FileMaker Pro
Version 4.1
Windows and Macintosh

FileMaker Pro 4.1 Tutorial

Getting Started

Mac: Select FileMaker Pro 4.1 from your Apple Menu, or double-click on your Macintosh hard drive, then double click on the FileMaker Pro folder. When the folder opens up, double-click on the FileMaker Pro icon (the icon with one large folder and "FileMaker Pro" beneath).

PC: Click the Start button and select FileMaker Pro 4.1 from the Programs menu.

Building a new database

  1. On a Mac: When FileMaker Pro opens, you will be presented with a dialog box; on the right side of this opening dialog box click the "New" button. You may be presented with an alternate dialog box, entitled "Create a New Database," with three radio buttons to the left side. If you see this box, click the button for "Create a new empty file," then click OK. You will be prompted by the Save dialog box. Name your file "test," choose where to save it, and then click on Save.

    On a PC: When FileMaker Pro opens, you will be presented with a dialog box called Open New or Existing File. Name your file "test," choose where to save it, and then click on Open. Select Yes when asked if you want to create the file.

  2. Now a blank template entitled "test" will appear, with another dialog box "Define fields for 'test'" in front of it. Your cursor will be placed in the Field Name box. This is where you label (assign names to) the various fields you will be using in your database. Entitle this first field "First," for first name, then click on the Create button in the lower right hand corner. You will notice that "First" now appears in the top section of the dialog box, under "Field Name," and the "Type" is shown as "text." This is because the button for text has been automatically selected in the lower left hand section of the dialog box; that is fine for now.

  3. Clear the Field name box and type in the next name, "Last" (for last name); again, click on Create and "Last" will appear in the top section under "First."

  4. Continue defining your field names, with: Address, Apartment, City, State, and Zip Code, in the same manner.

  5. The last field name will have a different type. To change the type, click the button for Number in the lower left hand section of the dialog box. Then type "Phone" under field name and click create. Now that all of the field names have been defined, you can click on Done. All the field names you have created are placed in an empty record on the screen, in a standard layout. The mode has reverted from Layout to Browse (which you can see on the bottom left corner of the screen).

    A Word on Modes: Clicking the Done button changed your mode to Browse automatically, but you can also change your modes in the Mode menu. Browse and Layout allow you to perform different tasks; in the Browse mode you can enter data, edit records, and sort information. In the Layout mode you can define new fields (as you just have), create new layouts, add fields to layouts, change the appearance of the layout by setting the size and position of the fields, and add graphic elements to your document. Your current mode will appear in the lower left hand corner of the screen; you can also determine which mode you are working in under the Mode menu (the current mode will be checked).


  6. Now fill in the first record with your personal information, using the Tab key to progress down the fields. When you have finished, click off the field to save it and pull down the Mode menu. Select "New Record" and fill in another record with your best friend's information. Save it and make 4 more records (you can make up names and addresses if you wish). This will provide enough records for you to work with.

Adding a Field to Your Database and Rearranging the Layout

This part of the lesson will demonstrate how you can include more information in your records by adding fields.

  1. While in Layout mode, pull down the File menu at the top of the screen and select "Define" and then "Fields." Your cursor will be placed in the Field Name box. Type in the field name "Middle INIT" and click the Create button, then the Done button. The new field, Middle INIT, is placed as the last item in your database. Now you will want to move it to its correct place, between "Last," and "Address."

  2. Place your cursor directly on the field name "First" and click once. You will note that "First" is now surrounded by four black squares. Move your cursor to the right, onto the first name field box (where you enter the first name information), hold down the shift key and click once. Now the field box is also surrounded by squares too. Move your cursor down, directly onto the field name "Last," hold down the shift key and click once so that "Last" is surrounded by four black squares. Finally, move your cursor to the right, onto the field box (where you enter the last name information), hold down the shift key and click once again. You should have First, Last, and their corresponding field boxes, 'highlighted' -- that is, each surrounded by little black squares.

  3. Place your cursor in the middle of these top two fields, click (and hold) and drag the 'highlighted' portion of the layout up to the top of the FileMaker screen (which will only be about a half inch). You will note that the entire highlighted portion of the layout was moved up. You should now have an open space where the field "Middle INIT" can go -- that is, between the "Last" and "Address" fields. If you do not have this space, try doing Steps 2 and 3 of this section again.

  4. Place your cursor directly on the field name "Middle INIT" and click once, so that the four black squares appear around the field name. Move your cursor to the right, onto the actual Middle INIT field box, hold down the shift key and click once so that both the field name and its box are 'highlighted.' Click on the Middle INIT field box and drag it into the open space between the First and Last fields (you may need to do some adjusting of the field names and boxes to have everything line up correctly). You are almost done now!

