Back To Table of Contents

Exporting HTML

Overview

Getting Started

HTML Field Options

The Field Name Column

The "Omit" Checkbox

The "Formatting" Column

The "Hidden" Checkbox

The Field Label Column

Form Types

Layout Options

Specification Options

Previewing Your Solution



Exporting HTML

ClickStats Pro will not only help document your solution, but it will also create HTML files that will allow you to access your database on the World Wide Web. You don't have to write any HTML yourself, nor do you have to learn the complex, but powerful CDML (Claris Dynamic Markup Language) language. Once the pages have been exported, you can change or modify them in any text editor.

Overview

The basic process for creating the HTML files is:

  • Choose a session
  • Choose the layout in the database that corresponds to each type of form (Add/Edit/Update, Search, and Hitlist)
  • Choose the fields from the layout that you want to appear on the form
  • Click "Continue..."

In the following sections, we'll describe the step-by-step process, as well as describe all of the available options.

Getting Started

The first step to exporting the HTML files is to choose a database and layout. Since ClickStats Pro is set up for both 14 inch monitors and for 17 inch (or larger) monitors, the navigation issues are slightly different for each:

For 17 inch monitor users: Click the "Web Export" tab. Click on the session of the database to be used to export the HTML files. Next, click on the layout that contains the fields for the Add/Edit/Update form.


Click to see a full-sized image

For 14 inch monitor users: From the "Web - Choose File" tab, click on the session of the database to be used to export the HTML files. Next, click on the layout that contains the fields for the Add/Edit/Update form.


Click to see a full-sized image

 
Click to see a full-sized image

Once you have chosen the session and the layout, all the options and methods are identical for both 14 inch monitor users and 17 inch monitor users.

HTML Field Options

The portal at the bottom of the "Web Export " screen shows all of the fields on the selected layout.


Click to see a full-sized image

Field Name Column
The first column shows the physical name of the field in the database. The color of the text allows you to see the status of the field at-a-glance. If the field name is black it will appear on the form. If the field name is red the field will not appear on the form. If the field name is blue it indicates that it will be included on the form, but will be hidden from view.

"Omit" Checkbox
Next to the field name is a red checkbox called "Omit?." When the checkbox is checked, the color of the field name will change to red, indicating that the field will NOT appear on the final HTML form.

"Formatting" Column
The next column, "Formatting", shows the way the field is formatted (Popup Menu, Checkboxes, Radio Buttons, or Standard) on the selected layout. ClickStats Pro will automatically create the HTML required to match the formatting of the field. For example, if a field is formatted as a pop-up menu and has the value list "Countries" attached, ClickStats Pro will create the HTML code for a pop-up menu with all the values in the "Countries" value list automatically.

"Hidden" Checkbox
Next to the Formatting column is a blue checkbox called "Hidden." When the checkbox is checked, the color of the field name will change to blue, indicating that the field will be included on the final HTML form, but the field will be "invisible." If you are new to HTML, the chances are good that you will never use this option.

However, if you understand HTML and/or CDML, this "hidden" checkbox option can be very handy. For example, if we have a field called "browser" on the layout selected for the Add/Edit/Update form, we can check the "hidden" option, and then in the field on the far right enter the text "[FMP-ClientType]" ([FMP-ClientType] is a CDML command). ClickStats Pro will automatically create a hidden field that will put the browser type into the "browser" field whenever a person adds, edits, or updates a record on the web.

Field Label Column
Because people use different naming conventions when creating their fields in a database, ClickStats Pro can create a separate label on the final HTML form. For example, if you have a field called "Contact_First_Name" and you DO NOT choose the "Custom:" radio button, the label of the field on the final HTML form will be "Contact_First_Name." However, if you want to change the label of the field on the final HTML form to read "First Name" then simply choose the "Custom:" radio button, and enter "First Name" into the "Field Label" field.

Form Types

There are three basic form types that ClickStats Pro will export. The "Add/Edit/Update" form is the form that will act as your "data entry" form. Choose a "data entry" layout in your database, or specify a layout that has the most number of fields displayed.

After you've specified the layout, and set the options for each field, press the "Continue..." button. You will see that ClickStats Pro exports several files for you automatically. Once this process has finished, you will see the "Web Export" screen. Click The "Search" radio button. You can use the same layout for the Search form as the Add/Edit/Update form, or choose a completely different layout.

The "Search" form does just what it says. It's the form that contains all of the fields that you allow the people on the web to search your database by. The "Hitlist" form is the list of found records that is returned after a successful search. Usually, the "Search" form and the "Hitlist" form contain the same fields. However, you can specify a different layout for the Hitlist if you want.

After you've specified the layout, and set the options for each field, press the "Continue..." button and you will see another dialog of options for the search form.

