Home > Designing and creating databases > Editing objects, layout parts, and the layout background > Selecting and working with objects on a layout > Specifying the display state for an object

Specifying the display state for an object

You can specify attributes indicating the state of an object, which gives database users visual feedback for actions they take. For example, you can format a button so it displays in a slightly darker color when a user clicks the button, or you can indicate that the current record displays in a contrasting color in List View.

To specify the display state for an object:

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

See Selecting objects.

Note  To have the active (current) record or alternating records display with a different fill in List View, select the Body part label. The body part is considered to be an object in the following steps.

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

The object type drop-down list (at the top of the Appearance tab) displays the type of the selected object. If you select objects of different types, FileMaker Pro displays Selected Objects.

3.	For objects with several components (for example, portals or slide controls), choose from the object type drop-down list.

4.	Choose a state from the object state drop-down list (below the object type drop-down list).

 

Choose	To display the object or layout part as specified when
Normal or Inactive	The object is available to the user, but is not currently selected.
In Focus	The object has been activated by a mouse-click, the Tab key, or a script.
Hover	The user pauses the pointer over the object.
Pressed	The mouse button is held down on a clickable object.
Primary	The body layout part is viewed in Form View or List View or related records are displayed in the rows of a portal. Setting the Primary state fills the background of the body part or all rows in a portal.
Alternate	The object identifies an even-numbered record in List View or a portal.
Active	The object identifies the current record in List View, the selected row in a portal, or the current panel in a panel control.

5.	Set style attributes for the display state for the object or part. See Setting the fill, line style, and borders for objects, layout parts, and the layout background and Adding shadows and padding to layout objects.

6.	Repeat steps 3-5 to specify additional display states for the object or part.

Notes

•	Conditional formatting is ignored when an object is In Focus.

•	You can copy and paste formatting attributes for all the display states of an object or only the selected state of an object. See Copying formatting attributes between layout objects, parts, or backgrounds.

•	To change whether alternating records are displayed with a different fill, or whether the current record is displayed with a different fill in List View, change settings in the Part Definition dialog box for the body part. See Changing a layout part.

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Portal rows do not display records with an alternating fill by default. On layouts that use the Classic theme, portal rows also do not display the current record with a different fill by default. For information on using the Alternate and Active object states in portal rows, see Creating portals to display related records.

•	You can create custom styles for objects, which can include the display state. See Creating and working with styles for layout objects, parts, and the layout background.