Database Reference
In-Depth Information
if you just want an empty copy of your database, cloning is easier; see
Saving a Clone of
NOTE
In reality, the Delete Found Records and Delete All Records commands are one and the same. But
FileMaker knows whether you're in a subset of your database or looking at all the records, and
changes the wording of the menu command accordingly. It's just another bit of feedback that helps
you get the results you need.
Once you get used to deleting records, you may get tired of FileMaker nagging you about be-
ing sure you want to delete. You can bypass the dialog box, and the chance to click the
Cancel button, by holding down the Shift (Windows) or Option (Mac) key when you choose
Records→Delete Record. Or, if you're a fan of keyboard shortcuts, you can type
Shift+Ctrl+E (Option-
⌘
-E) to get the same results.
Fields for Lots of Text
FileMaker fields can hold
a lot
of text. Technically, each field is limited to 2 GB of data
per
record
, which is a technical way of saying, “Way more than you'll ever need.”
To see for yourself, in the People database, click in the Notes field. When you do, a scroll bar
appears at the right side of the field. If you type lots of notes, then you can scroll through
them. (When you design a database, you get to decide which fields have scroll bars, as dis-
cussed on
Content Area
.) Even if a field doesn't have scroll bars, you can still add lots of
text. As you type, FileMaker just makes the field grow to hold whatever you type. When you
leave the field, it shrinks back to its normal size, hiding anything that goes outside the edges.
Don't worry, though; the text reappears when you click back into the field.
You can enter text into a field in all the usual ways, like typing on your keyboard or pasting
text you copied from another field or another program.
NOTE
That second scroll bar you see right next to the notes field lets you see if there are lots of notes for a
record. That scroll bar controls a portal, and you'll learn what it's for on
Creating and Using Portals
.
Adding a New Button to the Toolbar
If you've been looking at the Status toolbar during the last few sections, you may have no-
ticed that it contains some handy buttons, like New Record and Delete Record. If you're a