Logical Operator
The "Logical Operator" is the basic type of search. An "AND" search looks for records that contain ALL of the search data (i.e. records that match data in every search field), while the "OR" search looks for records that contain ANY of the search data (i.e. records that match data in ANY of the search fields).

Find Operator
The "Find Operator" specifies whether FileMaker should search for field data that "begins with", "ends with", "contains", "does not contain", "is greater than", "is less than", "is greater than or equal to", "is less than or equal to", or "equals" the data in the search fields.

Sort Results By
The "Sort Results By" option determines how the data on the "Hitlist" will be sorted.

Default Values
The default for each of the three options "Logical Operator", "Find Operator", and "Sort Results By" is "User Chooses." If you do nothing and just click "Continue..." ClickStats Pro will automatically create a search form with the following:

  • A pop-up menu for the Logical operator
  • A pop-up menu next to each field for the find operator
  • A pop-up menu of the fields on the form so the user can choose the sort order on-the-fly

You can override one or more options independently of the other options.

Layout Options

The Layout options control the order in which the fields on the layout you've specified will appear on the HTML form. If you choose "Layout (Top to Bottom)" then the fields will be in the order that they appear on the layout you've chosen from left to right, top to bottom. If you choose "Field Name", the fields will appear in alphabetical order.

Once the HTML has been exported, you can change the order of the fields in a text editor.

Specification Options

The Specification options help you to avoid making mistakes automatically. The "Show only eligible fields" checkbox will check the "omit" checkbox of certain types of fields on certain types of forms. For example, you cannot have a calculation field or summary field on an "Add/Edit/Update" form, since those fields are calculated based on other data. However, on a "Search" or "Hitlist" form, these fields are perfectly ok to use. By keeping this checkbox checked, ClickStats Pro will automatically mark calculation and summary fields as "omit" so they will not appear on the final Add/Edit/Update HTML form.

The "OMIT all GLOBAL fields" checkbox will automatically mark as "omit" all global fields. The reason for this option is because usually global fields contain "static" information that is used by several scripts, fields, etc. and generally should not be changed. You can simply deselect this checkbox, and all global fields will appear on the HTML form.

At any time prior to clicking the "Continue..." button, you can manually check or uncheck the "omit" checkbox next to the individual field in the list. This gives you total control over the fields that will appear on the final HTML form.

Previewing Your Solution

After you've successfully output all three types of forms, you'll be asked if you would like ClickStats Pro to output your solution.

IMPORTANT: Before you attempt to have ClickStats Pro output your solution, make sure you've completed the required network setup described in the "Getting Started" section. If you do not have your network correctly configured, you will not be able to view your solution in your browser.

If you choose NOT to have ClickStats Pro output your solution, then you'll need to take the following steps to ensure that you will be able to view your solution in a web browser:

  • Create a new directory (folder) inside the "Web" directory (folder) that's inside your "FileMaker Pro 4.0 Folder". You can name it anything you want.
  • Move all the files in the "output" directory (folder) located inside the "ClickStats Pro 2.0" directory (folder) into the directory you just created.
  • Copy the directory (folder) called "images" into the directory (folder) you created in the "Web" directory (folder) located in the "FileMaker Pro 4.0 Folder"
  • Set your computer's networking protocol to TCP/IP (see your FileMaker Pro 4.0 manual for more information)
  • Open your File in FileMaker Pro, and choose "Sharing..." from the "File" menu. Make sure the checkbox next to "Web Companion" is checked.
  • Open your Web Browser, and enter "http://yourIPaddress/yourDirectory/default.htm" where "yourIPaddress" is the IP address of the computer that is hosting FileMaker Pro 4.0 files via the Web Companion, and "yourDirectory" is the name of the directory (folder) you created inside the "Web" folder.

If you choose to have ClickStats Pro output your solution, you'll see this dialog:


Click to see a full-sized image

Simply enter the FOLDER (or directory) name for the solution (no spaces!) and the IP Address of the computer that will be hosting the database. You can then choose to either create the solution WITH Browser Preview or WITHOUT Browser Preview. If you choose without browser preview, a new directory (folder) will be created inside the "Web" folder inside the "FileMaker Pro 4.0 Folder", all the necessary files will be moved to the new directory, your browser will be launched, and the you will see the "default.htm" for your solution.

NOTE: You must have enough RAM for FileMaker Pro and your web browser to be open at the same time if you choose to create the solution WITH browser preview. Also, if you're using the Mac OS, you must configure the "Internet Config" program properly to have FileMaker automatically launch your browser. See your FileMaker Pro manual for more information on setting up the "Internet Config" program to work with FileMaker Pro.

Previous: Documenting Files Next: Support

Go To Table of Contents

Revision 1: October 15, 1997