Database Reference
In-Depth Information
This object should now be anchored on all four sides.
That should do it. If you try your layout in Browse mode now, it should use space
wisely when you make the window bigger. You can see for yourself in
Figure 8-26
.
If you make the window
smaller
now, though, then you see that the fields don't shrink bey-
ond a certain point. FileMaker never lets the objects in Browse mode get smaller than they
are in Layout mode. This fact lets you establish a minimum size for your layout to keep
things from getting too small, but it limits your flexibility. In general, design your layouts to
be as small as they reasonably can be. That way, people who use your database can decide
how big things should be by adjusting the window size.
Autosizing in List Layouts
Every good layout expects that people using the database are going to resize the window and
plans accordingly, using anchors to make sure onscreen objects behave properly as the win-
dow contorts (
Autosizing
)
. But in List view, anchors work a little differently. In order to
maximize the amount of data that can be seen in one shot, FileMaker never stretches records
taller in List view. Instead, if the window gets taller, you see more records. So top and bot-
tom anchors have no effect in List view. But left and right anchors still work as you'd expect.
