Quick Start
Table Of Contents
- Chapter 1 Welcome to FileMaker Pro
- Chapter 2 Installing FileMaker Pro in Windows
- Chapter 3 Installing FileMaker Pro in the Mac OS
- Chapter 4 New features in FileMaker Pro
- New features in FileMaker Pro 5.5
- Windows 2000 Professional
- Ease-of-use improvements
- Record-by-record access privileges
- Scripting improvements
- New logical, design, and status functions
- Extended ODBC and SQL functionality
- Import named ranges of Microsoft Excel data
- Search only the relative path for FileMaker Pro files
- Relaxed rules for mapping fields and relationships when importing scripts
- Dynamic field name matching in data import scripts
- Import more graphics file formats
- Increased productivity with FileMaker Server
- Prevent users from changing passwords
- Prevent users from creating databases
- Validation of the number of characters in a field
- Open a FileMaker Pro database via a URL (Mac OS)
- Web publishing enhancements
- Backward compatibility
- New features in FileMaker Pro 5
- Hands-on, task-oriented tutorial
- New features in FileMaker Pro 5.5
- Lesson 1 FileMaker Pro basics
- Lesson 2 Browsing information
- Lesson 3 Finding and sorting records
- Lesson 4 Creating a database and entering records
- Lesson 5 Customizing what you see
- Lesson 6 Creating lists, mailing labels, and form letters
- Lesson 7 Simplifying data entry
- Lesson 8 Automating tasks with buttons and scripts
- Lesson 9 Creating and running reports
- Lesson 10 Making databases relational
- Lesson 11 Keeping your data safe
Welcome to FileMaker Pro 5
After you install
After you install, you might need to turn on any utilities you
turned off during installation. You will also need to update the
FileMaker Pro 5.5 spelling dictionary with any words you’ve added
to your FileMaker, Inc. dictionaries. If you’re upgrading from a
version of FileMaker Pro earlier than version 5, you will also need to
convert your database files to FileMaker Pro 5.
Opening files from previous versions
FileMaker Pro 5.5 can open files created in FileMaker Pro 1.x or
later.
Note FileMaker Pro 1.x databases cannot be converted directly on a
Windows-based system. To use a database created by FileMaker Pro
1.x, you must convert it on a Mac OS computer using FileMaker Pro
2.x or later. A trial version of FileMaker 2.1 for Macintosh is
available at ftp://ftp.filemaker.com/pub/USA-Macintosh/
Trial_Software/. Then follow the instructions in this section to
convert your file to FileMaker Pro 5.5.
Important There may be date considerations when converting a
database from an earlier version of FileMaker Pro. For more
information about how FileMaker Pro 5 handles Year 2000 issues,
see www.filemaker.com.
FileMaker Pro 4.x/3.x/2.x/1.x databases
When you convert a FileMaker Pro 4.x/3.x/2.x/1.x file,
FileMaker Pro 5.5 software saves your original FileMaker Pro 4.x/
3.x/2.x/1.x file and creates a copy that has been converted to the
FileMaker Pro 5.x format. The original file is not modified and you
can open it in the previous version of FileMaker Pro. The converted
file can only be opened in FileMaker Pro 5.x.
To convert and open a FileMaker Pro 4.x/3.x/2.x/1.x file:
1. Start FileMaker Pro 5.5.
2. Choose File menu > Open and select the file to convert.
3. Click Open.
4. Click OK to append “Old” to the name of the original
FileMaker Pro 4.x/3.x/2.x/1.x file.
5. Click Save to start the conversion.
By default, this converted file will have the original file’s name.
Preserving this name is important if you have existing relationships
or scripts, which might not function correctly if it is changed.
FileMaker Pro converts the file and opens it.
Cross-platform considerations
To convert a FileMaker Pro 4.x/3.x/2.x file created on another
platform, drag the older file on top of the FileMaker Pro 5.5
application icon or open via the Open command.
Note If you add or remove the .FP5 filename extension, you must
re-specify file locations for related or external files when the
database is first opened.