User manual

Chapter 2 | Using databases 19
Closing windows and files
You can close FileMaker Pro windows and files as you would in most Windows and Mac OS
applications.
To close a window, do one of the following:
1 Windows: Double-click the document icon in the upper-left corner of the document window.
1 Windows: Click the close box in the upper-right corner of the document window.
1 Mac OS: Click the red close button in the upper-left corner of the document window.
1 Choose File menu > Close.
To close a file, use the procedures above to close all the open windows for a file.
Note Even if you close a file, it may remain open as a hidden file if the window of any other file
is displaying data from that file. (For example, another window may be displaying related data from
the file you attempted to close.) FileMaker
Pro will close the file when you close all the dependent
windows.
Saving files
By default, FileMaker Pro automatically saves changes to your data as you work, so there is no Save
command. If you want more control over when record data is saved, you can clear the Save record
changes automatically option individually for each layout. For more information, see Help.
You can save a copy of your file as a backup or save a clone of your file with no data. To save a copy
of your file in a non-FileMaker format, see
“Saving and sending data in other formats” on page 120.
Important Always save a copy of a file before you make extensive changes. You can’t restore
data after you delete a field from the Manage Database dialog box or remove records using the
Delete Record or Delete All commands.
To save a copy of your file:
1. Make the file you want to save the active file, and choose File menu > Save a Copy As.
2. Navigate to where you want to save the copy on your hard disk.
3. For File name (Windows) or Save As (Mac OS), type a filename.
4. For Save as type, choose FileMaker Files (Windows only).