Setting Up the Browser Views
 

The Web Companion's View Setup dialog box lets you control what visitors see when they call up your Web database. Depending on your needs, you may not need to set all the views.

To set up the browser views:

1. Open the FileMaker file whose views you want to set, then choose File > Sharing (Figure 18.12).
    
2. Make sure that Web Companion is not only checked but selected (highlighted), then click Set Up Views (Figure 18.14).
    
3. When the Web Companion View Setup dialog box appears, the Web Style tab will be selected (Figure 18.15). Use the Styles pop-up menu to select a look for your Web pages (Figure 18.16). Not every style will work with every Web browser, so see Table 18.1 for help in making your choice. If you don't need to set any of the other tabs, skip to step 8.
    
4. After you make your style choice, click the Table View tab (Figure 18.17) to set how the Web Companion will display multiple records. Use the Layout pop-up menu to choose which layout you want Web visitors to see. The Field Name(s) window will list all the fields in the chosen layout. (This is where the advantage of creating a special Web layout for the file with a limited number of fields becomes obvious.) If you don't need to set any of the other tabs, skip to step 8.
    
5. Click the Form View tab (Figure 18.18) to set how the Web Companion will display single records. Again, use the Layout pop-up menu to choose which layout you want Web visitors to see. If you don't need to set any of the other tabs, skip to step 8.
    
6. Click the Search tab (Figure 18.19) to see which fields will be visible to your Web visitors based on the Layout chosen. If you need to narrow which fields can be searched, you'll need to exit the Web Companion Set Up dialog box and create a new layout for the file. If you don't need to set any of the other tabs, skip to step 8.
    
7. Click the Sort tab (Figure 18.20) to set how the Web Companion will handle sorting. By default, the Do not sort records radio button will be selected. If you don't want users to be able to sort the records, skip to step 8. To let users sort the file, select the second radio button (User defines sorting…) and click Specify (Figure 18.21). When the Specify Sort dialog box appears (Figure 18.22), all the file's fields--even those not visible in the chosen layout-will be listed on the left. Select any field in the left--hand list that you want to sort by, click Move, and it will be added to the Sort Order list. Continue adding fields, reordering them if needed by dragging the double arrows, and click OK when you're done. If you want to control the sort, choose the third radio button (Predefine sorting…) and click Specify. When the Specify Sort dialog box appears (Figure 18.23), select fields on the left and click Move to add them to the Sort Order list. To set how each field is sorted, select it in the Sort Order list, then choose Ascending order…, Descending order…, or Custom order…. Click OK when you're done and your sort orders will appear in the Sort tab (Figure 18.24).
    
8. When you are finished with the Web Companion View Setup dialog box, click Done and the current Web database will be configured based on your choices.

Tips

• If you forget to set up sorting in step 7, the Web user won't be able to set any fields for sorting (top, Figure 18.25). If you select the User defines sorting… radio button in step 7, users will be able to choose fields for sorting (bottom, Figure 18.25).
   
• As noted in step 7, all of a file's fields will be visible in the Specify Sort dialog box (Figure 18.22). If you don't want Web visitors to see those fields, duplicate your original file, delete all the extraneous fields, and publish that file on the Web instead.

Figure 18.14 To set how the database will appear within a Web browser, highlight the Web Companion and click Set Up Views.
  

Figure 18.15 To set a style for your Web database, click the Web Style tab in the Web Companion View Setup dialog box.
 

Figure 18.16 Use the pop-up menu to select a style. See Table 18.1 for help on making a choice.
 

Figure 18.17 To set how the Web Companion displays multiple records, click the Table View tab and use the Layout pop-up menu to choose which layout Web visitors will see.
 

Figure 18.18 To set how the Web Companion displays single records, click the Form View tab and use the Layout pop-up menu.
 

Figure 18.19 Click the Search tab to see which fields your Web visitors will see, based on the Layout chosen. (You may need to create a more restrictive layout.)
 

Figure 18.20 By default, sorting is turned off in the Web Companion. Select the second or third radio button to enable sorting.
 

Figure 18.21 To let users sort the file, select the second radio button and click Specify.
 

Figure 18.22 Select a field in the left-hand list, click Move, and it will be added to the Sort Order list. See the Tips on page 274 for a workaround.
 

Figure 18.23 To control the sort yourself, choose the third radio button in Figure 18.20 and use the buttons in the Specify Sort dialog box.
 

Figure 18.24 After you've set the sort, click Done to close the setup dialog box.
 

Figure 18.25 Top: If you forget to enable sorting, Web users will see a pop-up menu only listing None. Bottom: With sorting enabled, users can select a field to sort.