whenever
you enter data into a related field in a record of the
current table. (See “Adding and duplicating records”
on page 25.)

Allow creation of related records in this table via this relationship.
When this option is selected, entering data in a related field that has no
corresponding related record creates a related record based on the match
field in the current table.

Delete matching records (in the related table)
Delete related records in this table when a record is deleted in the other
whenever you delete a matching record in the current table.
table. (See “Deleting records” on page 26.)
This option deletes related records even when you’re browsing a layout
that doesn’t display the related records.
Sort related records.

Sort records. Then, in the left list in the Sort Records dialog box, doubleclick the fields to sort. To change the order in which fields are sorted,
drag fields in the right list into the order you want. Select other options,
then click OK.
Selecting this option does not affect the sort order in the related file.

6. Click OK.
For more information about creating and editing relationships, see Help.

Summarizing data in portals
You can summarize data that’s in a related field displayed in a portal. The portal can contain records from a
related table or from the same table (a self-join).
To summarize data in portals:
1. Create a calculation field in the table in which you want the total to be displayed.
2. For the calculation field, define a formula that includes an aggregate function for the type of summary
calculation you want to perform.
For example, if you are in the Invoices table and want to define a calculation to total the related values
in the Price field of the LineItems table, use the formula Sum(Line Items::Price).
3. Place the calculation field on a layout of the table in which it is defined.
See “Placing and removing fields on a layout” on page 81.

Filtering records in portals
By filtering portal records, you can display different sets of records in a portal.
1. Double-click the portal.
2. In the Portal Setup dialog box, select Filter portal records.

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3. In the Specify Calculation dialog box, define a calculation that determines which portal records will be displayed.
For example, if you are working in an Invoices layout, in a portal that shows product records from a
LineItems table, and want to display just the products with quantities greater than 1, use the formula
If(LineItems::Quantity < 1; 0; 1).
4. Click OK.
Important The results of summary fields, calculations, and find requests are based on the full set of related
records, not just the records in a portal that are filtered. For example, if a portal is displaying a filtered subset
of records, and a Total of summary field outside the portal summarizes these records, the summary field will
total all related records, not just the displayed records.
For more information about filtering records in portals, see Help.

About lookups
A lookup copies data from another table into a field in the current table. After data is copied, it becomes part
of the current table (and remains in the table from which it was copied). Data copied to the current table does
not change automatically when the data in the other table changes, unless the data in the match field of the
current table changes.
To establish a connection between tables for a lookup, you create a relationship. Then you define a lookup
to copy data from a field in the related table into a field in the current table.
When you type a value in the match field of the current table, FileMaker Pro uses the relationship to access
the first record in the related table whose match field contains a matching value. Next, it copies the value
from the lookup source field into the lookup target field, where the value is stored.
After a value is copied into the lookup target field, you can edit, replace, or delete it like any other value
(because the lookup value belongs to the current table). You can also update data in the current table to
match data that changes in the related table.
Records in related table
Current table
Relationship
Client ID

C200

Name

Smith

Client ID

C235

Name
Client ID
C100
Phone
42.83.91.04
Name
Client ID
C200
City
Paris
Phone
555-3849
Name
Smith
City
Vancouver
Phone
555-1234
City

Lookup target field

New York

Lookup source field

Creating lookups
To create a lookup:
1. Create a relationship for the lookup between the match field of the current table and the match field of
the related table. See “Creating relationships” on page 103.
2. With the database open, choose File menu > Manage > Database.
3. In the Manage Database dialog box, click the Fields tab.

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4. If your database contains more than one table, select the appropriate table from the Table list.
5. Select a text, number, date, time, timestamp, or container field from the list of existing fields, or define a
new one.
6. Click Options (or double-click the field name).
7. In the Options for Field dialog box, click the Auto-Enter tab, then select Looked-up value.
8. In the Lookup for Field dialog box, choose the table the lookup will start with, and the table from which
the value will be copied.
Select

To specify

Starting with table

The table the lookup will use as its starting point in the relationships graph

Lookup from related table

The related table from which the related data will be looked up

9. Select the field from which the lookup value will be copied.
10. Select options for the lookup.
To

Do this

Specify an action when values in the match fields For If no exact match, then, select an option to copy no value, copy the next
do not match exactly
lower or next higher value that’s in the lookup source field, or enter a fixed
value to be used instead
Prevent null (empty) data in the lookup source field Select Don’t copy contents if empty. (Clear this option to allow empty data
from being copied to the lookup target field
to be copied.)

Select the lookup’s
starting point
Choose the related
table for the lookup
Select the lookup
source field

Select an option
for non-equal data
in match fields

When selected, prevents null data
from being copied

11. Click OK.
12. Repeat steps 5–11 for each additional field for which you want to define a lookup.

Editing lookups
To edit a lookup:
1. With the database open, choose File menu > Manage > Database.
2. Click the Fields tab.
3. If your database contains more than one table, select the appropriate table from the Table list.

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4. Double-click the lookup target field.
5. In the Options for Field dialog box, click the Auto-Enter tab.
6. Be sure Looked-up value is selected and click Specify.
To stop or suspend using a lookup, clear Looked-up value.
7. Make your changes.
8. Click OK.
For more information about creating and editing lookups, see Help.

Chapter 5
Sharing and exchanging data
This chapter explains the basics of how you can share FileMaker Pro databases:

1 FileMaker Network Sharing: You can share FileMaker Pro databases on your network, which allows
multiple FileMaker Pro users to access and use the same database file simultaneously.

1 Importing and exporting data: You can exchange information between FileMaker Pro and other
applications by importing and exporting data. For example, you can import data that is in another
database or spreadsheet program, or export address data in order to create personalized form letters with
a word processing program.

1 Recurring import: You can set up a FileMaker Pro file to automatically update data imported from
another application, such as Microsoft Excel.

1 Accessing data from external data sources: You can access information stored in other FileMaker Pro
files and external SQL databases that use ODBC technology to share data. This allows you to work with
information stored in external databases and combine external data with information stored in your file.
When you access data from an ODBC database, you can use supplemental fields in your FileMaker Pro file
to perform calculations and summary operations on the data without changing the schema of the external file.

1 Instant Web Publishing: You can quickly and easily publish FileMaker Pro layouts as web pages, which
allows anyone with a web browser on your intranet (or the internet) to access your FileMaker Pro databases.
Note See Help for detailed, comprehensive information and step-by-step procedures about using
FileMaker Pro. See the FileMaker Instant Web Publishing Guide for information about publishing
databases on the web.

Sharing databases on a network
If your computer is connected to a network, you and other Windows and Mac OS FileMaker Pro users can
use the same database file simultaneously.
FileMaker Pro Network Sharing supports the sharing of files with up to 9 concurrent users (not including
the host and Instant Web Publishing connections). If you need to share files with more than 9 concurrent
users on a network, FileMaker recommends the use of FileMaker Server, which provides greater networking
performance in addition to its increased capacity.
Important Your FileMaker Pro licensing agreement requires that you pay for a license for each separate
computer on which the FileMaker Pro application is installed or run. The software license may not be shared or
used concurrently on different computers. Please read the software license for complete terms and conditions.
The first person to open a shared file is the host. Any user who opens a shared file after the host is a client.

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The host opens the file

Clients open connections to the shared file

Once a shared file is open, the host and clients have access to the same information, and all changes to the
file appear in each user’s window.
Modifications to the data made by any user are saved in the shared file. The shared file is saved on the disk
where the file resides.
Sort orders, find requests, import and export field orders, and print setups are specific to each user.

Enabling file sharing and hosting files
Because many FileMaker Pro commands are processed on the host machine, you will see better
performance if you host your shared files from the fastest available computer. The file you’re hosting must
be on the hard disk of your computer. Remotely hosting a file stored on another computer or server is not
supported, as it might compromise data integrity and will result in poor performance.
To turn on network file sharing for all open files:
1. Open the FileMaker Pro file(s) you want to share.
Note To enable or change a file’s sharing status, you must open it with an account that has the
appropriate access privilege set. For more information, see “Accounts, privilege sets, and extended
privileges” on page 124.
2. Choose File menu > Sharing > FileMaker Network.
3. In the FileMaker Network Settings dialog box, for Network Sharing, click On.
In the TCP/IP Address box, you see the TCP/IP address of your system.

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Click to enable network sharing

Select level of network
access for the selected file(s)

4. Select the file(s) to be hosted from the list of Currently open files.
5. Set the level of network access for the file(s).
To

Select

Provide access to all FileMaker Pro users on your
network

All users.

Limit network access to users based on their privilege set Specify users by privilege set, then click Specify.
In the Specify users by privilege set dialog box, select the privilege
sets you want to have network access.
Prevent any access via FileMaker networking

No users.

6. Click OK.
The open files are now hosted.
Important You must keep your shared file(s) open to make them available to clients.
Note In order for files to be shared on read-only CDs, you must enable sharing before copying the file to the CD.

Opening shared files as a client
FileMaker Pro databases shared via TCP/IP can be opened remotely using the list of local hosts, the IP
address of the host machine, or the DNS name of the host machine (if one has been defined).
To open a shared file as a client:
1. Choose File menu > Open Remote.
2. In the Open Remote File dialog box, select View for a list of hosts.
Choose

To display

Favorite Hosts

Hosts you previously added as favorites

Local Hosts

FileMaker Pro hosts on your TCP/IP subnet

Hosts Listed by LDAP

FileMaker Pro hosts available through the specified LDAP server

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3. To see the available files from a host, select the host. In the Available Files list, select the file you want to open.
Tip To narrow the list of available files, type a few characters in the Filter text box. Only filenames
containing the characters you type are displayed in the list.
Or, for Network File Path, type the network path; for example:
For IPv4: fmnet://
For IPv6: fmnet:/[]/
4. Click Open.
You might be required to enter an account name, password, and domain name (Windows only),
depending on how file sharing is configured on the host.
If the network is very busy, the file might not be listed. To check the network for a longer period of time,
hold down the Ctrl key (Windows) or Option key (Mac OS) as you click an item.
For information about marking remote files as favorites and accessing favorite files, see Help.
Limitations on changes to shared files
Although it is possible for multiple users to make changes in the same shared file at the same time, there are
limits to the types of simultaneous changes that are permitted. The following table describes the types of
changes you can and cannot make to shared files.
Database change

Limitation

Data in layouts and records

Two people can’t edit the same record at the same time.

