User manual

Creating and managing layouts and reports 6-17
To remove a field from a layout, in Layout mode, click the field to
select it, then press Backspace or Delete, or choose Edit menu > Clear.
Removing a field from a layout does not delete the field or its data
from your database. (To delete a field and its data, see “Deleting field
definitions and data” on page 5-12.)
Keep these points in mind:
1 If you include field labels when you place a field and you then
rename the field in the Define Fields dialog box, the field label
changes to match the new field name on each layout where the field
label appears.
1 You can make data entry for a field easier and more consistent by
defining a value list, associating it with the field, then formatting the
field as a pop-up menu, pop-up list, checkboxes, or radio buttons.
See “Defining a list of values for data entry” on page 7-3.
1 To have FileMaker Pro insert field data into a line or block of text,
use merge fields (see the next section, “Placing merge fields”).
1 To “close up” space between fields and other layout objects, omit
empty repetitions of repeating fields or empty portal rows, or reduce
the size of an enclosing layout part, specify sliding options. (See
“About removing blank space from printed data” on page 7-22.)
1 To put a static image (like a logo or graphic embellishment) on a
layout so it appears in every record, create, paste, or import the
graphic directly onto the layout instead of using a container field. See
“Inserting graphics onto a layout” on page 7-16.
1 Instead of placing fields, you can copy fields from other layouts
and other databases. See “Copying, duplicating, and deleting
objects” on page 6-13.
Keep these points about related fields in mind:
1 Before placing related fields on a layout, you should understand
the concepts in chapter 8, “Working with related files.”
1 In general, you work with related fields (for example, selecting,
resizing, formatting, customizing, and removing) in the same way
that you work with non-related fields. When you place a related field
on a layout, you need to know whether it should be located on the
layout or in a portal (see “Deciding where to place related fields” on
page 6-18).
1 In Layout mode, the field name displayed within the field on the
layout appears as ::Field Name for related fields.
1 When you include a related field on a layout (not in a portal) and
there is more than one related record, you see only the value from the
first related record. (The order of the related records depends on
whether a sort order was specified when the relationship was
created.) See “Deciding where to place related fields” on page 6-18
and “Defining relationships for relational databases and lookups” on
page 8-10.
Placing merge fields
Use a merge field—placeholder text in Layout mode that is replaced
by the field’s value when you browse, preview, or print the layout—
for documents like form letters, labels, envelopes, or contracts.
Merge fields shrink or expand to fit the amount of text in the field for
each record. (This behavior includes collapsing an entire line, such
as an empty Address Line 2 field, if the field is by itself on a line and
the field contains no data.)
For example, when the merge field <<First Name>> is between the
text Dear and :, (in other words, Dear <<First Name>>:) FileMaker Pro
displays Dear Charles: in Browse mode or Preview mode if the First
Name field contains Charles.
FileMaker Pro uses merge fields to create Labels and Envelope
layouts.
Note You can’t edit or enter values into a merge field.