Setting file options

You can set options for the current file's default login information, layout, representative icon, spell checking, text handling, and scripts for opening and closing the file. To change FileMaker Pro settings, see Changing settings.

Note  You must log in using the Full Access privilege set to edit items in any tab except the Spelling tab.

To set options for opening and closing the current file:

  1. Choose File menu > File Options, and click the Open tab if it is not already selected.

    2. Select To

    Minimum version allowed to open this file, then enter a version number

    Prevent a file from being opened with versions of FileMaker clients or hosts that are earlier than the specified version.

    The version number must be of the form m.n, where m is the major and n is the minor version number. For example, to prevent versions earlier than 21.1 from opening the file, enter 21.1.

    Where hosted files are listed in FileMaker clients, all files appear, but only qualifying files can be opened.

    Log in using, then Account Name and Password, and type an account and password

    Automatically log in using a specific account and password when you open the database. If the default account is valid but the password is invalid, you will be prompted to enter another password.

    This is the default selection. The default is Log in using selected with the Account Name and Password option set to Admin and a blank password.

    To temporarily bypass the default password and enter a different one, press Shift (Windows) or Option (macOS) while opening the file.

    Note  Only FileMaker file or external server accounts that don't use AD FS are supported (see Creating and editing account access). If the file is hosted by FileMaker Cloud or by FileMaker Server in the secure database folder, or if the file authenticates via an OAuth identity provider, the Log in using option is ignored.

    Log in using, then Guest Account

    Automatically log in using a guest account.

    Show sign-in fields even when OAuth or AD FS is enabled

    Display the Account Name and Password fields in the sign-in dialog box even when an OAuth, AD FS, or Apple Account identity provider is enabled.

    When any of these identity providers are enabled, the sign-in dialog box displays an identity provider button, which users click to open a web browser and sign in with the identity provider. When this option is selected, the Account Name and Password fields are also displayed, which are used to sign in with other types of accounts. To avoid confusing users who only need to sign in with OAuth, AD FS, or Apple Account accounts, you can hide these fields by deselecting this option.

    To temporarily display these fields even when this option is deselected, hold down the Shift key (Windows) or the Option key (macOS) when opening the file.

    Allow stored credentials for authentication

    Determine whether users can use stored credentials, depending on the type of account.

    • FileMaker file accounts and external server accounts that don't use AD FS: Users are not required to enter their credentials each time they open a file.

      When this option is selected, users can save passwords in the Credential Manager (Windows) or keychain (macOS, iOS, and iPadOS).

    • Claris ID or external identity provider (IdP) accounts: Users do not need to enter their credentials each time they open a file. See About Claris ID and external IdP accounts.

      When this option is selected, after an initial authentication, Claris ID or external IdP credentials are saved in the Credential Manager or keychain.

    • OAuth accounts:

      • FileMaker Go: When this option is selected, after an initial authentication, FileMaker Go automatically tries to reuse recent successful OAuth credentials to sign in to the file. When unselected, FileMaker Go users must always enter their credentials to sign in.

      • Other FileMaker clients: This option has no effect.

    • Apple Accounts and external server accounts that use AD FS: This option has no effect

    Require iOS or iPadOS passcode

    Require users to set a passcode in iOS or iPadOS before FileMaker Go stores credentials in the keychain.

    Switch to layout, then choose a layout from the list in the Specify Layout dialog box

    Display the specified layout whenever you open the file. If you don't select this option, FileMaker Pro opens the layout you displayed when you worked in the file, or opens a layout you specify in a startup script. (See the script trigger options below.)

    If a layout has been selected, its name appears to the right of the Specify button of this option. To change the layout to use, click Specify, then choose a layout from the list.

    Note  FileMaker Pro saves your current layout only if the file has been modified in a significant way, such as editing a record or modifying database schema.

    Hide all toolbars

    Hide all toolbars when you open the file. Toolbars hide as if you ran the Show/Hide Toolbars script step and the Show/Hide Menubar script step.

  2. Click OK to save your changes, or click another tab to set additional file options.

To select an icon for the current file:

  1. Choose File menu > File Options, and click the Icon tab.

  2. Choose or create an icon to represent the current file in the My Apps, Favorites, and Recent windows in FileMaker Pro, and in the Launch Center in FileMaker Go and FileMaker WebDirect.

    To Do this

    Display the default FileMaker Pro file icon or another predesigned icon

    Choose an icon from the list.

