Database Reference
In-Depth Information
Click outside the text block to switch back to the pointer tool and then move the text block if
necessary. Switch to Browse mode to see that the field's contents appear inside the merge
fields there.
The agreementID field is another good candidate for a merge field, since it can be useful to
see the agreement number. Make a text block near the top of the layout and use
Agreement
ID <<agreementID>>
for its contents. Align the text to the right, put it at the right side of
the header, and make sure it lines up with the merge field showing the name.
You can format merge fields just like any other text block. But since they also contain data, if
you apply formatting from the Inspector's Data tab to text blocks that contain merge fields,
FileMaker displays the data according to your formatting. So if you put a merge version of
the Rental Fee field on the Payment tab (so you can see what the Rental Fee is supposed to
be as you record each payment), don't forget to format the text block as currency.
You can use merge fields to create a form letter (you'll get one copy for each record in the
found set, with appropriate data for each record). Just create a new layout, select your con-
text and then type the text of the letter inside a large text block, and insert merge fields with-
in the text as appropriate. Because your new layout shows you records from a specific table
occurrence, you'll never have to run another “merge” operation. Just find the records for the
folks who should get a letter and then print all the records in your found set (
Creating Lay-
outs for Printing
)
. You'll also see heavy use of merge fields if you use the Layout/Report
Assistant to create label or envelope layouts for sending out your merged letters.
Using Symbols to Show Important Info
Merge fields aren't the only things FileMaker can use to show dynamic information. You use
one of a handful of special
symbols
—stand-in characters that are replaced with info when
you view your database in Browse, Layout, or Preview mode. For example, see
Figure 4-20
,
where each record on the Lease Agreement List layout is numbered. The record number
symbol displays an automatic number for each record.
NOTE
FileMaker offers a host of other symbols besides the record number symbol. See the box on
Other
Symbols
for details.
To add a record number to your Lease Agreement List layout, you'll need to slide your fields
and their labels to the right to make space. Then click the Text tool to select it and click in
the space you've just made. Choose Insert→Record Number Symbol. You now have a text
object that contains “{{RecordNumber}}”. It takes up way more space than it needs to in