Data in records from external
ODBC data sources

Two people can edit the same record at the same time.
If two users edit the same record simultaneously, FileMaker Pro posts an alert when either user attempts to
commit changes. The alert provides a user with a choice, allowing changes to be committed (overwriting
any changes the other user might have made), returning to the record without committing changes, or
reverting the record to the state it was when the editing session began.

Layouts and layout elements

Two people can’t modify the same layout at the same time.

Value lists

Two people can’t modify or define the same value list at the same time.
One person can edit a value list while another person is using it in Browse mode or Find mode.

Scripts

Two people can’t modify or define the same script at the same time.
One person can edit a script while another person is using it.

Tables, fields, relationships
(database schema)

Two people can’t modify any of these elements at one time.

Data sources

Two people can’t modify or define the same data source at the same time.
One person can edit a data source reference while another person is using the external file.

Accounts and privileges

Two people can’t modify or define accounts and privileges at the same time.
One person can create or modify an account and privileges while another person is using it.

Opening shared databases remotely using a URL
The FileMaker Pro installer registers FMP7 as an internet protocol. This enables you to open a shared
database using a URL.
Clients can use a browser to access shared databases by entering the URL of the shared file on the host
machine in a browser’s address area.

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To identify the URL for the shared database on the host machine and send it to a client user:
1. In the shared file on the host machine, choose File menu > Send > Link to Database.
FileMaker Pro opens an email message in your default email application that contains the URL for the
current database, plus client connection requirements.
2. Address the email message to the client user, then send the message.
To open a shared database on a client machine using a URL, do one of the following:

1 If you received an email message containing the URL of the host machine, click the link indicating the
location of the hosted database. If your email application does not support active links, launch a web
browser on the intended client machine, copy the URL from the email message into your browser’s
address area, then press Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac OS).

1 If you received the URL of the shared database by some other means, launch a web browser on the
intended client machine, enter the URL of the host machine into the browser’s address area using the
following format, then press Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac OS).
[<][URL:]FMP7://[[account:password@]netaddress]/databasename[>]
Optional parameters are indicated by square brackets ([ ]). Because URLs can’t contain spaces, any
spaces in database names are encoded as plus signs (+).
Examples
FMP7://My+Addresses.fp7
FMP7://192.168.10.0/My+Addresses.fp7
FMP7://User1:Password1@12.345.678.900/Filename.fp7

Closing a hosted file
Before a shared file can be closed by a host, all clients must close the file. FileMaker Pro allows you to
prompt networked clients to close the shared file when you do one of the following: close the file, change
the sharing conditions for the file, exit FileMaker Pro, or perform a task that requires all clients to close the
file. If a client does not respond to your request to close a shared file within 30 seconds, FileMaker Pro will
attempt to close the shared file on the client’s machine.
To close a hosted file:
1. On the computer hosting the file, choose File menu > Close.
2. If any clients have the shared file open, you see a dialog box listing those clients. Click Ask to send a
message to these clients requesting that they close the file.
3. Clients see a dialog box requesting that they close the file.
If

FileMaker Pro

Clients click Cancel

Waits for those clients to close the file

Clients click Close Now

Closes the shared file on the client’s computer

Clients do nothing

Attempts to close the file after 30 seconds, if it can be closed safely

For more information about sharing files over a network, see Help.

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Importing and exporting data
You can exchange information between FileMaker Pro and other applications by importing and exporting
data. You can:

1 import data into an existing FileMaker Pro file, either into a new table or into an existing table
1 convert data from other applications to new FileMaker Pro files
1 export data for use in other applications

Saving and sending data in other formats
You can save FileMaker Pro data as a Microsoft Excel or Excel 2007/2008 worksheet or a PDF file, allowing
you to give your record data to users who don’t have FileMaker Pro.
FileMaker Pro lets you email the Excel worksheet or PDF file when you save it. You can also create scripts
to save records as Excel or PDF.
In order to save files as Excel, you need the Allow Exporting Access privilege. To save files as PDF, you need
the Allow Printing Access privilege.
Note The saved file will only include fields that are on the layout when you perform the save. If you want to
include other fields (for example, fields on tab panels that are not in front), use the Export Records command
instead of Save/Send Records As.

Sending email messages based on record data
You can use FileMaker Pro to send one message, or multiple, messages, to one or more recipients.
Generated email is sent using your default email application or directly through SMTP (Simple Mail
Transfer Protocol, a set of criteria for sending and receiving email). You can enter values, or use values from
fields or calculations. You can also create scripts to send email.
For more information, see Help.

Supported import/export file formats
Every application stores its data files in its own file type or file format. Most applications can also exchange
information in certain other formats.
FileMaker Pro can import and/or export files in these formats, followed by their filename extensions:
Microsoft Excel (.xls, .xlsx), tab-separated text (.tab, .txt), comma-separated values (.csv, .txt),
FileMaker Pro 7 (.fp7), Merge (.mer), HTML table (.htm), and XML (.xml). If you’re exchanging data with
another program, check the documentation that came with that program to determine a common
intermediary file format that both FileMaker Pro and the other program support.
Most file formats support data conversion only and do not import or export formatting such as font, size,
style, and color.
For information about file formats and the versions FileMaker Pro can import and/or export, or about
importing from sources such as XML, a digital camera (Mac OS), or Bento (Mac OS), see Help.

Setting up recurring imports
You can set up a FileMaker Pro file to automatically update data imported from another application, such as
Microsoft Excel. A recurring import occurs automatically the first time you view the layout containing the
data from the external file. Later, you can run a script to update data.

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Keep the following points in mind:

1 Data imported via recurring import is read-only in FileMaker Pro.
1 When you set up recurring imports, FileMaker Pro creates a new table for the imported data and a new
layout to display the data. You can customize the layout in Layout mode later, if you wish.

1 To set up recurring imports, you must open a file with an account that is assigned the Full Access
privilege set. For information about privilege sets, see “Creating accounts” on page 130.
To set up recurring imports:
1. Create a new file, or open the file in which you want to set up recurring imports. See “Creating a
FileMaker Pro file” on page 55 or “Opening files” on page 17.
2. In Browse mode, choose File menu > Import Records > File.
3. For Files of type (Windows) or Show (Mac OS), select the type of file you want to import, then locate and
select the file containing data to import.
4. Select Set up as automatic recurring import, then click Open.
The path of the file you selected appears in the Recurring Import Setup dialog box.
5. To skip importing column headings, select Don’t import first record (Contains field names).
6. Accept the default layout name or type a new name for the layout that FileMaker Pro will create to
display the imported data.
7. Accept the default script name or type a new name for the script you can use for updating data manually.
8. Click OK.
9. If you are importing data from an Excel file, you can import data by worksheet or by named range.
To

Do this

Import data by worksheet

Select Display worksheets, select the worksheet you want to import,
then click Continue.

Import data by named range, one worksheet or named
range per layout

Select Display named ranges, select the named range you want to
import, then click Continue.

10. The new layout appears in Browse mode in Table View. You can update data, add an empty record to
the file, or add a new field to the layout.
To

Do this

Update data

Click the script button at the top of the new layout.

Add an empty record to the file (appears as a blank row Click + at the bottom of the table.
at the bottom of the table)
Add a new field to the layout (appears as a blank column Click + in the table heading.
on the right in the table)

For more information about setting up recurring imports, see Help.

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ODBC and JDBC
You can exchange FileMaker Pro data with ODBC- and JDBC-compliant applications. For example, you
can chart FileMaker Pro data in Microsoft Excel.
What do you want to do?

How do you do it?

See

Use FileMaker Pro as a data source/
share FileMaker Pro data

1 SQL queries
1 JDBC

FileMaker ODBC and JDBC Guide

Use FileMaker Pro as an ODBC client/ Interactively via the relationships graph
access ODBC data

1 One-time, static via ODBC import (or File

“Working with external data sources”
on page 120 and FileMaker Pro Help
FileMaker Pro Help

menu > Open)

1 Import Records script step
1 Execute SQL script step

Methods of importing data into an existing file
When you import data into an existing file, you can:

1
1
1
1

add new records to an existing table
create a new table from imported data
update existing records in an existing table
update matching records in an existing table

Important The import options that update existing records and update matching records both overwrite
existing data during the import process and cannot be undone. To safeguard your data, choose File menu >
Save a Copy As to make a backup of the file before you perform an import that updates records.
The file you import records from is the source. The file you import records to is the target.

About adding records
When you add records, you import all records from the source file to the target file or table. A new record
is created in the target file for each importable record in the source file.

About updating existing records
With this option, you replace data in your file with data from the source file. For each field you import into,
data from the first importable record (or row of data) in the source file overwrites fields in the first record in
the target file. Data from the second importable record (or row of data) in the source file overwrites fields in
the second record in the target file, and so on. When you replace data, FileMaker Pro doesn’t examine or
compare the data in the files.
You can choose whether to replace or not replace data on a field-by-field basis.
Records in the target file are replaced with the same number of records from the source file. If there are more
importable records in the source file, data from the extra records in the source file will not be imported unless
you also choose Add remaining data as new records. If there are more records in the target file, data in the
extra records in the target file will not be replaced.