    Specify a custom image

    Click Custom, then select an image file and click Open (Windows) or Insert (macOS).

    Supported formats are PNG and JPEG. FileMaker Pro scales the image as needed. For best results on high-resolution displays, select an image that is 288 by 288 pixels.

    Note  The selected icon is not displayed on your desktop.

    Scale a custom image proportionately to its largest size

    Select Scale to Fit, so the image's width and height fit inside the area.

    Scale a custom image proportionately to its smallest size

    Select Scale to Fill, so the image's width and height completely cover the area.

    The Icon tab shows how the selected icon will appear in different sizes.

  3. Click OK to save your changes, or click another tab to set additional file options.

Note  If you open an encrypted database file, you might see the default FileMaker Pro icon unless the file was previously opened.

To set spelling options for the current file:

  1. Choose File menu > File Options, and click the Spelling tab.

    Select To

    Indicate questionable words with special underline

    Mark possible misspelled words with a red dotted underline (in Browse, Find, and Layout modes).

    Note  When a file is shared, clients can each change this option independently, but the setting lasts only until the client closes the file. To change this option for all clients, the host must close the shared file, open the file locally with FileMaker Pro, change the setting, and share the file again.

    Off

    Type without receiving any cues that you might have made a spelling error.

    Beep on questionable spellings

    Receive an audio cue that you might have made a spelling error.

  2. Click OK to save your changes, or click another tab to set additional file options.

Checking spelling as you type can be slower than using the other spelling options if a large amount of text is visible in the active field. See Checking spelling.

To set text handling and data entry options for the current file:

Note  You must log in using the Full Access privilege set to edit items in the Text tab.

  1. Choose File menu > File Options, and click the Text tab.

  2. In the Text Handling area, select one or more of the following options:

    Select To

    Use smart quotes

    Use curly quotation marks and curly apostrophes. If this option is deselected or you use a font that doesn't have curly quotes, FileMaker Pro uses plain (straight) quotes and apostrophes. Changes affect new typing only; they do not affect existing data.

    Use Asian language line-breaking

    Control Asian language line-breaking. This option is enabled by default. If this option is disabled, standard Asian language rules concerning which characters can start or end a line of text are ignored.

    Use Roman language line-breaking

    Control standard roman language line-breaking, including word wrapping. This option is enabled by default. If this option is disabled, letters and spaces are treated equally as symbols, and roman language words are not treated as units. Instead, a word will wrap to the next line when it exceeds the width of the field or text block, which could occur in mid-word.

    Overwrite input when an Asian IME is on (Windows)

    Overwrite existing characters at the cursor location with new characters entered by the user when an Asian input method editor (IME) is running. This option is off by default.

  3. In the Data Entry area, select one or more of the following options:

    Select To

    Always use current system settings

    Use the current system settings for data entry of numbers, dates, and times. This option is on by default.

    Always use file's saved settings

    Use the system settings saved with the file for display and data entry of numbers, dates, and times.

    Ask whenever settings are different

    Prompt the user to choose which system settings to use when entering data in a number, date, time, or timestamp field that was created using system settings that are different from the current system settings.

  4. Click OK to save your changes, or click another tab to set additional file options.

To set script triggers for a file:

  1. Choose File menu > File Options, and click the Script Triggers tab.

  2. Select one or more script triggers in the list.

    Select To

    OnFirstWindowOpen

    Run a script each time you open a window of a database file when no other windows for the file are currently open. See OnFirstWindowOpen script trigger.

    OnLastWindowClose

    Run a script each time you close the last open window of a database file. See OnLastWindowClose script trigger.

    OnWindowOpen

    Run a script each time you open a window of a database file. See OnWindowOpen script trigger.

    OnWindowClose

    Run a script each time you close a window of a database file. See OnWindowClose script trigger.

    OnFileAVPlayerChange

    Run a script if a media file is playing from a field or URL, and a user or a script step setting changes the playback state. See OnFileAVPlayerChange script trigger.

    OnWindowTransaction

    Performs a script and creates a JSON object after a transaction is successfully committed. The JSON object includes the file name, base table name, record ID, operation, and contents of that base table's field named "onWindowTransaction" (or a specified field) for every operation within the completed transaction. See OnWindowTransaction script trigger.

  3. Click OK to save your changes, or click another tab to set additional file options.

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