Development Guide

Table Of Contents

Chapter 2 | Creating database solutions 13

Important These files and folders must not be renamed.

For details on the contents of the Mac OS X runtime application package and the Windows

Extensions folder and DLLs, see Help.

If your runtime database solution requires custom files, you should provide the files with the

runtime files. Plug-ins should be stored in the Extensions folder. If a developer uses a font not

found on a user’s system, the runtime application will make a font substitution. If a font is included

with the runtime, provision should be made for its installation through the installer program. See

“Using a custom installation program” below.

In addition to the runtime files, you will need to provide installation instructions for your users. For

more information on documenting developer solutions, see Help.

Choosing a distribution method

After you have organized the files that comprise your solution, you need to decide how your users

will install them. You can distribute your bundled solution on a CD-ROM, over a network, or via the

internet. In order to run your runtime database solution, your users will need the same minimum

equipment and software required by the FileMaker

Pro Advanced application.

Using a custom installation program

You should use a custom installation program to package your runtime solution for installation by

users. Configuring a custom installation application to install runtime database solution files may

require more engineering than using a compression utility, but will help to ensure that your users

do not have difficulties installing your runtime solution.

Here are some custom installation applications you might want to use:

1 MindVision Installer VISE

1 InstallShield MultiPlatform

1 MacInstallerBuilder

Windows solution folder Mac OS X solution folder

Runtime application

package

Bound primary and

auxiliary solution files

Bound primary and

auxiliary solution files

Extensions

Dictionaries

DLLs generated during

binding

Example of Windows and Mac OS X solution contents for distribution

Extensions

Dictionaries

language

resource folders