====== Interface II ======

Date: 20/08/2009

Q. Can FileMaker be programmed to use the "escape" button (top left hand corner on keyboard) to "escape" a Window?

Example: The "Search Address" window.

Date: 21/09/2009

Can you make the Place Order Button inactive all over FileMaker except in the Contact Layout?

Date: 21/09/2009

The order of the Customer Orders Tab is not arranged in incremental order: an order placed with number 23047 is arranged on top of Order number 23049 - Why?

Date: 21/09/2009

Can you place a number of total orders next to the Orders Tab, so that one can see immediately if there's anything outstanding.

When there is zero orders, it shouldn't show.

Total up the number of Orders from Customer and from Company = Total Orders

Date: 27/09/2009

RFC #: 175

The >>> Button in the Tab: Company in the Tab: Jobs - doesn't work

Date: 14/10/2009

RFC #: 195

I clicked on GO Landlord, instead of GO Managing Agent.

Can we have a BACK Button, which will PAGE BACK to the previously browsed Record?

Date: 22/10/2009

RFC #: 202

The SaveandClose Button in the New Product Window doesn't close the Window.

Date: 12/10/2009

RFC #: 180

When I click on the Copy to Clipboard Button, can you build into the Script that it leaves this Field altogether?

This way, when I need the address for pasting into a new Order, I can press the Key Combination Ctrl+Tab immediately.

Size Matters - Part I

21/02/2014

MS: AutoFit Text into Text Fields

Ask FileMaker: How to AutoFit Text into Fields or Stretch, expand/reduce Field size to fit the text.

14/10/2009

RFC: 193

Expanding Field: In the Job Diary, when I click on an entry it expands to show the contents of the Field.

However as I reach the bottom of the screen, it doesn't expand.

Looks like it can only expand downwards, not upwards?

08/02/2005

Shrink or Expand Fields according to the amount of text

04/02/2013

MS: Dynamically Resize Body Area

Ask FileMaker: How do you set the Body Area in a Layout to Dynamically Resize, according to the Field sizes that ‘grow’ downwards, when they have more text than the regular Field size?

04/02/2013

Menasche Scharf

Ask FileMaker) How do you set a row of Text Fields to allow them to Dynamically Resize (i.e. Auto-size, Auto-resize (), Autosize, Expand, Autoresize - grow or shrink, slide) VERTICALLY or HORIZONTALLY, according to the one Field in the row that has the largest amount of text?

Links:

http://www.filemaker.com/help/11/fmp/html/edit_layout.10.9.html

http://www.macworld.com/article/1157176/fmproprint.html

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=shrink+enclosing+part+feature

FileMaker Pro 12: The Missing Manual:

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=dfkSTQ_mEqIC&pg=PA346&lpg=PA346&dq=%22resize%22%20%22objects%22%20%22layout%22%20%22filemaker%20pro%22%20%2212%22%20-photos%20-vectors%20-%22auto-resize%22%20-print%20-largest%20-formatting%20%20-together%20-moving%20-bug%20-app%20-ios%20-selecting%20-select%20-filemakertoday%20-plugin%20-advanced%20-containers%20-autosizing%20-flash%20-folders%20-Terminal%20-Autocomplete%20-image&f=false

FileMaker Resources VII

See the following links:

Search | Patreon https://www.patreon.com/search?q=filemaker

Sorting Records - Part I

Sorting Records:

FileMaker Pro stores records in the order in which you add them to the database file. 

You can sort records to temporarily rearrange them based on entries in a field or a set of fields.

You can sort on several fields at once. 

The first field you select arranges the records based on the field's contents. 

The second sort arranges records when two or more records have the same value for the first field you selected. 

You can sort records in ascending order, descending order, or a custom order based on a field's value list.

FileMaker Pro keeps the records in the sorted order unless you un-sort them, or perform a find request.

Note about Sorting:

If you publish your database on the Web, you can specify that records be sorted before they are delivered to the Web user's browser, or you can let the Web user define a custom sort order.”

Why does a Find request do that???

How do you set distance in between columns in Layout?

