Special Edition Using Filemaker Pro 5

Note: Supplemental materials are not guaranteed with Rental or Used book purchases.

ISBN: 9780789722010 | 0789722011
Cover: Paperback
Copyright: 1/7/2000

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Special Edition Using FileMaker Pro focuses on experienced developers who are looking for expert advice. The book provides you with in-depth techniques and helps you solve real-life problems. The book assumes a basic knowledge of FileMaker, but no knowledge of relational database theory or planning and designing a relational database. Topics covered include (all topics are taught with hands-on usage of FileMaker Pro): Understanding, planning and designing a relational database; maintaining the database; crafting a user interface; putting your database on the Web; and reporting.

Introduction

(1)

A Developer Muses in Garden Supplies

(2)

The Gist of the Relational Approach

(1)

The Benefits of Going Relational

(2)

The Problem with Lookups

(3)

The Most Common Relationship: One to Many

(4)

How We Keep Track of All the Children

(3)

What's Next

(4)

I Planning

Planning

(12)

Some Good Reasons to Plan Ahead

(1)

What Goes into Planning

(1)

Explore the Culture Like an Anthropologist

(6)

Encourage Griping, Day-Dreaming, and Brainstorming

(1)

Interview Managers First

(2)

Listen to the Staff for a Different Perspective

(1)

Ask the Staff What You Can Do to Make Their Life Easier

(1)

Report on the Plan in a Preliminary Proposal

(3)

Articulating Your Plans as They Evolve

(22)

Adopt the Client's Point of View

(1)

What Goes into the Proposal

(5)

Articulate the Business Problem

(1)

Clarify the Purpose

(1)

Identity the Information

(1)

Estimate the Time and Money Needed for Developing the Database

(1)

Act as a Consultant to a Client

(1)

Create an Entity Relationship Diagram

(13)

Deciding What an Entity Is

(1)

Turning Our Attention to Attributes

(2)

Make Up a List of Candidates

(1)

Start the Diagram at the Heart of the Database

(1)

Defining the Relationships Between Entities

(4)

Confirming That the Emerging Diagram Fulfills the System Requirements

(1)

Formalizing the Diagrams

(2)

Refining Your ER Diagram by Questioning Your Tables

(1)

Working Document: The Absolutely Positively Final ER Diagram

(1)

Create a File Structure Diagram

(3)

Specifying Your Fields

(28)

Creating a Field Specification List

(3)

Naming the Field

(3)

Defining the Field Type

(8)

Consider How You Want to Sort the Values in the Field

(1)

The Way You Want to Search Affects Your Choice of Field Type

(1)

Automatic Formatting Depends on Field Type

(4)

The Way You Can Calculate Depends on the Field Type

(1)

Considering What Actually Will Be Entered in the Field

(6)

What to Put in a Text Field

(1)

What to Put in a Number Field

(1)

What to Put in a Date Field

(1)

What to Put in a Time Field

(1)

What to Put in a Container Field

(1)

What to Put in a Calculation Field

(1)

What to Put in a Summary Field

(1)

What to Put in a Global Field

(1)

Changing the Order in Which FileMaker Lists Fields

(1)

Deleting Fields

(1)

Changing Field Types

(1)

Changing Field Names

(1)

Anticipating the Layout for Each Field

(3)

Case Studies in Planning

(24)

Why Case Studies

(1)

A Case Study of Old Willy's Country Club

(9)

Talking with Shirley

(1)

Developing the Entities and Their Relationships

(2)

Considering Some Business Rules

(1)

Scores by Hole

(1)

Entering Scores

(1)

Field Definitions

(1)

Fields in the Scores by Hole File

(4)

A Case Study of Klodner's Kar Dealership

(14)

Playing with Entities

(4)

Developing the Field Definitions for the Kar Dealership

(9)

II Building

Building Your Files

107

(26)

Build Your Tables

108

(2)

Naming Names

108

(1)

The Naming of Entities

109

(1)

Create Your Fields

110

(2)

Create Relationships Between Files

112

(21)

Name Those Relationships!

