Development Guide

Chapter 2 | Creating database solutions 15
Testing before and after creating your solution
You should verify the functionality of your database solution by testing it thoroughly before and
after you customize it with the Developer Utilities.
To ensure the quality of your custom database solution:
1 Verify every function and option in your solution. If you’re developing a solution for both
platforms, test it on both Windows and Mac OS X platforms.
1 Make sure your runtime database solution does not use a standard FileMaker Pro feature that
is hidden or disabled in the runtime application. See
Appendix A, “Feature comparison of the
runtime application with FileMaker Pro.”
1 Verify that all scripts and buttons work as expected. This is especially important if you’re
displaying your solution in Kiosk mode. See
“Creating Kiosk solutions” on page 16.
1 Verify your installation procedures and test other instructions in the documentation.
1 Verify that your database layouts display well on monitors with different color capabilities and
resolutions and on the smallest size monitor your users may be using.
1 Test your runtime database solution with actual data. This is especially important if users are
upgrading from earlier versions of the runtime application and need to import data into new
solution files.
1 Make sure all the auxiliary files and DLLs (Windows) are present.
1 Show your database solution to intended users to uncover any usability issues.
1 Install your bundled database files on a completely different computer to verify that all the files
associated with the primary file can be found.
1 If you’re assigning passwords or permanently removing full access privileges, test all access
levels.
1 Make sure your database solution contains an About layout that notifies users of the level of
access you’re providing.
Important You should keep an unbound version of any runtime database solution files,
especially if you’ve permanently removed full access privileges.
Distributing updates to runtime database solutions
If you make feature enhancements or modifications to the primary bound file of your runtime
database solution, you can distribute the updated file to your users without rebinding it. If you
change the filename of the primary file, however, you’ll need to rebind the file and distribute a new
version of the runtime application along with the updated file.
To distribute new or updated auxiliary files for your runtime database solution, bind them first using
the original binding key. If you are distributing a new auxiliary file that requires new data sources
in the main file or that requires other files to interact with it, you must update all files that have been
modified.
If you forget the original binding key for your runtime database solution and want to update or add
a file, you’ll need to rebind all of the database files with a new binding key and redistribute the
entire solution.