This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Working with Layouts
Because label and envelope layouts behave a tad differently than most layouts, they're covered separately on pages 149–151.
To switch to layout mode:
-
Choose View > Layout Mode (Figure 10.9).
Figure
10.9 To switch to Layout mode, choose View > Layout Mode.
or -
Use your keyboard:
,
in Windows, 
on
the Mac.or
-
Click your cursor on the status mode pop-up at the bottom left of your screen (Figure 10.10).
Figure
10.10 You also can switch to Layout mode by clicking the pop-up at
the bottom of the status area.
)
Figure
10.9 )
Figure
10.10 Creating a new layout
FileMaker now includes a set of three screens within the New Layout/Report dialog box that walk you through the process. For Windows users, this Wizard-style guide will be old hat.
To create a new layout:
-
Switch to Layout mode (
in Windows, on
the Mac). Choose Layouts > New Layout/Report (
in Windows, 
on
the Mac) (Figure
10.11).
Figure
10.11 The New Layout/Report command can be found within the Layouts
menu. This command also is used to add a layout. -
When the Create a Layout/Report portion of the New Layout/Report dialog box appears, type a name into the Layout Name text box (Figure 10.12). By default, FileMaker assigns each new layout a generic name (e.g., Layout #2), but it's best to give it an easy to recognize name. Choose one of the six layouts in the left-side Select a layout type text box (a preview will appear to the right), and click Next.
Figure
10.12 In the Create a Layout/Report portion of the New Layout/Report
dialog box, give your layout a name, choose one of six types, and click
Next.
-
When the Specify Fields screen appears (Figure 10.13), highlight the fields in the left-hand list that you want to appear in the layout and use the Move or Move All buttons to place them in the right-hand list. Or double-click on fields in the left list and they will automatically appear to the right. When you're done, click Next.
Figure
10.13 Highlight the fields in the left-hand list that you want to appear
in the layout and use the Move or Move All buttons to place them in the
right-hand list. -
When the Select a Theme screen appears, make a choice in the left-side Layout themes list and a preview will appear to the right (Figure 10.14). When you're done, click Finish. The new layout will appear on your screen (Figure 10.15). If you're happy with the layout, switch to Browse (
in Windows, 
on
the Mac) and begin entering data. More likely, however, you'll want
to further format the layout. For more information, see Formatting Fields
or Objects on page 183.
Figure
10.14 Pick a theme on the left and a preview appears on the right.
Figure
10.15 Once you make your choices in a series of dialog boxes, the new
layout appears on your screen.
)
Figure
10.11 )
Figure
10.12 )
Figure
10.13 )
Figure
10.14 )
Figure
10.15 Tips
By default, FileMaker activates the Include in layout pop-up menu checkbox in the New Layout/Report dialog box (Figure 10.12). It's best to leave it checked to ensure that this layout appears in your layouts pop-down menu.
FileMaker's layout themes offer a quick way to apply colors and formatting consistently. Depending on the complexity of your choices, FileMaker will offer you the option of creating a script for applying the very same steps in the future (Figure 10.16). For more on scripts, see Using Templates and Scripts on page 209.
Figure
10.16 FileMaker now offers you the option of generating a script to help you
replicate complex layouts. As you create more layouts, click on the pop-down menu above the flipbook icon to quickly switch to the layout you need to use (Figure 10.17).
Figure
10.17 To switch to another layout, click on the pop-down menu above the
flipbook.
)
Figure
10.16)
Figure
10.17 Renaming and Deleting Layouts
To rename a layout:
-
Make sure you're in Layout mode (
in Windows, on
the Mac), then select the layout you want to rename by clicking it in the
pop-down menu just above the flipbook icon (Figure
10.18).
Figure
10.18 Select the layout you want by clicking it in the pop-down menu
just above the flipbook icon. -
Choose Layouts > Layout Setup (Figure 10.19).
Figure
10.19 Choose the Layout Setup command from the Layouts menu. -
When the Layout Setup dialog box appears, make sure the General tab is selected, type in the new name, and click OK (Figure 10.20). The layout pop-down menu now displays the renamed layout (Figure 10.21).
Figure
10.20 Type the new layout name inside the Layout Name text box and
click OK.
Figure
10.21 The new name will appear in the pop-down menu of available layouts.
)
Figure
10.18 )
Figure
10.19 )
Figure
10.20 )
Figure
10.21 To delete a layout:
-
Make sure you're in Layout mode (
in Windows, on
the Mac), then select the layout you want to rename by clicking it in the
pop-down menu just above the flipbook icon (Figure
10.18). -
Once the layout appears onscreen, choose Layouts > Delete Layout (Figure 10.22) or use your keyboard: (
in Windows, 
on
the Mac).
Figure
10.22 Use the Delete Layout command in the Layouts menu (
in Windows, on
the Mac) to eliminate the layout on your screen. -
A warning dialog box will appear. If you're sure, click Delete (Figure 10.23). The layout will disappear onscreen, replaced by the next layout listed in the pop-down menu.
Figure
10.23 Still sure you want to get rid of the layout? Then click Delete.
)
Figure
10.22 )
Figure
10.23 Duplicating a layout
This procedure will save you some time if you want to design a new layout based on elements in an existing layout.
To duplicate a layout:
-
Make sure you're in Layout mode (
in Windows, on
the Mac). Select the layout you want to duplicate by clicking on it in the
pop-down menu just above the flipbook icon. -
Choose Layouts > Duplicate Layout (Figure 10.24). (There are no keyboard equivalents.) The duplicate layout will appear onscreen and will be listed in the layout pop-down menu as a copy of the layout you selected. If you want to give the duplicate layout a more distinctive name, see To rename a layout on the previous page.
