Show Custom Dialog
Purpose 
Displays a custom message dialog box, with custom text and labels.
Format 
Show Custom Dialog [<title>; <message text>; Table1::input field 1;...]
Options 
Click Specify to display the “Show Custom Dialog” Options dialog box, where you can set the dialog box title, message text, and buttons, and specify up to three fields to use for input or display.
General options
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Title lets you specify the title of the custom dialog box. You can enter literal text or click Specify to create the dialog box title from a calculation.
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Message lets you specify the message of the dialog box.You can enter literal text or click Specify to create the message text from a calculation.
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Button Labels let you specify how many buttons (up to three) to display in the custom dialog box and labels for these buttons. If you leave a button label blank, the button does not appear in the custom dialog box. If you leave all button titles blank, an OK button displays in the lower-right corner of the custom dialog box.
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Commit Data checkboxes let you specify which buttons commit data to the database.
Input Field options
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Select Show input field <n> to activate an input field.
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Select Specify to choose the field for input. Each input area maps to one field.
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Select Use password character (*) to mask text as it is entered, or as it is displayed from the database. This option obscures data being input into the custom dialog box or being displayed, but does not alter the actual data as it is stored in the database.
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Use Label to specify a field label (the text that will identify this input to the user.) You can enter literal text or create the label from a calculation.
Compatibility 
 
Where the script step runs 
Supported 
FileMaker Pro 
Yes 
FileMaker Server scheduled script 
No 
FileMaker Go 
Yes 
Custom Web Publishing 
No 
Instant Web Publishing 
No 
Runtime solution 
Yes 
Originated in 
FileMaker Pro 6.0 or earlier
Description 
The custom message dialog box can take user input for up to three fields in the database, and display data from up to three fields in the database. The script pauses as long as the custom dialog box stays on the screen. Fields used for input can be of type text, number, date, time, timestamp, or container. Your custom dialog box can also have up to three buttons, with custom button titles.
Use the Get(LastMessageChoice) function to determine which button the user presses.
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1 for the first button (by default, labeled OK)
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2 for the second button (by default, labeled Cancel)
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3 for the third button
Notes
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If values entered into input fields don’t match the field type, a validation error message displays. The user must resolve validation errors before the dialog box can be closed. See Defining field validation for more information.
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The fields you specify don’t need to appear on the current layout. Show Custom Dialog input fields are independent of layouts, similar to the Set Field script step.
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Data can't be inserted into calculation or summary fields.
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Show Custom Dialog ignores any field entry options. See Allowing or preventing entry into fields for more information.
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Data entry via the Show Custom Dialog script step is limited by any access privileges criteria that may be in place. (Select Run script with full access privileges to enable the script for all users.)
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(Windows) You can create a keyboard shortcut for a custom dialog box button by placing an ampersand before the shortcut key letter in the button label. For example, to create a keyboard shortcut ‘D’ (Alt+D) for a button labeled ‘Done’, type the label ‘&Done’.
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For databases created with pre-12 versions of FileMaker Pro that are opened with FileMaker Pro 12, the Commit Data checkbox for Default Button is selected when you open the Show Custom Dialog dialog box.
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Before you change the data commitment status of a button for a database that’s already in use, consider the behavior that users currently expect of the button and how changing its behavior could affect the validity of data committed (or not committed) to the database.
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To develop more-complex custom dialog boxes, you can use the New Window script step.
Example 1
The following performs a search using a custom dialog box. The dialog box asks users to enter a customer name and city. The dialog box shows a custom title, custom text, and two input fields.
#This script begins by entering Find mode.
Enter Find Mode []
#The custom dialog box solicits the name and city of the customer to be found.
Show Custom Dialog ["Find a customer"; "Enter the name and city
of the customer below:"; Customers::Name; Customers::City]
#In this example, button 1 is "OK" and button 2 is "Cancel."
If [Get (LastMessageChoice) = 1]
#If the user selects button 1, the Find is performed.
Perform Find [Restore]
End If
Example 2
The following creates a new record and enters data via a custom dialog box. The dialog box asks users to enter a product ID, product description, and product cost. The dialog box shows a custom title, custom text, and three input fields. If the user cancels the dialog box, the record is deleted.
#In this example, you must create a new record before you can enter data in it.
New Record/Request
#The custom dialog box solicits information from the user.
Show Custom Dialog ["Product information"; "Enter identifying
information for this product:"; Products::ProductID;
Products::Product description; Products::Product cost]
#After the user exits the custom dialog box, the script evaluates
which button the user has selected.
#In this example, button 1 is "OK" and button 2 is "Cancel."
If [Get (LastMessageChoice) = 2]
#If the user cancels the script, the record created at the beginning of the script is deleted.
Delete Record/Request [No dialog]
End If
Related topics 
Script steps reference (alphabetical list)
Script steps reference (category list)
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