112

(1)

Create Relationships

113

(2)

Deciding What Kind of Relationship You Need

115

(2)

How to Display Data from the Parent Side

117

(3)

Implications for Searching and Sorting

120

(1)

Creating a Relationship from a Parent to Children

120

(2)

Choosing the Options for your Relationship

122

(2)

Displaying Data from the Child Side

124

(2)

Implications for Finding and Sorting

126

(1)

Finding in a Portal

127

(1)

Using Data from the Related Child Fields

127

(1)

Using Data That Is More Than One File Away

128

(2)

Special Focus: Using a File of Constants, or a Template File

130

(3)

Maintaining Referential Integrity

133

(40)

Why You Need Referential Integrity

134

(1)

Problems with Referential Integrity

134

(2)

Following the Rules

136

(16)

Implementing Rule #1: Primary Keys Must Be Unique

136

(1)

Implementing Rule #2: Foreign Keys Must Be Valid

137

(7)

Creating a Child from a Parent via a Portal

144

(2)

Another Way to Insert a Value into the Foreign Key Field

146

(3)

Setting Two Foreign Keys

149

(3)

Filling the Foreign Key Field at the Click of a Button

152

(1)

Dealing with Threats to Referential Integrity

152

(17)

Threat #1: User-Assigned or Editable Primary Keys

152

(1)

Threat #2: Deletion of a Parent

153

(3)

Collecting, Rather than Deleting, Contacts When Their Company Dies

156

(5)

Using a Delete Table

161

(3)

Threat #3: Users Messing with Menus

164

(1)

Threat #4: Users Messing with Layouts They Shouldn't See or Use

165

(1)

Threat #5: Users Creating Incomplete Parent Records from Within the Child

166

(1)

Threat #6: Importing a Parent or Child Record

167

(2)

Maintaining a Unique Compound Primary Key

169

(3)

Weaknesses

170

(1)

How You Create the Interface Can Help Validate

171

(1)

Alternate Approach to Validation

171

(1)

Testing for Valid Referential Integrity

172

(1)

Keeping Your Data in Good Shape

173

(40)

Keeping Your Data Healthy

174

(1)

Why Good Data Goes Bad

174

(1)

Enabling Accuracy

174

(2)

The Dream: Complete Accuracy

176

(5)

Offering Lists of Choices

176

(1)

Pop-Up Lists

176

(1)

Pop-Up Menus

177

(1)

Radio Buttons

178

(1)

Check Boxes

179

(2)

Perfecting the Interface of Radio Buttons and Check Boxes

181

(1)

Conditional Value Lists

181

(4)

Having FileMaker Automatically Enter Information

185

(4)

Lookups

189

(3)

Allowing or Preventing Entry in Fields

192

(5)

Having FileMaker Check for Accuracy

197

(11)

Of Type

198

(1)

Not Empty

198

(1)

Unique

198

(1)

Existing

199

(1)

Member of a Value List

199

(1)

In a Range

199

(1)

By Calculation

199

(3)

Validating Social Security Numbers

202

(2)

Not Allowing Users to Override the Validation

204

(1)

Displaying a Message if Validation Fails

205

(1)

Validating Global Fields

205

(1)

Conditional Validation

206

(2)

Preventing Users from Editing a Record After It Has Been Created

208

(1)

Adjusting the Tab Order to Suit the User's Habits

209

(1)

Extra Carefulness: Keeping Carriage Returns Out of the Data

210

(3)

Crafting the User Interface

213

(36)

The Interface Is All There Is--for Users

214

(1)

Let Users' Tasks Shape Your Design

214

(1)

Decide Which Layouts to Focus On

215

(2)

Use Tabs for Convenience and Clarity

217

(1)

Use Menus if You Must

218

(2)

Combine the Best of Both Approaches

220

(1)

