FileMaker Pro 8. 5 Bible,9780470082775

FileMaker Pro 8. 5 Bible

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ISBN13: 9780470082775
ISBN10: 0470082771
Format: Paperback
Pub. Date: 2006-10-02
Publisher(s): Wiley
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Summary

FileMaker Pro 8.5 Bible provides step-by-step procedures for using virtually all FileMaker Pro features and performing all tasks. This best-selling volume has been updated to reflect Version 8.5, the latest version of FileMaker Pro workgroup database. Applicable to both the Mac and Windows versions of FileMaker Pro, this Bible shows readers how to create and work with databases and includes detailed ScriptMaker (scripting) explanations for automating FileMaker. Other topics covered include calculations and computations; data exchange; creating and using templates; linking databases; using FileMaker in workgroups; Web publishing; plug-ins; and advanced database connectivity.

Author Biography

Dennis R. Cohen has been developing software and writing about it since the late 1970s. Starting in the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Deep Space Network (DSN), through stints at Ashton-Tate, Claris, and Aladdin Systems, he was involved in creating and maintaining such packages as the DSN Station Scheduling System, dBASE III, dBASE Mac, FileMaker, ClarisWorks, Claris Resolve, and many others.
During this time, Dennis wrote numerous articles appearing in a variety of different publications, including Personal Computing, Macintosh Today, Macworld, and MacTutor. The author (or co-author) of over a dozen books, including AppleWorks 6 Bible, AppleWorks 6 For Dummies, Mac OS X Bible, iLife Bible, Teach Yourself Visually iLife ’04, FileMaker Pro 7 Bible, The Xcode 2 Book (all Wiley), and Mac Digital Photography (Sybex), Dennis has also been the technical editor for over 100 titles, including all editions of FileMaker Pro Bible prior to FileMaker Pro 7 Bible.
Dennis resides in Sunnyvale, California, with his best friend—a Boston terrier named Spenser. You can find out more about him at his Web site at http://homepage.mac.com/drcohen.

In 1978, Dr. Steven Schwartz bought his first microcomputer, a new Apple II+. Determined to find a way to make money with it, he began writing software reviews, BASIC programs, and user tips for Nibble magazine. Shortly thereafter, he was made a contributing editor.
Over the past 20 years, Steve has written hundreds of articles for more than a dozen computer magazines. He currently writes for Macworld magazine. He was also a founding editor of Software Digest as well as a business editor for MACazine.
From 1985 to 1990, he was the director of technical services for Funk Software. Steve is the author of more than 40 books, including all editions of Macworld ClarisWorks/AppleWorks Bible and the FileMaker Pro Bible (Wiley); Running Microsoft Office 2001 (Microsoft Press); Visual QuickStart Guide for Internet Explorer 5 for Windows, Internet Explorer 5 for Macintosh, Entourage 2001 for Macintosh, CorelDraw 10 for Windows, and Office v.X for Macintosh (Peachpit Press); and dozens of popular game strategy guides.
Steve has a Ph.D. in psychology and presently lives in the fictional town of Lizard Spit, Arizona, where he writes books and complains about the heat. His official Web site is www.siliconwasteland.com.

