Special edition using Filemaker Pro 7

Special Edition Using FileMaker 7......Page 2
Copyright • 2005 by Que Publishing......Page 3
Table of Contents......Page 4
About the Authors......Page 18
We Want to Hear from You!......Page 21
INTRODUCTION Welcome to FileMaker Pro 7......Page 22
Waiter, There’s a Software Development Tool in My Productivity Application!......Page 23
How This Book Is Organized......Page 25
A Brave, New World......Page 31
PART I Getting Started with FileMaker 7......Page 32
CHAPTER 1 FileMaker Overview......Page 34
Introduction to Database Software......Page 35
Overview of the FileMaker 7 Product Line......Page 39
FileMaker Deployment Options......Page 40
What’s New in FileMaker Pro 7......Page 42
CHAPTER 2 Using FileMaker Pro......Page 48
Getting Started......Page 49
Working in FileMaker Pro......Page 57
Troubleshooting......Page 78
FileMaker Extra: Becoming a FileMaker Pro Power User......Page 80
CHAPTER 3 Defining and Working with Fields......Page 84
Working Under the Hood......Page 85
Working with Fields......Page 87
Working with Field Types......Page 90
Assigning Field Options......Page 95
Troubleshooting......Page 107
FileMaker Extra: Indexing in FileMaker Pro 7......Page 108
CHAPTER 4 FileMaker Fundamentals: Working with Layouts......Page 110
What’s a Layout?......Page 111
Creating and Managing Layouts......Page 112
Working with Parts......Page 120
Working with Objects on a Layout......Page 124
Working with Fields......Page 135
Troubleshooting......Page 139
FileMaker Extra: Designing Cross- Platform–Friendly Layouts......Page 140
PART II Developing Solutions with FileMaker......Page 142
CHAPTER 5 Relational Database Design......Page 144
Database Analysis......Page 145
Working with Entities and Attributes......Page 146
Understanding Relationships......Page 151
Relationship Optionality......Page 155
Understanding the Role of Keys in Database Design......Page 159
Many-to-Many Relationships: Solving the Puzzle......Page 161
The Basics of Process Analysis......Page 164
FileMaker Extra: Complex Many-to-Many Relationships......Page 170
CHAPTER 6 Working with Multiple Tables......Page 174
Creating a One-to-Many Relationship in FileMaker......Page 175
Working with Keys and Match Fields......Page 179
Understanding Table Context......Page 182
Working with Related Data......Page 183
Creating a Many-to-Many Relationship......Page 189
Relational Integrity......Page 194
Troubleshooting......Page 196
FileMaker Extra: Building a Three-Way Join......Page 197
CHAPTER 7 Working with Relationships......Page 200
Relationships as Queries......Page 201
Creating Self-Relationships......Page 208
Creating Ranged Relationships......Page 214
Creating Cross-Product Relationships......Page 216
Working with Data from Distant Tables......Page 217
Working with Multiple Files......Page 218
How and When to Use Multiple Files......Page 224
Troubleshooting......Page 230
FileMaker Extra: Managing the Relationships Graph......Page 231
CHAPTER 8 Getting Started with Calculations......Page 234
Understanding How and Where Calculations Are Used......Page 235
Exploring the Calculation Dialog Box......Page 237
Essential Functions......Page 244
Using Conditional Functions......Page 255
Learning About the Environment......Page 256
Troubleshooting......Page 259
FileMaker Extra: Tips for Becoming a Calculation Master......Page 260
CHAPTER 9 Getting Started with Scripting......Page 262
Scripts in FileMaker Pro......Page 263
Creating Scripts......Page 264
Common Scripting Techniques......Page 270
Working with Buttons on Layouts......Page 285
Troubleshooting......Page 286
FileMaker Extra: Creating a Script Library......Page 287
CHAPTER 10 Reporting with Grouped Data......Page 290
Deriving Meaning from Data......Page 291
Working with Lists of Data......Page 294
Summarized Reports......Page 302
Troubleshooting......Page 313
FileMaker Extra: Incorporating Reports into the Workflow......Page 314
PART III Developer Techniques......Page 316
CHAPTER 11 Developing for Multi-User Deployment......Page 318
“Sessions” in FileMaker Pro......Page 319
Concurrency......Page 321
Audit Trails in FileMaker Pro......Page 326
Launch Files......Page 331
Troubleshooting......Page 332
FileMaker Extra: Development with a Team......Page 333
CHAPTER 12 Implementing Security......Page 336
FileMaker Security Features Overview......Page 337
FileMaker Server Security Features......Page 359
Assessing the Security Risk......Page 367
Developing a Security Plan......Page 368
Troubleshooting......Page 370
FileMaker Extra: Configuring External Authentication Servers for Mac OS X......Page 371
CHAPTER 13 Advanced Layout Techniques......Page 374
User Interfaces in FileMaker Pro......Page 375
Navigation......Page 379
Multi-Window Interfaces......Page 388
Showing/Hiding Contextual Layout Elements......Page 392
Dedicated Find Layouts......Page 395
Data Presentation......Page 397
Working with Table View......Page 398
Troubleshooting......Page 399
FileMaker Extra: User Interface Heuristics......Page 400
CHAPTER 14 Specialized Calculation Functions......Page 402
Logical Functions......Page 403
Text Formatting Functions......Page 419
Array Functions......Page 424
The “Filter”-ing Functions......Page 427
Custom Functions......Page 430
Troubleshooting......Page 439
FileMaker Extra: Creating a Custom Function Library......Page 440
CHAPTER 15 Advanced Scripting......Page 442
Script Parameters......Page 443
