Developer’s Guide

2-6 Developer’s Guide
Binding your databases into a runtime
database solution
Use the FileMaker Developer Tool to bind your database files into a
stand-alone runtime database solution that users can access without
running FileMaker Pro on their machines. The Developer Tool
creates a copy of your files, and binds the primary database file and
all auxiliary files to a runtime application with a name that you
specify. Users double-click the runtime application to open the
bound primary file.
Note Runtime database solutions cannot be published over a
network, the Internet, or an intranet unless you use FileMaker Pro
instead of the runtime application. For a complete list of the
differences between the runtime application and FileMaker Pro, see
appendix A, “Feature comparison of the runtime application and
FileMaker Pro.”
For a demonstration of a runtime database solution, start the Runtime
Solution application located in the Runtime Solution Example folder:
FileMaker Developer 5 > Design Tools > Examples > Runtime Solution
Example > Runtime Solution
Your database files should be completely developed and thoroughly
tested before you bind them into a runtime database solution. See
chapter 3, “Preparing files for a custom solution.”
For information about what users need to use your runtime database
solution, see chapter 4, “Distributing FileMaker Pro runtime
database solutions.”
Procedure for binding files
To bind your database files into a FileMaker Pro runtime database
solution, do the following:
1. Close all of your database files that you are going to bind and
make a backup copy.
Note Although the Developer Tool processes a duplicate copy of a
file instead of the original, it’s always a good idea to make a backup
copy of your original files before beginning.
2. Start the FileMaker Developer Tool application and click Next.
3. Select Bind files to create a FileMaker runtime version, select other
options as desired, and click Next.
A startup script in the primary file displays this splash screen layout