Setting up a field to display a pop-up menu, checkbox set, or other control

Contents > Editing objects on layouts > Selecting and working with objects on a layout > Setting up a field to display a pop-up menu, checkbox set, or other control

Setting up a field to display a pop-up menu, checkbox set, or other control

You can make data entry for a field easier and more consistent by displaying fields as drop-down lists, pop-up menus, checkbox sets, radio button sets, or other controls.

You can set these controls at the same time you place fields on a layout, or you can modify existing field controls. For more information on placing fields on a layout, see Placing and removing fields on a layout.

To set up a field to display a pop-up menu, checkbox set or other control:

1.	In Layout mode, double-click the field, or select the field and choose Format menu > Field/Control > Setup.

The Field/Control Setup dialog box appears.

2.	In the Control Style area, for Display as, choose the control style you want.

Drop-down List displays value list items in a list. Users can use the arrow keys or "type ahead" to select a value.

Pop-up Menu displays value list items as a pop-up menu. Users must select an item with the mouse.

Checkbox Set displays value list items as checkboxes. Users can select multiple values for a field.

Radio Button Set displays value list items next to a series of radio buttons.

Drop-down Calendar displays the current date. Users can choose another date from the drop-down calendar, or type one in. For more information, see Setting up a field to display a drop-down calendar.

3.	Choose the value list you want from the Display values from list.

You can also create a value list by choosing Manage Value Lists from the Display values from list. For more information, see Defining a value list for data entry. (If you define a value list via the Field/Control Setup dialog box, later you can still use it for other fields.)

If you selected Drop-down List in step 2, you have the option to format the appearance of the list by selecting Include arrow to show and hide list. An arrow control appears in the edit box. The user clicks the arrow or presses Esc to show or hide the drop-down list. (A drop-down list with an arrow control is sometimes referred to as a combo box.)

5.	To allow the user to enter values other than those defined by the value list, select Include "Edit..." item to allow editing of value list.

This option is not available if:

you selected Checkbox Set or Radio Button Set in step 2 above.

the value list you selected in step 3 uses values from a field.

6.	Choose the field to use from the Display data from list.

Fields can be from the same table, a related or unrelated table in the same file, or a related table in another FileMaker Pro file. To choose a field in another table, follow these steps:

Choose the table from the tables list above the field list. Or, to create a relationship or table, choose Manage Database. For more information, see Defining database tables.

Select a field from the list of fields in the table.

Select Create label to include the field name as text on the layout.

Click OK.

To view drop-down lists or pop-up menus, select the field in Browse mode or Find mode.

Notes

During data entry, if the value list is blank, is missing values that should be present, or displays an error message, see Value lists troubleshooting.

When you format a field to use a value list created from values in a field, FileMaker Pro displays the value list items in alphabetical order.

Formatting a field with a checkbox allows users to enter more than one value for a field. If more than one value is entered for a field, on other layouts where the field is not formatted as a checkbox (such as a columnar report), FileMaker Pro displays only the first value.

To allow users to begin typing a value and have the system suggest a completion for it, select Auto-complete using value list. For more information, see Setting up a field to auto-complete during data entry.

To change the arrangement of value list items in checkboxes and radio buttons, resize the field. A field that is taller than it is wide displays items stacked vertically. A field that is wider than it is tall displays items side-by-side horizontally. For more information, see Resizing and reshaping objects.

If the field you're formatting to display a value list is in a portal and the value list is defined to include only related values, you may need to create a self-join relationship in order for the value list to display the related values properly. For an example of displaying only related values, see Example of a value list that includes only related field values.

To format a field to no longer use a value list, select the field and choose Format menu > Field/Control > Setup. In the Control style area, for Display as, choose Edit Box or Drop-down calendar then click OK.

You cannot apply control styles to container fields. For more information on container fields, see Working with data in container fields.

Setting up the display of repeating fields

Contents > Editing objects on layouts > Selecting and working with objects on a layout > Setting up a field to display a pop-up menu, checkbox set, or other control