User Inteface Design Tips
It's time again for one of those articles about the "pretty" software. You know, where I talk about how people like to use things because they look good. Really, who wants to drive an ugly car when they can drive a pretty one that other people want to drive as well. Don't envy the pretty software, emulate it and join the in-crowd (no correlation to high school here).
Your database interface is no different than that car, and, while FileMaker doesn't currently have the state-of-the-art in user interface elements, there's no reason to not make your solution look as attractive as possible.
This video provides five different tips about how to approach the design of your user interface. It's one of my most favorite topics to cover, and there's always some little tidbit of knowledge which helps make your solution that much more usable!
Comments
Great Work
Great work as usual. Matt, I have a layout question please. I desperately need to place a portal within a portal, which can not be done. Can you please suggest a design / display alternative? Thank you. John Gagne, UConn.
Unfortunately, FileMaker is limited
You can't put a portal within a portal or even put a tab panel within a portal row.
Currently, the best solution to this would be to use a list view with the body containing a portal. You can filter the list view by using Script Triggers.
But as you've found, you can put a portal within a portal. :(
-- Matt Petrowsky - ISO FileMaker Magazine Editor
Portal within a portal
I might try to get away with displaying the lower-level (portal within a portal) data outside the portal for the current portal row only. We'll see if my supervisor goes along with that. This could be a work-around. I'd be curious about the best way to simulate a portal within a portal though. Thank you. JnEG