FileMaker Pro 10 Editorial Reviewers Guide. Meet the fresh new face of FileMaker Pro 10

Transcription

1 FileMaker Pro 10 Editorial Reviewers Guide Meet the fresh new face of FileMaker Pro 10

2 Contents Welcome to FileMaker Pro 10!... 3 Fast facts... 4 U.S. reseller pricing... 4 System requirements... 4 About FileMaker... 5 Part 1: New features drilldown... 7 Create databases from existing Excel or Bento 2 files... 7 Updated Starter Solutions new themes... 8 Status Toolbar... 9 Re-use saved and recent Finds Find omitted records Dynamic reports Script triggers Send mail via SMTP Modify Table View on the fly More great features Part 2: Hands-on exercises Exercise 1: Create a new FileMaker Pro database from a Bento 2 or Excel file Exercise 2: Find records and save your Find to re-use later Exercise 3: Create a dynamic report with subgroups Exercise 4: Add script triggers based on ordinary user actions FileMaker, Inc. All rights reserved. FileMaker and Bento are trademarks of FileMaker, Inc. registered in the U.S. and other countries. The file folder logo and the Bento logo are trademarks of FileMaker, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. The screen shot examples, including people, companies, domain names, and addresses are purely fictitious, and any resemblance to existing people, companies, domain names and addresses are coincidental. 2

3 Welcome to FileMaker Pro 10! You ll immediately notice two major changes in FileMaker Pro 10: A sleek, intuitive new interface: We ve redesigned the interface so that you can perform common tasks with the fewest mouse clicks and to unlock even more of the hidden power of FileMaker without sacrificing any of the product s inherent ease-of-use. New features that make FileMaker Pro 10 applications more powerful. One example is Dynamic Reports, which allows you to make changes as you re viewing them, without switching modes. Another is the ability to trigger FileMaker Pro Scripts (which are similar to spreadsheet macros) based on user actions, such as exiting a field or loading a layout. To save you time in writing your review, we have summarized only those features that are new since FileMaker Pro 9. If you re new to FileMaker Pro, we recommend that you start with the FileMaker Pro 9 Reviewers Guide, which has installation instructions and other fundamental information you ll need to get going. If you are already familiar with FileMaker and just want to see what s new, dive in! We are very interested in your feedback on the new features and how we can make this guide even more helpful to you. Please contact Kevin Mallon for additional information, including access to technical support. Kevin Mallon (408) kevin_mallon@filemaker.com 3

4 Fast facts FileMaker Pro Product Family FileMaker Pro 10 FileMaker Pro 10 Advanced FileMaker Server 10 FileMaker Server 10 Advanced Sleek new intuitive interface; Dynamic reporting; Script Triggers; Faster SMTP direct ing; Saved Finds; and more. $299/Upgrade $179 * Wide set of tools (debugging scripts, custom menus, runtime engine and more) for higher end users and developers. $499/Upgrade $299* Fast, reliable, easy-to-manage server software for groups of FileMaker Pro users that lets users securely share databases over a network, or on the web $999/Upgrade $599* All the features in FileMaker Server 10 plus Instant Web Publishing capabilities, ODBC/JDBC connectivity and higher FileMaker Pro connection limits. $2999/Upgrade $1799* *U.S., SRP, Volume License Agreement (VLA), Education Volume License Agreement (EVLA) and Non-Profit pricing is available. System requirements Operating System Windows XP SP2 Windows Vista SP1, Works with Windows Vista achievement Requirements Pentium III 700MHz or higher 256MB RAM CD and hard disk drive Super VGA (1024 x 768) or higher-resolution video adapter and display Pentium III 800MHz or higher 512MB RAM CD and hard disk drive 4

