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Details
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 TIPS & TRICKS
Create Simple Buttons
Compiled by Stuart Gripman
Have you ever seen a FileMaker database
that uses buttons to let users navigate among layouts or automatically
sort records? It may look intimidating to do but in classic FileMaker
fashion, making buttons is very simple to do and very powerful. Here's
how to put a sort button on your layout:
-
Enter Layout mode and click on the
button tool.
-
Drag out a box where you want your
button to appear. When you release the mouse, the Button Setup
dialog box will appear.
-
The column on the left lists the
various actions a button can invoke. If you've spent some time in
ScriptMaker, this should look familiar.
-
Scroll down to the Found Sets heading
and select Sort Records. Now set the various options available. I
suggest checking "Perform without dialog" so you don't see the sort
dialog box every time you click on the button. You should also check
"Specify sort order" and set up the sort order as desired. Button
style settings are a matter of personal taste.
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Click on OK to save your button setup.
-
FileMaker Pro will return you to the
layout and place the cursor inside your button. Type in the text for
your button. I chose "Sort Records" because it's compact and easily
understood. Users tend to ignore excessively wordy buttons or
confuse them for something they're not, so it's best to keep it
short.
-
When finished, just click outside the
button.
Now try it out. Switch to browse mode
and click on your new button. You now have instant sorting.
There are a few other useful things to
know about buttons. If you want to edit an existing button's functions,
just enter Layout mode and double click on it. If you wish to edit a
button's text, enter Layout mode, select the text tool and then click
once on the button. The cursor will be placed in the button text and
you'll be free to edit.
Finally, almost any layout object can
be a button. Text, fields, and graphics can all act a buttons. To turn a
regular layout object into a button, enter Layout mode and select the
desired object. From the Format menu select "Button Setup…" and
configure the button as above.
After you get the hang of buttons, your
FileMaker databases will become easier to use and look more polished.
Have fun!
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