Database Reference
In-Depth Information
Formatting Tabs
Since a field can hold just about any kind of text, you may eventually need to use tab stops
within
a field. For example, you could have a nice large field into which you paste rows of
text from a spreadsheet. To make things line up properly, you can set tab stops for each
column of text. To type a tab into a field, press Ctrl+Tab (Option-Tab). This is a special key-
stroke, obviously, because in FileMaker pressing Tab usually jumps you to the next
field
. See
Display Data From
to learn how Field Controls make plain old tabs work the way you're
used to.
Like most word processing programs, FileMaker gives you two ways to create tab stops: the
ruler and the Tabs dialog box.
Setting Tabs in the Text Ruler
With your cursor in a field, you can insert a new tab stop simply by clicking anywhere in the
ruler. A small bent arrow appears where you clicked, representing a
left
tab stop. (The ar-
row's tail shows you what direction text goes when you start typing.) The tab stop may not
land exactly where you want it; just drag it into place. Once you've created a tab stop, you
can edit or delete it at will. Drag a tab around on the ruler to move it, or drag it off the bot-
tom to delete it. FileMaker also supports other kinds of tab stops, but to get them, you have
to visit the Tabs dialog box, described next.
Setting Tabs in the Tabs Dialog Box
The Tabs dialog box is a laborious way of setting tabs, but it gives you more options because
you can control all aspects of each tab stop manually. Here's the drill:
1.
With your cursor in a field, choose Format
→
Line Spacing
→
Other
.
The Paragraph dialog box makes its entrance.
2.
Click Tabs
.
It was a long way to go, but you've found the Tabs dialog box (
Figure 2-15
).
