FileMaker Pro 9: The Missing Manual

FileMaker Network Sharing

The easiest way to share your data is with FileMaker Network Sharing. If you already have a network in your office, and a few copies of FileMaker, you’re ready to share your database. First, you put all your databases on one computer. Then open those files, change a few settings in each file, and call that computer the host. Each computer that opens those files is called a guest, since it opens the same databases that are on the host. Up to nine guests can connect to one host.

Once you’re set up, all nine people can work in the database at the same time, adding, editing, and deleting records, performing finds, printing, and running scripts. No two people can work in the same record at the same time, though. Once you’re sharing files, you need to revisit the topic of record locking. See the box on Configuring file access for a refresher.

Note

You can do more than just browse data in a shared database. If your privilege set allows it, you can add or modify tables and fields, manage relationships, work in Layout mode, and even write scripts. When you do, the same one-at-a-time concept applies: Only one person can edit a particular script or layout at a time, and only one person can use the Manage → Database window. As soon as one person saves the layout or script or closes the Manage Database window, someone else is free to hop in.

Setting Up a Host Computer

To set up the host, open the databases you want to share on one computer, and then choose Edit → Sharing ...