Essential Shortcuts by Group

In this section well call out shortcuts we believe are essential in each of a number of areas. Well also delve into some more specialized or lesser-known shortcuts in each area as well.

Keyboard Essentials

Shortcuts in this section should be required knowledge for all FileMaker developers. If you haven mastered these, you need to spend more time with FileMaker!

Working with Modes

Function

Mac Key

Windows Key

Browse Mode

-B

Ctrl+B

Layout Mode

-L

Ctrl+L

Find Mode

-F

Ctrl+F

Preview Mode

-U

Ctrl+U


Working with Files

Function

Mac Key

Windows Key

Open (File)

-O

Ctrl+O

Open Remote (File)

Shift--O

Ctrl+Shift+O

Force a password dialog to display when opening a file.

Hold down the Option key while opening the file.

Hold down the Shift key while opening the file.


Working with Records

Function

Mac Key

Windows Key

New Record/Request/Layout

-N

Ctrl+N

Delete Record/Request/Layout

+E

Ctrl+E

Duplicate Record/Request

-D

Ctrl+D

Omit Record

-T

Ctrl+T

Show All Records

-J

Ctrl+J

Sort Records

-S

Ctrl-S


Developer Essentials

Function

Mac Key

Windows Key

Define Fields

Shift--D

Shift+Ctrl+D

Define Custom Functions

 

Alt+F+D+C

Define Value Lists

 

Alt+F+D+V

ScriptMaker

Shift--S

Shift+Ctrl+S


When using keyboard shortcuts, keep the following in mind:

  • Its possible to hold down the Option key (Mac) or Shift key (Windows) to skip a confirmation dialog when deleting an item, be it a record, a field, a script step, or the like. The sole exception concerns deleting a layout: FileMaker will always prompt you before deleting a layout.
  • The only available shortcuts for Define Custom Functions and Define Value Lists are Windows Alt-key combinations. This is unfortunate because these tools form an integral part of at least our own development processes, so wed love to see a single shortcut working on both Mac and PC for each of these items.

Navigation

The shortcuts in this section are not only concerned with moving around between records, but also between layouts and among found sets of records.

Function

Mac Key

Windows Key

Next/Previous Record

Ctrl-up/down arrow

Ctrl+up/down arrow

Next/Previous Layout

  

Next/Previous Request

  

Next/Previous Page

  

Hide/Unhide Status Area

-Option-S

Ctrl+Shift+S

Zoom/Unzoom Window

-Option-Z

Ctrl+Shift+Z

Omit Multiple Records

-Shift-M

Ctrl+Shift+M


When using shortcuts for navigation, keep the following in mind:

  • The Ctrl+up/down arrow shortcut has a different meaning in each mode; in Browse mode it moves between records, in Layout mode between layouts, in Find mode between find requests, and in Preview mode between different pages of the output.
  • In order to omit all records from the current record to the end of the found set, perform the Omit Multiple Records command and choose a very large number of records to omit. FileMaker will respond that it can only omit a certain number of records, and fill in the correct number of remaining records. You can then go ahead and omit these without needing to calculate the exact number yourself.

Data Entry and Formatting

The shortcuts in this section have to do with the mechanics of putting data into fields, and with formatting data after its been entered into a field.

Function

Mac Key

Windows Key

Select All

-A

Ctrl+A

Cut, Copy, Paste

-X, C, V

Ctrl+X, C, V

Copy Current Record (When Not In A Field)

-C

Ctrl+C

Copy All Records

-Opt-C

Ctrl+Shift+C

Paste Without Text Styles

-Opt-V

Ctrl+Alt+V

Plain Text

Shift--P

Ctrl+Shift+P

Bold Text

Shift--B

Ctrl+Shift+B

Italic Text

Shift--I

Ctrl+Shift+I

Underline Text

Shift--U

Ctrl+Shift+U

Left-Justify Selected Text

-[

Ctrl+[

Center Selected Text

-

Ctrl+

Right-Justify Selected Text

-]

Ctrl+]

Increase/Decrease Font Size

Shift-->/<

Ctrl+Shift+>/<

Insert Current Date

-

Ctrl+

Insert Current Time/Timestamp

-;

Ctrl+;