Table of Contents

Preface ix
Acknowledgments xv
Quick Start: What's New in FileMaker Pro 8.5? 1(1)
What's New in FileMaker Pro 8.5? 1(1)
Introducing the Web Viewer Layout Object
2(6)
Different uses for Web Viewers
2(4)
Working with Web Viewer objects in scripts
6(2)
Creating a Web Viewer Layout Object
8(8)
Scripting Web Viewer Objects
16(11)
New Functions and Script Steps in FileMaker Pro 8.5
27(16)
Presenting FileMaker's five new functions
27(3)
Introducing FileMaker 8.5's new script steps
30(1)
Using the New Functions and Script Steps
31(12)
Some Cool Web Viewer Uses
43(3)
New Feature Limitations
46(1)
The Web Viewer Gallery
47
Part I: The Fundamentals
1(62)
What Is a Database?
3(18)
Paper Databases versus Computer Databases
5(3)
Limitations of paper databases
6(1)
Advantages of computer databases
6(2)
When should you use a database program?
8(1)
Flat-File and Relational Databases
8(2)
Introducing FileMaker Pro
10(7)
FileMaker concepts
11(6)
Getting ``The Big Picture''
17(2)
Business uses for FileMaker Pro
17(1)
Home uses for FileMaker Pro
18(1)
Summary
19(2)
FileMaker Pro Basic Operations
21(30)
Starting Up
21(6)
Quitting
27(1)
File-Handling Procedures
27(12)
Opening, creating, and closing databases
27(3)
Saving files
30(2)
Making a backup copy of a file
32(3)
Automatic backups
35(4)
Issuing Commands
39(2)
Using Tools and Palettes
41(4)
Using Toolbars
45(1)
Getting Help
46(3)
Help for Windows users
46(2)
Help for Macintosh users
48(1)
Summary
49(2)
What's New in FileMaker Pro 8?
51(12)
The FileMaker Pro 8 Product Family
51(1)
Changes Introduced in FileMaker Pro 8
52(5)
Operating system requirements
53(1)
Database design enhancements
53(1)
Layout enhancements
53(2)
Data entry enhancements
55(1)
Data sharing enhancements
56(1)
ScriptMaker enhancements
56(1)
Advanced enhancements
56(1)
Changes Introduced in FileMaker Pro 7
57(6)
Operating system requirements
57(1)
File format changed
57(1)
Multiple tables per file
58(1)
New relational model
58(1)
New Database Definition dialog and Field options
58(1)
New Accounts methodology eliminates groups
58(2)
New calculation features
60(1)
ScriptMaker enhancements
61(1)
Enhanced Instant Web Publishing (IWP)
61(1)
Unicode support
61(1)
New and updated templates
61(2)
Part II: Database Design Basics
63(196)
Creating Your First Database
65(56)
Step 1: Create a New Database
67(1)
Step 2: Define Fields
68(5)
Step 3: Set Field Options
73(1)
Step 4: Design the Layout
74(22)
Creating a new layout
75(3)
Setting field attributes
78(1)
Text attributes
78(2)
Placing the fields
80(11)
Adding the finishing touches
91(5)
Step 5: Design the Home Tab
96(9)
Step 6: Create the Data Entry Buttons and Scripts
105(5)
The script definition process
105(1)
The Data Entry layout scripts
106(4)
Step 7: Design a Report Layout
110(7)
Resizing the fields
114(1)
Formatting the header
115(1)
Formatting the footer
115(1)
Modifying the Business Phone Directory script
116(1)
Generating a report
117(1)
Step 8: Set Startup Actions
117(2)
Tips for Using the Database
119(1)
Summary
120(1)
Defining Fields
121(54)
Setting Field Definitions
121(22)
All about field types
124(10)
Defining Calculation, Summary, and Global fields
134(4)
Understanding summary functions
138(5)
Setting Field Options
143(24)
Auto-enter options
145(9)
Data validation options
154(3)
Repeating fields
157(2)
Value lists
159(5)
Indexing and storage options
164(3)
Modifying Field Definitions, Names, and Options
167(6)
Changing field names
167(1)
Deleting a field and its data
168(2)
Duplicating fields
170(1)
Setting options for existing fields
170(1)
Changing a field's type
171(1)
Changing or deleting options for a field
172(1)
Summary
173(2)
Layouts
175(68)
Layout Basics
176(3)
Creating New Layouts
179(21)
Standard form layouts
181(2)
Columnar list/report layouts
183(4)
Creating a complex columnar report
187(3)
Table View layouts
190(2)
Label layouts
192(5)
Vertical Label layouts
197(1)
Envelope layouts
197(3)
Blank layouts
200(1)
Designing Your Own Layouts
200(22)
Understanding layout parts
200(3)
Adding a layout part
203(2)
Modifying layout parts
205(3)
Adding items to a layout part
208(14)
Formatting Fields and Other Objects
222(14)
Using the measurement and alignment tools
222(3)
Moving and resizing fields and objects
225(1)
Setting field formatting
225(9)
Adding and modifying text
234(1)
Duplicating formats
235(1)
Applying the finishing touches
235(1)
Duplicating, Renaming, Reordering, and Deleting Layouts
236(5)