5 Mac OS X Tiger Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard Super VGA (1024 x 768) or higher-resolution video adapter and display PowerPC, G4 or G5 Intel -based Mac 256MB RAM CD and hard disk drive PowerPC G4 (867MHz+) G5 Intel-based Mac - 512MB RAM CD and hard disk drive Changes in system requirements since FileMaker Pro 9 FileMaker Pro 10 and FileMaker Pro 10 Advanced require: Super VGA (1024 x 768) video Additional New Features in FileMaker Pro 10 The following are additional new features offered in FileMaker Pro 10 but are not detailed in this Guide: For End Users Enhanced Quick Start Screen Bento 2 integration New Resource Center with video tutorials Supports Excel 2007 data (.xlsx) For Developers More SQL Support File Recovery Enhancements Set Field By Name IPv6 support Insert Tab order Set field by name script step About FileMaker FileMaker, Inc. develops award-winning database software. Its products include the legendary FileMaker Pro product line for Windows, Mac and the Web, and Bento, the personal database for Mac. FileMaker Pro won 49 awards, more than its next eight competitors combined, from in the U.S., and a total of 130 awards worldwide during this time. Millions of customers, from individuals to large organizations, rely on FileMaker, Inc. software to manage, analyze and share information. FileMaker, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Apple Inc. Contact information FileMaker, Inc Patrick Henry Drive Santa Clara, CA Sales:

6 Switchboard: General: Web store: store.filemaker.com Media resources: filemaker.com/company/newsroom/news/press.html Year founded 1998 Relationship to Apple FileMaker is a wholly owned subsidiary of Apple Inc. Media contact Kevin Mallon, Senior Public Relations Manager Kevin_mallon@filemaker.com 6

7 Part 1: New features drilldown Create databases from existing Excel or Bento 2 files Summary FileMaker Pro 10 makes it easier to create a database from an Excel spreadsheet, and also lets you start with a Bento 2 file. What s Changed In previous versions of FileMaker Pro, you had three choices for starting a database: Use a Starter Solution Define the schema by providing field names, table names, and more. Many new users didn t have the time or inclination to learn how to do this. Drag an Excel spreadsheet icon over the FileMaker Pro icon. But who knew? Create a new database or import records from the File Menu Now, right at launch, you can just click a button to start with an existing Excel or Bento 2 file. By leveraging organizational and data entry work already done in Excel or Bento 2, FileMaker Pro has become more useful to more people. Where to Find the Quick Start Screen Just launch FileMaker Pro. 7

8 Updated Starter Solutions All of 30 Starter Solutions in the new FileMaker Pro 10 now have a fresh look to match the newest browsers and productivity applications. In addition, FileMaker made significant enhancements to 13 of the most popular Starter Solutions, including Contact Management, Inventory, and Expense Report. For example, the Contact Management Starter Solution now includes a built-in Web Viewer for URLs in your database, Google Maps for your addresses, and mailing labels for addresses. These features were introduced in FileMaker Pro 9, but you had to learn how to add them. Now they re builtin to the popular Starter Solutions, making them accessible even to novice users. Where to Find: To look at the Starter Solutions, choose File > New Database, and select the button for Starter Solutions. Starter Solution names appear in the left of the dialog box. They also can be accessed from the Create Database tab in the Quick Start Screen. 10 new themes FileMaker Pro 10 has 10 new themes for colors and fonts that you can use to make your forms visually appealing with just a couple of clicks. 8

9 Where to Find: To see the new Themes, go to Layout Mode, choose Layouts > New Layout/Report, and then click Next a couple of times. Status Toolbar The redesigned Status Toolbar puts commonly used FileMaker Pro features, previously only accessible from the main menu, right at your fingertips, for streamlined navigation, better workflow, and timesaving shortcuts. It looks just like the toolbars on the newest browsers, , and productivity applications, making FileMaker Pro more familiar or novice users. Full layout name appears Pie Chart for found records Record View, List View, Table View Click here to change the fields that appear in Table View without affecting your layouts. Details Highlights of the new Status Toolbar include: Room for longer names in the Layout pull-down menu: Previous versions only displayed the first eight characters. List View: Just click an icon to go directly to List View instead of unearthing it from the File menu. List View lets you scroll through your records in Record format rather than clicking through them one by one. Customization: You can customize the toolbar by dragging and dropping the features you use most from a screen that has all of the icons. If you frequently save reports in PDF format, for example, you can drop the Save as PDF icon right onto the Status Toolbar. (Try it Out: View > Customize Status Toolbar) 9

