Copy a layout from another FM solution ?

[Jack]

How do I copy a layout that I have developed for one FileMaker program (example: tabbed interface) to another FM program ?

Thanks.

Jack

[CobaltSky]

You cannot copy the settings (layout name, columns, view as options) or the basic set-up (parts and their sizes and background colors).

But once you've set up these basics, you can copy all the layout objects including graphics, fields, buttons etc.

To do this, first place a rectangle in the topmost left corener of the layout you want to copy (this will act as a position referencing tool for all the other objects, so you can locate them in exactly the same places on the layout in the other file) then select all and copy. In the other file, first click once with the mouse in the top teft of the layout, then choose paste.

After this procedure, delete the top left corner rectangles from both files, as they are no longer needed.

An important consideration is that any fields copied between the files will automatically attach to any field of the same name in the new file. This means that getting the fields set up and the names matched is a good thing to do before you copy the layout objects across. Fields which don't have exact counterparts (in terms of field name) in the new file will have to be manually attached after pasting by double clicking on them and choosing a field from the 'Specify Field' listing.

Scripts are not so straightforward. Buttons which are attached to commands copy across fine (though their parameters may or may not have meaning - eg go to layout may no longer be able to find the specified layout to go to), but those which may be attached to scripts attempt to attach to a script with the same ID number (rather than by name) so they will all need to be checked or else some very weird (and downright dangerous) mismatches can result.

[Jack]

Thanks !!

Couldn'y have figured it out without you.....

It worked easily & smoothly !!

jack