Window Management Techniques......Page 451
Go to Related Record......Page 458
Troubleshooting......Page 463
FileMaker Extra: Recursive Scripts......Page 464
CHAPTER 16 Working with Portals......Page 466
Portal Basics......Page 467
“New Record Only” Relationships......Page 473
Selection Portals......Page 475
Filtered Portals......Page 483
Dynamic Portal Sorting......Page 489
Troubleshooting......Page 493
FileMaker Extra: Portals and Record Locking......Page 495
CHAPTER 17 Troubleshooting......Page 496
Staying Out of Trouble......Page 497
Planning for Trouble......Page 505
Troubleshooting Scripts and Calculations......Page 506
Troubleshooting in Specific Areas: Performance, Context, Connectivity, and Globals......Page 513
File Maintenance and Recovery......Page 524
FileMaker Extra: Other Tools of the Trade......Page 525
CHAPTER 18 Converting Systems from Previous Versions of FileMaker Pro......Page 528
Migration Choices......Page 529
Converting Files......Page 534
Pre-Conversion Tasks......Page 537
Post-Conversion Tasks......Page 543
Troubleshooting......Page 552
FileMaker Extra: Converting Web-Enabled Databases......Page 553
PART IV Data Integration and Publishing......Page 556
CHAPTER 19 Importing Data into FileMaker Pro......Page 558
Flat-File Data Sources......Page 559
Importing Multiple Files from a Folder......Page 568
Importing Photos from a Digital Camera......Page 572
Importing from an ODBC Data Source......Page 573
Using a Script to Import Data......Page 580
Troubleshooting......Page 581
FileMaker Extra: Exploiting the FileMaker-to- FileMaker Import......Page 582
CHAPTER 20 Getting Data Out of FileMaker......Page 584
Fundamentals of Exporting Data......Page 585
Exporting with Layout Formatting......Page 587
Fixed-Length Field Exporting......Page 593
Exporting Grouped Data......Page 595
Scripted Exports......Page 597
Accessing FileMaker Data Using ODBC/JDBC......Page 599
Troubleshooting......Page 620
FileMaker Extra: Installing and Troubleshooting the ODBC Client Driver......Page 621
CHAPTER 21 Instant Web Publishing......Page 626
Instant Web Publishing—An Overview......Page 627
Enabling and Configuring IWP......Page 631
Designing for IWP Deployment......Page 640
Using an IWP Solution......Page 654
Troubleshooting......Page 656
FileMaker Extra: Building Your Own Next and Previous Page Buttons......Page 657
CHAPTER 22 FileMaker and Web Services......Page 660
About Web Services......Page 661
FileMaker and XML Before you can appreciate FileMaker’s Web......Page 662
Transforming XML......Page 667
XML Import: Understanding Web Services......Page 674
Working with Web Services......Page 681
Using FileMaker as a Web Services Source......Page 686
Troubleshooting......Page 687
FileMaker Extra: Write Your Own Web Services......Page 688
CHAPTER 23 Custom Web Publishing......Page 692
About Custom Web Publishing......Page 693
Custom Web Publishing Versus Instant Web Publishing......Page 694
Custom Web Publishing Versus XML Export......Page 695
Getting Your Databases Ready for Custom Web Publishing......Page 696
Setting Up the Server-Side Components for CWP......Page 697
Publishing FileMaker Data as XML......Page 704
Using XSLT with Custom Web Publishing......Page 713
Building Web Applications with XSLT-CWP......Page 717
Other Custom Web Publishing Commands and Parameters......Page 736
About the FileMaker XSLT Extensions......Page 739
About Sessions......Page 740
Troubleshooting......Page 741
FileMaker Extra: About the Custom Web Publishing Tools......Page 742
PART V Deploying a FileMaker Solution......Page 748
CHAPTER 24 FileMaker Deployment Options......Page 750
Single User......Page 751
FileMaker Server......Page 752
Web Publishing......Page 753
Citrix/Terminal Services......Page 754
Runtime Solutions......Page 755
Deploying to Handheld Devices......Page 756
CHAPTER 25 FileMaker Server......Page 758
About FileMaker Server......Page 759
Running FileMaker Server......Page 764
Using the Server Administration Tool......Page 765
Configuring and Administering FileMaker Server Using the SAT......Page 767
Managing Clients......Page 769
Managing Databases......Page 770
Administration from the Command Line......Page 771
Working with External Services......Page 775
Automatically Updating Plug-ins......Page 781
Scheduled Tasks......Page 789
Monitoring FileMaker Server......Page 792
FileMaker Extra: Best Practices Checklist......Page 795
CHAPTER 26 FileMaker Developer and Plug-ins......Page 798
FileMaker Developer......Page 799
Plug-ins......Page 810
Troubleshooting......Page 814
FileMaker Extra: The Limits of Customization......Page 815
PART VI Appendixes......Page 818
APPENDIX A Additional Resources......Page 820
Data Modeling and Database Design......Page 821
General Resources for Tips and Tricks......Page 822
Plug-ins......Page 823
Developer Tools......Page 825
XML/XSL......Page 826
ODBC/JDBC......Page 827
APPENDIX B Calculation Function Reference......Page 828
About the Script Step Reference......Page 948
APPENDIX D Documenting FileMaker Pro Systems......Page 1044
Developing Naming Conventions......Page 1045
Using Comments Effectively......Page 1046
Documenting the Relationships Graph......Page 1047
Using the Database Design Report......Page 1048
Using Third-Party Documentation Tools......Page 1051
Putting the Finishing Touches on Your Documentation......Page 1052
Final Thoughts on Documentation......Page 1053
INDEX......Page 1054