Developer’s Guide

Customizing your database solution 2-15
Adding the FileMaker Pro extension to
database filenames
Use the FileMaker Developer Tool to quickly add the FileMaker Pro
filename extension to your database files. For example, if you
created your database files on a Mac OS machine but you now want
the database solution to be used on Windows machines, you can add
the .fp5 filename extension to your database filenames for Windows
compatibility.
To add the FileMaker Pro extension to your database filenames:
1. Close all of your database files that you are going to change.
2. Start the FileMaker Developer Tool application and click Next.
3. Select Add or remove FileMaker Pro extension, choose Add .fp5 from
the pop-up menu, and click Next.
4. Specify the database files, and click Next.
5. Specify the location for the new solution folder.
6. Click Finish.
The Developer Tool creates a duplicate copy of the database files
with the new extended filenames, updates all internal reference links,
and places them in a new solution folder.
Saving your settings in the Developer Tool
You can save the settings you specify in the FileMaker Developer
Tool setup screens and reuse them again. When the Developer Tool
processes your specifications, it creates a text file named “<Solution
Name> Solution Options” and places it in the same folder that
contains the Developer Tool.
Using the Solution Options text file
Use the Developer Tool Solution Options file to repeat the same
process on your database files with the Developer Tool.
To use the Solution Options file:
1. Drag the Solution Options text file onto the Developer Tool
application file.
The Developer Tool will open to the first screen. All of the following
screens contain your saved settings from before, including the names
and paths of the database files.
2. Click Next to go through the screens and review your options.
3. Click Finish to process the files.
Saving a set of options
A separate Solution Options text file is written each time you use the
Developer Tool for a database solution. If you want, you can rename
the text file to preserve a set of options — the Developer Tool will
accept any filename.
Modifying the Solution Options text file
You can modify the Developer Tool Solution Options file to
automatically customize the database files without displaying any
setup screens. When you drag the modified text file onto the
Developer Tool application file, the files are immediately processed
(copied, renamed, bound, etc.) and placed in a new solution folder.
To modify the text file for auto-customizing:
1. Open the FileMaker Dev Tool Options file in a text editor.