How do you set a form (= Layout) that doesn’t allow a new record to be created?

For example, the “Dashboard” file, which serves as a shortcut point to all files in the Field Maintenance System, only needs this particular form.

Why can’t the Tool panel in the Status Area in Layout Mode be Floating? This would help if there is a file which occupies only the quarter of the screen vertically and full width of the screen horizontally (like the “Dashboard” file in the “Field Maintenance System”).

Why isn’t there a Tip for every Tool, Object or Menu Bar Icon when hovering over it with the pointer (Mouse)?

See: http://www.filemaker.co.uk/micro-print/Traffic_Function_Spec.pdf

Date: 03/09/2009

Q. Can you make sure that the lists are all sorted:

• Date items in reverse chronological order
• Number items in chronological order
• Alphabetical items in chronological order

Find, Search III

Date: 30/10/2009

RFC: 217

The Find Function bring up a new window with three (or more) Fields where one can enter Search Criteria. This should do away with the Find Address and Find Number/eMail address Windows and replace the Ctrl+F Key Combination.

Suggestion: 35

Searching for eMail addresses

Question: Searching for eMail addresses; ask TechNet about the @ symbol and Unicode / ASCII / Raw Data / Invisible / Hidden Characters / Code Page (which is not displayed in FileMaker, only in the Avaya IP Phone Manager Lite and in QuickBooks - where text copied from Outlook is represented as Question Marks ("?") before and after the copied text - also regarding the dash ("-") and underscore ("_"), soft carriage return and similar

Answer: Use the operator \ to Escape the @symbol like this (between the quotes): "\email@address.fm"

03/09/2009

Searching for eMail addresses; ask TechNet about the @ symbol and Unicode

03/09/2009

I am looking for a Mrs "Klutz" who works in "Midas I".  So when I Search for "Klutz" I get 40 Records, when I Search for "Midas" I get 11 Records. I paged through the "Midas" Records and found her as a "Staff" at Record Number 10.

Can we have an "Advanced Search", where I can enter two Search Terms: Person and Company?

03/09/2009

Would it be possible to have WildCard search in the Name Field?

When I was looking for "Wartman" and I didn't remember his first name, only 2 instances of "Wartman" appeared in the Predictive (or Autofill? or auto-complete as you call it). 

However, when I searched for "Wartman" only, the result was 9 records. 

Would it be possible to show all of them in the Auto Complete List? 

One way would be to have (yet another) Field where all the words in a string are rearranged back to front; i.e. "Lesley Wartman" becomes " Wartman Lesley ", so in whichever way I search it will come up.

Date: 12/10/2009

RFC#: 179

When looking for an address, I sometimes need the same address again.

Please make sure the Search Address window doesn't clear when closed. Instead, the text should stay there, highlighted.

This way it is still there for the next time if needed and if not, we can start typing right away (as the selected text will disappear immediately when we start typing)

Automated TxT & eMail - Part III

We need to find a File Translator Nokia/FileMaker so that we can drag'n'drop TxT messages from the mobile into the Job Diary.

eMail format to Engineers - basically we need to take all the elements of an order and build a standard eMail message; Tenant Contact; Property Address; Address Directions; Job Details; Special Notes

If FileMaker allows it, there should be a floating box with the dteails showing as they become available.

The best way to do this is only the HTML(XML) version

Q. When I paste an eMail message into the Job Diary, there are always large spaces between the paragraphs. 

Is it possible to arrange that the empty lines are deleted?

Date: 14/09/2009

Q. When I send a job to a engineer I also want to send him a link from GoogleMaps as many buildings now have pictures with exact location Maps. The link to this is an option in GoogleMaps that allows you to copy the link and this I want to paste in a Property Link Record in FileMaker. You can see a sample in the Notes Field of 20 Shelley House (Your TAG!)

18/11/2009

Please change the text in the automatic eMail text that is created for sending a job to an engineer: 

if there is no Tenant involved, the word "Tenant" should be substituted with "Customer"

23/09/2009

When I finish an order that was received by eMail, I want to send the completed order to the customer by return eMail and request upfront payment. 

