FileMaker. Pro 10. The book you need to succeed! Companion Web Site. Ray Cologon. Go from basics to full-scale development

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1 Companion Web Site Example FileMaker Pro 10 application Demos, tips, and additional resources Ray Cologon FileMaker Pro 10 Go from basics to full-scale development Write your own FileMaker applications Work on PCs or Macs, in workgroups or solo The book you need to succeed!

3 FileMaker Pro 10 Bible

5 FileMaker Pro 10 Bible Ray Cologon, PhD

6 FileMaker Pro 10 Bible Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc Crosspoint Boulevard Indianapolis, IN Copyright 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana Published simultaneously in Canada ISBN-13: Manufactured in the United States of America No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) , fax (978) Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) , fax (201) , or online at LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: THE PUBLISHER AND THE AUTHOR MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS WORK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NO WARRANTY MAY BE CREATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES OR PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS. THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR EVERY SITUATION. THIS WORK IS SOLD WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PUBLISHER IS NOT ENGAGED IN RENDERING LEGAL, ACCOUNTING, OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. IF PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE IS REQUIRED, THE SERVICES OF A COMPETENT PROFESSIONAL PERSON SHOULD BE SOUGHT. NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR THE AUTHOR SHALL BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES ARISING HEREFROM. THE FACT THAT AN ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE IS REFERRED TO IN THIS WORK AS A CITATION AND/OR A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF FURTHER INFORMATION DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE AUTHOR OR THE PUBLISHER ENDORSES THE INFORMATION THE ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE MAY PROVIDE OR RECOMMENDATIONS IT MAY MAKE. FURTHER, READERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT INTERNET WEBSITES LISTED IN THIS WORK MAY HAVE CHANGED OR DISAPPEARED BETWEEN WHEN THIS WORK WAS WRITTEN AND WHEN IT IS READ. For general information on our other products and services or to obtain technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at (877) , outside the U.S. at (317) or fax (317) Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. Library of Congress Control Number: Trademarks: Wiley and related trade dress are registered trademarks of Wiley Publishing, Inc., in the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission. FileMaker is a registered trademark of FileMaker, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.

7 To my many colleagues in the FileMaker Developer Community,whose commitment, ingenuity, and passion provide constant inspiration!

8 About the Author Ray Cologon began using FileMaker in 1990, after having taught and worked with a number of other database tools. He subsequently used FileMaker to compile and analyze data for his doctoral thesis, as well as to design databases for a wide range of other purposes. Ray has had a diverse career in the creative arts, education, and consulting. Over the past decade, he has developed his own business, NightWing Enterprises, ( FileMaker) which specializes in the design and development of bespoke FileMaker Pro solutions and provides consulting services to developers and clients in various parts of the world. In 2005, Ray was recipient of the FileMaker Excellence Award for Leadership and Technical Excellence in FileMaker Pro, and he has been a presenter at recent FileMaker Developer Conferences in the United States. He has also been a significant contributor to and moderator of a number of public forums on FileMaker and is a FileMaker Certified Developer. Ray lives in Melbourne, Australia, where he is known for his sculpture and music, as well as his innovative work with FileMaker Pro. vi

9 Credits Acquisitions Editor Kyle Looper Project Editor Kelly Ewing Copy Editor Kelly Ewing Technical Editors Corn Walker Jason DeLooze Editorial Manager Jodi Jensen Vice President & Executive Group Publisher Richard Swadley Editorial Director Mary C. Corder Project Coordinator Kristie Rees Graphics and Production Specialists Andrea Hornberger Sarah Philippart Quality Control Technician Melissa Cossell Proofreading and Indexing Bonnie Mikkelson Sossity R. Smith Broccoli Information Mgt. Vice President and Publisher Andy Cummings vii

11 Acknowledgments xxx Introduction xxxi Part I: The Fundamentals 1 Chapter 1: Databases: The What, Why, and How The Many Faces of Databases: Lists, Tables and Forms...4 The limitations of paper-based databases...4 Entering the digital age...5 Preparing to get organized...6 The Concept of a Relational Database...6 Flat-file databases and data redundancy...7 Opportunities for making connections...7 The Anatomy of a Database Solution...8 The data: Foundation and substance...8 The interface: Screens, letters, forms, and reports...9 The hidden helper: Process management...12 How FileMaker Fits In...13 What FileMaker Pro calls things...13 Familiar ideas from the real world...17 Integrating processes and information...18 Knowledge is power personal and professional...18 Chapter 2: Putting FileMaker Pro in Perspective What Makes FileMaker Pro Different from Other Database Development Tools?...22 Some common misperceptions...22 A unique approach to design...25 The FileMaker Product Family...26 Desktop and server...26 Scalability and flexibility...27 FileMaker s Hidden Talents...28 The cross-platform chameleon...28 Multiple technologies and formats...29 Plug-ins and extensibility...30 The FileMaker calculation engine: Simplicity and power...31 Resources and Exemplars...32 Examples and brainteasers...32 Other resources and opportunities...33 ix

