Database Reference
In-Depth Information
logarithms and square roots, convert signs, generate random numbers, and perform modulo
arithmetic.
Date Functions
Date
functions make working with dates a breeze. You can safely create date values without
worrying about the computer's date settings. You can also pick date values apart (for ex-
ample, get just the
month
from a date), convert day and month numbers into proper names,
and work with weeks and fiscal years.
Time Functions
Time
functions are few: They create time values from hours, minutes, and seconds, and split
times up into the same parts. You use these values most frequently when you're trying to find
out how long something took. For instance, if you bill your services hourly, then you can cre-
ate Start Time and Finish Time fields. Then, in a Duration field, you can subtract finish time
from start time to find out how long you worked on a project.
Timestamp Functions
There's only one
timestamp
function: It lets you build a timestamp value from a separate date
and a time. If you're creating your own data, then you already know that FileMaker needs
both a date and a time for a valid Timestamp field, and you've planned accordingly. But you
may receive data from an outside source in which the date and time aren't already in a single
field. No problem; just use the timestamp function.
Container Functions
Most of the Container functions return information about the object in a given Container
field. Two encode and decode container data into text representations that are compatible
with other databases and one generates a thumbnail from an image stored in a Container
field.
Aggregate Functions
Aggregate
functions calculate statistics like average, variance, and standard deviation. They
can also count things, sum things, and compute minimums and maximums. By definition,
aggregate functions
gather up
multiple values, and find results based on the group as a
whole. (See the box below for more detail.)
Summary Functions
You have only one
summary
function—
GetSummary()
. Its primary purpose is to let you use
the value of a summary field in your calculations. In the olden days, before FileMaker was
