Database Help for Instant Web Publishing

FileMaker provides detailed help for its Instant Web Publishing interface and it is available to you even before you sign on to the database or here if you have already logged onto the database.

When you sign on, you will see a window appear in your browser. It consists of a status area or bar on the left, which will always be present, no matter what the contents of the database shows to the right.

The Status Bar

The status bar has two modes: Browse mode for viewing records,

and Find mode for creating simple or complex queries (searches).

Browse Mode

In browse mode, the status bar helps you to navigate from record to record; to see how many records you have found in a search out of the number present in the database (here, found set = total number of records = 8017)

or

to see which record you are on (in the first instance, you are on record number 1,
in the second you type in 350 and click the icon to go to record 350 out of 8017);

and gives you tools to sort your records,

and to show all records in a table.

By showing the additional toolbar

you can also omit one

or more records from your found set,

or show the records that have been omitted
.

Constructing a find query (=searching)

A database that uses Instant Web Publishing may present you with starting queries on the opening navigation page, but you can search ANY database page just by going into find mode from the status bar and using the tools described below.

and type your find criteria into the desired field. Keep your criteria as simple as possible.

You can use symbols to refine your query
,

add more than one query
,

duplicate a find request and change a small piece of the data to save retyping
,

or delete a find request
.

You can omit the data in a query (e.g., find all animals but omit anything having to do with the Orthoptera (grasshoppers, crickets, & katydids) and review each part of a complex request

before performing it
.

Although some pages you navigate to will have buttons helping you get into (enter find mode) and out of find mode (cancel find) you must always use the Perform Find button in the status bar to execute (=do) any find.

You can also constrain a found set (narrow it) or extend (broaden) it.

Limitations of Instant Web Publishing (IWP)

As cool as this real database experience is, there are limitations to IWP, the most serious being that you cannot export data and you cannot print data that cannot be seen on your browser screen. Serious also for those without a broadband connection to the internet, IWP is very graphics intensive and impractical to use with a dialup modem connection. These limitations are addressed with a php interface.

Losing your Connection

Efforts will be made to not interrupt your access during your IWP session, but periodically it is necessary to take down the server for brief periods of time (usually only minutes) to perform backups, server maintenance, and file updates. Note too that inactivity will also disconnect you from the database, with the following type of warning (may differ by browser)

and you are then returned to a list of database files that are available via IWP on this server.

One last thing...:

Please log out, don't just leave...

Before closing your browser window or quitting from your browser application, ALWAYS log out of the database when you are done (see Log Out button at bottom of status area). Here's why... Logging out will take you to a list of databases on the server.