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File Maker Pro: For PC part 2
SHSU Technology Tutorials | File Maker Pro | For PC Part 2
FileMaker Pro 7 for PC cont...
Layout Mode Tools
The Selection Tool (the black arrow button) is used to select, move or resize fields within your form.
The Text Tool is used to add text on the form by clicking on the area where you want the text.
The Line, Rectangle, Rounded Rectangle and Ellipse tools are all tools that are used for drawing objects on the form. To draw with these tools, just drag your mouse over an area you want your object to be placed and release. You should see the shape appear on the form.
The Portal button is used to define the relationships between forms and the Button Tool is used to insert buttons onto a form. Buttons can be used to perform calculations or make certain events, such as creating or deleting records.
The Part Button is used to insert the Header, Footer or Body onto a form and the Field button is used to insert additional fields into your form.
These options will change depending on what parts are already on the form. The next options are the Fill Options, starting from the left, Fill Color, Pattern and Style. The Fill Options will fill any shapes that have been drawn. The default is white with no pattern or style.
Below the Fill Options buttons are the Border Options. The Border options will change the way the border of each shape looks.
The Preview Mode
The Preview mode lets you preview a list of your records. To switch to the Preview Mode, click on the View Menu and select Preview Mode.
Formatting A Field’s Borders
First, make sure you are in the Layout View. Then, make sure you have your Selection Tool selected. If isn’t, click on the small arrow button located in the top left corner of the bar.
Now, right-click the selected field and click Field Borders.
The dialog box will then ask you to define your border.
The Field Borders area allows you to add a border around your field or fields you have selected. You can make a box around your field by checking either the Top, Bottom, Left or Right checkboxes.
The drop-down menu below the check boxes allows you to change different formats, which include Fill, Borders and Baselines. Depending on which item on the drop-down menu is selected, the format can change. If the Fill is selected for example, then the field will be filled with your selected color.
To change a color or format, click on either the Color, Pattern or Border buttons. When you do, you will get a drop-down menu of selections under each button.
If the Borders or Baselines item is selected, then the pattern, color and Line Width can allbe changed.
Fields are not automatically underlined. To change that, click on the Text Baselines checkbox. Then, click on the drop-down menu and choose Baselines. After you have changed it, make sure that the Pattern box is set to the following pattern:
If the pattern is set to a different square, the underline may appear to be faded out.
There is also sample area of your field with all of the proposed changes in the right hand side of the box.
Make sure your field has a solid underline. This must be done for every field that requires an underline. If a field needs a full border, then follow the same steps, but leave the Text Baselines box unchecked. Then, select Borders from the Format drop-down menu. You can check your selections using the sample area in the right hand side.
Once you have made your selection, click OK. This is what your field should look like when you add a border.
Formatting A Field’s Text
To format a field’s text, right click on the text box of the field you want to change. Then, select Text Format from the pop-up menu.
You can change the font and size by clicking on the Font or Size pull-down menus and selecting your desired font or size.
To change the color, click on the arrow on the Color pull-down menu. Then, click on your desired color.
Just click on the checkboxes next to the style you want in the right hand side of the dialog box. When you are finished, click OK.
Adding Part Definitions
The part definition is used to define the parts of the form. The only parts displayed in the form are the Header, Footer and Body. For the most part, these are the only three that will be used in creating forms.
To add a part, click on the Part button and drag it to either the top or bottom of the form.
When you release the mouse, you will then see the Part Definition dialog box asking you what part of the form you want to insert.
In this case, it is the Footer that is being inserted into this form. Don’t forget that anything in the footer or header will appear on the top or bottom of every page. When you get this box, just click OK.
You will see your new part added to your form.
If you want to delete a header, body or footer, click on the part tab you don’t want and drag it to the tab above it. For example, if you want to take the footer off of the form, click on the Footer tab and drag it to the Body tab. The tab will then disappear, leaving more room for the Body.
The reason for removing the part tabs is to create more room on the layout. If one of the tabs has been accidentally removed, just click on the Part button and drag it back onto the form.
Creating Value Lists
Creating a Value List can give the users specific choices on what values can be placed in the field. Value Lists are used in forms that require drop-down lists, check boxes and radio buttons. To create a value list,make sure the view is set to Layout Mode. Click the File Menu and then select Define Value Lists.
When the Define Value Lists dialog box appears, click on the New button.
Make sure that the Use Custom Values radio button is clicked on. Then, type in a name for your Value List and begin typing in your values, followed by a carriage return (press Enter).
When the list has been created and named, click OK.
If you need to change your list, simply click the Edit button. To duplicate a list, click on the Duplicate button. Clicking on the Delete button will get rid of your list. When you finish creating all of your lists in the form, click OK.
Creating Check Boxes, Radio Buttons and Drop-Down Lists
Before creating these, make sure you have completed the Value List section first.
Note: Radio buttons and check boxes may have to be re-sized before viewing so that all of the choices can be seen. First, create a field for your list. For this example, we are going to create a field called State. It will be a drop down list with several state names in it. This can be done by either clicking on Insert -> Field or click on the Field button and drag it to your form.
Then, right click on your field and select the Field Format option.
When you see the Field Format dialog box appear, click the arrow next to the drop-down menu and select Pop-Up List.
Then, click on the arrow in the Using Value List menu and select State.
When you are done, Click OK. When you click on the Title field in the actual form, you will see a small list appear underneath it. These functions will only work in the Browse and Find modes.
Other formats included in FileMaker include pop-up menus, radio buttons and check boxes.
Creating A Field With Options
Some fields will require multiple lines, such as in responses that require paragraphs as opposed to one- or two- word answers.
To create a field with multiple repetitions, validated data or automatically entered data, click the File menu and choose Define. Then, click on Database.
In the Define Fields dialog box, create a field named Comments.
If the field has already been created, click on the field name and then click on the Options button. If the field has not been created, type a field name into the box and then click Options.
When the Options dialog box appears, click on the Storage tab and go to the Repeating section. Type in the number of spaces into the “Repeating field with a maximum of (_____ )” box. In this example, we have set the box to repeat 7 spaces. To actually have the extra spaces appear, right click the field on the form and then click Field Format.
This is what the field looks like before the above changes were done:
When you get the Field Format dialog box, go to the Repetitions section and type in however many spaces you want to see in your field. Then, click on either vertical or horizontal orientation.
Printing Records
To print a record, click on File and select Print.
When you see the dialog box, click on the Print drop-down menu and select Current record.
Then, select your printer and how many pages and copies you want. When you are finished, click OK.
Note: In order to set the tab order, you must be in the Layout Mode.
When you are in the Layout Mode, click on Layouts and then select Set Tab Order.
You will then see a dialog box asking you if you want to edit the tab order or create a new tab order. To edit the tab order, click on the “Edit tab order” radio button.
To change a tab order number, click on the white arrow next to the area you want to change and type in your desired tab order.
If you want to create a new tab order, click on the “Create new tab order” radio buttons. The previous tab order will be erased and will be ready for you to enter a custom tab order. Just type in the desired number into the arrows. If you don’t like your changes, click on the Revert to Default button. When you are finished, click OK.