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About updating matching records
You can update matching records and fields in your target file with data from another file. For example, you
might have a copy of a database on your desktop computer and another copy on your laptop computer. You
can update the file in your office with the changes you make on the road.
You determine which records in the source file update which records in the target file by choosing one or more
match fields in each file. If data in the match field(s) of a record in the target file matches data in the match field(s)
of a record in the source file, the record in the target file will be updated with data from the source file.
Match fields must uniquely identify each entity in your database. For example, in a database of people, you
could use one match field such as Employee Number, or multiple match fields such as Last Name, First
Name, and Phone Number. Using Last Name alone might identify more than one person, so it isn’t a good
match field to use by itself.
You also specify the fields you want to import. The contents of all fields you select to import, in all matching
records, will overwrite data in the target file, even if the field in the source file is blank.
When the target file contains a found set, only the found records are updated. (If the source file is another
FileMaker Pro file, you can also import only from a found set.)
The following example shows how a record in a target file appears before and after being updated by a
matching record in a source file.
Before updating matching records

After updating

Source file

Target file

123-456-7890
John
Q
Smith
456 New Rd.
Newtown
USA

Target file
=
–
–>
–
–>
–>
–>
–
–>

123-456-7890
John
Smith
123 Main St.
Anytown
USA
3/3/1960
408-555-6789

123-456-7890
John
Q
Smith
456 New Rd.
Newtown
USA
3/3/1960

= indicates a match field
–> indicates to import the field
– indicates to not import the field

About the importing process
The basic steps for importing records are:
1. Make a backup copy of the target file you’re importing into.
2. If the source file is a FileMaker Pro file, perform a find so that the found set in the current window
contains only the records you want to import.
3. Open the target file, and if it has multiple tables, select a layout that shows records from the table you
want to import data into.
4. If you’re updating existing or matching records, make sure the found set in the target file contains only
the records you want to change or update.
5. Choose File menu > Import Records > File, and choose the name of the file that contains the data you want
to import (the source file).
6. In the Import Field Mapping dialog box, if necessary, select a table from the Source list.

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7. Accept the table shown in the Target drop-down list, or select New Table to create a table with the same
schema as the source table.
8. Select the type of import to perform. See “Methods of importing data into an existing file” on page 116.
9. Map the fields in the source file to the fields in the target file.
= indicates match fields

Arrows show that data will
import into the fields at right

Select a table to
import from

Fields in the
source file

Import to Current Table
or New Table

Fields in the
target file

Select an import action

Converting a data file to a new FileMaker Pro file
You can convert a data file from another application into a new FileMaker Pro file. The converted file will contain:

1 The data from the file or source you convert
1 Two layouts for displaying the data
1 Converted field names if they are available in the file or source you convert. Otherwise, field names are
generic: f1, f2, f3, and so on.

1 Converted field types if they are available in the file or source you convert. Otherwise, all fields are text fields.
To import data into a new file:
1. In the source application, save the data you want to import in a file type that FileMaker Pro supports. See
“Supported import/export file formats” on page 114.
2. Choose File menu > Open.
3. In the Open File dialog box, for Files of type (Windows) or Show (Mac OS), specify the type of file,
choose the file to convert, then click Open.
4. If you see the First Row Option dialog box, choose whether the first row of data contains field names or the
first record of data, then click OK.
5. If you’re converting a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and the Specify Excel Data dialog box appears,
choose a worksheet or named range from the workbook file, then click OK.
6. In the Create a New File Named dialog box, type a name for the new file, choose a location, then click Save.
FileMaker Pro converts the data to a FileMaker Pro file and displays the file.
For more information about importing data, see Help.

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About the exporting process
You can export FileMaker Pro data to a new file, then open it in another application.
The basic steps for exporting records are:
1. Open the FileMaker Pro file and display a layout that shows the records you want to export.
2. Find and sort the records to export. See “Finding records” on page 30 and “Sorting records” on page 42.
3. Choose File menu > Export Records.
4. In the Export Records to File dialog box, type a name and choose a location for the exported file, and
choose a file type.
5. In the Specify Field Order for Export dialog box, select how you want FileMaker Pro to export the data.
To export

Choose

A field on the current layout

Current Layout (LayoutName) from the table list, then double-click a field in the list

A field in the current layout’s table

Current Table (TableName) from the table list, then double-click a field in the list

6. If necessary, choose the character set you want the exported file to use.
7. Select whether or not to apply the current layout’s formatting to the exported data.
To export related fields, select
the related table from the list

Select fields
from this list

Select whether or not to
apply formatting

For more information about exporting data, see Help.

FileMaker Pro
exports these fields

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Working with external data sources
You can define data sources in a FileMaker Pro file to access data from:

1 other FileMaker Pro files
1 SQL databases that use ODBC technology for sharing information
When you define data sources in FileMaker Pro files, current data from external databases is displayed in
your files. You can use FileMaker Pro to add, edit, delete, search, and sort data in the external files.
The following procedures provide an overview of how to access data in external FileMaker Pro files or
external ODBC data sources. For detailed information on accessing external data sources, see Help.
Working with external FileMaker Pro files
To set up a file to access data from another FileMaker Pro file:

1 Add tables from other FileMaker Pro data sources to the relationships graph in the current FileMaker Pro file.
1 Add fields to layouts to display data from the other FileMaker Pro file.
Working with ODBC data sources
To set up a file to access data in supported ODBC data sources:

1 Install and configure an ODBC driver for the external data sources you want to access.
1 On the computer that hosts the current FileMaker Pro file, define a system Data Source Name (DSN) for
each ODBC data source you want to access.

1 Set options for the ODBC data sources you want to access (for example, whether users are prompted for
a user name and password).

1 Add one or more tables from the ODBC data source to the relationships graph in the current
FileMaker Pro file.

1 Add fields to layouts in the FileMaker Pro file to display external data.
1 Optionally, add supplemental fields to external tables and layouts to display calculation and summary
results based on data stored in external ODBC data sources.

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Publishing databases on the web
With FileMaker Pro, you can use Instant Web Publishing to publish your databases in a web browser,
allowing users to find, browse, and modify data in the database.
Using Instant Web Publishing with FileMaker Pro accounts and privilege sets, you can make your web
databases secure.
Note FileMaker Pro Instant Web Publishing supports the sharing of files with up to 5 concurrent users. Use
FileMaker Server Advanced if you need to share files with more than 5 concurrent web users.
To work with a published FileMaker Pro database, users need:

1 Web browser software
1 Access to the internet or an intranet. Access to the internet requires an internet service provider (ISP);
FileMaker does not provide an account for you.

1 A host computer with continuous access to the internet or intranet via TCP/IP
1 The Internet Protocol (IP) address of the computer that hosts your database files
You can publish your databases as web pages within a local network or intranet, or to users on the web. You
don’t have to change your database or use additional software.
Note Web viewers, which calculate a URL based on field data and display a web page directly in a
FileMaker Pro layout, work in files shared via Instant Web Publishing. However, there are some design
issues you should consider before including web viewers in published files. For more information, see the
FileMaker Instant Web Publishing Guide. Choose Help menu > Product Documentation > FileMaker Instant
Web Publishing Guide.

Shared FileMaker Pro database in a web browser

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Chapter 6
Protecting databases
This chapter describes the basics of how to restrict what users can see and do in a FileMaker Pro file. You’ll
learn about:

1
1
1
1
1
1

planning security for a file
viewing and creating user accounts and passwords
viewing and creating privilege sets
viewing extended privileges
preventing versions of FileMaker Pro earlier than version 11 from opening a file
authorizing other files to access your files

1 taking measures to secure your database solution, and your operating system, network, and hardware
1 backing up databases and other files
1 installing, running, and upgrading antivirus software
Note See Help for detailed, comprehensive information and step-by-step procedures about using
FileMaker Pro.
Although your operating system includes file security features, you should use FileMaker Pro access
privileges as the fundamental way to control access to and protect the security of your database files.
For information about how security settings in older databases convert to the current version of
FileMaker Pro, see “Converting databases from FileMaker Pro 6 and earlier” on page 139 and see
FileMaker Pro Help.

Protecting databases with accounts and privilege sets
You can limit what users can see and do in a database file. You can restrict:

1 Data access. Make particular records or fields from individual tables view-only, or hide them completely.
1 Layout access. Prevent users from modifying layouts in Layout mode.
1 Access to value lists and scripts. Prevent users from accessing and modifying value lists and scripts, and
from running scripts.

1 Access to file sharing. Individually enable file sharing via the FileMaker Network, Web Publishing, and
ODBC and JDBC.

1 Outputting data. Prevent users from printing or exporting data.
1 Menu access. Make only a limited set of menu commands available.
You restrict what users do in a file by requiring them to enter an account name and password when they
attempt to open a file. The account name and password they enter determines which privilege set will be
used and the privilege set limits what they can do in a file. For more information about accounts and privilege
sets, see the following section.

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You can define privileges in a shared file while clients are using it. Any privilege changes that affect a current
client do not take effect until the client closes and reopens the file.
The privileges that you set up apply to a single file only and all database tables within that file. If your
database solution consists of multiple files that you want to protect, you may want to combine all of these
files into one multi-table file. Then you can define privileges in only a single file to manage access to the
entire database solution. If you don’t want to combine the files into one file, then you should define
privileges in each file that contains items you want to protect.
Important If you create a relationship in one file that references a table in another file, you cannot manage
access privileges for the related table in the first file. The privileges defined in the other file control access
to that table.

Accounts, privilege sets, and extended privileges
This section describes FileMaker Pro accounts, privilege sets, and extended privileges.
For more information on sharing data, see chapter 5, “Sharing and exchanging data.”
Accounts
Accounts authenticate users who are attempting to open a protected file. Each account specifies an account
name and usually a password. Any user that cannot specify valid account information won’t be able to open
a protected file.
Each database file contains two predefined accounts: Admin and Guest. For more information, see “About
the predefined accounts” on page 125.
You may want to create an account for every individual who accesses a file, or you may want to create a
small number of accounts that are shared among many individuals, such as a “Marketing” account and a
“Sales” account.

1 Create accounts for individuals when it is necessary to verify the identities of particular users and you
want to manage access at an individual level.

