FileMaker Tutorial

Through the years, the concept of favorites has become a standard in most software user interfaces. File browsers, media players, and web browsers all implement some form of favorites in one way or another. As a developer, it’s easy for me to overlook this concept in any application or framework, but in FileMaker, the use of favorites has never really been my favorite.

We had an interesting request on a recent project where the client wanted to navigate two portals on a layout using the keyboard. The portals needed to be setup in a way that makes them appear to be one large portal with a static header row in the middle. The client also wanted the interface design to allow for very fast data entry. We concluded that using the navigational keys to navigate the portal would be the best choice, since it performed similar to navigating a spreadsheet.

FileMaker 17’s new ‘Master Detail’ interface object allows the user to see and interact with a portal of the current found set and the detail of a single record at the same time. It can be very helpful in allowing the user to work with their data in a detail view, while staying in the context of a list of records. It’s easy to implement and even easier for users to navigate. Though the portal is handy when it’s being used, it’s often taking up valuable real estate when not in use. So, we’ve developed a helpful enhancement on the basic Master Detail implementation that utilizes the slide-control panel to show and hide the Master Detail portal when not in use, while still allowing quick access when it’s needed.