One of the best new features added to version 13 of FileMaker was the Hide Calculation. Not only does it allow you to hide any layout element as needed, but it provides access to the calc engine for creating any $local or $$GLOBAL variables on a layout-by-layout basis. Knowing that all layout elements pass through the hide calculation before being rendered to the user is also a helpful thing to know.

In this video, I’ll walk you through the process of using the Hide calculation in order to make a layout change the provided feature set based on the mode the window is in. When switching between Browse mode and Find mode, there’s a number of things you can do to assist the user in understanding what the current context is and what they can do while in that context.

Not only does this take advantage of FileMaker’s native feature set, but provides you with an unlimited opportunity to make your user interface that much easier to understand.

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