About container fields

•documents, including Microsoft Word and Excel files, PDF files, and so on

You can reference container fields in calculation formulas or summary fields.

•store a reference in the field when you select a file to insert into it (see Using data in container fields)

When you save a FileMaker Pro file as a self-contained copy, container data that is stored as a file reference, as well as externally stored data, is embedded in container fields in the copy. See Saving and copying files.

You can use the GetContainerAttribute function to track how the contents of a container field are stored and how much storage space it uses. This function also returns metadata about a container field’s contents, such as the height and width of images, photo orientation, cover art of audio contents, bar code type, and signature timestamps.

You can make a container field interactive to optimize the field for content such as audio, video, or PDF files. See Specifying formats for container fields.

•You can't find or sort records based on a container field, but you can define a text field to describe or identify the contents of the container. Then, you can find or sort records based on the information in the text field.

•To specify how data in a container field displays (for example, whether the image is cropped or scaled), see Formatting and setting up field objects in Layout mode.

•To put a static graphic (like a logo) on a layout, create, paste, or import the graphic directly onto the layout, or use a global container field. Either option will use less storage space than storing the same graphic with every record.

•You can create a script that includes the Insert File script step to specify the contents of a container field.

•FileMaker Pro saves externally stored container data in the same folder in which the database file is located. When externally stored container data is hosted on FileMaker Server, the data can be located on a different volume from the databases, including on a remote volume. See Managing external storage of container data and FileMaker Server Help.

•File references in container fields are supported in server-side scripts only if the file is in a folder that FileMaker Server is allowed to access (see Paths in server-side scripts). File references are not supported in FileMaker WebDirect or Custom Web Publishing.