FileMaker Pro 8: The Missing Manual

Chapter 18. Sharing Your Database

You’ve now got a solid foundation for building even the most complex database systems in FileMaker Pro. But your databases have so far been limited to just one user—you. Only the smallest small business, though, has only one person. Most databases are multi-user databases, used by lots of people, all at the same time. It’s easy to set up any FileMaker database for lots of people to use; you simply turn on a checkbox or two. In this chapter, you’ll learn about those settings, plus some of the things you can expect from FileMaker when you’re sharing databases.

Before you dive in and start changing settings, consider where you’re going to keep the shared file and how other people’s computers connect to it. There are three types of sharing: Internet, Network, and FileMaker Server.

• FileMaker Network. This type of file sharing is also called peer-to-peer. That is, you don’t use a server or any special software. You just use your ordinary computers to share files. Peer-to-peer sharing is limited to five guests. If more than five people need to use the database at the same time, use FileMaker Server.

• Internet Sharing. Internet sharing has its own set of benefits and tradeoffs. On the plus side, people who need access to your files don’t need a copy of FileMaker. All they need is an Internet connection and a recent-model browser. On the downside, not everything you can do in FileMaker translates to the Web, so you may have to live with fewer features. FileMaker ...