  5. Finally, you need to make sure that the topmost fields of your data base are not within the layout area designated as "Header" area. To move the layout so that the entire record is safely within the layout area designated "Body," pull down the Edit menu at the top of your screen, and select Select All. Place the cursor on one of the field name boxes, click and hold to drag the entire record into the layout area designated "Body."

Filling in Information after Rearranging the Layout, and Searching for a Record

  1. Pull down the Mode menu at the top of your screen and select Browse. To fill in the middle initial fields in your database, make sure you have your first record selected and on your screen. To make sure: At the left of your screen you will notice a gray strip with a box at the top, labeled "Layout #1." Below "Layout #1" is a notebook with a number underneath. The number underneath the notebook is called a 'record number indicator' and shows which record number appears on your screen. If the record number indicator says you are on Record 1, great. Start filling in the middle initials on all your records (we'll get to how to "flip through" records in a moment). If you are on Record 2 or some record other than 1, place your cursor on the tiny rectangle sticking out of the "pages" of the record number indicator (known as the bookmark) and drag it all the way to the top of the notebook. You will notice that the record on your screen now displays your first record and also that the record number indicator tells you are are on Record 1.

  2. To fill in the new field in your records, place your cursor to the right of the field name "Middle INIT," and click once so that the dotted field boxes appear; type the middle initial. Click in any of the white space on your screen outside of the record to save it. You can edit any field in any record this way; by first clicking inside the field box, retyping the information, and then clicking anywhere in the white space outside the field to save your changes.

  3. To get to your second (and subsequent) record(s) of your database, place your cursor on the second page of the notebook at the far left of your screen and click. You will notice that the record number indicator now reads "2," and also, Record #2 is now appearing on your screen. You can also slide the bookmark and drag it down the right side of the notebook to move to other records.

  4. Now try searching for the record with your own information. Pull down the Mode menu at the top of your screen and select Find. Enter any single piece (or a combination) of information present in the record you are searching for. You could, for example, use your zip code. Click the Find button on the vertical gray bar to the left of your screen, or press return. Your desired record should appear. To view the rest of your records, pull down the Select menu at the top of your screen and select "Find All."

Creating Columnar and Label Layouts

  1. In FileMaker Pro, you can create new layouts using the data from your records. Let's create a phone contact list for our example. Go to the Layout mode and choose "New Layout" from the Mode menu. Next, check the bullet for Columnar Report and name the report "List," when you are prompted for a "Layout Name" and click OK. In the Specify Field Order window you will see "Current File" on the left and "Field Order" on the right. Click on "First" under Current File and then click on the Move button in the center. "First" will now be on the list at the right. Move the "Last" and "Phone" fields to the Field Order list. Click on OK.

  2. Now go into Browse mode and look at the data. Unlike the standard layout, where there is an open type of form with a header, body and footer for each record, here you have one header containing field labels, and one body containing all of the records.

  3. The next step in learning about layouts is to make a label layout. While you are in Layout mode, choose "New Layout" from the Mode menu. Next, check the bullet for Labels and name it Labels in the "Layout Name" box and click OK. In the "Label Setup" window, choose Avery 5160 from the pulldown menu and click OK. Then, in the "Specify Layout Contents" window, choose first, last, address, city, state and zip by double-clicking on each field name in the upper window. They will be added to the lower window. Add in spaces, carriage returns, and commas as needed: they will not be inserted automatically.

    When you are done, click OK." Finally, choose the Browse mode to view the labels in their final format. Notice that at first you only see the first label.

  4. You can move between layouts and sort; in the top left corner of your window just under the title bar you will see a box with the word Labels. This is the name of the layout that you are in right now. If you want to move to another layout, click on that box to get a pop-up menu of the other layouts you have created. Because you named your layouts List and Labels, you can identify which one is which. Choosing a name from the pop-up list will bring you to that layout. Choose the Labels layout. From the Mode menu, choose Sort. In the "Sort Records" window you will see a list on the left called Current File and a list on the right (which should be empty) called Sort Order. Click on the Zip field under Current File and then click on the Move button in the middle of the window. Zip will appear in the Sort Order list. Highlight Zip and make sure the bullet for "Ascending Order" is filled in and click on Sort.

    Check the Labels layout in Browse mode to make sure they are sorted according to zip code.

Closing and Quitting

  1. Now that you are familiar with how to use FileMaker Pro, use the FileMaker Pro Reference for information about other features.
  2. You can now close the database and quit FileMaker Pro. If you are using a Mac, from the File menu choose Quit. On a PC, from the File menu choose Exit.

Computing at Wellesley Page

Macintosh Documentation Page

PC Documentation Page