FileMaker Pro 9: The Missing Manual

How Security Works

FileMaker’s security system has two levels of control: who can get into your database in the first place and what they can do once they’re there. You determine who gets access to your database by setting up user accounts, and you control what each person can do by assigning privilege sets to each account.

Who Gets Access

FileMaker understands that different individuals access your database. The who part of security is important for several reasons. For instance, Malcolm and Lois each need access to the database, but their manager Craig doesn’t. You get to decide who gets access. With individual accounts, you can keep track of who’s in the file. If Lois leaves the company, you need to keep her from accessing the database in the future. Likewise, when Lois’s replacement is hired, you need to give him access, too.

In FileMaker, you create an account for each person who accesses the database. Just like any password-protected document, an account has a user name and a password. When people open the database, they have to type a name and password to get in. If they don’t know the right combination, they can’t see your database. If they get the password right, FileMaker assumes they are who they say they are.

Note

When FileMaker asks for an account name and password, propeller-heads say it’s authenticating the user. In other words, it’s making sure the user’s for real. The actual window that pops up on the screen is called the Authentication dialog box, and the whole process ...