1 Create shared accounts when you want fewer accounts to maintain and you are less concerned about
managing individual access to the database file.
If you host files on FileMaker Server, you can create External Server accounts that obtain authentication
information from an authentication server such as an Apple OpenDirectory or Windows Domain. For more
information, see “Creating accounts that authenticate via an external server” on page 131.
Privilege sets
A privilege set specifies a level of access to a database file. Each database file contains three predefined
privilege sets for common types of access levels: Full Access, Data Entry Only, and Read-Only Access.
When you create a privilege set, there are many options available that you can use to limit database access,
such as which layouts are viewable, which menus are available, and whether printing is permitted. Privilege
sets can also restrict access to records or fields from particular tables within a file. Each account is assigned
a privilege set, which determines the level of access when someone opens a file using that account.
You can create as many privilege sets as you need to define the types of access you want to permit to a file.
For more information about privilege sets, see “About the predefined privilege sets” on page 126.

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Extended privileges
Extended privileges determine the data sharing options that are permitted by a privilege set, such as whether
a privilege set permits users to open a shared file or view a database in a web browser.
The following table lists the default extended privileges that are available. (FileMaker as well as third-party
developers may define additional extended privileges to manage access for other software products designed
to work with FileMaker Pro or FileMaker Server.)
Extended privilege

Determines if a privilege permits

Access via FileMaker Network

Opening a networked shared file (either a file hosted by FileMaker Pro or
FileMaker Server)

Access via ODBC/JDBC

Accessing a database file from another application via ODBC or JDBC

Access via Instant Web Publishing

Accessing a database file from a web browser via Instant Web Publishing

Access via FileMaker Mobile

Accessing a database file with FileMaker Mobile software

Access via XML Web Publishing

Accessing a database file from a web browser or other application via XML web
publishing (FileMaker Server only)

Access via XSLT Web Publishing

Accessing a database file from a web browser or other application via XSLT web
publishing (FileMaker Server only)

Access via PHP Web Publishing

Accessing a database file from a web browser or other application via PHP web
publishing (FileMaker Server only)

When a user attempts to open or access a protected file using one of the above methods, the user will be
prompted to provide account information. If the privilege set for the account does not permit the type of extended
privilege access the user is requesting, the user will get an error indicating that they cannot access the file.
All extended privileges for a file are disabled by default, even in the Full Access privilege set.
Enabling extended privileges only makes it allowable for certain privilege sets to access shared data. To actually
access the shared data, you must also set up sharing for the type of access that you want. For more information on
extended privileges, see “Viewing extended privileges” on page 133.

About the predefined accounts
Each database file contains two predefined accounts: Admin and Guest.
Admin account
The Admin account is assigned the Full Access privilege set, which permits access to everything in a file.
The Admin account is not assigned a password. In files for which privileges are not set up, the file options
are set up to automatically log in to the file using the Admin account.
The Admin account is fully editable. You can rename it, assign it a password, or make the account inactive.
You can even delete the Admin account; however, you must assign the Full Access privilege set to at least
one other active account.
Important Don’t forget the account name and password that is assigned to the Full Access privilege set. If
necessary, write it down and store it in a secure place. If you lose or forget this account name and password,
you may not be able to access the file.

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Guest account
The Guest account permits users to open a file without specifying any account information. The Guest
account is not assigned a password. By default, the Guest account is assigned the Read-Only Access
privilege set, but you can assign any privilege set you want to the Guest account.
Initially, the Guest account is inactive, which disables the guest option in the password dialog box and
prohibits users from opening files as a guest. You can enable the Guest account to permit guest access.
The Guest account is not fully editable. You cannot delete the Guest account, change the Guest account
name, or assign it a password.

About the predefined privilege sets
Every new database file contains three predefined privilege sets.

1 Full Access: permits accessing and changing everything in the file
1 Data Entry Only: permits viewing and entering of data only
1 Read-Only Access: permits viewing but not changing data
You cannot change or delete these predefined privilege sets, except to enable or disable extended privileges
for them. You can either use them as is, or duplicate them and then modify the duplicate copies.
The following table summarizes the properties of these privilege sets.
Privilege Sets
Privilege

Full Access

Data Entry Only

Read-Only Access

Records (in all tables)

create, edit, delete

view only

Layouts

all modifiable

view only

Value lists

all modifiable

view only

Scripts

all modifiable and executable

all executable only

Extended Privileges

all off

Allow printing

Allow exporting

Manage extended privileges

off

Override data validation warnings

off

Disconnect user from FileMaker Server when idle

off

Allow password modification

Password change number of days

off

Minimum password length

off

Available menu commands

All

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You must have Allow Printing privileges to save records as a PDF file. You must have Allow Exporting
privileges to export records as a Microsoft Excel or Excel 2007/2008 worksheet. For more information about
saving records as PDF or Excel files, see “Saving and sending data in other formats” on page 114.
Note The Full Access privilege set is the only one that permits access to the Manage Database and Manage
External Data Sources dialog boxes in order to modify fields, tables, relationships, and data sources. It is
also the only privilege set that permits changing accounts and privileges. Because you cannot enable these
privileges in any other privilege set, any user that wants to make database definition changes or privileges
changes must open the file with an account that is assigned the Full Access privilege set.
At least one active, FileMaker authenticated account in each file must be assigned the Full Access privilege
set. An error message will appear if you edit accounts so that no active account is assigned the Full Access
privilege set.

Planning security for a file
A new FileMaker Pro file is initially unprotected. Whenever the file opens, it automatically logs in the user
with the Admin account, which is assigned the Full Access privilege set.

1 If you simply want to keep someone else from opening a database file on your computer, you can
password-protect the file. For more information, see “Password-protecting a file” on page 128.

1 If you need to share a database file with others and provide varying levels of file access to different users,
you need to plan the security for the file. Consider listing the types of users and their privileges:
Managers

Marketing

Sales

Legal

Guests

View records

Yes

Create records

Yes

Edit records

Yes

Delete records

Yes

Limited*

Yes

Modify scripts

Yes

Limited*

Yes

Execute scripts

Yes

Modify value lists

Yes

Menus

All

Editing only

All

Minimum

* You can provide limited access to some features, for example deleting records, by using record-by-record
privileges. For more information on record-by-record privileges, see FileMaker Pro Help.
You can additionally protect a file by requiring authorization of any file that attempts to access its tables,
layouts, value lists, and scripts. For more information, see “Authorizing access to files” on page 134.
To plan the security for a shared file:
1. Determine the privilege sets that you need for the file.
Make a list of the areas of the file that you want to protect, such as particular tables, fields, records,
layouts, value lists, and scripts. Plan the number of privilege sets you need to enforce the varying levels
of file access that you require.
2. Determine whether you need individual accounts for each user, or group accounts that multiple users can share.

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3. Decide if you want to enable the Guest account, which permits users to open the file without specifying
account information.
4. Create the privilege sets that you need in the file.
5. Determine if you need to enable any extended privileges for certain privilege sets.
Don’t enable extended privileges unless they’re needed.
6. Create the accounts you need in the file, and assign the appropriate privilege set to each account.
For more information, see the next section. If you’re using the Guest account, assign a privilege set to it
as well. Otherwise, disable the Guest account.
7. Open the file using different accounts and test each privilege set that you created. Make sure the
restrictions work the way you want, and make any needed corrections to your privilege sets.
8. Optionally limit other files from accessing the schema of your file by using the File Access tab. For more
information, see “Authorizing access to files” on page 134.

Password-protecting a file
If you have a non-shared database file on your computer and you want to prevent others from opening it,
you can password-protect the file.
After password-protecting a file, you will be prompted to enter an account name and password every time
you open the file. Anyone who does not know this account information will not be able to open the file.
To password-protect a file:
1. Make the following changes to the accounts in the file:

1 Edit the Admin account so that it has a different account name, a password, and uses the Full Access
privilege set.

1 Make sure the Guest account is inactive.
1 Delete any other accounts in the file or make them inactive.
2. If necessary, edit the Full Access privilege set to allow yourself any extended privileges you may want
for yourself.
Don’t enable extended privileges unless they’re needed.
Suggestions for creating secure passwords

1 Secure passwords are typically eight or more characters in length, and include at least one numeric character.
1 If the file is shared via web publishing, account names and passwords can only use characters included in
the ISO Latin-1 character set (except colons). To avoid characters that may be interpreted incorrectly over
the web, you may want to limit account names and passwords to alphabetic and numeric characters only.
For more information about protecting FileMaker Pro databases, see Help.

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Creating accounts and privilege sets
Accounts specify account names and (usually) passwords for a file. When a user opens a file that contains
accounts, a dialog box prompts the user to enter account information. When a user opens a file with a correct
account name and password, the privilege set assigned to that account determines what the user can do in that file.
Privilege sets specify levels of access to a database, such as which layouts are viewable, which menus are
available, and whether printing is permitted.
To create and manage accounts and privilege sets for a file, you need to open the file with an account that is
assigned the Full Access privilege set.
You can create and modify accounts and privilege sets in a shared file while clients are using it. (In
FileMaker Pro 6 and earlier, all clients had to close the shared file before you could change passwords and
groups.) The account changes you make take effect immediately. However, the changes do not disrupt any
current clients. For example, if you change the password for an account that is in use by one or more clients,
their FileMaker Pro usage is not interrupted. However, they will need to enter the new password the next
time they open the file.
You can create as many accounts as you need. You can create individual accounts for each user, or a smaller
number of accounts that users can share.

Viewing accounts and privilege sets
The Manage Security dialog box displays a list of all the accounts and privilege sets for a file.
To view the accounts and privilege sets for a file:
1. Open the database file.
2. Choose File menu > Manage > Security.
You see the accounts defined for this file.

3. In the Manage Security dialog box, click the Privilege Sets tab.
You see the privilege sets defined for this file.

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Creating accounts
You can create accounts for every individual who accesses a file, or create fewer accounts that are shared
among many individuals, such as a “Marketing” account and a “Sales” account. You must assign a privilege
set to each new account.
To create an account:
1. Choose File menu > Manage > Security.
2. In the Accounts tab, click New.
3. In the Edit Account dialog box, for Account is authenticated via, choose FileMaker.

