FileMaker "raw data" view?

December 18, 2008 7:05 PM

Is there a "raw data" view in FileMaker?

I'm learning FileMaker the hard/fun way, by getting lost and finding my way out. It would be very very helpful if there was a view into my database that just showed the data, split up by table and fields. I'm used to this with various MySQL tools I've used, but can't seem to find an analog for FileMaker.

By way of example: I'm trying to get a boolean checkbox to work (checked: 1, not checked: 0) but am having a hard time troubleshooting because I don't know the results of my checkbox. I know that I can create a field that returns the value (then delete it before I go live), but that seems kludgey and annoying.

Does what I want exist?

posted by wemayfreeze to Computers & Internet (3 answers total)

Best answer: Not exactly. You can view the contents of the fields -- just create a new layout and put all (or whatever subset) of the fields you want on the layout. Switch to browse mode and there's your data.

You can also (in Browse mode) go to the View menu and choose View as Table, which will give you a pseudo-spreadsheet view.

Your checkbox is actually a bit tricky to pull off in FileMaker.

You can get this to work by defining the field as a Number field with a self-modifying, auto-enter calculation:

Case(
IsEmpty(Self); 0;
Self
)

Create a value list (contents: 1), format the field as a checkbox, and define the checkbox to use the value list.

Another way to do this is with a toggling script: an If and several Else If statements:

If [ IsEmpty(myField) ]
SetField [myField; 1]
Else If [myField = 1]
SetField [myField; 0]
Else
SetField [myField; 1]
EndIf

Format the field as a checkbox but shrink it down so that it's a square. Then define it as a button that performs the above script.

I don't know if the above is clear, but maybe it's enough to get you going in the right direction? If not, ask away!
posted by mosk at 10:15 PM on December 18, 2008

Is it "View menu" -> Table View?
(Don't have the program on this computer, but there's definitely a way to see it looking like a spreadsheet.)
posted by salvia at 1:20 AM on December 19, 2008

Response by poster: Thanks all for the help here. The project fell off the map for a while so it's taken me a while to get back on it. It seems strange that FileMaker doesn't have the functionality I want, but it looks like mosk's methods may work.

Thanks!
posted by wemayfreeze at 10:14 AM on January 17, 2009