Development Guide
Table Of Contents
- Chapter 1 Introducing FileMaker Pro Advanced
- Chapter 2 Creating database solutions
- Chapter 3 Customizing database solutions
- Chapter 4 Debugging, analyzing, and optimizing files
- Chapter 5 Developing third-party FileMaker plug-ins
- About external functions
- About the example plug-in
- Installing, enabling, and configuring the example plug-in
- Description of the FMExample plug-in’s external functions
- Using the example plug-in
- Customizing the plug-in example
- Requirements for writing external function plug-ins
- FileMaker messages sent to the plug-in
- Avoiding potential Mac OS X resource conflicts
- Providing documentation for your plug-in
- Appendix A Feature comparison of the runtime application with FileMaker Pro
- Index
12 FileMaker Pro Advanced Development Guide
Binding the solution
To bind database files into a runtime database solution:
1. Follow the procedures in “Using the Developer Utilities” on page 9.
2. In the Specify Solution Options dialog box, select Create Runtime
solution application(s).
3. To name your runtime application:
1 For Runtime Name, type a name. The name is used for the
runtime application filename and for the name of the folder that
contains the runtime database solution files.
1 For Extension, type a three-character filename extension. The
extension is used to associate the solution files with the runtime
applications.
For more information about naming runtime solutions, see Help.
4. For Bindkey, type a key between 1 and 24 characters long.
The binding key links the runtime application to the database files and
ensures that the bound files will only open in the appropriate runtime
application. The binding key is case-sensitive. For more information
on setting the binding key, see Help.
Important Binding installs system files pertaining to each platform. If
your solution will be used in Windows, bind it using the Developer
Utilities for Windows. If your solution will be used on Mac
OS X,
bind it using the Developer Utilities for Mac
OS X. If you’re creating
a solution to be used on both Windows and the Mac
OS X, create two
separate runtime solutions by binding the original solution files twice:
first using FileMaker Developer Utilities for Windows, and then using
FileMaker Developer Utilities for Mac
OS X. Use the same binding
key on both platforms.
5. To add a company logo or other custom image to the closing splash
screen, click Specify, select the closing image, and click Select.
The image should be at least 32 x 175 pixels (72 dpi) or higher,
otherwise it will be distorted when displayed. The supported image
formats are JPEG and GIF.
6. For Delay, set the number of seconds that you want the splash
screen to display.
You can preview the effect that your custom splash screen will have
by clicking the Preview button.
7. Once you have specified options, click OK.
8. To be able to quickly repeat the process, click Save Settings, and
choose a folder and location for your settings file.
For more information about saving and reusing Developer Utilities
settings, see Help.
9. Click Create.
The Developer Utilities copy all of the runtime files to a new folder
created inside the Project Folder and named after the runtime solution.
Starting runtime database solutions
Important Your users should start your solution by double-clicking
the runtime application icon, not the solution file icon. Double-
clicking the icons for the solution or auxiliary files might result in
errors, depending on whether there are other copies of the runtime
application on their hard disk. If your users have more than one
solution on their computers associated with the same three-character
extension and they double-click the icon for the solution file, the first
solution installed will attempt to open the file, and this might not be
the correct application for the specific file.
Double-click to start
Solution file iconRuntime application icon