Duplicating a layout
238(1)
Reordering layouts
239(1)
Renaming a layout
240(1)
Deleting a layout
240(1)
Summary
241(2)
Setting Preferences
243(16)
Setting FileMaker Pro 8 Preferences
243(7)
Setting General preferences
245(1)
Setting Layout preferences
246(2)
Setting Memory preferences
248(1)
Setting Plug-Ins preferences
249(1)
Setting Fonts preferences
250(1)
Setting Document-Specific Options
250(7)
Open/Close file options
251(1)
Spelling file options
252(2)
Text file options
254(2)
Graphics file options (Mac only)
256(1)
Summary
257(2)
Part III: Working with Databases
259(144)
Working with Records
261(38)
Browse Mode Basics
261(11)
Switching to Browse mode
262(1)
Using Browse mode controls
262(8)
Working in different views
270(2)
Data Entry and Editing
272(24)
Creating new records
272(1)
Entering data
272(21)
Editing records
293(2)
Deleting records
295(1)
Using the spell checker
296(1)
Summary
296(3)
Searching for and Selecting Records
299(28)
Find Mode Basics
299(3)
Switching to Find mode
300(1)
Using Find mode tools and functions
300(2)
Finding Records
302(7)
Matching all criteria: And searches
303(1)
Using symbols in search criteria
304(1)
Matching one criterion or another: Or searches
305(1)
Matching different kinds of text
306(3)
More about Find requests
309(2)
Creating additional Find requests
309(1)
Repeating and editing Find requests
310(1)
Deleting Find requests
310(1)
Matching Special Items
311(4)
Matching values in a range
311(1)
Matching the current date
312(1)
Searching for empty fields
312(1)
Searching for values greater or less than a given value
313(1)
Searching for duplicate records
314(1)
Searching for invalid information
314(1)
Finding records that don't match the criteria
315(1)
Working with Found Records
315(10)
Omitting records from a found set
316(1)
Swapping found sets with omitted records
317(1)
Extending and constraining the found set
318(1)
Copying found sets
319(1)
Deleting found sets
319(1)
Replacing values in a found set
320(5)
Working with all records again
325(1)
Finding Matches in Browse Mode
325(1)
Summary
326(1)
Sorting Records
327(22)
About Sorting
327(4)
Creating a Sort Order
331(7)
Sorting on one field
334(2)
Sorting on multiple fields
336(2)
Modifying Sort Specifications
338(1)
Sorting Data in Portals
338(3)
Additional Sort Options
341(6)
Using a value list to set a sort order
341(1)
Setting an international sort order
342(1)
Sorting by Summary fields
343(4)
Unsort: Restoring the original record order
347(1)
Summary
347(2)
Reports
349(12)
Report Design Essentials
349(7)
Designing a report layout
350(1)
Selecting records to include in the report
351(1)
Sorting the found set
352(1)
Printing or previewing the report
353(3)
Modifying and Reusing Layouts
356(4)
Working with layout parts
356(1)
Duplicating a report layout
357(1)
Transferring layouts between databases
358(2)
Summary
360(1)
Using the Spelling Checker
361(20)
Setting Spell-Checking Options
362(2)
Specifying Your Dictionaries
364(1)
Checking Your Spelling
365(5)
Spell checking on request
365(4)
On-the-fly spell checking
369(1)
Working with User Dictionaries
370(6)
Creating a User Dictionary
370(1)
Adding words to a User Dictionary
371(3)
Merging User Dictionaries
374(2)
Spelling Tips and Tricks
376(3)
Creating a spelling list from an existing database
376(3)
Restricting spelling checks to a subset of fields
379(1)
Summary
379(2)
Printing
381(22)
The Steps in Printing
381(18)
Step 1: Decide what to print
382(5)
Step 2: Specify a printer and print settings
387(6)
Step 3: Print
393(5)
Step 4: Troubleshoot
398(1)
Effective Printing Tips
399(1)
Laser printers
399(1)
Inkjet printers
400(1)
Dot-matrix printers
400(1)
Summary
400(3)
Part IV: Putting FileMaker Pro to Work
403(154)
Calculations and Computations
405(20)
About Calculation Fields
405(6)
Arithmetic operators
406(1)
Logical operators
407(1)
Comparison operators
408(1)
Text operators
409(1)
Creating an expression
410(1)
Creating a Calculation Field
411(2)
Using FileMaker Pro's Built-In Functions
413(10)
Validation by Calculation
423(1)
Calculation Logic
423(1)
Summary
423(2)
Automating FileMaker Pro
425(86)
Using ScriptMaker
426(8)
Listing scripts in the Scripts menu
429(1)
Running a script
429(1)
Modifying a script
430(3)
Printing scripts
433(1)
Importing scripts from other databases
433(1)
Script Step Reference
434(69)
Script step options
434(2)
Script step definitions
436(67)
Attaching a Script to a Button
503(2)
Advanced Scripting Procedures
505(5)
