Functions Reference

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F
ILEMAKER PRO FUNCTIONS REFERENCE 358
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
also authenticate an account via External Server — an external authentication system such as
Apple Open Directory, or a Windows domain.)
Authorization
Allowing a file to access a protected file’s schema (including its tables, layouts, scripts, and
value lists). Such a file is an authorized file.
Auxiliary files
In a FileMaker Pro Advanced runtime solution, files that are bundled with a primary file.
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Badge
An icon indicating that conditional formatting, script triggers, placeholder text, or tooltips have
been applied to a field, object, or layout; that find is available for a field; that an object is a
button, popover button, or button bar; or that a solution is a favorite.
Base directory
For container fields that store an external reference, the directory in which the referenced data is
stored. You can also specify a file system path or a calculation for each open storage container
field.
Binding key
In FileMaker Pro Advanced, a case-sensitive key from 1 to 24 characters long that links the
components of a runtime solution.
Blank layout
A layout that contains empty body, header, and footer parts. (In previous versions of
FileMaker
Pro, a Blank layout was a predefined layout type.)
Body part
A layout part that contains individual records from a file.
Boolean value
A Boolean value is either true or false. A field containing any number except zero evaluates as
true. A field containing zero, no data, or content that does not resolve into a number evaluates
as false. For example, a field containing “ABC,” “ABC0,” or an empty field is false. A field
containing “1” or “ABC2” is true.
Break field
In a subsummary part, records are grouped (sorted) by values in another field, called the break
field. Whenever the value of the break field changes, the report “breaks” and FileMaker
Pro
inserts the subsummary part.