10 Pie charts showing found/unfound records: When you perform a find, a clickable pie chart shows the percentage of records found. You can just click the pie chart again to see all records not found. Why It s Important Common FileMaker Pro commands are now right in front of you on the Status Toolbar. When you re in Browse Mode, you see icons for New, Delete, Find, and Sort. When you re in Preview Mode, you see icons for Print, Page Setup, Save as Excel, and Save as PDF. Layout Mode also has a Manage Database icon on the Status Bar for all the functions that you used to have to get to with File > Manage. Fewer mouse movements save time! Experienced FileMaker Pro users can continue to use menu commands the same way they always have, even while new users have a more intuitive option. It s part of FileMaker s mantra: Work the way you like to work. Where to Find: The Status Toolbar appears at the top of all databases, including all 30 Starter Solutions. To customize the Status Toolbar, choose View > Customize Status Toolbar. Re-use saved and recent Finds Summary Now you can easily save any Find request so that you can use it again later. This is great for doing routine Finds. For example, maybe you want to save a Find for customers in California who have spent more than $1000 in the past year but have not ordered in the last three months. Or all assets in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut whose maintenance contract will expire before December 31. Details Click the Find icon on the Status Toolbar. You ll see a list of fields in your database, each with a magnifying glass. Enter search criteria in one or more fields. Click the Perform Find icon. Click Saved Finds icon on the Status bar to name your find. Perform the same find operation again at any time by clicking the Saved Finds icon and choosing the name. The 10 most recent Finds also appear in that menu, whether or not you saved them. Each Saved Find is designed specifically for the file you designed it for. Saved Finds are by account, so you only see the finds you save and use. What s Changed With previous version of FileMaker Pro, to re-use a set of Find criteria you d have to create a script, a prospect that could scare off new users. Now you can save Finds with a simple menu command and reuse them whenever you want. 10

11 Find omitted records Summary When FileMaker Pro returns the results of the Find, a pie chart showing the percentage of your records that met the criteria is presented. Sometimes it s just as interesting to see the omitted records. Just click the pie chart to see the records that did not match the criteria. Toggle back and forth. The sample screen shot below shows the results of a Find for customers who paid their membership fee. If you clicked the pie chart, you d get another list of customers who have not paid. Where to Find: Click the Find icon on the Status Toolbar and type in your search criteria. When you get your results, the pie chart will be at the upper left, as shown. Dynamic Reports Summary Now FileMaker Pro 10 provides dynamic reporting capability, a huge time saver. When you re in List View or Table View, you can make changes to your grouped data on the fly and your change will show up immediately, without your even having to switch views. Say you have a grouped report sorted by a contact s state or an asset s value. If you change a value while in Table View or List View, the record will immediately move to the appropriate section of the report. Your records are updated live as you manipulate the data. Details You can choose the fields whose contents you want to sort by. In Exercise 3, you ll sort contacts by State and by Company. When you add a new record to a sorted found set, or when you change a record, it appears in the correct position as soon as you commit the record. 11

