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
Chapter 2
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Creating database solutions 15
Creating a custom Help layout
The FileMaker Pro Advanced Help system is not available in
runtime
applications.
Create a Help layout that provides instructions for how to use your
custom solution and add data to it. Then create a script in the primary
file of your solution to display the Help system. Use the custom menus
feature to make the script available as a command in the Help menu.
To create a web page to document your solution, put a web viewer in
your Help layout that opens the web page.
To display your custom Help menu on Mac OS, you must start with
an empty menu. For more information about creating and editing
custom menus, see
“About custom menus” on page 21.
Testing before and after creating your solution
You should verify the functionality of your database solution by
testing it thoroughly before and after you customize it with the
Developer Utilities.
To ensure the quality of your custom database solution:
1 Verify every function and option in your solution. If you’re
developing a solution for both platforms, test it on both Windows and
Mac OS X platforms.
1 Make sure your runtime database solution does not use a standard
FileMaker Pro feature that is hidden or disabled in the runtime
application. See
appendix A, “Feature comparison of the runtime
application with FileMaker Pro.”
1 Verify that all scripts and buttons work as expected. This is
especially important if you’re displaying your solution in Kiosk
mode. See
“Creating Kiosk solutions” on page 16.
1 Verify your installation procedures and test other instructions in the
documentation.
1 Verify that your database layouts display well on monitors with
different color capabilities and resolutions and on the smallest size
monitor your users may be using.
1 Test your runtime database solution with actual data. This is
especially important if users are upgrading from earlier versions of the
runtime application and need to import data into new solution files.
1 Make sure all the auxiliary files and DLLs (Windows) are present.
1 Show your database solution to intended users to uncover any
usability issues.
1 Install your bundled database files on a completely different
computer to verify that all the files associated with the primary file can
be found.
1 If you’re assigning passwords or permanently removing full access
privileges, test all access levels.
1 Make sure your database solution contains an About layout that
notifies users of the level of access you’re providing.
Important You should keep an unbound version of any runtime
database solution files, especially if you’ve permanently removed full
access privileges.
Distributing updates to runtime database solutions
If you make feature enhancements or modifications to the primary
bound file of your runtime database solution, you can distribute the
updated file to your users without rebinding it. If you change the
filename of the primary file, however, you’ll need to rebind the file
and distribute a new version of the runtime application along with the
updated file.
To distribute new or updated auxiliary files for your runtime database
solution, bind them first using the original binding key. If you are
distributing a new auxiliary file that requires new data sources in the
main file or that requires other files to interact with it, you must update
all files that have been modified.
If you forget the original binding key for your runtime database solution
and want to update or add a file, you’ll need to rebind all of the database
files with a new binding key and redistribute the entire solution.