Can't see tables or fields in Manage Database window

[VirtualBob]

I'm working in an environment where a large database is on the server and accessed by many. When I log in to FileMaker via an account that has admin rights, I can get into Layout view, but when I bring up the Manage Database window, that should diplay Tables | Fields | Relationships, I can see the relationships but the Table and Fields views are empty? I've looked at different related files and they are the same. I'm not familiar with this environment so can anyone tell me what is going on? Filemaker 11 Advanced. The related tables are seperate files.

 

Thanks

 

[Vaughan]

It could be a couple of things.

 

1) the solution uses an "interface" file which is empty of data. All the data tables and fields live in the related files. All you'll see in the interface file is a few table occurrences in the relationship graph, there need not be any "local" tables in this file.

 

2) the file has corruption and you're in big trouble. Start looking for backup copies. Really.

 

I'd guess that reason 1 is what's happened. I hope it's not reason 2.

 

BTW I hope that the server is running FMS, and the file is not being accessed through a shared network volume. Shared network volumes are bad for FMP files.

[VirtualBob]

Thanks, As for (1) I thought that at first but then I've looked in many of the related files, confirmed that the fields are from that file in Layout view, but still as above. Can someone have limited admin access that lets them access Manage Database but not view tables and fields?( I'd expect these to be greyed out, not invisible). About 6 PCs access the files so I'm assuming its using FMS.

[IdealData]

As Vaughan has pointed out this is probably a pure interface file. It dos not have any tables, ergo no fields and therefore the database manager has nothing to show about tables/fields.

 

The database manager is restricted to displaying table and field information to "local" tables that must reside within the database file.

[VirtualBob]

Thanks - so where do I find the tables for the file? If the file is called People and clicking on a field in layout view says something like Current Table People in the window head, where is the hint to the location of the table? Is there something in the relationship graph that would point to the location of the table and fields?

[bcooney]

Bob, what happened to the original developer?

[IdealData]

Bob, I'm going to 2nd bcooney here. You are wandering into a very advanced area of FileMaker and it is very easy to break. You are working on a live system and there's no evidence yet that you have backups running.

 

As you said:

 

I'm not familiar with this environment so can anyone tell me what is going on?

 

 

Stop now, and contact the original developer.