FileMaker Pro 10: The Missing Manual

Chapter 6. Advanced Layouts and Reports

Believe it or not, Layout mode has even more tricks up its sleeve. In the last couple of chapters, you’ve learned how to use the basic layout tools to position fields, create text labels, add graphics, and more. You’ve experienced stress-free layout creation with the layout assistant, and seen reports in action. You even know how to design full-fledged layouts from the ground up.

Now, you’re ready to learn the more advanced layout concepts: controlling how fields look and act, and adding buttons to perform customized tasks. Finally, you’ll find out how to add powerful analysis to your layouts by using summary and sub-summary parts to add groups, subtotals, and grand totals.

Value Lists

You flirted a bit with the Field/Control Setup dialog box in Chapter 4, when turning the Status field into a pop-up menu (see Autoresize). Field controls can be more than pop-up menus, though. The six main field styles are Edit Box, Drop-down List, Pop-up Menu, Checkbox Set, Radio Button Set, and Drop-down Calendar.

Most styles (Edit Box and Drop-down Calendar are the exceptions) let you associate a value list with the field. Value lists give you more efficient access to a few frequently used terms, numbers, dates, or times. Using a field control, you can then easily enter a value from the value list into the field. You tell FileMaker how you want these choices presented, by selecting one of the field control styles.

Using a value list-based field control helps in ...