For information about accounts managed by an external server, see “Creating accounts that authenticate
via an external server” on page 131.
4. Enter an account name and password for the account.
Tip If you plan to create accounts for individual users, you may want to base each account name on the
User Name defined in the Preferences dialog box. This User Name is the default account name that
appears in the dialog box that prompts a user for an account name and password. The user won’t have to
re-type the account name if it matches the User Name.

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5. To force the account users to choose a new password the first time they log in, choose User must change
password on next login.
In most cases, an account that is shared by multiple users should not force a password change upon first
login. Instead, you should specify a password and provide it to the users that need it. Also, the privilege
set for a shared account should not permit password changes because one user could change the password
and lock out all other users who share the account.
6. For Account Status, choose whether you want the account to be active or inactive.
For example, you may want to keep the account inactive until you finish setting up its privilege set. Users
cannot open a database using an inactive account name and password.
7. For Privilege Set, choose the privilege set you want to use with this account.
You can choose an existing privilege set, or choose New Privilege Set and create a new one. For more
information, see “Creating privilege sets” on page 132.
8. For Description, enter a description of the account (optional).
9. Click OK.
10. In the Manage Security dialog box, click OK.
11. In the dialog box that appears, enter an account name and password that is assigned the Full Access
privilege set, and click OK.

Creating accounts that authenticate via an external server
If you’re hosting FileMaker Pro database files with FileMaker Server and your organization uses centrally
managed authentication for users and groups such as Apple OpenDirectory or a Windows Domain, you can
set up accounts that authenticate users based on your authentication server. This allows you to use your
existing authentication server to control access to databases without having to manage an independent list
of accounts in each FileMaker Pro database file.
Note Only database files hosted by FileMaker Server can authenticate users against an authentication
server. Database files shared by FileMaker Pro won’t authenticate against an authentication server.
Important When a database file contains one or more External Server accounts, make sure you use operating
system security settings to limit direct access to the file. Otherwise, it might be possible for an unauthorized
user to move the file to another system that replicates your authentication server environment and gain
access to the file. For more information, see the FileMaker Server documentation.
To create an account that authenticates via an external server:
1. Choose File menu > Manage > Security.
2. In the Accounts tab, click New.
3. In the Edit Account dialog box, for Account is authenticated via, choose External Server.
4. For Group Name, enter the name of a group that is defined on an external authentication server.
5. For Account Status, choose whether you want the account to be active or inactive.

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6. For Privilege Set, choose the privilege set you want to use with this account.
The privilege set assigned to the account determines what the externally authenticated group members
can do in the database file. You can choose an existing privilege set, or choose New Privilege Set and
create a new one. For more information, see the next section.
7. For Description, enter a description of the account (optional).
8. Click OK.
9. In the Manage Security dialog box, click OK.
10. In the dialog box that appears, enter an account name and password that is assigned the Full Access
privilege set, and click OK.

Creating privilege sets
You can assign each privilege set to one or more accounts.
To create a privilege set:
1. Follow the steps above to display the privilege sets for a file.
2. Click New.
The Edit Privilege Set dialog box appears. By default, each privilege set option is set to its most
restrictive setting.

3. Enter a name and optional description for the privilege set.
4. Define the privileges for the privilege set.
5. Click OK.
After you create the privilege sets that you want, you need to create or edit accounts so that they use the
appropriate privilege sets. For more information, see “Creating accounts” on page 130.
For more information about creating accounts and privilege sets, see Help.

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About enabling record-level access
You can set individual record access for each table. For example, the privilege set can limit the ability to:

1 View, edit, create, or delete all or certain records within each table.
1 Access or modify certain fields within each table.
You can only set record access privileges for tables defined in the current file. If the file contains
relationships to tables in other files that you want to protect, you need to create accounts and privilege sets
in the other files to protect those tables.
For more information about using the Edit Privilege Set dialog box, see Help.

Viewing extended privileges
Extended privileges determine the data sharing options that are permitted by a privilege set for a file. For
example, if the file is shared, the Access via FileMaker Network extended privilege determines if the
privilege set allows opening the shared file as a client. The Access via Instant Web Publishing extended
privilege determines whether the privilege set allows accessing the database from a web browser.
There are six default extended privileges. For more information about them, see “Accounts, privilege sets,
and extended privileges” on page 124.
You can view extended privileges in the Manage Security dialog box, as well as enable each extended
privilege for selected privilege sets. All of the extended privileges are disabled by default, even in the Full
Access privilege set.
It may be necessary to delete an extended privilege that is no longer required.
To view the extended privileges:
1. Open the database file.
2. Choose File menu > Manage > Security.
3. In the Manage Security dialog box, click the Extended Privileges tab.

For more information about extended privileges, see Help.

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Authorizing access to files
As part of your overall security plan, you can control whether other FileMaker Pro files are permitted to
access the schema in a file (including its tables, layouts, scripts, and value lists) in your secured solution.
When protection is enabled, any use of the protected file through a FileMaker data source will require
authorization. Therefore, in a multi-file solution, you will need to authorize the other files.
This protection requires a file format change that prevents versions of FileMaker Pro earlier than version 11
from opening the file, although it is reversible when this option is disabled. You can turn on the option even
if you do not require authorization.
For example, enabling protection prevents someone with an account in your file from creating another file
that uses tables in your file but does not implement the same business logic (such as the same script triggers).
The use of this alternative file can bypass your intended business logic (although record-level access would
still be enforced). Turning on this option also prevents files that are not authorized from opening a protected
file using the Open File script step.
Note You must have the Full Access privilege set for any file that you want to protect and any file that you
want to authorize.
To authorize access to a file:
1. Open the file that you want to protect.
2. Choose File menu > Manage > Security, then click the File Access tab.

3. Select Prevent opening with earlier versions (pre-FileMaker 11), then click Yes in the confirmation message.
If other users have this file open, they will see an alert telling them to close the file immediately.
4. To protect this file against unwanted access from other files, select Require full access privileges to
create references to this file.
5. If any files that reference the protected file are currently open, you see an alert for each file, asking if you
want to authorize the file. Click Yes.
6. If you want to authorize additional files that are not currently open, click Authorize. In the Open File
dialog box, choose a local or remote file to authorize, and click Open.
You may be asked to enter the name and password of an account with Full Access privileges.
7. Click OK.
For more information about authorizing access to files, see Help.

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Security measures
Be sure that your database files, host computers, workstations, and the networks that access them are safe
from theft and corruption. To protect your data and equipment, you should implement the following five
important security measures:

1
1
1
1
1

Enhance physical security
Enhance operating system security
Establish network security
Back up databases and other important files
Install, run, and upgrade antivirus software

For more information about securing FileMaker Pro files, see www.filemaker.com/support/security.

Enhancing physical security
Evaluate your computers to make sure they are physically secure:

1 The host computer should be a dedicated machine, anchored to a desk or immovable object with a lock.
Secure the computer so that its hard drive cannot be removed. Restrict access to the computer by storing
it in a locked room.

1 Secure the client workstations that access a database. Lock the computers down and restrict access by
using a screensaver that requires a password.

1 Ensure the physical security of backup copies of files stored on portable media, such as tapes and CDs.

Enhancing operating system security
Use the security features of your operating system to restrict access to important data. The network
administrator should provide access only to individuals authorized to administer and maintain the system or
the FileMaker databases. In addition, they should:

1 Track system user IDs and passwords.
1 Restrict access to the FileMaker Pro application and file directories, servers, and web pages.
1
1
1
1

Review remote access settings for file sharing and FTP.
Restrict file upload or download access.
Make sure all users have the latest, most secure versions of operating system software.
To streamline processes, you can enable external authentication, which uses accounts that have been
configured in the Windows Domain Authentication or in Apple Open Directory. For more information,
see FileMaker Pro Help.

1 Do not put FileMaker Pro files on file servers to share them. Use the built-in networking feature in
FileMaker Pro and FileMaker Server. This prevents the files from being inappropriately copied or from
introducing record locking and potential corruption issues when files are shared with inappropriate methods.

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Establishing network security
Databases shared on an intranet or the internet use the TCP/IP protocol. You may also use the TCP/IP
protocol when you share databases peer-to-peer, or with FileMaker Server. Though TCP/IP is good for
moving data and allowing clients to connect to your data, it was not designed with security as a primary
objective. Unless you take precautions, it can provide uninvited access to your host computer, server
software, databases, and perhaps to other client machines on your internal network. TCP/IP doesn't provide
very much protection for data, so it is important to place barricades such as firewalls and SSL data
encryption in the path of uninvited visitors.

1 The most common barricade method used is the firewall, which separates your network into two distinct
environments: a public environment that is “outside the firewall,” and a private environment that is
“behind the firewall.” Users outside of the firewall will only have access to those TCP/IP or hardware
addresses that you expose. You can concentrate your security on those server machines that are exposed,
while allowing machines behind the firewall to operate with fewer safeguards.

1 Using wireless networking devices, like the Apple AirPort and other 802.11b networking cards and base
stations, can pose security challenges. These devices can broadcast your network traffic beyond the walls
of your building, so it is extremely important to encrypt your wireless networking signals. Always use
the maximum level of signal encryption available.

