FileMaker Extra: Indexing in FileMaker

FileMaker Extra Indexing in FileMaker

One of the more significant changes in FileMaker 7 and 8 revolves around indexing. In prior versions, indexing was restricted to 60 characters total, broken into blocks of up to 20-character words. Relationships had to be built around match fields, or keys, that were relatively short and generally nondescriptive. This is one of the reasons why we generally advocate using simple serial numbers for indexing purposes. It's rare that you'd need more than 20 digits to serialize the records in a data table.

In FileMaker 8, words can be indexed up to approximately 100 characters. Text fields can be indexed to a total of 800 characters, and numbers can be indexed up to 400 digits. The limits to indexing have been effectively removed.

What this means to developers is that we can now use far more complex concatenated key combinations (ironically there will be less of that in FileMaker 8, given that data can be related across multiple tables), use longer alphanumeric keys, or, as we suggested earlier, introduce a descriptive elements to keys.

In the past, FileMaker Pro would identify "Special_Edition_Using_FileMaker_8" (32 characters) as identical to "Special_Edition_Using_MS_Access"clearly a terrible mistake to make. It's now possible to match against paragraphs of text or very large numbers. Determining matches will be more exact and finds and sorts more robust.


Part I: Getting Started with FileMaker 8

FileMaker Overview

Using FileMaker Pro

Defining and Working with Fields

Working with Layouts

Part II: Developing Solutions with FileMaker

Relational Database Design

Working with Multiple Tables

Working with Relationships

Getting Started with Calculations

Getting Started with Scripting

Getting Started with Reporting

Part III: Developer Techniques

Developing for Multiuser Deployment

Implementing Security

Advanced Interface Techniques

Advanced Calculation Techniques

Advanced Scripting Techniques

Advanced Portal Techniques

Debugging and Troubleshooting

Converting Systems from Previous Versions of FileMaker Pro

Part IV: Data Integration and Publishing

Importing Data into FileMaker Pro

Exporting Data from FileMaker

Instant Web Publishing

FileMaker and Web Services

Custom Web Publishing

Part V: Deploying a FileMaker Solution

Deploying and Extending FileMaker

FileMaker Server and Server Advanced

FileMaker Mobile

Documenting Your FileMaker Solutions



Using FileMaker 8
Special Edition Using FileMaker 8
ISBN: 0789735121
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2007
Pages: 296

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