12 Contents Chapter 3: Getting Acquainted with FileMaker Getting FileMaker Working for You...35 Starting and exiting from FileMaker...36 Creating, saving, and closing files...37 Handling files and data safely...38 Earlier file formats and conversion issues...40 Finding Your Way Around...41 The modes and their uses...43 Navigating and viewing data...43 Searching and the FileMaker Find/Omit puzzle...45 Screen elements and what they re for...47 Entering and Editing Data...48 Creating and duplicating records...48 Field definitions: Validation and dependencies...49 The significance of commitment...49 The Ins and Outs...50 Importing and exporting data...51 Previewing and printing options...52 Send/Save as PDF and Excel...53 Getting to Know the Relatives...54 Ways to view and edit related data...54 The importance of context...55 Making complexity simple in practice...55 Optimizing the Application...55 Preference settings for your workstation...56 File options for the current database...59 Chapter 4: What s New in FileMaker Embracing Change...63 Status Area Redesign...64 Live Reports/Sub-summaries...68 Maintain Record Sort Order...70 Saved Find Requests...72 Set Field by Name...76 Script Events Triggers...77 Layout object triggers...78 Layout script triggers...81 Timed interval script triggers...84 File-based script triggers...85 Avoiding trigger tangles...85 New Calculation Functions...88 Get(TriggerKeystroke)...88 Get(TriggerModifierKeys)...89 Code(text)...89 Char(code)...90 x

13 Contents GetFieldName(field)...90 Get(DocumentsPathListing)...91 External SQL Data Sources (ESS) Enhancements...92 Additional SQL database support...92 Value lists based on external SQL data...92 Single Sign-On for remote Windows clients...92 Handling of DATETIME values MS SQL Server...94 Bento Integration...94 File Recovery Improvements...96 Layout Mode Enhancements...98 Inserting an object into the tab order...98 Defining tooltips in Pro...99 Additional font sizes in the format menu...99 Send Mail by SMTP...99 Quick Start Screen Enhancements Import/Export Enhancements Save Target Printer The Manage Scripts Interface Other Useful Enhancements IPv6 Support Format changes for automatically generated log files Updated templates and themes FileMaker Pro Advanced Script Debugger enhancements Relookup Replace and Field Contents no longer commit Only a single sharing error for multiple files Script error codes and control commands Part II: Introduction to Database Design 109 Chapter 5: Creating a Database Before Getting Started Creating a New Database File Adding tables and fields OrderLines Contacts Invoices InvoiceLines Working with the Field Options dialog: Validation and Auto-Entry Setting up simple calculations Capturing simple metadata Creating relationships between tables Adding aggregating calcs Viewing and Interacting with Data Looking at the multiple uses of layouts Creating records and entering data xi

14 Contents Editing or deleting data Finding and sorting data you ve already entered Using special find symbols Searching with the range and wild card operators Avoiding the Need for Data Duplication Recognizing the visual cues to data relationships Information has a logical flow Anticipating the user Making complex things simple Getting Started with File Security Working with accounts and privilege sets Setting a default account and password Thinking about Usability Moving between records Managing context Moving between tables Using and changing views Using buttons for static and dynamic actions Chapter 6: The Interface: Layout Mode Initial Layouts A map of Layout mode Selection and then Action tools Drag-to-Layout tools Palette and Menu controls Organizing the presentation of information Applying formats to field and text objects Setting up layouts for printing Understanding lists and forms Layout parts and their purposes The Importance of Visual Structure Adding visual pointers and aids Using white space Ergonomics and avoiding visual fatigue Giving information meaning Defining Tooltips Using conditional tooltips Keeping track of tooltips Different Kinds of Layout Objects Static and dynamic objects Inherent object properties Conditional format attributes FileMaker as a Graphical Environment Building graphic objects in FileMaker Default object formats and attributes xii

15 Contents Controlling stacking and alignment Bringing in graphics from other applications Interacting with Layout Objects Keyboard control of a layout Setting the tab order Assigning names to layout objects Controlling visual spell-checking The Tab Control and Its Uses Defining and creating a tab panel Navigating between tab panels Tab panel limitations Displaying Related Data Working within layout context Setting up a portal The Magic of Buttons Defining buttons Button scope and button commands The button as an object The Web Viewer: Inviting in the World Setting up a Web viewer Controlling a Web viewer Complementary data concepts Reports and Data Output Considerations for printed output Using fonts Page sizes and page setup Paper output versus PDF or Excel output Composite PDFs from multiple layouts Chapter 7: The Structure: The Manage Database Dialog Working with Tables Table concepts: A room with a view Adding, deleting, and renaming tables Moving tables between files Importing tables Specifying Fields Adding, deleting, and renaming fields Understanding field/data types and their significance Auto-Entry options Field validation options Storage and indexing options Summary and Calculation fields Working with global fields Basic Calculations Creating a Calculation field Defining a calculation formula xiii

7 Windows Tweaks. A Comprehensive Guide to Customizing, Increasing Performance, and Securing Microsoft Windows 7. Steve Sinchak

7 Windows Tweaks. A Comprehensive Guide to Customizing, Increasing Performance, and Securing Microsoft Windows 7. Steve Sinchak Take control of Windows 7 Unlock hidden settings Rev up your network Disable features you hate, for good Fine-tune User Account control Turbocharge online speed Master the taskbar and start button Customize