Database Reference
In-Depth Information
ure 13-17
. It lists all of the custom functions in the selected database. Simply turn on the
ones you'd like to bring into the current database file and then click OK.
UP TO SPEED: USING CUSTOM FUNCTIONS
You can use custom functions just like any of FileMaker's built-in functions. When you're in the
Specify Calculation window, choose Custom Functions from the View pop-up menu to access the
functions you've made. (When you create a custom function, you're adding it to the FileMaker file
you're working in. It isn't available in other files unless you add it to them as well.)
Just like other functions, custom functions can also use other custom functions to do their job.
For example, if you want to add a new function that calculates the surface area of a cylinder, then it
can take two parameters (diameter and height) and use your custom Circumference function, like so:
Circumference (diameter) * Height
With this in mind, you can create functions that build upon one another—to keep each one simple,
or to provide different but related capabilities.
The second, secret way to move custom functions is to simply copy and paste. It's a secret in
that the Manage Custom Functions dialog box offers no Copy and Paste buttons, But if you
select one or more functions and then press Ctrl+C (
⌘
-C), the custom function is copied to
your computer's Clipboard. You can then click OK, switch to another database file, choose
File→Manage→Custom Functions to open the Manage Custom Functions dialog box and
then press Ctrl+V (
⌘
-V) to add the function to that file.