Insert Non-breaking Space Into Text

Opt-space

Ctrl+space

Insert Tab Character Into Text

Opt-tab

Ctrl+tab


Be aware of the following when using keyboard shortcuts for data entry and formatting:

  • Using Ctrl+C or -C in Browse mode when youre not in any field of the current record will copy the entire record as tab-delimited text. Using -Opt-C or Ctrl+Shift+C will copy all records in the found set, again as a tab-delimited text block.
  • ->/< or Ctrl+Shift+>/< to increase or decrease font sizes will normally move the font size up or down through the list of "standard" font sizes. If you hold down Shift (Windows) or Option (Mac), the changes will occur in one-point increments instead.
  • images/U2318.jpg border=0>/Ctrl+; shortcut will insert the current time if the selected field is of type text, time, or number, but will insert the current timestamp if the current field is of type timestamp.

Defining Fields

The shortcuts in this section work only within the Fields tab of the Define Database dialog.

Function

Mac Key

Windows Key

Define Database

Shift--D

Ctrl+Shift+D

Text Data Type

-T

Ctrl+T

Number Data Type

-N

Ctrl+N

Date Data Type

-D

Ctrl+D

Time Data Type

-I

Ctrl+I

Timestamp Data Type

-M

Ctrl+M

Container Data Type

-R

Ctrl+R

Calculation Data Type

-L

Ctrl+L

Summary Data Type

-S

Ctrl+S

Field Options

Shift--O

Alt+N

Reorder Tables or Fields in a List

-

Ctrl+


Working with the Relationships Graph

There are quite a large number of keyboard shortcuts and techniques that apply to the Relationships Graph. The following is a selection of the most useful: Consult the online help for a full listing.

Function

Mac Key

Windows Key

New Table Occurrence

Shift--T

Ctrl+Shift+T

New Relationship

Shift--R

Ctrl+Shift+R, Insert

New Text Note

Shift--N

Ctrl+Shift+N

Duplicate Selected Items

-D

Ctrl+D

Select All Table Occurences Directly Related to the Current Table Occurrence

-R

Ctrl+R

Select All Table Occurences with the Same Source Table As the Current Table Occurrence

-S

Ctrl+S

Toggle the Display Mode of Selected Table Occurrences (Toggles Among Fully Expanded, Fields, and Table Name Table and Related Name Alone)

-T

Ctrl+T


Following are some additional shortcuts to be aware of:

  • The Up, Down, Left, and Right arrows can be used to cycle through the elements of the Graph (table occurrences, relationships, notes), selecting each one in turn. Once an item has been selected, other keyboard shortcuts can open the item for editing.
  • Typing on the keyboard will select objects containing text that matches what is being typed.
  • Using the Option/Shift key in conjunction with the arrow keys will move any selected table occurrences.
  • Using Ctrl+Shift in combination with the arrow keys will resize any selected table occurrences.

Working with Layouts

Layout mode is where FileMakers famously quick-to-develop GUIs (graphical user interfaces) get built. A thorough knowledge of important layout shortcuts is a must-have for a FileMaker developer.

Function

Mac Key

Windows Key

Group

-R

Ctrl+R

Ungroup

Shift--R

Ctrl+Shift+R

Lock

Opt--L

Ctrl+Alt+L

Unlock

Shift-Opt--L

Ctrl+Alt+Shift+L

Bring Forward

Shift--[

Ctrl+Shift+[

Bring to Front

Opt--[

Ctrl+Alt+[

Send Backward

Shift--]

Ctrl+Shift+]

Send to Back

Opt--]

Ctrl+Alt+]

Align Left, Right, Top, Bottom

Opt--

Ctrl+Alt+

Field Control Setup

Shift--F

Ctrl+Shift+F

Field Control Behavior

Shift--K

Ctrl+Shift+K

Field Control Borders

Shift--B

Ctrl+Shift+B

Insert Merge Field

Shift--M

Ctrl=Shift+M

View Object Sizes

 

Alt+V+Z

Select Similar Objects

Opt--A

Ctrl+Shift+A


When working with layouts, the following may also be of some value:

