Work with layouts and layout objects

A FileMaker layout combines a table-occurrence context with parts, a theme, view settings, script triggers, and layout objects. Review all of those when creating or changing one.

Create a layout

Tell the coding agent whether the layout is for people, Web Viewer data access, printing, or another specific workflow:

Create a customer-detail layout on the Customers table occurrence using the active project standards and the file's existing application theme.

The agent should confirm the table occurrence before writing. A layout created on the correct base table but wrong occurrence can return different related records.

Work with layout objects

ADT can read layout objects and add, update, duplicate, or remove supported objects. Identify existing objects by their stable identifiers when possible so the change does not depend on object order or coordinates alone.

Review field bindings, object names, scripts, buttons, portals, and visibility calculations after an edit. Visual placement and runtime behavior are separate concerns.

Parts, themes, and views

Layout parts determine where objects render and how records repeat. Themes control appearance. View options control how the layout opens and which views are available. Ask the agent to preserve existing choices unless the request changes them.

Data layouts and user layouts

A Web Viewer data layout exposes fields and portals to a generated client. It does not need to serve as a polished user interface. Keep data layouts focused and stable because renaming one or removing an object can break Typegen or runtime access.

See Create layouts for data access and Generate types with Typegen.