Backing up databases and other important files
Develop plans for restoring data, including alternate sites and systems to run business-critical information
services. A current backup can help you recover from a situation where someone loses the administrator
account information for a file, or from a situation where user error (and sometimes bad database design)
causes data to be deleted or modified inappropriately.
Keep these points in mind:

1 Host databases with FileMaker Server and create regularly-scheduled, automated backups.
Don’t use third-party backup software on hosted FileMaker Pro databases. First, use FileMaker Server
to make a backup copy of your database, then run your third-party backup software on the copy. Backup
software can damage open, hosted databases.
For example, make local backups of files at 6:00 am, 9:00 am, 12:00 noon, 3:00 pm, 6:00 pm, and 11:30
pm weekdays. At midnight, make an incremental backup of the entire system to the enterprise backup
system. Finally, Friday night at midnight, perform a full system backup. Copy and store the backup tapes
at a remote location. This way, if the server goes down for some reason other than catastrophic failure of
multiple drives, the more recent backup of the data files can be used, meaning a maximum of 3 hours of
lost data. If there is a catastrophic drive failure, then the previous evening’s tape can be used, minimizing
the loss to one day’s data. Of course, these procedures can be tailored to your situation and data value.

1 Make sure backup copies aren’t damaged or inaccessible. Verify that they are functioning properly before
you need them. Run diagnostic tools on your hard drive and your backup files regularly.

1
1
1
1

Ensure that you can restore an entire set of files from backup copies.
Regularly export the data to protect against file corruption.
Protect the backup media itself. Store backups in a separate and fire-proof location.
Assign backup administrators who can retrieve files, in case the network administrator is unavailable.

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1 Plan for redundancy. If the power goes off, a universal power supply (UPS) should sustain power for at
least 15 minutes, enabling you to safely close all files. If the power can’t be restored in a timely fashion,
consider using a generator to supply power to servers. Also consider power sources for routers and
firewalls. Will communication be a problem if your internet access is interrupted for 48 hours or longer?

1 Consider how you will continue to provide services if an intruder takes down your database server and
that server can’t be restored to its previous condition.

1 Evaluate additional scenarios that could occur, and create a plan to respond to each one.
Also, network administrators should assess risks to data systems and business-critical functions. For
example, consider:

1 Theft of data or theft of proprietary intellectual property.
1 Disruption, theft, or damage to network infrastructure such as servers, networks, data storage, or data
backup storage. Damage can be caused by password crackers or by other types of malicious sabotage and
destruction. Most incidents originate from within the organization.

1 Disruption or damage to the organization infrastructure such as building fires, environmental or
biological hazards, floods, and so on.

1 Disruption or damage to the public infrastructure, including electrical power, telecommunications (voice
and data), transportation grids (roadways, buses, trains) caused by environmental conditions, or severe
weather such as tornadoes or floods.
FileMaker Pro provides two mechanisms for handling databases that might be damaged: consistency checks and
file recovery. Consistency checks occur automatically, if needed, when the file is opened. You can also choose
to verify the consistency of a file that you suspect is damaged. You can also have FileMaker Pro attempt to
recover a damaged file. For more information about checking consistency and recovering files, see Help.
Important In the event of a server failure, such as an unexpected loss of power, hard drive failure, or
software failure, use the backup files. Any system failure causing FileMaker Server to shut down
inappropriately can result in corrupted files if cached data was not written to disk and the files were not
closed properly. Even if the files re-open and go through a consistency check or recovery (initiated by either
FileMaker Pro or you), corruption might be buried in the file. File recovery cannot guarantee that problems
have been fixed.

Installing, running, and upgrading antivirus software
Because most computers have internet access, they are vulnerable to viruses being transmitted through email
attachments. Make sure all employees run antivirus checking software regularly, and that they are aware of
typical virus warning signs. Employees should scan all files before copying or downloading them to their
computer, and they should never open unsolicited attachments, even if they’re from someone they know.
While antivirus software is essential in protecting your systems and data, some caution should be observed
in how they are used on computers that host FileMaker Pro databases.
Antivirus programs sometimes lock bytes within a file when they scan for viruses. These locks can cause
the operating system to return an error when FileMaker Pro or FileMaker Server try to write data to the file,
which sometimes causes the file to be flagged as damaged and closed.

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This situation also applies to files that FileMaker Server uses as backup targets. If the backup file is being
scanned by antivirus software when a scheduled backup occurs, the destination file might be locked. This
causes the backup process to fail, which may result in data loss. This same data loss issue applies when an
open, non-shared FileMaker Pro database file is scanned by antivirus software.
When running antivirus software on computers that host FileMaker Pro databases, follow these
recommendations:

1 Do not run virus protection software on open or hosted databases. First, close the databases, then run the
virus protection software.

1 When you scan your computer for viruses, do not scan the Databases folder and subfolders or any folder
that contains files that actively hosts files through FileMaker Server or FileMaker Pro. Instead, set your
antivirus software to scan your database backup destination folder and make sure your antivirus scan
schedule does not coincide with your FileMaker Server backup schedule. Wait until databases are
completely backed up before scanning them.

Chapter 7
Converting databases from FileMaker Pro 6
and earlier
Because FileMaker Pro versions 7, 8.x, 9, 10, and 11 all share the same file format, FileMaker Pro 11 can
open FileMaker Pro versions 7, 8.x, 9, and 10 files without converting them. You can even use
FileMaker Pro 11 files with FileMaker Pro version 7, 8.x, 9, or 10 (except for a protected file; see below).
However, new features might not work as expected when you open the file in an earlier version.
For example:

1 Charting: If you open a file containing a chart in a version of FileMaker Pro prior to version 11, a frame
with an X through it is displayed in place of the chart, and no information about the chart layout object
will be available.

1 Files protected from access to their schema: You cannot use a file opened in a version of
FileMaker Pro prior to version 11 to access a file that is protected from access by other files to its tables,
layouts, scripts, and value lists.
FileMaker recommends that, once you have created or opened a file in FileMaker Pro 11, you do not make
database design or layout changes using an earlier version of FileMaker Pro, particularly to features that
have changed in FileMaker Pro 11.
Note See Help for detailed, comprehensive information and step-by-step procedures about using
FileMaker Pro.

Conversion overview
If your database solution is fairly simple, you should be able to convert the files, review the Conversion.log
file, test your converted files, and use them. For example, simple files that were built from the templates
provided with your previous version of FileMaker Pro should convert accurately without a lot of manual
corrections afterwards.
If you’re converting a multi-file relational database created with custom features such as custom scripts, or
a database that’s business-critical, you should plan your conversion more carefully.
FileMaker Pro 11 can convert files created with versions 3.x, 4.x, 5.x, and 6.x. If you have files created using
FileMaker Pro version 2.x or earlier, you must first convert them to one of the supported formats listed
above. Then you can convert the files to FileMaker Pro 11. For more information, see “Converting
FileMaker Pro 1.x and 2.x databases” in Help.
When you convert files, FileMaker Pro 11 preserves the contents of your original files and creates new,
converted files in FileMaker Pro 11 format. The content of the original files are not modified, and you can
open them in the previous version of FileMaker Pro that created them. The converted files can be opened
only in FileMaker Pro versions 7, 8.x, 9, 10, and 11.

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You can convert a single file or convert multiple files at once:

1 Use the single-file conversion method for standalone database files that don’t display related data from
other files. For more information, see Help.

1 Use the multi-file conversion method to convert all the files in a relational database. For more
information, see Help.

Solving basic conversion problems
Here are some suggestions for correcting problems that could occur during conversion.
My file didn’t convert properly

1 If you are converting a copy of a file, make sure that the original file was closed before you copied it. Otherwise,
the copy will not convert correctly.

1 Check the Conversion.log file located in the folder with the database you are attempting to convert. For more
information, see Help.

1 Try recovering the file first, using a previous version of FileMaker Pro and then convert the file again.
I received a consistency check or auto-repair message when I opened my original file using my previous version
of FileMaker Pro
Try recovering the original file using your previous version of FileMaker Pro. Then open the recovered file using the
same version of FileMaker Pro, close the file, and then try converting it with FileMaker Pro 11.

Converting passwords
During conversion, passwords are converted into accounts in FileMaker Pro 11. There are two common
password conversion issues:

1 For each converted account, both the account name and the password in the converted file are initially set
to the password from the original file, which makes all passwords visible to anyone who has Full Access
privileges. For security reasons, you should either change each account name so that it no longer matches
its password, or change each password so that it no longer matches its account name. (You could also set
an option for each account to require a password change by the user upon the next login.)

1 Passwords are case-sensitive in FileMaker Pro versions 7, 8.x, 9, 10, and 11. Make sure you enter your
password exactly as it was created in a previous version of FileMaker Pro. If you are the owner of the
original file or the database administrator, open the original file using a previous version of
FileMaker Pro and look at the password in the Define Passwords dialog box. If you are not the owner of
the file or the database administrator, consult your database administrator for password information.

Application support changes in FileMaker Pro 11
If you have been using an earlier version of FileMaker Pro, please note the following information about
FileMaker Pro 11 support for QuickTime and (Mac OS only) third-party plug-in applications.

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QuickTime support
You may notice the following differences when you work with QuickTime in FileMaker Pro 11:

1 You can drag QuickTime movies between container fields, but you cannot drag QuickTime movies to the
desktop. When you drag a QuickTime movie, you see the outline but not the movie poster.

1 Windows: When you are resizing a window in which a QuickTime movie is playing, the movie briefly
stops displaying until you have finished resizing the window.
For more information about using QuickTime with FileMaker Pro, see Help.

Third-party plug-in application support
FileMaker Pro 11 for Mac OS supports only Mach-O third-party plug-in applications. Code Fragment
Manager (CFM) third-party plug-in applications are no longer supported.

