User manual

Chapter 6
Creating and managing layouts and reports
This chapter describes how to manage layouts to present data for
onscreen display or printing. You’ll learn about:
1 creating, modifying, and deleting layouts
1 working with different layout types
1 working with fields and objects on a layout
1 adding layout parts, such as a header or footer
The next chapter, “Customizing layouts,” explains customizing the
way fields and layouts look, adding objects to layouts, defining value
lists, and controlling how things print.
You create and work with layouts in Layout mode. To switch to
Layout mode from another mode, choose View menu > Layout Mode.
Or, choose Layout from the mode pop-up menu at the bottom of the
document window.
About layouts and reports
A FileMaker Pro layout displays the data in a database. The data you
see depends on the fields on the layout. Layouts are sometimes called
reports, especially when printed. Layouts determine the appearance
of data. They also organize your information for viewing or data
entry, reporting, or finding.
Use a layout to choose which fields to include on each screen or
report. You can have as many layouts as you need for a file (for
example, layouts for entering data, summary reporting, or printing
mailing labels). You can change a layout’s design without affecting
the data or other layouts for the file. When you change data in a field
(in Browse mode), the changes are reflected in that field if it’s on
other layouts of the database, since the data is the same no matter
where it’s displayed.
Text: Use for titles, column headings, field
labels, instructions, and form letters
Fields: Use for entering
and displaying data
The page: The printer, print
or page setup, and layout
determine how information
looks on the printed page
Layout pop-up menu
Mode pop-up menu
Parts: Use headers, footers, the
body, and summaries to divide a
layout into special purpose areas
Buttons: Use to automate frequent tasks