Tips and Techniques for Interface Design in FileMaker Pro

Getting the essentials right

• Managing the different needs of different users
• Input, organise, output
• Keeping data safe - who can do what, and when they can do it

Analysis of attractive screen design - good examples and why they work

• The FileMaker Themes pack
• The common features of an interface that’s appealing, easy to use and easy to maintain
• Sources of free graphics
• Cross-platform considerations

The Data Separation Model

• Understanding the concept
• Benefits of data separation
• Practical demonstration

Tips for easy maintenance

• “Modularise” your scripts - built a list of sub-scripts that can be called again and again within your solution
• Use global fields so that you have a single location to update images, text values and preferences
• Build a database template to reuse in future solutions

Selecting data from what’s available

• Picking your data from what’s appropriate - how to use Conditional Value Lists
• “Drilling down” - using portals on tab controls to make choices at each level within your data structures

Printing

• How to avoid re-writing scripts when new print layouts are added
• Building a generic Preview/Print/Save to PDF screen
• Using the Get Field function to create a “one size fits all” summarised report layout

Creating a progress bar for time-consuming operations

• Purpose of a progress bar
• Building a generic progress bar

Controlling which features users are allowed to operate

• Hiding and revealing whole areas of functionality quickly and easily
• Buttons that appear and disappear as appropriate