12 Optionally keep your records sorted. In Exercise 4, you ll add a script trigger so that loading a new layout triggers a grouped report that you created earlier. What s Changed FileMaker Pro has been able to create grouped (sub-summary) reports since several versions ago. However, you could only view them in Preview mode and, as a result, could not interact with the data by clicking buttons or changing field values. If you wanted to change a record, you had to find it, change it, and then return to Preview mode to see how the report looked. Now you can make changes on the fly and see them take effect immediately. Where to Find This Feature When you are looking at a grouped report in List View or Table View, you ll notice the feature when you edit fields. Script Triggers Summary Now you can specify that a FileMaker Script (akin to a spreadsheet macro) should run whenever users take a specified action in Browse Mode or Find Mode, such as clicking in a field or exiting a viewing mode. FileMaker Pro comes with five object-based Script Triggers and seven layout-based Script Triggers. Object-based Script Triggers Click in a field Click out of a field Modify a field value Save a field value Press one or more specified keys Layout-based Script Triggers Load a record Commit a record Revert to the previous record Press one or more specified keys, not in an object Load a layout Enter a new mode Exit a mode Script Triggers are especially powerful for grouped reports. In the past, users had to go to Preview mode, and then click a button or choose a menu command to see the report. Now, with Format > Set Script Triggers, you can specify that the report will be regenerated whenever the user changes data in a particular field. They were going to do this anyway, so both the developer and user save time. What s Changed With previous versions, developers had to do a lot of work to set up triggers, such as adding buttons and text to make them noticeable. There was always a chance the user wouldn t take the hoped-for action. Now you can trigger scripts from actions that users would take anyway, such as clicking in fields or changing viewing modes. Let s say you develop a database with a Find function. You can add a Script Trigger to perform the find whenever the user enters the information (OnObjectSave). There s no need to add a Find button or Find command. 12

13 Where to Find: To set Layout object triggers, go to Layout mode, select the object, then choose Format >Set Script Trigger. To set Layout-level triggers, go to Layout mode and then choose Layouts > Layout Setup and select the Script Triggers tab. 13

14 Send Mail via SMTP Summary If you have a database containing addresses, you can now save time by sending directly from FileMaker Pro instead of having to open your client. This is convenient whether you re sending a single from a current record, such as when a customer requested a follow up, or you re sending one for each record in a found set, such as when you re announcing an event. For example, say you use FileMaker Pro as the back-end database for a commercial website where customers place orders. You can create a script to check for new orders every 30 minutes and send confirmation s. What s Changed Before, s were pushed into your outbox one by one, which could take a long time for big distribution lists. Now is sent directly to your server, bypassing your client. In fact, you don t even need an client to send from FileMaker Pro! FileMaker Pro 10 also makes it easier to automate distribution to your contacts and customers. Say you want to find records that meet your criteria and then send s to those contacts at midnight. Before, you would need to know how to use AppleScript or ActiveX. Now you can just write a script in FileMaker Pro to find the records that meet your criteria, and then send the using the new SMTP option. Where to Find File > Send Mail 14

15 Modify Table View on the fly Summary Now you can modify Table View on the fly by deleting fields, without switching to Layout View. In Table View, just click the Modify button at the upper right of the screen to see a list of fields, and then deselect the fields you don t want in your layout. The modifications do not appear in Form View, which means a user can t accidentally make unwanted changes to a layout. What s Changed Previously, if you wanted to change a field name or whether it appeared, you had to switch to Layout View and then come back to Table View. And you needed edit privileges to do this. Now you can just click the Modify button and add or delete fields until the report looks just right for your purposes. It s a much friendlier approach for new users. Where to Find In Table View, click the Modify button in the upper right corner of the window. More great features Support for additional External SQL Sources (ESS): Now you can display, access, and use data from even more SQL sources, including SQL tables in Microsoft SQL Server 2008, Oracle 11g, and MySQL 5.1 Community Edition. Define value lists using fields in ODBC data source tables. Use Windows authentication (single sign-on) to access ODBC data from Microsoft SQL Server. And accurately access SQLsupported timestamp data from ODBC data sources. File recovery enhancements: Perform a consistency check on files you suspect might be damaged, select specific file components to be recovered, and view information about the file s status. View a detailed file recovery log both during and after the file recovery process. Windows platform deployment enhancements for SMS (Software Management Services): Now you can remotely deploy FileMaker Pro to multiple users desktops rather than installing it on each user s workstation individually. Set field by name: Use a calculation to dynamically specify a field name in a script instead of specifying each possible field name in an if-else construction. 15

