FileMaker Pro 4.1 Mac User's Guide

10-20 FileMaker Pro User’s Guide
Creating a relational database
After you’ve planned your relational database, follow these general
steps to create it (detailed instructions follow):
1. Define the relationships to use.
2. Depending on whether you want to work with data from one related
record or more than one in each record in the master file, add related
fields directly in the layout or in a portal in the layout.
1 For a related field by itself, add the related field directly in the
layout.
1 For related fields in a portal, create the portal in the layout, and
then add the related fields in the portal.
You add related fields and portals in Layout mode and then work with
data from the related records in all modes.
Deciding where to place related fields
You can display related fields directly in a layout or inside a portal.
1 Place related fields directly in the layout to display data from the first
related record in the related file, even when the match field in the related
file contains more than one occurrence of the same value. (A related field
directly in a layout establishes a one-to-one correspondence between
data in the master file and data in the related file.)
1 Place related fields in a portal in the layout to display data from all
found related records in the related file. (A portal establishes a oneto-many
correspondence between data in the master file and data in
the related file.)