Category Archives: FileMaker 13

In FileMaker the current record, that is the record you’re currently viewing at any given moment, is the center of the universe. Very nearly everything you can see or derive is in that record or somehow related to it. This is … Continue reading →

Finding a happy place in text formatting isn’t always as simple as you might think. Sure, plain, black on white text gets dull, but we’ve all seen embellishments get out of hand when somebody combines bold, underline, and strikethrough. But … Continue reading →

New in FileMaker 13, and previously fawned over in this very blog, is the GetContainerAttribute function. Prior to this, when you dropped a file in a container field, you had few options for getting information about it. There wasn’t even a … Continue reading →

Aah value lists. Reliever of the weary typist, protector of accuracy, usher to the chooser. Well concieved and implemented value lists are, despite my trifling tone, extremely useful in almost any database. In the process of rebuilding and improving an … Continue reading →

Simple database systems may be easily contained within a single window, but you don’t have to get too terribly complicated before popping a new window makes a lot a sense. Whether it’s an off-screen window for creating a related record … Continue reading →

In the spirit of last week’s post, I’m offering up another arcane function whose utility wasn’t immediately obvious to me. Let’s start in the Define > Database window’s Fields tab. When creating or editing a field, you must, of course, … Continue reading →

The function of the week is typically a straightforward affair: here’s a function, here’s how it works, here’s what to watch out for. This week I was handed a challenge from a boss who shall remain nameless. The boss person … Continue reading →

In Fahrenheit 451 by legendary author Ray Bradbury, getting caught with a single book in your home could result in a visit from the fire department- to burn you house, and books within, to the ground. Protagonist and fireman Guy … Continue reading →

Improperly formatted data is one of the scourges of database housekeeping. For a mature system, it’s like cleaning out the pantry. You don’t have to do it every week, but you will be faced with it a few times each … Continue reading →

Aah randomness with its ability to surprise and delight. Not like that miscreant entropy hurtling the universe toward heat death. There are times when you simply need to inject a bit of the unexpected into your world (or at least … Continue reading →