Help

Creating a database
F
ILEMAKER PRO HELP 202
• To access a file located on a shared Windows volume, use the network path format. This
format is only compatible with shared Windows volumes. It is not compatible with shared
OS
X volumes or FileMaker Network sharing.
• FileMaker does not recommend using an asterisk (*) as a wildcard character in network file
paths as it slows FileMaker network traffic. When possible, replace an asterisk with the
appropriate IP address or use variables in file paths. If you have converted a database from
a previous version of FileMaker
Pro, review the converted data sources and replace any
asterisks with known IP addresses or network file paths.
• Variables are only supported in script steps that use stored file paths.
• Variables are not supported in file paths that are stored in container fields.
• Variables are not supported in FileMaker data sources. For more information on data
sources, see
Editing external FileMaker data sources.
• Use the following characters as separators in a file path list: "/", ":", or carriage return.
Using variables
In FileMaker Pro, you can use variables:
• in file paths (see Creating file paths)
• in scripting (see Set Variable script step)
• in calculations (see Let function)
• in find requests that you create and edit in the Edit Find Request dialog box (see Specify
Find Requests and Edit Find Request dialog boxes)
• on layouts as merge variables (see Inserting merge variables onto a layout)
Variables add flexibility and portability to your database, and can be used instead of global fields in
your database schema.
Using the Set Variable script step or the Let function, you can create local and global variables. The
scope of local and global variables is limited to the current file.
• A local variable can only be used in script steps in the currently executing script. The value
in a local variable is cleared when the script exits. Local variables are prefixed with $.
• A global variable can be used in a calculation or script anywhere in a file, for example, other
scripts or
file paths. The value of a global variable is not cleared until the file is closed. Prefix
global variables with $$.
• Local and global variables (or even two local variables in different scripts) can have the
same name but they are treated as different variables and can store different values.
Anywhere that you specify a path to a file or folder, you can use variables separated by "/", ":", or
carriage return.
Variables let you specify file or folder paths dynamically in the following script steps:
• Convert File
• Export Field Contents
• Export Records
• Import Records
• Insert Audio/Video
• Insert File
• Insert PDF