Figure
10.24 Use the Duplicate Layout command in the Layouts menu to copy
an existing layout.
)
Figure
10.24 Choosing a Layout View
To choose a layout view:
-
Make sure you're in Layout mode (
in Windows, on
the Mac). Click on the pop-down menu just above the lefthand flipbook and
release your cursor on the layout of your choice (Figure
10.25).
Figure
10.25 To choose among your existing layouts, use the pop-down menu
just above the flipbook icon.
)
Figure
10.25 Reordering Layouts
To reorder the layout pop-down menu:
-
Make sure you're in Layout mode (
in Windows, on
the Mac). Choose Layouts > Set Layout Order (Figure
10.26).
Figure
10.26 Use the Set Layout Order command from the Layouts menu to reorder
the pop-down menu of layouts. -
When the Set Layout Order dialog box appears, click on the layout name you want to reorder. Keep your cursor down and a double arrow will appear (Figure 10.27). While holding down the cursor, drag the layout name to the place you want it listed in the order. Release the cursor. Repeat this step to further rearrange the layout order.
Figure
10.27 Click and drag to reorder layouts listed within the Set Layout
Order dialog box.
-
Once you're satisfied with the order, click OK. The layout pop-down menu will now reflect the new order.
TIP
If you've set up a database for multiple users, only the host will be able to reorder the list—and only when filesharing for the database is turned off. For more information, see Networking on page 253.
)
Figure
10.26 )
Figure
10.27 Putting layouts in the pop-down menu
FileMaker's default is to automatically include layouts in the pop-down menu via the checkbox within the New Layout/Report dialog box (Figure 10.28). If you want to tidy up the list by excluding some layouts—or you mistakenly excluded a layout from the list—the steps are the same.
)
Figure
10.28 So easy to miss: The Include in layout pop-up menu checkbox within
the New Layout/ Report dialog box determines which layouts initially appear in
the pop-down menu.
To exclude or include layouts in the layout pop-down menu:
-
Make sure you're in Layout mode (
in Windows, on
the Mac). Choose Layouts > Set Layout Order (Figure
10.26). -
When the Set Layout Order dialog box appears, there will be a column of check-marks just left of the list of layouts. To exclude a layout from the pop-down menu, move your cursor over the layout item's checkmark and click. The check-mark will disappear. To include a layout, move your cursor to the blank area just left of the layout's name and click the cursor. A checkmark will appear (Figure 10.29).
Figure
10.29 Use your cursor to control which layouts appear in the revised
pop-down menu of layouts. Checked layouts will appear; unchecked will not.
-
When you're satisfied, click OK.
)
Figure
10.29 Changing the general layout setup
Use this to change how layout columns print and to change a layout's page margins.
To change the general layout setup:
Pick the layout you want to change by selecting it via the pop-down menu just above the left-hand flipbook.
Choose Layouts > Layout Setup (Figure 10.30).
Figure
10.30 Choose Layouts > Layout Setup to reach the Layout Setup dialog
box.Within the Layout Setup dialog box (Figure 10.31), click the General tab and you'll have three options for controlling how the layout prints out:
Figure
10.31 The General tab of the Layout Setup dialog box lets you set how the
layout prints (across or down the page), its page margins, and whether it
accommodates facing pages.
You can have your layout print in columns—even if it's not a columnar-type layout. Select the Print in check-box, then fill in how many columns you want. The Across first option works well for mailing labels; use Down first for directory-style printouts.
Use the Fixed page margins checkbox and the four number-entry boxes if you want to use different margins from your printer's default settings.
Use the Facing Pages checkbox if you'll be printing on both sides of the page. This will place the narrower, inside margin on the left of odd-numbered pages and on the right of even-numbered pages.
When you're done, click OK and switch to Browse mode to see the effects of your choices.
)
Figure
10.30 )
Figure
10.31 Changing the table view setup
Use this to change the setup of the table view. You also can use it to limit a user's view of the database as a list, form, or table.
To change the table view:
Pick the layout you want to change by selecting it via the pop-down menu just above the left-hand flipbook.
Choose Layouts > Layout Setup (Figure 10.30).
When the Layout Setup dialog box appears, click the Views tab, and then click the Properties button (Figure 10.32).
Figure
10.32 Use the Views tab of the Layout Setup dialog box to control which
views are available in Browse mode or click Properties to set the details of the
Table View. When the Table View Properties dialog box appears, use the checkboxes to set whether the table will display a grid, a header or any other parts, and column headers (Figure 10.33). You also can use the Rows checkbox and its adjacent text windows to fine-tune the height of the table rows.
Figure
10.33 The Table View Properties dialog box offers precise control over how
the table appears. Once you've made your choices, click OK and switch to Browse mode to see the effects of your choices.
)
Figure
10.32 )
Figure
10.33 Tips
-
In step 3, if you uncheck any of the three views, that choice will be dimmed (and, so, not available) in the View menu within the Browse mode (Figure 10.34).
Figure
10.34 Based on your choices in step 3, some choices will be dimmed
in the View menu.
-
In step 4, if you check Sort data when selecting column, you can then resort columns within the Browse mode just by clicking any column header. With the new contextual sort feature, Right-click (Windows) or
-click (Mac)
the header and choose one of three ways to sort: Ascending, Descending,
or By Value List (Figure
10.35).
Figure
10.35 By checking Sort data when selecting column in step 4, you
can then resort data by Right-clicking (Windows) or -clicking
(Mac) any column header and making one of three choices.
)
Figure
10.34 )
Figure
10.35