U.M. (Windows)

2-4 FileMaker Pro User’s Guide
5. Define the fields you want for the file, and then click Done.
When the file is new, you see the fields in Browse mode. Otherwise, you
return to where you were before you defined fields.
Assigning a field type
When you define a field, you must decide the kind of data it will contain
and then select the appropriate field type. FileMaker Pro uses the field
type to interpret the data when sorting and performing calculations. The
following table explains each field type.
Choose FileMaker Help Index from the Help menu, and then type:
E adding new fields
Select this
field type If the field’s data will be
Text Up to 64,000 characters of letters, symbols, and numbers used as text.
You can sort records based on a text field and use a text field in formulas
for calculations and summary fields. Text fields are usually sorted
alphabetically (from first character to last character in the alphabet, or last
to first), starting with the first character in the field. For more
information, see “Sorting records” on page 4-29.
Number Up to 255 characters of numbers or other characters, of which only the
numbers are treated as numeric. You can sort records based on a number
field and use number fields in formulas for calculations and summary
fields. Number fields are sorted numerically (lowest to highest or highest
to lowest), based on the numeric part of the data.
Field names and definitions
Type a name for a new field
Select a field type
After you type a field
name and select a field
type, click Create
Choose the way fields are
listed in the dialog box
?