Studio Manager Tips

FileMaker Server

FileMaker Server 8

You will experience the best muti-user performance when you run the FileMaker Server 8 application. You don't have to to use FileMaker Server if you have less than 6 concurrent users, but we think it is worth the extra cost because of improved performance, remote access to the define database area, special built-in automated backup facility, messaging and status information about how the database is being used. If you are on the fence, consider downloading the free trial version of FileMaker Server and seeing if you think it is worth the extra cost.

If you have FileMaker Server 7, the upgrade to FileMaker Server 8 is available for only $299. Other special deals may be available from time to time. FileMaker is offering a Workgroup Bundle at special discount until March 30, 2007. Act fast to save on upgrades or new purchases.

FileMaker Server 8 will meet the needs of most folks.

FileMaker Server 8 Advanced is not required to access Studio Manager over a network. If you were to want to use custom web publishing, ODBC, JDBC or XML import, you would then require Server advanced. Note that when you check out this link, that you can also download a PDF of the FileMaker Server 8 Administrator's Guide.

More FileMaker Server info

FileMaker Server: Best Practices, FileMaker, Inc. [this link downloads a PDF]

Online training is available for $30 per month from more than one website. We do not have a recommendation for these.

The current version of FileMaker Server 8, as of this writing on 3/22/07, is FileMaker Server 8.04. Updates are available from FileMaker Inc.

See Our FileMaker Fever Blog

All Things FileMaker 9 These Days

We have undertaken a major effort to climb the FileMaker 7, 8 and now 9 learning curve. FileMaker 7 was a major upgrade and really good but it was different in many ways from previous versions - it was a complete rewrite of FileMaker. As such, it and subsequent releases like FileMaker Pro 8 and now 9, have required that we become more proficient than ever.

Janet is the author of the FileMaker Fever blog. She uses the blog to document her experience and describe what she finds along the way. It also contains many good resources including some decent free stuff.

Janet received FileMaker 8 certification in July 2006.

See Our FileMaker Pro Page

Where we list the reasons

Whether you are looking for reasons to justify the cost of upgrading or you are more interested in reasons to love the current version, check out Tokerud Domain's FileMaker Kingdom. We just recently removed some of the older entries (pre version 7). Each upgrade of FileMaker Pro has delivered new features for users and developers alike.

Feel free to contact Janet if you have questions.

Short Cuts for Macintosh Data Entry

Fill in the current (today's) date - the easy way

Command+Hyphen (CMD -). Hold down the command (apple) key and press the hyphen key near the right end of the number row on your keyboard (below the function keys). Today's date will fill in. Don't worry about the format. When you press tab or click to move to the next field, the date will be formatted correctly.

To repeat, paste Ditto

Command+Quote (CMD "). Hold down command and press the quote/double-quote key (next to the :; key in the 2nd typing row). Do this when you want to copy the exact data from the previous record into the same field on the current record. Also works in list view since each row of a list is really a separate record. Great technique to avoid spelling errors and to ensure that field contents in separate records is exactly the same.

Does not work in calculated or summary fields of course.

You don't have to type the year or leading zeroes in dates

If you type 9/3 and the current year is 2007, then FileMaker will fill in 9/3/07. The only time you need to fill in the year is when you need to make an entry for a different year than the current year.

You don't have to type extra non-significant zeros in numeric entries.

This means that you can type 6.5 to mean 6.50, for example. Or 10, not 10.00. You won't be stopped when you enter the extra zeroes, it's just not necessary.

View an index of the contents of a field
Paste from the index into a field

The short cut is command+i (CMD i). Yes, that is the lower case letter "i". Do this from within any indexed field to see a list of all entries that have been made into that field. This helps when you aren't sure of a valid entry or you've forgotten the code and just need a little jog to your memory. Select a line and click the Paste button or just press the Enter key if you want to paste the value into the current field. If the existing value is highlighted, the selected entry will replace the old one. Place the insertion point where you want the additional value to be placed.

Customizing Reports

Where NOT to move fields and other report objects.

The simplest report layouts have only three parts: header, body and footer. The header typically holds titles, page numbers and column headings. Whatever is in the header appears at the top of each page. The body holds the details on each individual record and the Footer is the exact counterpart to the Header at the bottom of the page. Anything in the footer will appear on each page of the report. Here's the tip, when you are customizing an existing report, be careful to keep all objects in a particular part in the same part it started out in. Also be careful not to overlap an object across parts as the object will be treated as if it belongs to the upper part and this may not be what you intend. With those two caveats, have at it. Move things around, change fonts, insert graphics to your heart's content. As always, we find it is a good practice to make a backup before you make changes.

How to get the header or footer to be different on the first page of a report.

FileMaker has two parts especially for this: Title Header and Title Footer. For example, you might not need the page number on the first page. If you add a Title Footer part right beneath the Footer, you can copy and paste the normal Footer contents into the new Title Footer and then edit out the page number.

You Might Not Know That...

Viewing different pages when you preview a report

While you are in preview mode, you can use the rolodex icon (aka the book tool) in the upper left portion of the screen to change pages.

Accessing and Printing Field Definitions

You must have a master access privilege set to do this.

Open the Billing Codes table (under Places click Other Places, then select Billing Codes). Choose Page Setup... from the File menu. Make sure you are set at 100% and portrait.

Click the System sub-tab on the main Billing Codes screen. Click the button: Define Database. Make sure that the button in top center called "Fields" is highlighted. Then choose the table you want from the pop-down list (located upper left). Click and hold on the up/down arrows, drag to table name, release. Fields can be sorted by name (default), type and option. Double-click on a field name to view its options.

To print one or more field definitions, click on a field name to highlight the row. Shift-click to select fields in a range. Command-click to select multiple but non-contiguous fields. Select any field and type the short cut Command+a to select all. Click the Print... button in the lower left corner of the window. Only the selected fields will print.

Accessing and Printing Scripts

Requires higher level access privileges.

Click on the Scripts menu and select the first item: ScriptMaker. Alternately, access ScriptMaker using the keyboard shortcut Command+Shift+s. Once the Define Scripts window is open, you can select all (CMD a), shift-click to choose scripts in a range or command-click to select fields at random. Click the Print button. Only the scripts selected will print.

How to Upgrade your Files?

This site now has a page dedicated to upgrading

Click here to go there now.