FileMaker Fundamentals: Field Types & Specifics

by Matt Petrowsky

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One of FileMaker's great advantages is that you don't have to be so specific when creating your fields. Specific in terms of how many bits and bytes you're going to store in every field. All you really need to do is pick the field type and then set any conditions you desire.

However, when it comes to conditions, you need to know what can be set and how to do so. There's always those hidden little tidbits such as using the Length() function on a container field in order to get the byte size of an image.

Then you also have issues related to image or file storage and making sure things either are (or aren't) pushed into the database and are stored as a reference instead.

Enforcing your data rules by using validation and script triggers are also specifics you need to know about within FileMaker Pro.