User manual

Creating databases 55
3. In the Specify Field dialog box, select the field to place.
To choose a field in another table, choose the table from the table list
above the list of fields. Then select a field from the fields list. Or
choose
Define Database in the table list to create a relationship or
table (see
“Creating relationships” on page 68).
4. Select Create field label to include the field name as text on the
layout.
5. Click OK.
You see the field name in the field on the layout unless you have
chosen to display sample data from the current record (
View menu >
Show > Sample Data). Fields from related tables appear as ::Field
Name
(preceded by two colons).
To replace a field with another, in Layout mode, double-click the
field, then select another field name in the Specify Field dialog box
and click
OK.
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.
Deciding where to place related fields
You can place related fields directly on layouts or in portals.
1 Directly on layouts: Place related fields directly on a layout to
display data from the first related record, even when there are more
than one related records that matches the criteria of the relationship.
(The first related record that’s displayed is determined by whether
the relationship specifies a sort order. For more information, see
“Creating relationships” on page 68.)
1 In portals: Place related fields within a portal on a layout to
display data from all related records that match the criteria of the
relationship.
Note Before placing related fields on a layout, you should
understand the concepts presented in
chapter 3, “Working with
related tables and files.”
About merge fields
Use merge fields to combine field data and text in documents like
form letters, labels, envelopes, or contracts. You create merge fields
in text blocks, which allows you to use static text and field data
together.
Merge fields shrink or expand to fit the amount of text in the field for
each record. For example:
1 When the merge field <<First Name>> is between the text Dear
and a colon, (as in
Dear <<First Name>>:), FileMaker Pro displays
Dear Charles: in Browse mode or Preview mode if the First Name
field contains
Charles.
1 When a merge field is on a line by itself (such as an empty
Address Line 2 field in a mailing label), FileMaker Pro removes the
blank line from the text block.
FileMaker Pro uses merge fields to create Labels and Envelope
layouts.
Select the
field to add
Select to use the field
name as the field label
To place a field from
another table,
choose the table