Database Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 4-12. The Layout Setup dialog box tells you that the Lease Agreement layout shows records
from the Lease Agreement table occurrence. The “Include in layout menus” option lets you determ-
ine which of your layouts show up in the Status toolbar's Layout pop-up menu. Deselecting this op-
tion is a good way to keep users off a layout you don't want them to see, like your Payments layout
or layouts you create for printing envelopes or mailing labels.
Each layout is tied to one, and only one, table occurrence. That table occurrence tells the lay-
out which table's records it can show. Another way of saying the same thing is that the table
occurrence gives the layout its
context
. Context is fundamental to many aspects of your data-
base, because without the proper context, the layout can't show you the records you want to
see. Layouts have context, and so do portals. The portal you added to the Lease Agreement
layout has the context of the Payment table. Keep context in mind as you're reading the next
section, which covers the things you can do with related records by using a portal.
This database has only two tables and only one occurrence of each table, so context seems
obvious. But real-world databases often have dozens (even hundreds) of tables, and they may
have several occurrences of each table. So if you get used to thinking about context now,
you're laying a good foundation for working with more complicated databases later. No mat-
ter how complicated a database gets, though, you can thread your way through the most
tangled mess by answering two simple questions: Where am I, and what records do I need to
see? Right now, you're on the Lease Agreement layout, and you need to see Payment re-
cords. The relationship you created on
Creating a Relationship Between Two Table Occur-
rences
shows you the records you need.
