Developer’s Guide
Table Of Contents
- Chapter 1 Getting started
- Chapter 2 Using FileMaker Developer features
- Chapter 3 Using the Developer Utilities
- Overview of preparing your solution files
- Modifying database solution files
- Considerations for a runtime database solution
- Binding databases into runtime database solutions
- Saving and reusing Developer Utilities settings
- Converting and upgrading solution files
- Removing full access privileges from databases
- Chapter 4 Distributing runtime database solutions
- Chapter 5 Customizing database solutions
- Chapter 6 Creating custom layout themes
- Chapter 7 Developing third-party FileMaker plug-ins
- About external functions
- About the example plug-in
- Installing, enabling, and configuring the example plug-in
- Description of the FMExample plug-in’s external functions
- Using the example plug-in
- Customizing the plug-in example
- Requirements for writing external function plug-ins
- FileMaker messages sent to the plug-in
- Avoiding potential Mac OS X resource conflicts
- Providing documentation for your plug-in
- Registering your plug-in
- Appendix A Feature comparison of the runtime application with FileMaker Pro
- Index
Using the Developer Utilities 21
1 Will your users be printing reports or other information from
your runtime database solution?
It’s a good idea to set document margins if your runtime database
solution will be printed from a variety of printers. For more
information, see Help.
1 Do you want users to be able to perform spell checking on
records?
You can change the main spelling dictionary language for your
database solution by choosing one from the dictionaries supplied
with FileMaker Developer. Your users can add or modify a user-
defined dictionary to the runtime application. For more information,
see Help.
1 Are your original database solution files in more than one
folder?
See “Checking file references” in the next section.
Checking file references
A file reference stores the path or paths that the runtime application
searches to access an external table, script, or value list. Each file
reference can consist of one or more paths, separated by carriage
returns. File paths are searched in the order in which they appear.
The runtime application opens the first file it is able to locate. For
more information, see Help.
Tip You may want to put multiple tables in one file and so avoid any
potential difficulties with multiple files.
During the development of a database with multiple files, you may
want to have some of the files in separate folders. During the creation
of a runtime database solution, however, all files are moved into the
same folder as the runtime application. Your file references should
take this into consideration, whether your solution starts out in one
folder or not.
For this reason, every file reference must include a path that is just
the filename of the file being referenced. Although the runtime
application will check other file references, it will then be able to find
the file in the same folder in which it resides. You can still keep any
absolute or relative paths in the same file reference in case the files
are also used in FileMaker Pro or FileMaker Developer.
To check file references:
1. Choose File menu > Define > File References.
The Define File References dialog box lists all the files references in
the current database. Check to ensure that for each file named, there
is a reference in the File Path List that is to the filename only, without
any folders. The reference will look like this:
file:MyFile.fp7.
2. If any file does not have a reference to the filename only, click
New in the Define File References dialog box.
3. In the File Path List, type the filename, including the extension.
4. For File Reference Name, type a name. This is the name that will
appear in all lists that display file references.
5. Click OK to save the file reference.
Primary file of a sample runtime solution