User manual

14-4 FileMaker Pro User’s Guide
Keep these points in mind:
1 When you publish databases, you can use the Web Companion
built-in home page, or create a custom home page. See “Creating a
custom home page” on page 14-6 and “Choosing a home page for
web publishing” on page 14-8.
1 To prevent files from appearing on the built-in home page, see
“Security considerations for published databases” on page 14-5.
1 A web user can type the IP address of the host computer, or you
can provide a link to your database on a web page that you set up.
1 In some cases, web users can type the domain and host name of
your computer instead of the IP address, for example
http://accounts.yourcompany.com. Or, they can type the host
name, like http://yourcompany.com. Contact your Internet
service provider or network administrator for information.
1 If you configure the Web Companion to use a port number other
than 80 (which is the default), that port number must be appended to
your IP address. See “Specifying a port number for web publishing”
on page 14-9.
1 For information about how web users work with graphics, sound,
and movies, see FileMaker Pro Help. Choose Help menu > Contents
and Index, click the Index tab, and type container fields.
What you need to publish
databases on the Web
To publish databases using Instant Web Publishing you need:
1 a Windows– or Mac OS–based computer running FileMaker Pro 5
1 FileMaker Pro Web Companion must be installed. For
information about hardware requirements and software
installation, see the FileMaker Pro Getting Started Guide
1 access to the Internet or an intranet (see the following section)
1 one or more FileMaker Pro databases
Keep these points in mind:
1 For information about securing your data on the Web, see
“Protecting published databases” on page 14-5.
1 For information about setting up databases for web publishing, see
“Publishing databases on the Web: an overview” on page 14-6.
1 You can create a personalized home page for web publishing. See
“Creating a custom home page” on page 14-6.
1 For information about creating layouts for web publishing,
including tips for designing layouts for the web, see FileMaker Pro
Help. Choose Help menu > Contents and Index, click the Index tab, and
type layouts, on Web.
Connecting to the Internet or an intranet
When you publish databases on the Internet or an intranet, the host
computer must be running FileMaker Pro, and your databases must
be open. In addition:
1 To publish your database on the Internet, the host computer should
have a full-time connection to the Internet.
FileMaker Pro database in a web browser