Decide on Your Default Views

220

(2)

Fit Information into a Single Record View

222

(2)

Unfold Minor Information Gradually

224

(1)

Distinguish Groups of Information by Their Functions

224

(6)

The Main Idea

224

(1)

Setting a Customer

225

(1)

Add Text to Clarify the Purpose of Layouts and Areas

226

(2)

Yes, You Should Include Lists

228

(1)

Make Your Own Sort Buttons

228

(1)

Use Color and Graphics to Indicate Functionality

229

(1)

Prepare for Consistency

230

(7)

Make Your Layouts Look Stable

230

(1)

Set the Default Formatting for Text and Graphics

230

(2)

Let FileMaker Help You Keep Formats Consistent

232

(1)

Make Objects Line Up Consistently

233

(4)

Make Data Entry Easy

237

(1)

Never Have the Users Do What the Computer Can Do for Them

237

(1)

Go With the User's Flow

238

(1)

Signal Exactly Where to Enter Information

238

(1)

Design Meaningful Buttons

238

(3)

Arrange Buttons in Functional Areas

240

(1)

Print the Reports the Users Expect

241

(2)

Describe Printing the Way Users Do

242

(1)

Test Prototypes and Get User Feedback

243

(2)

Use the Interface Prototyper

245

(4)

Buttons and Tabs

246

(1)

Tabs Within Tabs

247

(1)

Main Menu

247

(2)

``Webifying'' Your Database

249

(24)

Letting People Interact with Your Data

250

(1)

How FileMaker Came to the Web

251

(3)

Choosing Between Instant and Custom Web Publishing

254

(1)

Instant Web Publishing

255

(5)

Custom Web Publishing

260

(4)

How Links Work

260

(1)

How Links Differ from Forms

261

(1)

How Forms Work

261

(2)

Creating an Error Page

263

(1)

Understanding Security

264

(1)

How to Plan for Web Delivery

264

(2)

Putting Your Database Directly on the Internet

266

(1)

Exporting Data as HTML Pages with the Results of Calculations

267

(2)

Creating Detail Records

269

(2)

Using Lasso to Go Beyond the Web Companion

271

(2)

Hot Calculations

273

(68)

Why Calculations Can Get Hot

274

(1)

Welcome to the Formula

274

(1)

Mathematical and Financial Calculations

275

(4)

Using Rounding to Avoid Errors in Summaries

275

(2)

Using the Int and Mod Functions to Get Whole Numbers

277

(1)

Calculating Payments

278

(1)

Text Calculations

279

(15)

Taking Apart a Text String to Reformat It

281

(2)

Putting Together a Full Address

283

(1)

Using Overlapping Fields to Simulate Typing in a Calculation Field

284

(3)

Overlapping Fields to Mimic Conditional Text

287

(2)

Using the PatternCount Function to Spot Values

289

(1)

Extracting the Prefix to the Name, First, Middle Initial, Last Name, and Suffix to the Last Name

290

(4)

Data Calculations

294

(11)

Calculating How Long It's Been Since the Last Contact

294

(1)

Calculating the Next Appointment Date

295

(6)

Breaking Apart a Date for Subtotals

301

(4)

Time Calculations

305

(2)

Calculating the Total Amount of Time

305

(2)

Conditional Calculations

307

(5)

Comparing IF, Case, and Choose Statements

307

(2)

Using IF Statements for a Multi-Column Report

309

(1)

Using IF Statements to Extract the Choices of Radio Buttons

310

(2)

Calculations with Container Results

312

(1)

Flagging Key Items for Management with Graphics

312

(1)

Creating a Fully Formatted Document for Database Publishing

313

(3)

Calculating with Check Boxes

316

(10)

Sorting Check Box Items and Converting Values to a Comma-Separated List

317

(3)

Allowing the User to Modify Standard Text

320

(1)

Doing a Mail Merge on a Text Field

321

(2)