  • In Layout mode, -dragging or Ctrl+dragging will cause all objects touched by the selection rectangle to be selected. This can be easier than dragging a selection rectangle that fully encloses the desired objects.
  • -A/Ctrl+Shift+A to select all objects of the same type as the currently selected objects. You can use this technique to select all text labels, for example.
  • The Object Size window is extremely useful for exact positioning of objects. We usually set the measurement units to pixels. Unfortunately, the only shortcut to this feature at present is an Alt-key combination on Windows.
  • Shift-dragging restricts the movement of selected objects to a horizontal or vertical direction.
  • Ctrl+/-dragging will create a duplicate of the selected objects.
  • or Ctrl key, will drag a duplicate of selected objects along a horizontal or vertical axis.
  • Any object formatting options chosen while no layout object is selected will become the defaults for any new objects. If you images/U2318.jpg border=0>-click (Mac) or Ctrl+click (Windows) an existing object, its attributes will become the default.

Scripting

There are a number of useful shortcuts that pertain to ScriptMaker.

Function

Mac Key

Windows Key

Open ScriptMaker

-Shift-S

Ctrl+Shift+S

Scroll Through Script List

Up/Down arrows

Up/Down arrows

Move Selected Script Up or Down in the List

Ctrl-Up/Down arrows

Ctrl+Up/Down arrows

Toggle Checkbox to Include Selected Script in Scripts Menu

Space

Space

Select a Script by Name (When Scripts List Is Active)

Begin typing script name

Begin typing script name

Select All Scripts

-A

Ctrl+A

Copy Selected Scripts (A)

-C

Ctrl+C

Paste Copied Script(s) (A)

-V

Ctrl+V

Navigate Up or Down Through Available Script Steps

Up/Down arrows

Up/Down arrows

Select a Script Step by Name (When Script Steps List Is Active)

Begin typing script name

Begin typing script name

Insert Selected Script Step into Script

Return/Enter or Space

Enter

Select All Script Steps

-A

Ctrl+A

Copy Selected Script Steps (A)

-C

Ctrl+C

Paste Copied Script Steps (A)

-V

Ctrl+V

Move Selected Script Steps Up or Down in the List

Ctrl-Up/Down arrows

Ctrl+Up/Down arrows

Delete Selected Script Steps

Delete

Backspace/Delete


Note that functions marked with an (A) are only available in FileMaker Pro Advanced.

When editing a script step that has options accessible via a Specify button, pressing the spacebar on the Mac is generally equivalent to clicking the Specify button. On Windows, Alt+F accomplishes the same thing.

Navigating the FileMaker Interface

A number of shortcuts can help you navigate through the FileMaker interface itself. Using keyboard commands, you can trigger buttons, move between elements of a dialog box, and scroll quickly though pop-up lists and menus.

Function

Mac Key

Windows Key

Move Between Tabs in a Dialog Box

 

Ctrl+Tab

Move Backward and Forward Between Items Within a Dialoh

Shift-Tab/Tab

Shift+Tab/Tab

Move Up and Down Within a Pop-up List or Menu

Up/Down arrow

Up/Down arrow

Move to Beginning or End of a Pop-up List or Menu

Home/End

Home/End

Cancel a Dialog

Esc

Esc

Submit a Dialog (Choose the Default Button)

Enter

Enter


The Mac OS has weaker support for tabbing through and activating elements in a dialog box. For those dialogs where its possible to do this on the Mac OS, only a few of the elements are accessible via the keyboard. In Windows, by contrast, virtually every aspect of a dialog can be selected and triggered via the keyboard.



: FileMaker Specifications

FileMaker 8 Product Line

Specifications and Storage Limits

Field Types and Import/Export Formats

: Calculation Functions

Working with Calculations Primer

Calculation Signatures

Calculation Functions

: Custom Functions

Custom Functions Primer

Useful Custom Functions

: Script Steps

Scripting Primer

Script Step Reference

: Quick Reference

FileMaker Error Codes

FileMaker Keyboard Shortcuts

FileMaker Network Ports

FileMaker Server Command Line Reference

FileMaker XML Reference

: Other Resources

Where to Go for More Information



FileMaker 8 Functions and Scripts Desk Reference
FileMaker 8 Functions and Scripts Desk Reference
ISBN: 0789735113
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2004
Pages: 352

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