Database Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 3-14. The Inspector's Data tab as it appears when the Rental Fee field is selected. The Field
and Behavior sections have been closed to focus on Data Formatting. Since this section is at the
bottom of the Data tab, it's helpful to collapse the sections you're not focused on if you have a
smaller monitor or are working on a laptop. The options in the Data Formatting section change de-
pending on the type of the selected field. You can use options here to add currency signs, thousands
separators, and colored negative numbers. The Japanese section is useful if you're using a copy of
FileMaker that's localized for Japan and you're using Japanese fonts for data display. Otherwise,
you can ignore those options.
Since a Rental Fee is currency data, that's the format you'll apply. Number formatting
doesn't change the value in the field, it just changes the display of that data. By applying a
format, you can save keystrokes and make the data more consistent. Here's how to apply the
currency format to a number field:
1.
In Layout mode, click the Rental Fee field to select it and then click the Inspect-
or's Data tab
.
If the Inspector has disappeared, choose View→Inspector. Once the Data tab is selec-
ted, you'll see all the options you can apply to the Rental Fee field. Data Formatting is
down near the bottom.
2.
Choose Currency from the Format pop-up menu
.
The Data Formatting section changes to show all the options for the Currency format.
3.
Choose the “Fixed number of decimals” option
.
