Database Reference
In-Depth Information
NOTE
Usually, you create privilege sets
first
and then add accounts for each user. When you add an ac-
count, you have to pick a privilege set to control the account access before FileMaker lets you finish
the account setup. But you do have some flexibility: If you start to create an account but don't yet
have an appropriate privilege set, then you can create one right then and there, before you save the
account.
Privilege Sets
When you're creating privilege sets, there's a big temptation to give people too much power.
The more folks can do on their own, the less often they'll come bugging you, right? Unfortu-
nately, this attitude invites trouble. For instance, if your database holds credit card numbers
along with order records, and your Order Entry privilege set lets users export data, you may
one day find yourself the subject of an FBI investigation. To be on the safe side, if you aren't
sure
someone needs a privilege, then don't give it to him.
This rule has a practical component as well. If someone has access to a feature he shouldn't
have, then he's very unlikely to complain. He probably doesn't even notice, and neither do
you—until someone abuses it. However, if you lock someone out of a capability he needs,
you can bet you'll hear about it right away. You can easily add the needed power when it
comes up. In other words, if your privilege sets start out too restrictive, then they'll naturally
grow to the right level of power over time based on user feedback. FileMaker encourages
this approach by creating each new privilege set without any privileges at all. Your job is to
add each privilege a user needs.
You do all the work of creating and maintaining accounts and privilege sets in the Manage
Security window (
Figure 18-1
). You can get there by way of the File→Manage→Security
command.
Understanding Privilege Sets
Every FileMaker database has three built-in privilege sets: [Full Access], [Data Entry Only],
and [Read-Only Access]. You can only make a few minor edits to these sets. The brackets
make it easy to pick them out of a list with your custom sets. You can see the Privilege Sets
tab in
Figure 18-2
.