Is it possible?

03/09/2009

Auto respond to sales enquiries 

Job Orders in the Pipeline II

16/09/2009 
Updates for the Job Diary: Any change in the Diary should be shown on the Main Dashboard

18/09/2009
In the Job Diary you very nicely organised ALL contact details however the Tenants details are not there, why??!

23/09/2009
In the Access and Notes ComBox, please can you display the Tenant's details? 
This will complete the picture when enetering an order.

23/09/2009
The Calendar in the Job Diary - Scheduled Date, doesn't work; I selected 28/09/2009 and it shows 09/09/2009.

24/09/2009
We need to arrange the Tab Field order in the Products Ordered Layout


23/10/2009
RFC #212
Q. How can I go to a Job Diary Record from within the Order Form Window?

18/11/2009
The "Amount Field" in the "Payment From Client" Sub_Tab of the "Payments Tab" should be automatically filled in with the "Quotation Price", we can always change it if we only receive part-payment.

30/10/2009
RFC #: 218
Dashboard: Should have a Scratch Pad where one can paste (or type in) numbers or addresses - anything really - for later use, which must be cleared before the end of the business day. 
Very handy if you are in middle of a case and a call comes in that requires you to take down details but as you're in middle of something else, you cannot page away from that record.

Dummy Image in a Picture Container

20/05/2013
MS: Ask FileMaker:
How do you place a dummy image in the Picture container in Records that are not yet populated with the picture relevant to this record? 
One way is to set the Image Appearance to Fill with an Image, which will be covered by the image entered in the Record, as and when this happens.

31/08/2009
Re: GIF in FileMaker Container (or was it Global?) Field: eMail the problem to: CNSImage @ cnsplug-ins.com

Associated Records Issues II

Date: 15/09/2009
Q. Can you please place the Focus on the Landlord in the "Assign Landlord etc." Combox?

Date: 17/09/2009
Can you design a Script that will allow me to re-assign a Field Contents from one Contact Record to another one? 
Example: A company's Employee's Mobile Number is in the Company Contact Details, instead of in the Employee Contact Details.

Date: 18/09/2009
Q. How can I change an order that was assigned "EPC" instead of "CORGI"? See Record ID: 23045


Date: 22/10/2009
RFC: 204

The Values "Job and Office Address" and "Duplicate Address" should also allow Landlords to be assigned, just like "Job Address"

Date: 17/09/2009
When there is no Landlord or H.A. in the Assign Landlord Field, the Menu Landlord and Go shouldn't show. 
It frustrates me when I click on it and nothing happens!

Date: 03/09/2009
I find that when I delete an Association between 2 records, that I need to do this in both Records.  
Why?

Date: 18/09/2009
The Associate Field in the Landlord Tab never clears.
Why?

Date: 24/09/2009
Can you please make a Warning Pop-Up:
"You cannot Associate a Company as an Employee, Click on "Associated Company" and Associate the Company Contact there. 
This should come up when the user tries to connect two companies as a Company / Employee relationship.

Date: 25/09/2009
RFC #: 174
Is it possible to have a selection tick box next to each record in the Tabs: Associated Company, Staff / Company etc., so that I can tick the ones I want to delete?

Date: 15/09/2009
Why do we need the Button "Associate" in the Company / Staff and Associated Company Tabs, can it not work with the Tab Key?

Find, Search I

Date: 21/02/2013 MS:

Find a String of Text – in Field Labels or Text Objects

Ask FileMaker how to find a string of text – in Field Labels or Text Objects (Banners etc.) - in Layout Mode.

Date: 20/08/2009

The Find Function should work immediately when I hit the Enter Button, after entering some data in the Name Field. 

At the moment, it moves through 3 Fields before returning the Search Results

Date: 03/09/2009

When I click on the >> arrow Button in the Landlord - Managing Agent - Council (Housing Association is missing . . .) Window to find details of a Record, it becomes empty - Why?

Date: 07/09/2009

Copied from Wiki:

How to perform a Script that Finds only Customers or only Suppliers?