Doing a Search-and-Replace Within a Field

323

(3)

Generating Random Numbers

326

(3)

Creating a Bar Graph

329

(2)

Exporting or Importing Fixed-Length Records

331

(7)

Exporting to Fixed-Length Records

331

(2)

Importing Fixed-Length Records

333

(2)

Custom Delimiter

335

(3)

Handling Aggregate Functions

338

(3)

Reporting

341

(54)

Layouts at the Heart

342

(1)

Using the Report Wizard

342

(1)

How Layout Parts Work

343

(3)

Sub-Summaries

344

(1)

Title Header and Header

344

(1)

Leading Grand Summary

344

(1)

Leading Sub-Summary

345

(1)

Body

345

(1)

Trailing Sub-Summary

345

(1)

Trailing Grand Summary

345

(1)

Title Footer and Footer

345

(1)

How FileMaker Figures Out What to Put Where

346

(2)

Creating Summary Reports

348

(7)

Generating Reports with Subtotals by Month or Quarter

354

(1)

Putting Sub-summaries on Every Page

355

(2)

Using Sub-Summaries Without Summary Fields

357

(1)

Using the GetSummary Function in a Calculation Field

358

(3)

Where Should You Report From?

361

(5)

Printing from the Parent

361

(2)

Printing from the Child

363

(2)

Many to Many

365

(1)

Interesting Reporting Techniques

366

(12)

Providing the User with Editable Report Headers and Footers

366

(1)

Creating a Script to Allow the User to Perform a Search as the Basis for a Report

367

(6)

Taking Advantage of Fixed Page Margins for Multiple Printers

373

(1)

Finding the Median in Subtotals and Grand Totals

374

(4)

Variations in Effect

378

(17)

Print or Preview

379

(2)

Browse Mode-View as Form

381

(1)

Browse Mode-View as List

381

(14)

Dumb Portal Tricks

395

(26)

What Shows Up in a Portal--and How

396

(1)

Dumb Portal Trick #1: Lets You See in a Portal All Records from Another File

396

(2)

Dumb Portal Trick #2: Lets You Use Conditional Value Lists with Portals

398

(3)

Dumb Portal Trick #3: Highlights Selected Items in Portals

401

(2)

Dumb Portal Trick #4: Moves Records from One Portal to Another

403

(2)

Dumb Portal Trick #5: Uses Calculated Multivalued Keys to Filter Which Child Records Show Up in the Parent Record

405

(1)

Dumb Portal Trick #6: Moves Portal Rows and Inserts a Portal Row

406

(6)

Dumb Portal Trick #7: Allows the User to Choose the Sort Order in a Portal

412

(2)

Dumb Portal Trick #8: Makes the Portal Disappear!

414

(3)

Dumb Portal Trick #9: Uses a Portal to Control Access to Records in Another File

417

(4)

Filtering the Records

418

(1)

Allowing Users to Edit

419

(2)

The Joys of Self-Joins and Other Interesting Relationships

421

(22)

The Miracle of a Self-Join

422

(4)

Assembly-Subassembly, a.k.a. the Hamburger Example

426

(5)

Many to Many to Many

431

(4)

An Outer Join

435

(8)

The Not-So-Hot Button

436

(1)

A Hotter Button

437

(6)

III Scripting

Scripting

443

(38)

The Benefits of Scripting

444

(1)

Creating and Editing Scripts

444

(4)

Good Scripting Practices

448

(5)

Naming Your Script

448

(2)

Add Comments

450

(1)

Modularize Your Scripts

450

(3)

Write Once, Run Many Ways

453

(1)

Startup Scripts

453

(5)

Startup Part 1: Open All the Files and Maximize the Windows

454

(1)

Startup Part 2: Decide What to Do with the Status Area

455

(1)

Startup Part 3: Go to the Right Layout

455

(1)

Startup Part #4: Show All and Unsort

456

(1)

Startup Part #5: Initialize Those Variables

456

(1)

