ISO FileMaker Magazine

Even when discussing seemingly mundane topics like Default Fields, there are always valuable insights to uncover. This video offers an exploration of the default fields I consistently incorporate into every table I create. While you might be familiar with or have utilized some of these fields, there could still be a surprise or two in store.

For those who are relatively new to Claris/FileMaker development, this video holds significance. Learning about core techniques for data loading and effortlessly achieving desired results is crucial. Whether it involves displaying a count of related records or utilizing the internal Record ID for various UI functionalities, understanding how to accomplish a range of tasks within our preferred database software is truly beneficial.

When starting out with FileMaker, there's rarely the situation where you receive any "before you get started" advice. This is because working in FileMaker is like picking up a blank canvas and having someone say "Go for it! Paint something."

Essentially, you need to know what the tools are, how you use them, what can be accomplished and how certain decisions might affect you. So, when it comes to field indexing, you might not know the default settings could potentially cause your solution to become bigger than it should - without any benefit to performance.

While searching an indexed field vs. an unindexed one becomes somewhat obvious - the search may be slower than expected - it's the fact that every field, by default, can optionally enable its index that makes things interesting with regards to file size and, to a certain degree, some efficiency.

In this video I break down exactly how you can see what is going on with each specific field index and what the true difference is between a value index and a word index. You may even find out that your primary key fields are actually able to index more than they really should!

When you consider every little action you take while creating any type of software, if you add all those actions up, you can end up with a lot of extra repeated steps.

In consideration of all the fields you may be creating for various utility purposes, along with your normal data fields, it's always a nice idea to take advantage of features which may save you those little bits of time.

In this video, and the provided sample file, you'll benefit from using FileMaker's somewhat hidden feature of Default Fields. You can easily create your own set of desired default fields. And, using the provided file, you can easily switch between these various sets of default fields. I also provide my own personal list of desirable default fields.

Plus, if you've not used the FileMaker 18+ feature of writing file data out, then you'll get a double benefit from this technique file and video. You'll be learning how to use the FMDefaultFields.xml file and how to manage a collection of settings which you can custom tailor for your own needs.

When you're the one creating the database, you're the one who says which data makes it in and which data doesn't. This all happens through the various methods of data validation.

Data is either considered valid or not - and this happens according to your data validation rules. If the data is valid, then everything proceeds as normal. If, however, the data isn't exactly what's required, then you get to choose what happens.

In most cases, you can let the user keep taking a whack at it until they get the right combination, or you can shuttle the user off to another part of your UI.

In this tutorial video, we take a look at the three primary tools FileMaker provides for data validation. You can use any single option or combine them to mix and match for the perfect data validation solution. We've even got a nice little text formatting mask feature which provides a great looking phone number field.

These are often asked questions regarding setting up a new FileMaker database system. "How can I limit when the user can enter data into the field?" Or, the alternative, "Once the user enters data, how can I make sure they don't change it unless I want them to?"

Both of these types of questions can be answered using a variety of methods. The core to understanding their answers is that there's really only only two methods for limiting field access. One is controlling the display of the field and the other is truly limiting access to the field data itself.

Using the knowledge in this video you should be able to come up with a method which fits your exact situation. The video walks through the use of the various options which FileMaker provides for limiting access to a field. If you'd like to know which options you should use to control access, then give this video a view.