Welcome to FileMaker Pro 10!

• Optionally keep your records sorted. In Exercise 4, you’ll add a script trigger so that
loading a new layout triggers a grouped report that you created earlier.
What’s Changed
FileMaker Pro has been able to create grouped (sub-summary) reports since several
versions ago. However, you could only view them in Preview mode and, as a result,
could not interact with the data by clicking buttons or changing field values. If you
wanted to change a record, you had to find it, change it, and then return to Preview
mode to see how the report looked.
Now you can make changes on the fly and see them take effect immediately.
Where to Find This Feature
When you are looking at a grouped report in List View or Table View, you’ll notice the
feature when you edit fields.
Script Triggers
Summary
Now you can specify that a FileMaker Script (akin to a spreadsheet macro) should run
whenever users take a specified action in Browse Mode or Find Mode, such as clicking in a
field or exiting a viewing mode. FileMaker Pro comes with five object-based Script Triggers
and seven layout-based Script Triggers.
Object-based Script Triggers Layout-based Script Triggers
Click in a field
Click out of a field
Modify a field value
Save a field value
Press one or more specified keys
Load a record
Commit a record
Revert to the previous record
Press one or more specified keys, not in an
object
Load a layout
Enter a new mode
Exit a mode
Script Triggers are especially powerful for grouped reports. In the past, users had to go to
Preview mode, and then click a button or choose a menu command to see the report. Now,
with Format > Set Script Triggers, you can specify that the report will be regenerated
whenever the user changes data in a particular field. They were going to do this anyway, so
both the developer and user save time.
What’s Changed
With previous versions, developers had to do a lot of work to set up triggers, such as
adding buttons and text to make them noticeable. There was always a chance the
user wouldn’t take the hoped-for action. Now you can trigger scripts from actions that
users would take anyway, such as clicking in fields or changing viewing modes.
Let’s say you develop a database with a Find function. You can add a Script Trigger
to perform the find whenever the user enters the information (OnObjectSave). There’s
no need to add a Find button or Find command.
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