16 IPv6 support: Most FileMaker dialog boxes that ask for IPv4 addresses now also support IPv6 addresses as well. IPv6 is the "next generation" protocol designed by the to replace the current version Internet Protocol, IP Version 4 ("IPv4"). Part 2: Hands-on exercises Exercise 1: Create a new FileMaker Pro database from a Bento 2 or Excel file What you ll do: Create a new FileMaker Pro database from an existing Bento 2 source or Excel file (.xls or.xlsx). Customize the Status Toolbar by adding an icon to create a new layout. Apply a new visual theme to your new database. View your data in Form, List, and Table View. What you ll need: For this exercise you ll need an existing Bento library or an Excel spreadsheet (either.xls or.xlsx) containing contacts. If you don t already have contacts from three different states, each with three different companies and three different job titles, go ahead and add a few records to use for this exercise. 1. Start FileMaker Pro and select the Create Database icon at the left of the Quick Start screen. 2. Select the button for Create a database from an existing: and choose one of the following: Bento Source Excel workbook (.xlsx) 16

17 Excel workbook (.xls) Click OK. Continue with Step 3 if you are starting with a Bento file. If you are starting with an Excel file, skip to Step Bento found all your libraries and collections without your having to specify their location. Select a Bento Library from the list at the left of the dialog. (If you are starting with an Excel file, not a Bento 2 file, skip to step 4.) At the left of the dialog, select either Address Book or Contacts. At the right of window, select the Entire Library or one of your collections. Make sure the Library or Collection contains contacts from three or more states and three or more companies. Click Continue. Now go to Step If you are starting with an Excel file, select your Excel Contacts file and click Open. 17

18 In the First Row Option dialog, indicate whether the first row of your spreadsheet contains field names or data, and then click OK. The remaining steps in this exercise are the same whether you started with a Bento 2 or Excel file. 5. When prompted, name your new FileMaker Pro file and click Save. 6. Admire your new FileMaker Pro 10 database, which took advantage of the work you already did when you created your Excel or Bento 2 file! You ve saved yourself all the trouble of creating a new schema. 18

19 Choose your layout from this menu. 7. See how easy it is to switch between Layouts Right now you re in Layout #2, Table View. You can click any column heading to sort based on the values in that field. Choose Layout #1 to see your records in Form View. You saved time by not having to first go to the View menu and then choose Go to Layout, which had been necessary in previous versions of FileMaker Pro. You can also click to choose the view you want by clicking on the new View icons on the toolbar. 19

20 8. Experience how easy it is to customize the Status Toolbar. You can add your frequently used FileMaker operations to the toolbar so that you don t have to take the time to choose them from menus. To try it out, add an icon to create a new layout. Choose View > Customize Status Toolbar. Drag the New Layout/Report icon next to the Sort icon in the Status Toolbar area. Add other icons, too, if you d like. Click Done. The interface will look different depending on whether you re using a Mac or PC, as shown below. 20

21 9. Since you now have the New Layout/Report icon right in front of you, go ahead and try it out. Click the New Layout/Report icon. You ll see the New Layout Report dialog. In the Layout Name field, enter a name like Contacts. Keep the default Standard Form for the layout type, and click Next. Select each field you want to appear on the layout and then click Move. To complete the remaining exercises you ll want at least the First Name, Last Name, Company, Title, and State fields. Click Next. 21

22 10. Now choose one of the 10 new visual themes added in FileMaker 10. Select any theme to see a preview. When you find one you like, click Finish. Click the Exit Layout button in the upper right of the window. 11. Now check out how easy it is to look at your data in Form, List, and Table Views. After the last step you should be in Form View. Click the forward and back arrows at the top left to navigate between records. 22

23 Click the middle of the three View As icons to see your database in List View. Use the scroll bar at the right to scroll through all of your records. Or use the navigation controls at the top to navigate one record at a time. Click the rightmost View As icon to see your records in Table View. You ve now completed Exercise 1, to create a new FileMaker Pro database from an existing Excel or Bento source. 23

24 Exercise 2: Find records and save your Find to re-use later What You ll Do: Enter search criteria and view the found records. Also view the records omitted from the search, in one click! Save and name the Find. Perform the Find from Browse mode, without even taking the time to switch to Find mode. 1. Open the same database you created in Exercise From any view, click the Find icon in the Status Toolbar. A magnifying glass appears in every field. 3. Enter the data you want to match in one or more fields. How about entering a State or Company name that you know is in your database. Then click Perform Find on the Status Toolbar. Look at the records that match your criteria. You can switch between Form View, Table View, and List View. Notice the pie chart in the upper left of the window, which shows how many records your search found out of all records. Now click the Pie Chart icon to see all the records omitted from the search, a useful feature. If you searched for all records in California, clicking the Pie Chart will show you all the records outside of California. 24