Startup Part #6: Show a Welcome Screen, if You Have One

457

(1)

Startup Part #7: Set Page Setup/Print Setup, if Users Can Select Print from the Menu

457

(1)

Startup Part #8: Create a Log of Who Enters This System and When

458

(1)

Startup Script

458

(1)

Shutdown Scripts

458

(1)

Close All Files in the System

459

(1)

A Shutdown Script

459

(1)

Scripts to Help Users Navigate Among Layouts

459

(2)

Make Sure You Know What Mode You Are In

459

(1)

Go to the Right Layout

460

(1)

Initialize Any Variables You Need

460

(1)

The show_data_entry_notes Script

460

(1)

Scripts for Navigating Among Parents and Children

461

(4)

Child-to-Parent Navigation

461

(2)

Parent-to-Child Navigation

463

(1)

Parent-to-Parent Navigation in a Many-to-Many Relationship

464

(1)

Scripts That Delete

465

(3)

Deleting a Parent

465

(1)

Deleting a Child

466

(2)

Scripts for Creating New Records

468

(1)

Easy Example of Creating New Records

468

(1)

The new_invoice script in Invoices

468

(1)

Scripts for Sorting

468

(2)

To Ascend or Descend

469

(1)

Returning the User to the Original Record

469

(1)

The sort_by_date_of_invoice Script

470

(1)

Scripts for Reporting

470

(3)

The capture_id_of_found_set_of_customers Script

471

(1)

Capturing the IDs of the Current Invoices

472

(1)

Printing, at Last

472

(1)

The print_ar_aging_by_customer Subscript in Invoices

472

(1)

The print_ar_aging_by_customer Script in Customers

473

(1)

Scripts Asking Users What They Want to Print

473

(1)

The print_invoice_button Script Behind the Print Button

474

(1)

Scripts for Preparing Canned Finds

474

(2)

Scripts That Duplicate Records

476

(1)

Handling Button Actions in Your Scripts

476

(5)

Troubleshooting a Script

481

(16)

Looking for Trouble

482

(2)

Interrupting with Pause

482

(1)

Interrupting and Showing Messages

482

(1)

Halting the Script at Different Places to See Whether It Worked so Far

482

(1)

Writing Script Results to a Log Field or File

483

(1)

Beeping at Yourself

483

(1)

Using Analyzer--A Two Thumbs Up Product

483

(1)

Printing the Scripts

484

(1)

Scripting Gotchas

484

(13)

IV Reaching Out

Integrating FileMaker, Expanding Its Reach

497

(22)

FileMaker at the Center

498

(1)

Examples of the New Connectivity

499

(1)

Salespeople on the Road

499

(1)

Furniture Inventories on the Hoof

499

(1)

Upscale Furnishings

500

(1)

Press Office

500

(1)

How FileMaker Connects

500

(5)

Different Ways of Connecting with FileMaker

501

(1)

Platforms

501

(1)

Wireless PDAs, PDAs, Pagers, and Cell Phones

502

(3)

Taking Advantage of Industry Standards for Data Exchange

505

(1)

Using ODBC, JDBC, and Java

506

(11)

Making FileMaker Pro a Data Source for ODBC Applications

506

(3)

Getting ODBC Data Out of FileMaker

509

(2)

Importing ODBC Data

511

(5)

JDBC and Java

516

(1)

Going from HTML to XML and WML

517

(1)

And Don't Forget Reports

518

(1)

FileMaker Pro Multiuser Design and Deployment Considerations

519

(14)

The Idea of Multiple Users

520

(1)

Designing Multiuser Files

521

(2)

Deploying Multiuser Files

523

(1)

FileMaker Server

524

(4)

Defining Fields as Sole Guest

527

(1)

Safe Hosting

527

(1)

Multiuser Deployment, Design, and Networking Tips and Pitfalls Checklist

528

(5)

Index

533

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Special Edition Using Filemaker Pro 5

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials