User manual

Chapter 12
Importing and exporting data
You can exchange information with FileMaker Pro files or with files
created in other applications. This chapter shows you how to:
1 import data into a file
1 replace records in a file with records in another file
1 update records in a file with records in another file
1 convert documents from other applications to FileMaker Pro files
1 export data for use with other applications
To exchange data via ODBC, see chapter 15, “Using ODBC with
FileMaker Pro.”
To use OLE (Object Linking and Embedding), choose Help menu >
Contents and Index, click the Index tab, and type OLE.
To move scripts between FileMaker Pro files, see “Importing
scripts” on page 10-11.
To copy field definitions to a new empty file, save a clone of the file.
See “Saving files” on page 1-7.
About import and export
With FileMaker Pro, you can:
1 import — bring data from another file into a FileMaker Pro file
1 export — save FileMaker Pro data for use in another application
Note You do not need to import or export to access data cross-
platform on Windows and Mac OS systems. Simply open the file as
you ordinarily would. See “Opening files” on page 1-6.
Keep these points in mind:
1 You can exchange data with shared FileMaker Pro files. To access
shared files, see “Opening files as a guest” on page 13-5.
1 To exchange small amounts of data between files (for example, a
few records), use Copy and Paste, or drag and drop. See “About
entering data in records” on page 2-6.
1 When you exchange information between FileMaker Pro files on
a Windows–based computer and a Mac OS–based computer, you
might see differences in filenames and character set mapping.
1 Most file formats don’t support importing or exporting text
attributes (font, size, style, or color).
1 You can define FileMaker Pro scripts to automate the exchange of
information with other files. See chapter 10, “Creating scripts to
automate tasks.”
Note You cannot import or export data when you access a database
using a Web browser.
About file formats
Every application stores its data files in its own file type or file
format. Most applications can also exchange information in certain
other formats.
FileMaker Pro can import and/ or export files in these formats:
Microsoft Excel, DBF, DIF, ClarisWorks, tab-separated text, comma-
separated values, BASIC, FileMaker Pro, HTML Table, Merge,
SYLK, Lotus 1-2-3 (WKS, WK1), and Edition file (Mac OS only).
For important information about each file format and the versions
FileMaker Pro can import and/ or export, choose Help menu >
Contents and Index, click the Index tab, and type file formats.