25 Click the Pie Chart icon again to return to the found set of records. 4. Save your search. Return to Find mode by clicking the Find icon in the Status Toolbar. Click the Saved Finds icon in the top right corner of the Status Toolbar and take a look at the menu that appears: Select one of the Recent Finds that you entered during this exercise. Click the Saved Finds icon again. Choose Save Current Find. Enter a name for the Find in the dialog box that appears and click Save. 5. Try out your new saved Find. Click the Cancel Find icon on the Status Toolbar to return to Browse mode. Hold down the mouse on the Find icon to see the Saved Finds menu. 25

26 Choose your Saved Find from the menu to see the records right away, without having to go to Find mode first. You ve now completed Exercise 2, saving Finds and reusing them with a simple menu command. Exercise 3: Create a dynamic report with subgroups What you ll do: Create a grouped report. Organize your contacts by State and Company. Add a Summary field to the report to show the number of records for each State. Add headers and footers Create a script for the report, in just one click! 1. Create a grouped report From Browse mode, click the New Layout/ Report icon at the top right of the Status Toolbar. You added this icon to the toolbar in Exercise 1. Name your report Contacts by State. Select the List/Report layout type and click Next. 26

27 The icon shows the groupings on your report For the report layout type, select Report with grouped data and select the checkbox to include subtotals. Click Next. Select the fields you want to appear in your new report and click Move. For this exercise, you can just click Move All. Click Next. 27

28 3. Now indicate how you want to group your records. For this exercise, group your records by State. Select State and click Move. Click Next. Preview of report groupings You could stop with grouping records by State, but to show the power of this feature, let s also create Title subgroups within each State. This would be helpful if you wanted to mail a product or service offer to all engineers in the northwest, for example. Select Title and click Move. 28

29 Click Next again. You ll see the following dialog. 29

30 4. Now create a Summary field that will show subtotals for each State. Click the Specify button at the top left of the dialog box to call up the Specify Field dialog: If you already had a State Summary field in your database you could just select it from the list. But since it s not in your database, you can conveniently create it now. Select the pop-up menu at the top of the Specify Field dialog box and choose Manage Database. Type State Summary in the Field Name field near the bottom. 30

31 Choose Summary from the Type menu at the bottom right, and then click the Create button at the bottom left. You ll see a dialog box where you can select summary field options: Select the Count of button and choose State in the Available Fields list. Keep the other options as they are and click OK. You ll see the Manage Database dialog again, this time showing your new State Summary field. Click OK. You ll see the Specify Field dialog. Select the new Contacts by State field and click OK. Click OK again and you ll see the Specify Subtotals dialog. 31

32 5. Now specify where the new State Summary field will appear on your report. Select the State Summary field you just created and click OK. You ll see the Specify Subtotals dialog again. From the Subtotal placement pop-up, choose Above record group. Click the Add Subtotal button. Click Next. 6. Select a visual theme for your report and click Next. 7. Add headers. Here we ve chosen Large Custom Text for the top left header. Type the header name, such as Contacts by State. Click OK. 8. Create a script for the report in just one click! 32

33 The script name will already be suggested (Contacts by State). Select the Create a Script button and click Next. You ll use the script in the next exercise.. 9. You re finished! Click Finish to view your new grouped report in Browse mode. 33

