Quick Start

28 Getting Started Guide
New Layout/Report assistant
FileMaker Pro 5 now has an assistant to help you with the creation of
layouts. (You use layouts to display and print the data in your
database.) The New Layout/Report assistant guides you through
creating a layout according to options you choose in a series of panels.
You can choose to create layouts that are appropriate for viewing your
data onscreen, or for printing reports. You can also create layouts that
make it easy to print mailing labels or envelopes using the data in your
database. Once you have created a layout, you have complete control
over modifying it to suit your needs.
Using the New Layout/Report assistant, you can also now specify a
layout theme to enhance the appearance of a layout or report and to give
all your layouts a consistent look. Choose from a wide array of styles,
each with a variation designed specifically for onscreen use or print.
Other layout improvements
Add a 3D look to layout objects
You can apply an effect that adds three-dimensional qualities to a
field or object on a layout, including an embossed effect, an engraved
effect, and a drop-shadow effect.
Create custom colors and use expanded color palettes
You can now add custom colors to fields, lines, rectangles, body
parts, and other layout objects, as well as use standard colors from an
expanded choice of color palettes, including an 88 color palette, a
“web safe” 215 color palette, and a 256 color palette.
ODBC support in FileMaker Pro
FileMaker Pro 5 also brings some hefty improvements to its ODBC
support.
You can use the ODBC support in FileMaker Pro to:
1 access FileMaker Pro data from ODBC-compliant applications to
create charts, construct ad-hoc queries, or build a front-end with
other applications, like Microsoft Visual Basic
1 construct SQL queries in FileMaker Pro (as in FileMaker Pro 4.1)
to import data from other ODBC data sources like Microsoft Access
or Oracle databases
FileMaker Pro shares data via ODBC with the Data Access
Companions. The companions respond to SQL queries sent from
other ODBC-compliant applications and interface between the
FileMaker Pro ODBC driver and your FileMaker Pro database. Use
the Local Data Access Companion to receive queries from an
ODBC-compliant application on the same computer. The Remote
Data Access Companion can receive requests from ODBC-
compliant applications over a TCP/IP network.
A button with no effects
A button with the Drop Shadow effect