Home > Designing and creating databases > Editing objects, layout parts, and the layout background > Controlling data input behavior of fields > Allowing or preventing entry into fields

Allowing or preventing entry into fields

You can allow or prevent entry into a field. For example, you can restrict entry into a field containing a serial number, so the field can't be modified. You can set separate Browse and Find mode data entry options, which would allow you to permit finding serialized numbers even though they cannot be entered.

If you allow entry into a field, you can also control whether the entire contents of the field is selected when you click or tab into the field in Browse mode or Find mode. Otherwise, FileMaker Pro places the insertion point after the last character in the field.

To customize entry into a field:

1.	In Layout mode, select one or more fields.

For more information, see Selecting objects. Or you can specify attributes for fields you add later by starting with no fields selected.

2.	Click Inspector in the layout bar, then click Data.

3.	In the Behavior area, for Field entry, select the following options:

 

To	Do this
Prevent entry into a field in Browse mode	Clear Browse Mode.
Prevent entry into a field in Find mode	Clear Find Mode.
Select the entire field's contents when the field is entered	Choose Select entire contents on entry.

Notes

•	Preventing entry into a field only affects the field object on that layout. To always restrict access to a field on any layout of the database, define a privilege set to permit “view only” field access for that field. For more information, see Protecting databases.

•

When you prevent entry into a field in Browse mode, it’s no longer possible to copy data in that field to the Clipboard. If you want to prevent a field from being changed and still permit Clipboard copying, define the field to enter an auto-entered value and select Prohibit modification of value. For more information, see Defining automatic data entry.