Functions Reference

Glossary
F
ILEMAKER FUNCTIONS REFERENCE 366
Glossary
A
Access key (Windows)
A key that activates a menu, menu item, or control when used with the ALT key. In Windows,
this key corresponds to the underlined letter on a menu, command, or dialog box option.
Access privileges
Permission to view and work with certain records, fields, layouts, value lists, and scripts and to
perform selected activities in a file.
Account
A username and (usually) password that accesses a file with a defined level of privileges. There
are two predefined accounts: Admin and Guest. Admin is a Full Access account that can be
renamed or deleted. At least one Full Access account that is authenticated via FileMaker must
be defined for each file. Guest account is a special account that cannot be renamed or deleted,
but can be made active or inactive.
ActiveX Automation
A Windows programming and scripting protocol that allows external control of specific
commands and actions in FileMaker
Pro, including opening and closing FileMaker Pro files,
toggling the application's visibility, and performing FileMaker
Pro scripts.
Alpha channel
The alpha channel of an image stores transparency information and controls the transparency
of the red, green, and blue color channels.
Animation
A visual effect that provides feedback while you are performing actions in FileMaker Pro and
FileMaker
Go, such as switching between slide panels.
API (Application Programming Interface)
A set of software application building blocks, such as data structures, variables, procedures,
and functions, used by programmers.
AppleScript
A scripting language you can use to control functions of OS X and of applications that support
AppleScript (often called scriptable applications).
Apple events
An OS X technology that lets applications communicate with one another. FileMaker Pro can
send and receive Apple events to and from applications that support them.
Ascending sort order
Alphabetical sequence (A to Z) for words, lowest to highest order for numbers, and earliest to
latest for dates and times.
ASCII character set
American Standard Code for Information Interchange. A standard character set used by
computer systems worldwide (often extended for different alphabets).
Authentication
The process of checking the validity of an account and password (if one is defined) before
assigning privileges and allowing access to a system or a file. An account authenticated via
FileMaker
Pro or FileMaker Server is referred to as a FileMaker account. (FileMaker Server can