Secret Tips
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[edit] Copy Preview Mode
Want a snapshot of your printed forms for archival purposes? You may not know this trick. Going into Preview mode and using copy will create a picture of what would be printed out. It's saved on the clipboard ready for you to paste into a FileMaker container or other application. Try it out!
Contributed by Matt
[edit] Global Font Changes
This tip is about applying universal formatting to simliar objects. If you want to change all field labels to the font MS Sans from Arial. Select one field label and use the following key combination.
Command-Option-A (Macintosh)
Control-Shift-A (Windows)
You can now apply a new font face, size, color or other settings from the Format menu.
(Note: if a field or text object is specified as a button it will not be selected with the others of a similar type.)
Contributed by Matt
[edit] Time Saving Key Strokes
Here's a few key strokes that will save you some time when doing things in FileMaker Pro.
- Navigation: Use Control-Up Arrow or Control-Down Arrow to move from record to record or layout to layout (when in Layout Mode)
- Duplication: Hold down the Command key (Mac) or Control key (Win) while drag-selecting objects in Layout Mode.
- Selections: Passing your drag (with the key held down) through an object will select it rather than having to completely encompass it. Great for quick selections.
- ScriptMaker: When editing a script on Macintosh, you can use the tab key to move between your script steps and the available steps. When in the available steps, use the space bar to move the selected step over to your script.
- Dialogs: Get out of dialog boxes quickly by using the Esc key. It acts as the Done button in most cases. Just make sure you don't use it when there's a Cancel button on your Define Calculation and you've just made edits you want to keep!
[edit] Using the Database Design Report in FileMaker 7 and higher
In versions prior to FileMaker 7 and 8, the Developer version provided the Database Design Report, which was generated within a FileMaker file. While the file did provide functional access to the details about your database, it didn't make it easy to track down information. The system was more of a "hunt and peck" approach.
However, with the release of FileMaker 7 and now 8, the process of troubleshooting has been made much easier when using the Database Design Report. The advantage of the DDR is the fact that it's generated in HTML. This creates a number of files which can be viewed within a browser.
When using a browser such as Firefox, with its excellent searching tools, you can perform a search for, say a certain field, and quickly jump to each occurrence by hitting the return key. Added to this is the feature of choosing the highlight button and each instance of your search term will be highlighted throughout the report! Talk about a great way to troubleshoot or determine if you really can delete that old field.
P.S. If you're not using Firefox then you may need to determine of your browser of choice supports features such as search term highlighting.
Contributed by Matt
