Database Reference
In-Depth Information
Data tab. The final section, Data Formatting, pertains to how information is presented on
screen and is covered in the next chapter.
Field Controls
FileMaker supports all the standard controls you're used to, like pop-up menus, checkboxes,
and radio buttons. It also offers pop-up calendars. And if you want to type with just a little
assistance, it has
auto-completion
, which works just like the address bar in your web
browser: As you type, FileMaker gives you options based on other values you've typed in
the field before.
All this power lives on the Inspector's Data tab (
Figure 7-15
). In Layout mode, choose
View→Inspector or press Ctrl+I (
⌘
-I) and then click the Data tab.
In general, picking a field control style is simple: First select the field on your layout you
want to change. Then choose an option from the “Control style” pop-up menu on the Inspect-
or's Data tab.
But if you choose a pop-up menu, or radio buttons, or checkboxes, how does FileMaker
know what choices to let someone pick from? The answer lies in something you've seen just
briefly so far: a
value list
(basically, a list of choices defined by you).
When you opt for one of these choice-oriented field control types, you also pick a value list.
FileMaker then lets anyone using the database choose from among the values you specify. To
try it out in the People database, you can make your Status field into a pop-up menu offering
a list of the following choices:
▪ Active
▪ Retired
▪ Deceased
