Troubleshooting

Most of the trouble you'll run into as a user will be with the issues specific to your own database solutions. The best advice we can offer both developers and users is to work together!

When you run into problems, knowing your developer will be a great first step.

Data Loss

I've noticed that I'm suddenly missing some data. What happened ? What can I do?

One of the most critical aspects of your database is its namesake: your data. There's a wide range of possible problems that can impact your data, but the most dangerous is accidentally deleting a record or worse yet, discovering you had the wrong found set when performing a Delete All Records command. FileMaker Pro doesn't have an undo function, so if a record gets deleted, it's gone forever.

Be sure you haven't simply altered your found set to exclude the records you're looking for. Go to R ecords, Sho w All Records to recall all the data in your table.

Back up your data. We can't stress this enough. FileMaker Server 7 deployment best practices and back-up routines are easy to learn. If you're not using FileMaker Server, then just make dated copies of your files and store them on CD or on another computer.

Data Integrity

How do I ensure that the data I have in my database is "good" data?

Making sure good data is entered into your database is vital . If you properly put people's names in the first name and last name fields of a contact database, but your office assistant decides to enter nicknames and other random tidbits, your data will be compromised.

Also, duplicate data is a problem that plagues all databases everywhere. If you've already created a record for, say, Conrad Moyer, you won't want to create a second record for him. What happens if his phone number changes? You'll change one record, but not the other.

Dealing with bad data is a challenge and almost always requires the power of the human brain. Get adept with running find requests . Use the ! mark to find duplicates and use * characters for wildcard characters .

You can also work with your developer to put validation in place, or even build an approval process by which new data is added to your system.

Reverting Records

What does Revert Record do?

As you enter data into fields, that information is not saved ”committed ”until you exit the record in question. You do so by clicking outside any fields or by changing modes, changing layouts, and so on. Before the record is committed, you can choose R ecords, R evert Record. This undoes all the data you've entered while working with active fields. If you've tabbed from field to field, it reverts all those not yet saved. If you have created a new record, it even reverts the entire new record if you've not yet committed it.

File Corruption and File Recovery

What do I do if a file won't open or says it needs to be recovered?

In the rare case that a file is corrupted, you can attempt to recover it by using the File, Recover command. By recovering a file, FileMaker attempts to create a new copy of your database and rebuild its information, structure, and indices. Generally speaking, this is necessary only in drastic circumstances. It is extremely difficult to corrupt a FileMaker Pro 7 file.

Be careful: You should never use a file that has been recovered. The purpose of recovery is to give you access to your data in the case of file corruption. You should immediately import your data into an empty copy of your database backed up prior to when corruption was evidenced. Then be sure to discard both the corrupted and recovered files.