34 10. Admire your report, with contacts grouped by State and Company. The number of records appears at the top right of each category, as you specified. Count for each grouping State groupings 11. Add, edit, and delete records without even leaving Browse mode. Why it s Important FileMaker 10 is the first version with Dynamic Reports. You no longer need to switch to Find Mode to locate the records for the data you want to change and then re-run the report. Instead, you can make changes right from Browse mode and see them take effect instantly. This is a big time-saver and makes FileMaker easier to learn. Change the State for one of your contacts and then click outside of the field. You ll see the record automatically move to the appropriate place in the report. Change the State back to the original name and see it move again. Try the same thing with Company names. You ve now completed Exercise 3 to create a Dynamic Report with subgroups. Instead of going to Find mode to change a record, you can make changes on the fly and see them take effect immediately. 34

35 Exercise 4: Add Script Triggers based on user actions What you ll do: Add a script to check spelling. Set it up so that saving a record triggers the check-spelling script. Set it up so that loading a layout triggers the Dynamic Report you just created. 1. Create a script to check spelling. Open the database you ve been working with in the previous exercises. Choose Scripts > Manage Scripts. You ll see the name of the script you set up in the last exercise when you created the Contacts by State report. To create a new script, click the New button at the bottom left of the dialog. 35

36 Choose a script from the list at the left of the dialog. For this exercise, scroll way down to the Spelling section, select Check Selection, and click Move. Name your script something like Check Spelling in the Script Name field. To specify the field whose spelling you want to check, click the Specify button at the right side of the dialog. You ll see a list of fields in your Contacts database. Select the Title field and click OK. With the Edit Script dialog still open, choose Scripts > Save Script. Close the Edit Script dialog. 2. See the names of your two scripts Contacts by State and Check Spelling and then close the dialog. 3. Now specify the Script Triggers, which are the actions that will trigger your scripts. First specify the trigger for the Spell Check script. From your Contacts by State layout in List View, click the Edit Layout button on the far right of the Status Toolbar. Select the Title field. 36

37 Choose Format > Set Script Triggers. Select the OnObjectSave checkbox. The Specify Script dialog box appears: 37

38 Select the Check Spelling script and click OK. The Set Script Triggers dialog appears. Click OK. You have just attached the Script Trigger to the Title field. Click the Exit Layout button at the top right of the Layout Status Toolbar. When prompted to save changes to the layout, click Save. 4. Try out the spelling Script Trigger. In the Title field, edit somebody s title so that it s misspelled. In the screen shot below we have typed Techh Support. Now trigger the script by clicking somewhere else on the layout. You ll see the Spelling dialog box. 38

39 You have just created a script, attached it to a trigger, and tried it out. You can end this exercise here, or you can continue on to attach a trigger to the Contacts by State script. 5. First take a look at how your application behaves without the Script Trigger. From the same Contacts by State layout you ve been working with, go to Find mode. Navigate away from your Reports Layout. Here s one way: Search for all titles in your contacts by typing an asterisk (*) in the Title field and then clicking the Perform Find icon in the Status Toolbar. You ll see that your Contacts by State report no longer appears. 39

40 6. Now set up a Script Trigger to display your Contacts by State report every time you load the Contacts by State layout. Click the Edit Layout button at the far right of the Status Toolbar. Click the Pencil icon at the left of the Status Toolbar, just next to the Layout popup list. You ll see the Layout Setup dialog. In the Layout Setup dialog box, select the Script Triggers tab and select OnLayoutLoad. When the Specify Script dialog appears, select the Contacts by State script and click OK. Click OK again on the Script Trigger Layout Setup dialog. Click the Exit Layout button at the top right portion of the Layout Status Toolbar. When prompted to save changes to the layout, click Save. Your Contacts by State layout will appear automatically because reloading the layout triggered the script to display your grouped report. 40

41 7. Put your new Script Trigger to the test! Whenever you navigate away from your Contacts by State Layout and back, your grouped report will always reappear. Choose another layout from the Layout pop-up menu. Then choose Contacts by State again. Try it a different way. Click the Find icon in the Status Toolbar and find all records (by entering * in one of the fields) or a subset of records, such as those from a particular state. Whatever you do, your contacts will continue to appear in groups by state because loading a new layout triggers the script. You ve now completed the final exercise. Adding Script Triggers based on user actions gives developers more control over how their applications behave and helps people save time when using FileMaker Pro 10. This concludes the hand-on exercises. 41