FileMaker Pro 9: The Missing Manual

The Lowdown on Layouts

Although you can create an infinite variety of layouts in FileMaker, they all boil down to a few basic types. You get a chance to try each of them as you proceed through this chapter. Here’s a brief overview of each.

Standard Form

The “Standard form” choice creates a layout just like the one FileMaker creates automatically when you start your database—a simple detail layout (see Field Types). This time, though, you get to decide which fields to include. You also have some control over the fonts and colors. FileMaker calls these design controls “themes.”

Columnar List/Report

If you want to show lots of records on the screen or page at one time, choose "Columnar list/report” instead. You still get to pick which fields to include and what theme to use, but FileMaker sets up the new layout as a list of records with one column per field, as shown in Figure 5-1.

Figure 5-1. This “Columnar list/ report” layout shows several people at a time in a space-efficient form. FileMaker plugs in header and footer data, plus column headings automatically when you create the layout. (You’ll find out how to adjust all these settings on Creating a Report Layout with an Assistant.)

Table View

When you select “Table view,” FileMaker creates a layout much like “Standard form,” but the layout is set to table view automatically. Actually, the pros (yourself included) know that you can choose ...