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Index
Symbols

! 37
– 57
" 57, 62
" " 31, 33, 34
# 33
$ 57
& 57
( 57, 62
) 57, 62
* 33, 37, 57
+ 57, 113
, 57
... 36
/ 57
// 35
: 57
:: 57
; 57
< 36, 57
<= 36
= 34, 37, 57
== 34
> 36, 57
>= 36
? 35
@ 33
[ 57
] 57
^ 57
_ 57
} 57
~ 34
≤ 36, 57
≥ 36, 57
≠ 57

Access privileges. See Accounts; Privilege sets
Access via FileMaker Network 110, 133
Accounts
Admin account 125
defining 130
described 124
External Server account 124, 131
Guest account 125
passwords 128
predefined 125
setting up recurring imports 115
viewing 129
Active record 23
Adding
See also Defining; Placing
fields 59
new find requests 38
records 25
related records 26, 105
tables 69
Adding fields
in Table View 61
Admin account 125, 127
Adobe PDFs, saving data as 114
Aligning
container fields to text 89
objects to other objects 78
text in paragraphs 86
AND searches 38
Antivirus software, and database management 137
Apple OpenDirectory 131
Application preferences 49
Area charts
creating 92
described 92
Asian text
entry 60, 89
printing 89
rotating 89
Attributes, text 85
Authentication 124
Apple OpenDirectory 131
via external server 131
Windows Domain 131
Authorized users. See Accounts; Privilege sets

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Authorizing files 13, 134
Auto Enter 65
Auto-complete 83
Automating tasks. See Scripts
Average for summary fields 63

B
Backups
and antivirus software 137
guidelines for 136
scripts for files 49
Bar charts
creating 92
described 92
Blank layout
See also Layouts
described 74
Blank records, printing 44
Body (layouts), described 91
Boolean values
described 35, 58, 67
finding 35
formatting 87
Break fields 92
Browse mode
described 21
finding data in 30
Browser, web
opening URL 121
working with published database in 121
Browsing records 22
Buttons, including in tab order 27

C
Calculation fields
creating 61
described 58
formulas 61
stored and unstored results 68
Calculations
See also Calculation fields
formatting 86
related fields
field references to 62
summarizing data 105
Calendars, displaying in fields 83
Case-sensitive text, finding 34
CFM plug-in support 141

Changing
data in fields 27
find requests 40
lookups 107
preferences 49
relationships 104
Characters
maximum in fields 27
not allowed in field names 57
Charting data
creating charts 92
described 92
Checkboxes, displaying fields as 83
Clients
described 109
limits, on the web 121
performing tasks 112
saving files 110
Clones (files) 20
Closing windows and files 20
Columns
changing width 76
printing records in 75
resizing in tables 29
Combo boxes, displaying fields as 83
Comma-separated text format 114
Compacted copies of files 20
Comparison operators 62
Container fields
See also Fields
aligning to text 89
described 58
formatting 89
Context menu, choosing from 15
Control styles for fields 83
Copying
field definitions 20
files 20
records 25
related records 26
scripts 20
Count for summary fields 63
Creating See Adding; Defining
Cross-platform, file sharing 19
Currency, formatting 86
Current
date, formatting 87
time, formatting 88
Custom menus, FileMaker Pro Advanced 10

D
Data
charting 92
described 15
entering automatically 25, 65
exporting 114
formatting 78
importing 114
privileges for sharing 124
view as form, list, table 22
viewing in Table View 29
Data entry 27, 65–68
Data Entry Only privilege set, described 126
Data sources
described 120
fixing FileMaker references 19
Data types
See also Field types
and calculation results 63
Database locks. See Accounts; Privilege sets
Databases
creating 55
described 15
naming 56
planning 51
preference for creating new 57
printing 44
protecting 123
publishing on web 121
Databases, relational. See Relational databases
Date fields
described 58
entering and editing values in 27
four-digit years 27, 67
Dates
See also Date fields
displaying calendars 83
entering data 27
finding 35
finding today’s 35
formatting 87
four-digit years 67
invalid 35
typing in 27
validating 67
Decimal numbers 86

Index

145

Defining
See also Adding; Placing
accounts 130
calculation fields 61
databases 59
fields 59
lookups 106
passwords 128
privilege sets 132
summary fields 63
tables 69
value lists 83
Deleting
data 28
field definitions 60
fields from a layout 83
find requests 40
related records 26, 105
Document preferences 49
Drag and drop fields onto layout 82
Drop-down calendar 83
Drop-down lists, displaying fields as 83
Duplicate records, finding 37
Duplicating
files 20
records 25, 29
related records 26
Dynamic reports, creating in Table View 30, 63

E
Electronic documentation 9
Elements. See Objects
Email
sending from FileMaker Pro 114
sending through SMTP 114
Empty or non-empty fields 37
Encryption. See Accounts; Privilege sets
Entering data
automatically 65
Furigana 60
typing in fields 27
Envelope layout
See also Layouts
described 75
Envelopes, printing 45
Excel format
importing and exporting to 114
saving data as 114

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Exchanging files
exporting 114, 119
importing 114
relational databases 95
with other applications 114
Exporting
See also Exchanging files
described 114
file formats 114
formatting 119
Extended privileges
described 124
viewing 133
External data sources 120
External Server account 124, 131

F
False result 35, 58, 67, 87
Favorite files 19
Field behavior 27, 90
Field content match 34
Field definitions
copying 20
creating and changing 59
deleting 60
Field labels 82
Field names 57
Field rights. See Accounts; Privilege sets
Field tool 82
Field types
and calculation results 63
described 58
Field values
deleting 28
described 17
entering and editing 27
entering automatically 65
finding and replacing 41
prohibiting change 66
Field/Control tool 82

Fields
adding in Table View 61
adding to a layout 81
creating and changing 59
creating in Manage Database dialog box 59
creating in Table View 56, 61
defining 59
deleting definition 60
deleting from a layout 83
described 16
displaying 11, 70
empty or non-empty, finding 37
entry options 65, 83
formatting 85
formatting data 85
Furigana in 60
global 68
hiding or showing in Table View 61
indexing 68
maximum characters in 27
merge 84
naming 60
options 60
placing on a layout 81
removing from a layout 83
restricting data entry 90
selecting 27, 80
stored and unstored results 68
types 58
typing in 27
validation options 66
File formats, import/export 114
File options 49
File paths 112
File references. See data sources
File sharing, enabling 110
FileMaker Mobile, privileges for 125, 132
FileMaker Pro
documentation information 9
file format 114
product overview 11
versions 139
FileMaker Pro Advanced 10
FileMaker Pro format 114
FileMaker Server
described 131
privileges for 125, 133
recommended use 109, 121
Filename extension, fp7 19

|
Files
accounts 124
authorizing access for 134
authorizing access to protected files 13, 134
backing up 49
cloning 20
closing 20
converting 139
copying 20
creating 55, 56
described 16
duplicating 20
exporting to 119
opening 17
opening across platforms 19
planning 51
privilege sets 124
protecting 123
remote 18
saving 20
shared
on web 121
planning security 127
templates, described 55
Filtering records in portals 105
Find mode, described 21
Find requests
See also Finding records
adding new 38
broadening criteria 39
deleting 40
described 31
editing 40
mixing find and omit 39
multiple 38, 39
narrowing criteria 38
operators in 32, 36
order of 40
repeating 40
reverting 40
Finding and replacing field values 41

Index

Finding records
See also Find requests, Quick finds
adding new request 38
all records 33
Boolean numbers 35
described 30
duplicate records 37
empty or non-empty fields 37
exact values 34
excluding records 39
invalid values 35
logical AND searches 38
logical OR searches 38
multiple criteria 38
omitting records 39
order of requests 40
partial or variable text 33
quick finds in Browse mode 30
ranges of information 36
related fields and records 37
saving and sending as snapshot link 12, 31
showing all records 33
symbols 34
today’s date 35
Footers, described 91
Form letters 84
Formatting
calculations 86
dates 87
export data 119
graphics 89
import data 114
layout objects 78
numbers 86
paragraphs 86
text 85
times 88
timestamps 88
Forms
See also Layouts
Standard form layout 72
viewing records as 22
Formulas, calculation fields 61
Found set
described 21, 31
saving and sending as snapshot link 12, 31
switching with omitted set 41
Four-digit years
in Date fields 27, 67
in Timestamp fields 28
fp7 filename extension 19

147

148

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

Fraction of Total for summary fields 64
Full Access privilege set, described 126, 134
Functions 62
Furigana field option 60

G
Global storage options 68
Grand summaries, described 92
Graphics, formatting fields for 89
Groups. See Accounts; Privilege sets
Guest account 125

H
Headers, described 91
Hiding records 41
Highlighting text 86
Horizontal Bar charts
creating 92
described 92
Host
database on web 121
described 109
FileMaker Server 109
performing tasks 112
saving files 110
HTML table format 114

Inspector
described 77
formatting
field data 85
layout objects 78
opening 78
opening multiple 78
positioning layout objects 78
Instant Web Publishing
described 109, 121
privileges for 132
sharing files 121
Intranet
See also Web
files shared on 121
Invalid values, finding 35
IP addresses, limiting 121

J
JDBC
field name considerations 57
privileges for 125, 132
Join expressions. See Relationships
Join fields. See Match fields

K
Key fields. See Match fields

Importing 114–119
adding new records 116
described 114
file formats supported 114
into existing files 116
into new tables 116
recurring imports, described 114
source file or table 116, 117
target file 116
updating existing records 116
updating matching records 117
Indexing
fields 68
text field limitations 35

Labels
field 82
part 90
vertical 74
Labels (mailing), printing 45
Labels layout, creating 45
Layout bar 19, 22
Layout folders, managing 71
Layout mode, described 21
Layout objects. See Objects
Layout parts
body 91
described 91
field labels 82
footer 91
grand summary 92
header 91
subsummary 92
title header and footer 91
Layout pop-up menu 19, 70

|
Layouts
adding fields 81
Blank 74
charting data 92
columns
changing width 76
setup 75
creating 70
described 11, 70
Envelope 75
fields
displaying 11, 70
dragging onto layout 82
merge 76
placing 81
placing related 84
removing 83
selecting 80
form layout 72
form view 22
Labels 74
List view 73
managing layouts and layout folders 71
Mode pop-up menu 21
printing 44
Report 74
Standard form 72
tabbed panels on 71
Table view 73
tools 77
types 72
Vertical labels 74
vertical labels 74
Leader, setting character for paragraphs 86
Limits
characters in fields 27
field names 57
Line charts
creating 92
described 92
example 94
List view layout
See also List View
described 73
Lists, viewing records as 22
Literal text searches 34
Locked objects 80
Locking, shared records 112
Logical
AND searches 38
OR searches 38

