You still have to know your way around data structures, though, and understand how to relate tables to one another. FileMaker Pro makes this fairly easy because you don't have to know SQL, the underlying programming language of most database systems.

You can build a custom FileMaker solution from scratch to suit your particular needs. There is also a marketplace of solutions that others have built for specific purposes and for which licenses are sold. The data structures are all set up, and the layouts (components of the user interface) are all designed. Get Started Quickly With Starter SolutionsįileMaker Pro comes with sixteen predefined solutions, called Starter Solutions. A relational database prevents duplicate information and is less prone to error than a flat file.Ĭhart of table relationships as defined in a FileMaker solution That way you would only have to enter a donor's information once, whereas in a spreadsheet you would have to enter it for each donation. For example, you could store donor information in one table and donation information in another. With a relational database, you store data in several tables and then define relationships between them. It organizes its information into a single table. Text fields can store up to 2 GB of text, and container fields can store up to 4 GB of binary data, including images, audio, video, and PDF files.Īn Excel spreadsheet is a kind of database called a flat-file database.

A user interface lets users view and interact with the information in the database.įileMaker solutions also allow for calculations, scripting, reporting, security, and integration with spreadsheets and other database systems. A database is a collection of information that is organized into files called tables. A FileMaker solution can bring disparate information together in one place and make it easy to add to, change, and query the data.Īt its simplest, a FileMaker solution is made up of a database and a user interface. If your organization relies on spreadsheets, paper forms, or multiple applications to get your work done, you might consider using a FileMaker database solution instead.

Free filemaker pro starter solutions