User manual

Creating a database 5-11
About repeating fields
A repeating field holds more than one value (up to 1000), each in a
separate repetition of a field. Any field type, except summary, can be
a repeating field.
Tip If you’re planning to sort, summarize, or insert data in a
repeating field, it’s often easier to use related fields in a portal. See
“About relational databases” on page 8-2.
To change the number of repetitions visible on a layout, see
“Formatting repeating fields” on page 7-7.
For more information about defining and working with repeating
fields, see FileMaker Pro Help. Choose Help menu > Contents and
Index, click the Index tab, and type repeating fields.
About storage and indexing options
FileMaker Pro provides options for indexing fields and for storing
the results of calculations. You can:
1 Create an index, which is a list of the values stored in a field. An
index greatly speeds searches, but takes up space on your disk. You
can index text, number, date, and time fields. You can also index
calculation fields if the results are text, numbers, dates or times.
1 Store the result of a calculation in your database, or you can tell
FileMaker Pro to perform the calculation only when needed (unstored).
Storing the result is faster but takes up more space on the disk. You can
specify storage options for text, number, date, time, and calculation fields.
Storage and indexing options are documented in Help. Choose Help
menu > Contents and Index, click the Index tab, and type storage
options.
Changing field definitions
Important When you change the definition of a field that contains
data, the data in that field could be affected. For more information
about the effects of changing fields, choose Help menu > Contents and
Index, click the Index tab, and type field definitions.
1. Choose File menu > Define Fields.
2. In the Define Fields dialog box, make your changes.
Each value in the repeating field
“Colors” is a single, separate value
To Do this
Change a field
name
In the field list, select the field to change. For Field Name,
type or paste the new name, then click Save.
FileMaker Pro also changes the field name in layouts and
field references in formulas. See “About naming fields”
on page 5-3.
Duplicate a field
definition
In the field list, select one or more fields, then click
Duplicate. The new fields appear at the end of the list with
Copy added to the name. You can change the field names.
Change the field
type
In the field list, select the field, select a field type, then
click Save. See “About choosing a field type” on
page 5-4.
Important Changing the field type can permanently and
irretrievably erase data.
Change options for
text, number, date,
time, container, or
global fields
In the field list, double-click the field. Change the options,
then click OK. See “Setting options for fields” on
page 5-8.
Change a
calculation field
In the field list, double-click the calculation field.
1 To change storage and indexing options, click Storage
Options in the Specify Calculation dialog box. Make your
changes, then click OK.
1 To change other options, make your changes in the
Specify Calculation dialog box.
Then, click OK in the Specify Calculations dialog box. See
“Defining calculation fields” on page 5-5.