Database Reference
In-Depth Information
POWER USERS' CLINIC: OTHER SYMBOLS
On the Insert menu, FileMaker includes symbols for several special values you may want to show
on a layout. In Browse mode (or Preview mode), FileMaker replaces the symbol with the up-to-the-
moment correct value. You can read about the record number symbol on
Using Symbols to Show
Important Info
.
Here are the other symbols:
▪ The
Date Symbol
({{CurrentDate}}) is replaced by the current date. You'd include this symbol
on printed reports so you can easily see when the reports were printed.
▪ The
Time Symbol
({{CurrentTime}}) is replaced by the current time. If your reports needed to
be identified down to the hour and minute they were printed, add this symbol to a report's head-
er or footer.
▪ The
User Name Symbol
({{UserName}}) is replaced by the current user's name. FileMaker
takes the user name of whoever's logged into your computer (or the custom User Name if one is
entered in FileMaker's Preferences).
▪ The
Page Number Symbol
({{PageNumber}}) is replaced by the page number in Preview
mode and when you print. Otherwise, it just shows as a question mark.
▪
Other Symbol
opens up a whole host of dynamic values, called
Get functions
, that you can
place on the layout. Like PageNumbers or the CurrentDate, these functions change as appropri-
ate to show you the latest information. To use them, you'll need to understand calculations.
Chapter 9
is where you'll get the basics.
The Insert menu has three related options as well, but unlike symbols, these don't get replaced by
anything in Browse or Preview mode. When you use the Insert→Current Date command, for in-
stance, FileMaker simply adds today's date to the text object in Layout mode. It's a static value (that
is, it never changes) and shows the same date in any mode. In fact, the Insert Date, Time, and User
commands remain in the menu when you're in Browse mode so you can use them for entering data
into a field.
You can use the Insert menu to place symbols where you need them, but just like Merge fields, you
can type them in manually too. So once you've seen that {{CurrentDate}} makes a page number,
forget about mousing around, and just type away.
Creating a Sort Script
Here's how to write a script that sorts the records on your list layout alphabetically by Last
Name and then First Name:
1.
Choose Records
→
Sort Records. Set up the window to sort by Last Name and
then First Name (
Sorting Records
)
and then click Sort
.
