Developer’s Guide

Chapter 3
Preparing files for a custom solution
Before you use the FileMaker Developer Tool to create a custom
database solution, you need to decide how users will interact with it.
Your database solution might have any of the following components:
1 a primary database file that connects all of the auxiliary files
1 scripts and buttons to open and close auxiliary files, return to the
primary file, display a splash screen layout at startup, or quit a
runtime application
1 common elements and a consistent appearance for cross-platform
solutions
1 a custom layout theme used for every file in the solution
1 an About layout to introduce your solution
1 a custom Help system that provides usage tips for your solution
1 passwords to protect your databases
About the Relational Example
The FileMaker Developer CD provides an example of a relational
database solution. It includes a primary file, named Main Menu.fp5,
that contains navigation buttons to several auxiliary files and layouts.
Each auxiliary file and layout contains a Main Menu button to return
to the Main Menu layout in the primary file.
If you were to prepare these files for a FileMaker Pro runtime
database solution, you would need to add an About layout to the
primary file, create a script to display the layout, and add a button
that quits the runtime application. (See “Issues to consider before
creating a runtime database solution” on page 3-2 and “Creating an
About layout” on page 3-7.)
The Relational Example is installed in the Design Tools folder:
FileMaker Developer 5 > Design Tools > Examples > Relational Example
If the file is not there, then you’ll need to install it from the Developer
CD (see “Installing the FileMaker Developer software package” on
page 1-2).
Main Menu layout of the primary file in the Relational Example