User manual

13-4 FileMaker Pro User’s Guide
4. In the File Sharing dialog box, select either Multi-User or Multi-User
(Hidden).
Note If Multi-User and Multi-User (Hidden) are dimmed in the File
Sharing dialog box, FileMaker Pro is unable to access the network.
An explanation appears below the Multi-User button. You can also
get an explanation by choosing Open from the File menu, then
clicking Hosts.
Use the Multi-User option to host a file and make its name display in
the Hosts dialog box on guests’ computers. This option is appropriate
for most file sharing situations.
Use the Multi-User (Hidden) feature to host a file while preventing
its display in the Hosts dialog box on guests’ computers. This option
is appropriate for related files that would be opened as a matter of
course when a visible shared file is opened by networked guests. For
example, if you have two related files that you intend to share over
the network, and you want to ensure that your guests open the first
file, you would set the first file to share as Multi-User, while you
would set the second file to be shared as Multi-User (Hidden).
Guests will see the first file in their Hosts dialog box, although both
files will be shared.
If the file uses information from other FileMaker Pro files (like
related databases, external scripts, or value lists), repeat these steps
to open the files and set them to Multi-User.
See “Protecting published databases” on page 14-5 for information
on hiding files shared via FileMaker Pro Instant Web Publishing.
Tip Group the files in a single folder to make it easy to locate them.
Note In FileMaker Pro 4.1 and earlier, you could prevent a file from
appearing in the Hosts dialog box by adding an underscore character
to the end of its name. In FileMaker Pro 5, this can only be
accomplished by using the Multi-User (Hidden) sharing option.
When converting files created in earlier versions of FileMaker Pro,
FileMaker Pro 5 will set the sharing option to Multi-User (Hidden)
when it encounters filenames that end in an underscore. This
preserves the relationships and scripts in these files.
Closing shared files
If you’re a host, you can close the files you’re hosting. If you’re a
guest, you can close your connections to shared files.
Important Leave FileMaker Pro by choosing Exit (Windows) or Quit
(Mac OS) from the File menu. If you turn off your computer without
exiting or quitting the program, you can damage open files and lose
your changes.
1. Choose File menu > Close.
2. If you’re a host and guests are connected, click Ask in the Ask
dialog box.
Note You see this dialog box whenever you perform a task that
requires all guests to close their connections to the file. See
“Working with shared files” on page 13-2.
Guests currently
using the file