User manual

Chapter 2
Creating databases
This chapter explains the basics of how to:
1 plan a database
1 define and modify fields
1 define tables
1 create layouts
1 work with fields, objects, and parts on a layout
Note See Help for detailed, comprehensive information and step-by-
step procedures about using FileMaker Pro. To learn how to create,
use, and customize a database, see Lessons 4-7 in the
FileMaker Pro
Tutorial
.
Planning a database
A well-designed database promotes consistent data entry and
retrieval, and reduces the existence of duplicate data among the
database tables. Relational database tables work together to ensure
that the correct data is available when you need it. It’s a good idea to
plan a database on paper first.
Follow these general steps to plan a database:
1. Determine the purpose for your database, or the problem you want
to solve. For example, “to keep a list of my customers,” “to manage
my inventory,” or “to grade my students.”
If other people will use the database, be sure to talk with them about
the data they will need.
2. Consider the information you will store in your database.
Typically, information falls into broad categories. Accurately
identifying these categories is critical to designing an efficient
database, because you will store different types and amounts of data
in each category. For example, a database intended to track sales has
categories such as “products,” “invoices,” and “customers.” A
database that records student grades has categories such as
“students,” “classes,” and “assignments.”
3. Once you’ve determined the broad categories, consider how these
categories are related. This can be done by writing simple sentences
that describe how the categories interact, such as, “teachers teach
classes,” “students are assigned to classes,” and “students complete
assignments.” Each of these pairs suggests a relationship between
the data in one category and the data in the other category.
4. Once you’ve identified your categories of information, you are
ready to organize your database.
In database terminology, these categories of information are referred
to as
tables. Tables are used to group data containing a common
element or purpose. For example, you might use one table to store
names and addresses, while you use another table to store transaction
details, such as date of sale, item number, unit price, and so on.
Typically, databases are organized in one of three ways:
1 A single table in a single file. Use a single table if you need to track
data in one category only, such as names and addresses.
1 Multiple tables in a single file. Use multiple tables if your data is
more complex, such as students, classes, and grades.