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Creating a database
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ILEMAKER PRO HELP 164
link in the Manage Database dialog box to restore links. See Restoring links to ODBC data
sources.
Related topics
About defining database fields
About relationships
Deleting table definitions, field definitions, and data
About defining database fields
A field is the basic unit of data entry in a record. To define a new field, you give it a name. Then you
select options that determine how the field interprets, enters, calculates, stores, and displays data.
After you define a field, you can set validation, auto entry, and storage options. See Setting options
for fields.
There are three ways to define fields in a database:
• In Layout mode using the Field Picker dialog box (see Defining fields in the Field Picker
dialog box)
• In the Manage Database dialog box (see Defining fields in the Manage Database dialog
box)
• In Table View (see Defining fields in Table View)
Note To add an existing field to a layout, go to Layout mode and drag a field from the Field tool
. See Placing and removing fields on a layout.
Defining fields in the Field Picker dialog box
When you create a new database, by default FileMaker Pro opens the file in Layout mode, and
displays a blank layout and the Field Picker dialog box. Use the Field Picker dialog box to define
fields for the database, and to add or change fields for an existing layout. Fields defined using the
Field Picker dialog box are added to the Manage Database dialog box.
After you’ve defined the fields, drag them from the Field Picker dialog box to the layout. (To have
fields that you define in the Field Picker dialog box automatically placed on a layout, select the Add
newly defined fields to current layout preference before you define the fields. See
Setting layout
preferences.)
Note Using the Field Picker dialog box, you can define fields for the current layout of the current
FileMaker
Pro table only.
To define fields:
1. In the Field Picker dialog box, click New Field.
A placeholder Field is created in the fields list, with a field type assigned. If this is a new
database file, the field is a text field.
Tip You can also press Ctrl+Enter (Windows), or Command-Return or Command-Enter (OS X),
to add a new field.
2. With the field selected, type a new name for the field.
See About naming fields.
3. To change the field type, click the field type and choose a new field type from the list.