Decision-making in scripts
505(1)
Using loops in scripts
505(1)
Environment considerations
506(1)
Executing other scripts from within a script
506(1)
Using AppleEvents
507(1)
Using AppleScript
508(2)
Summary
510(1)
Exchanging Data
511(38)
Moving Data between Programs
511(5)
About importing and exporting
512(1)
Understanding file formats
513(3)
Importing Data from Other Sources
516(19)
Format selection
516(1)
Data clean-up prior to importing
517(9)
Opening a foreign data file to create a new database
526(3)
Importing data from a digital camera (Mac only)
529(3)
Importing data from a folder
532(3)
Exporting Data
535(3)
Format selection
535(1)
Data clean-up
536(1)
Exporting records
536(2)
Moving Data Using Drag-and-Drop
538(1)
Exchanging Data between Macs and PCs
539(4)
Moving data to and from FileMaker Pro for Windows
539(1)
Understanding the compatibility issues
540(3)
Exchanging Data with Microsoft Office
543(1)
Using Excel Data in FileMaker Pro
543(3)
Saving FileMaker Pro Data to Excel
546(1)
Summary
547(2)
Creating and Using Templates
549(8)
The FileMaker Pro 8 Templates
549(2)
Installing a Template
551(1)
Reinstalling a Fresh Copy of a Template
552(1)
Saving a Database as a Template
553(3)
Working with a New Template
556(1)
Summary
556(1)
Part V: Mastering FileMaker Pro
557(98)
Linking Tables: Relationships and Lookups
559(34)
Lookups versus Relationships
560(13)
Going Relational with FileMaker Pro
573(10)
Defining a relationship
574(2)
Placing related fields in a layout
576(4)
Self-joins
580(3)
Working with Lookups
583(7)
Defining lookup fields
585(2)
Performing a relookup
587(3)
Additional Relationship/Lookup Options and Requirements
590(1)
Summary
591(2)
Using FileMaker Pro in Workgroups
593(24)
Running FileMaker Pro on a Network
593(7)
Hosts and clients
595(5)
Notes on cross-platform database sharing
600(1)
Protecting Databases and Setting Privileges
600(16)
Creating accounts
602(4)
Record-level access privileges
606(1)
Passing out accounts
607(1)
Modifying accounts
607(2)
Creating and deleting privilege sets
609(3)
Working with a protected file
612(4)
Summary
616(1)
Web Publishing with FileMaker Pro
617(16)
Publishing Methods and Views
617(3)
Instant Web Publishing
620(8)
Publishing a database with Instant Web Publishing
620(5)
Testing your published database
625(1)
Instant Web Publishing limitations
625(1)
Interacting with a database published with Instant Web Publishing
626(2)
Publishing Static Pages on the Web
628(2)
Summary
630(3)
Advanced Database Connectivity with XML and ODBC/JDBC
633(12)
Exporting and Importing XML
634(8)
Exporting XML data for use in other applications
634(5)
Importing XML data into FileMaker Pro
639(3)
FileMaker and ODBC/JDBC
642(1)
Moral of the Chapter
643(1)
Summary
644(1)
Expanding FileMaker's Capabilities Using Plug-Ins
645(10)
Plug-in Licensing and Use
646(1)
Installing the Troi Plug-Ins
647(1)
Plug-In Examples
648(6)
Troi Dialog plug-in
649(2)
Troi File plug-in
651(3)
More Plug-Ins
654(1)
Summary
654(1)
Part VI: Developing Databases for Others to Use
655(72)
Designing Databases for Others
657(28)
Simplify the Interface by Using Menus
659(3)
Creating a Navigation Menu
662(2)
Providing Instant Access via Buttons and Scripts
664(1)
Consider Screen Real Estate
664(1)
Protecting a Template
665(2)
Creating Help Systems for Your Databases
667(15)
Suggested Help topics
667(1)
Different approaches to providing help
668(11)
More help with Help
679(3)
Using FileMaker Pro 8 Advanced
682(1)
Summary
682(3)
Debugging Scripts
685(6)
Introducing the Script Debugger
685(1)
Using the Script Debugger
686(3)
Summary
689(2)
Generating Database Reports
691(6)
Specifying a Database Design Report
692(4)
Summary
696(1)
Creating Custom Database Solutions
697(30)
Working with Custom Functions
698(6)
Defining a custom function
700(2)
Invoking custom functions
702(2)
Importing Tables from Other FileMaker Databases
704(1)
Adding Tooltips to Your Layouts
704(2)
Creating Custom Menus
706(9)
Using the File Maintenance Command
715(1)
Using the Developer Utilities
716(8)
Planning for a runtime solution
720(3)
Branding your layout themes
723(1)
Summary
724(3)
Part VII: Appendixes
727(136)
Appendix A: Macintosh Keyboard Shortcuts
729(12)
Appendix B: Windows Keyboard Shortcuts
741(10)
Appendix C: FileMaker Pro Function Reference
751(82)
Appendix D: Glossary
833(20)
Appendix E: Resources
853(6)
Appendix F: About the Web Site
859(4)
Index 863

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