3-2 FileMaker Pro SDK Developer’s Guide
3. Create a Help system to provide help
on your solution.
The Help files contained in the FileMaker Pro application are not
available with the FileMaker Pro Runtime application. Claris
recommends you create a Help layout or database integrated in your
solution files. There is a sample integrated Help system included in
the Sample Solution folder (SAMPLE folder on Windows) inside the
Tools folder on the CD-ROM. To access the sample help database
layouts, the solution files must be opened in FileMaker Pro 3.0.
4. Bind the primary and auxiliary files.
5. Test your solution for errors.
Make sure your solution does not use a standard feature that is hidden
or disabled in FileMaker Pro Runtime. Go through your solution
trying every option, feature, and button. See appendix A, “FileMaker
Pro Runtime features,” for a list of the menu commands available in
FileMaker Pro Runtime.
If you’re running your solution files using KioskMaker, be sure to test
all your scripts carefully. Remember that menu commands and key
equivalents are disabled, so the only way to close your solution or
access FileMaker Pro menu commands is from a button on the layout.
If the solution needs to be closed, place a Quit button on an accessible
layout. Be sure to test the files in kiosk mode on a similar sized
monitor to verify window placement.
Test your solution on both Macintosh and Windows machines if it is
a cross-platform solution.
6. Develop the installation procedure for your solution files. FileMaker
Pro Runtime does not come with an installer. You will need a utility
to compress and install the files on your end-user’s machine if you’re
distributing the bundled solution on floppy disks.
Things to consider before you begin
Here is a list of things to consider and decide as you develop your
solution. Claris recommends that you address these issues before
binding the solution. However, you can make adjustments after binding.
1 Will the bundled solution be run on a network?
If the solution will always run on a network, set the files to Multi-User
before you bind the solution. If the file will be networked occasionally
or you’re not sure if the solution will be networked, create scripts to
change the file from Single-User to Multi-User and back.
Create a script using the new Open Preferences script step to enable
end-users to select their network protocol.