Then ‘hardwire’ it into the Button ‘Customers Database’ and ‘Suppliers Database’ etc.

Date: 17/09/2009

When I am in the Job Diary Layout and press Find Address (CTRL+1) it can't find any address.

Can you change the Script so that before executing the Open Dialogue, it first swotches to the Contact Layout?

Date: 21/09/2009

We need to find a better way to find addresses in the Ordering system.

Maybe we should type in the street name and from there on the street number.

It is much too hard to guess how to look for a property: is it 17A, 17 A, Flat 17, Flat A 17, First Floor Flat A, 17 - get the gist?

Date: 24/09/2009

I was in a Found Set of Contacts and I pressed Ctrl+1 to search for an address.

Although I was sure that the address exists in the database, it couldn't find it.

I then closed the (Combox) Window and it showed no records.

I tried again Ctrl+1 and it worked.

I tried recreating this problem but it worked perfectly first time round.

Is there a condition that causes FileMaker to lose track of Records?

Date: 24/09/2009

Can we have the "Find Address" button that you nicely placed in the Job Diary also in the main Contact Layout?

Assembling Layouts - By Scott Love, Soliant Consulting

Assembling layouts

Here are some shortcuts that make assembling layouts in FileMaker ‎much easier.

By Scott Love, Soliant Consulting

A big part of creating databases in FileMaker is assembling ‎layouts. You'll save yourself a good bit of time if you get to ‎know the key and mouse combinations all the pros know by ‎heart. 

* Ctrl+drag (or Option+drag on the Mac) an object to create a ‎duplicate. When you let go of the mouse, the Specify Field ‎dialog will appear. 

* Ctrl+Shift+drag to duplicate an object and constrain it to ‎either the horizontal or vertical axis. 

* Shift+drag to constrain one of the corner anchors of an ‎object along vertical or horizontal axes. 

* Ctrl+drag a corner anchor of an object to conform to a ‎square. 

* Ctrl+click once on an object to set its properties (color, font, ‎indent, etc.) as that file's default for new fields and objects. 

* Click on a part label (where, for example, it says "body" or ‎‎"footer") to apply attributes to the entire part, such as a ‎background color. 

* Drag over an area on a layout to select multiple objects at ‎once, or Shift+click. Shift+click again to unselect one object ‎from multiple selected. 

* Double+click a tool to "lock" that tool for use. Otherwise, ‎FileMaker will always revert back to the selection tool. 

* Ctrl+Up Arrow or Ctrl+Down Arrow to flip through records ‎in Browse mode, requests in Find mode, layouts in Layout mode, ‎or pages in Preview mode. 

* Get to know the Object Size palette under the View menu. It ‎lets you exactly position objects by entering coordinates. ‎Click on the unit of measurement labels to toggle between ‎pixels, centimeters, or inches. 

* Use the Format > Line Spacing > Custom... (Other…) Menu option to ‎control paragraph formatting within text fields, including ‎the ability to indent. 

* The arrow to show a list attached to a field or the calendar ‎icon are controlled by the right field border: If you turn off ‎the right border, they'll disappear even if you have those ‎options enabled in the Field/Control Setup dialog. 

* If you want to concatenate two fields on a report or insert ‎field contents into a block of static text, don't bother with ‎using a field: turn to the Insert > Merge Field to add data to a ‎text object. 

* To make the tabs on a tab control object wider than the ‎actual text label in question, simply add spaces to the right ‎and left (Simple, but effective). 

This Advisor Tip was originally published in Issue #1 of ADVISOR ‎BASICS for FileMaker Pro.

You can get more how-to ‎advice on FileMaker Pro at ‎http://filemaker.advisorbasics.com.

Smart Duplication in FileMaker Pro ‎Learn how to efficiently duplicate objects.

By John Mark Osborne, Database Pros president and owner, ‎FileMaker Advisor technical editor

Field Formatting

Q. Can you format the large Landlord Field so that the text "Click button below to enter Landlord, Managing Agent..." is at the bottom of the Field?
A. I can format the field that the text will be at the bottom of the field, but then it will be in the bottom even if there is a landlord associated.