Index

149

Lookups
changing 107
defining 106
described 95
lookup source field 97
lookup target field 97
stopping or suspending 107

M
Mach-O plug-in support 141
Macros. See Scripts
Mail merge, using merge fields 84
Mailing labels 74
Manage Database dialog box, creating and changing
fields in 59
Managing layouts and layout folders 71
Margins, displaying in Preview mode 43
Match fields
See also Fields
described 97, 98
in import update 117
Matching records, updating 117
Mathematical operators 62
Maximum characters in fields 27
Maximum for summary fields 64
Merge fields
described 45
placing on a layout 84
Merge format 114
Microsoft Excel format
importing and exporting 114
saving data as 114
Minimum for summary fields 64
Mode pop-up menu 21, 70
Modifying fields in Table View 61
Mouse, configuring in System Preferences
(Mac OS) 15
Moving
field to field 27
record to record 24
Multimedia files 58

N
Naming
databases 56
fields 60
tables 70
Network security guidelines 136

150

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

Networks
cross-platform 13, 109
FileMaker Server 109
New Layout/Report assistant, described 71
Non-shared files 128
Number fields
See also Fields
described 58
entering and editing values in 27
finding 35
formatting 86
Numbers
formatting 86
invalid 35

O
Objects, layout
aligning to other objects 78
described 77
formatting 78
locked 80
positioning 78
selecting 80
setting auto resize options 79
ODBC
overview 115, 116
using FileMaker as client
described 120
supplemental fields 65
using FileMaker as data source
field name considerations 57
privileges for 125, 132
Omitting
fields during printing 84
records 39
related records 37, 40
Opening
files 17
multiple windows 19
Operators
comparison 62
in find requests 32, 36
mathematical 62
relational 97, 101, 104
Operators list 32
Options, file 49
OR searches 38

P
Page breaks, viewing in Preview mode 43
Page margins, viewing in Preview mode 43
Page numbers
in layout parts 73
viewing in Preview mode 43
Page orientation for printing 45
Panels, tab panels on layouts 71
Paragraphs, formatting 86
Parts. See Layout parts
Passwords
defining 128
protecting files with 128
related files, planning 54
troubleshooting 140
PDF documentation 9
PDFs, saving data as 114
Photos, in container fields 58
Picture fields. See Container fields
Pie chart icon in status toolbar 32
Pie charts
creating 92
described 92
example 92
Planning
databases 51
file security 127
relational databases 51
Pointer tool. See Selection tool
Pointers to files. See Relationships
Pop-up menus, displaying fields as 83
Portals
See also Relational databases
adding records 26
deleting records 26
described 97
filtering records in 105
omitting related records 40
placing related records 84
selecting 80
selecting records 24
summarizing data in 105
Preferences
application 49
described 49
file 49
Preview mode, described 21, 43
Previewing printing. See Printing
Previewing columns 75

|
Primary keys. See Match fields
Print area, viewing 43
Printing
Asian text 89
blank records 44
described 43
envelopes 45
information about database 48
labels 45
previewing 43
records 44
records in columns 75
scripts 47
setting up 45
Privilege sets
Data Entry Only 126
defining 132
described 124
Full Access 126, 134
predefined 126
Read-Only Access 126
viewing 129
Protecting files. See Accounts; Authorizing files;
Privilege sets
Publishing, databases on the web 121

Q
Quick finds
See also Finding records
configuring 31
described 30
enabling 31
performing 30
Quick Start Screen, described 17
QuickTime, using with FileMaker Pro 11 141
Quotation marks in searches 33, 34

R
Radio buttons, displaying fields as 83
Ranges of information, finding 36
Read-Only Access privilege set, described 126
Recent files 19
Record locking 112

Index

Records
active 23
adding 25, 29, 116
adding new in Table View 56
browsing
in a list 22
individual 22
copying 25, 30
deleting 29
deleting related 26
described 17, 18
displaying sorted related 105
duplicating 25, 29
exporting 119
filtering in portals 105
finding 30
hiding 41
locked 112
matching 117
moving through 24
omitting 39
printing in columns 75
selecting 23
sorting 34, 42
in Table View 30
related records 105
viewing as forms, lists, or tables 22
working with in Table View 29
Recurring imports
account for setting up 115
described 114
Related fields
See also Fields; Relational databases
calculations 62
described 97
on layouts 82
planning 53
summarizing data 105
Related files, restricting access 54
Related records
See also Records; Relational databases
adding 26, 105
copying 26
deleting 26, 105
described 97
displaying in portals 84
duplicating 26
finding and omitting 37
placing in portals 84
sorting 105
summarizing data 105

151

152

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

Related tables
described 97
planning 51
Relational databases
described 16, 95
match fields
described 97
planning 98
planning 51, 102
portals 97
related tables
described 97
planning 51
terminology 97
Relational operators 97, 101, 104
Relationships
See also Relational databases
changing 104
comparative 101
creating 103
described 97
multi-criteria 100
planning 54
returning range of records 101
self-joining 102
single-criteria 99
types 99
Relationships graph 98
creating relationships 103
described 98
text notes in 103
Repeating find requests 40
Report layout
described 74
with grouped data 74
Reports
See also Columnar list/report layout; Layouts;
Subsummaries
creating 70
previewing 43
records in columns 75
with grouped data
creating 74
printing 44
Restricting access. See Accounts; Privilege sets
Retrieving data from other files. See Exchanging files
Reverting find requests 40
Rights. See Accounts; Privilege sets

S
Saving
data automatically 20
files 20
found set as snapshot link 12
shared files 110
to Excel and PDF formats 114
Scripts
copying 20
described 13, 48
performing 48
printing 47
Searching. See Finding records
Secondary files. See Relational databases
Security, file
network guidelines 136
operating system guidelines 135
planning 127, 135
Selecting
fields 27, 80
objects 80
records 23
Selection tool 80
Self-joins
described 102
for summarizing data in portals 105
Server. See Host; FileMaker Server
Settings. See Preferences
Shared files
See also Networks
accounts 127
clients 109
host 109
in workgroups 121
limitations 109
on web 121
opening 18
privilege sets 127
saving 110
setting up privileges for 124
Shortcut menu, choosing from 15
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), sending
email through 114
Single-page form layout. See Table view layout
Slider, for moving through records 24
Snapshot links, saving and sending found set as 12,
31

|
Sorting
records 34, 42
records in Table View 30
related records 105
Sound files 58
Standard Deviation for summary fields 64
Standard form layout
See also Layouts
described 72
Starter Solutions. See Templates
Status toolbar 22, 77
Stopping lookups 107
Stored results 68
Strict data type 67
Strings, text. See Text, literal
Subforms. See Portals
Subsummaries
See also Reports; Summary fields
creating reports 74
parts, described 92
printing 43, 44
Subtotals. See Subsummaries; Summary fields
Summarizing data in related fields 105
Summary fields
Average for 63
Count for 63
creating 63
defining in Table View 63
described 58, 63
Fraction of Total for 64
Maximum for 64
Minimum for 64
on layouts 92
options for 64
Standard Deviation for 64
Total for 63
Summary parts. See Subsummaries
Supplemental fields 65
Symbols
and field names 57
finding 34
System Preferences, configuring mouse
(Mac OS) 15

T
Tab controls
described 71
including in tab order 27
Tab order 27

Index

153

Table format
See also Table view layout; Table View
described 22
viewing records as 22
Table View
See also Table format; Table view layout
adding records 29
adding records in new file 56
changing column order and size 29
changing default when creating new database 57
copying records 30
creating and changing fields in 61
creating databases in 56
creating dynamic reports 30, 63
creating fields 56
defining summary fields 63
deleting records 29
duplicating records 29
hiding or showing fields 61
sending email messages based on record data 30
sorting records 30
viewing data 29
working with records 29
Table view layout
See also Table format; Table View
described 73
Tables
defining 69
described 16
importing data into new 116
naming 70
table occurrences 98
viewing records as 22
Tabs
inserting in fields 28
setting position and alignment 86
Tab-separated text format 114
Templates
creating files 55
described 55
Text
See also Fields
attributes 85
fields 58
finding 34
formatting 85
highlighting 86
literal 33
rotating Asian text 89
selecting 80

154

FileMaker Pro User’s Guide

Text fields
described 58
entering and editing values in 27
Text notes, in relationships graph 103
Time fields
described 58
entering and editing values in 28
Times
finding 35
formatting 88
invalid 35
Timestamp fields
described 58
entering and editing values in 28
four-digit years 28
Timestamps, formatting 88
Title headers and footers, described 91
Today’s date, finding 35
Tools
Field tool 82
Field/Control tool 82
selection tool 80
status toolbar 22
Total for summary fields 63
True result 35, 58, 67, 87
Type-ahead feature 83

View as List, described 22
View as Table, described 22
Viewing
accounts 129
extended privileges 133
page breaks and page numbers in Preview
mode 43
print area 43
privilege sets 129
records as forms, lists, or tables 22
Virtual results 68

XML
importing and exporting to 114
privileges for 125, 132
XML format 114
XSLT, privileges for 125, 132

Unauthorized users. See Accounts; Privilege sets
Unstored results 68
Updating existing data during import 116
Upgrading files 139
URLs, opening 121

V
Validating field values 66
Value lists
defining 65
described 83
in shared files 112
Values
See also Field values
finding duplicates 37
finding exact 34
Variables, symbols for 57
Vertical labels layout, described 74
Vertical writing 89
View as Form, described 22

W
Web
field name considerations 57
hosting databases on 121
Web viewer 11, 121
Wildcards in searches 33
Windows
closing 20
opening multiple 19
Windows Domain 131
Workgroups, sharing files 121
World Wide Web. See Web

Y
Y2K, year validation 66, 67
Years
four-digit in Date fields 27, 67
four-digit in Timestamp fields 28

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