With FileMaker Pro Advanced, you can bind FileMaker database files into runtime solutions, which are solutions that do not require FileMaker Pro or FileMaker Pro Advanced in order to be used on a computer. You can also create runtime solutions in Kiosk mode.
Note FileMaker Pro and FileMaker Pro Advanced now allow you to include as many database tables as you need in a database file. This capability eliminates one of the main reasons for using multiple files. However, other elements, like scripts and access privileges, are stored at the file level and so some complex solutions will still benefit from using multiple files.
FileMaker Pro Advanced features are stripped from runtime applications. None of the commands on the
File menu >
Manage submenu are available in the runtime application. Runtime applications cannot be shared over a network and do not include the ability to Save/Send Records as Adobe PDF files. ODBC import, the Execute SQL script step, and using ODBC data sources in the relationships graph are not supported in runtime application. For a feature comparison of the runtime application with FileMaker Pro, see the
FileMaker Pro Advanced Development Guide at
www.filemaker.com/documentation.
A runtime database can, however, be opened in either FileMaker Pro or FileMaker Pro Advanced. The full functionality of these applications will be enabled, except if full access privileges have been removed. See
Removing Admin access to databases (FileMaker Pro Advanced).
You may need to bind your database files several times before you prepare them for delivery to your users. When you have completed development and the final version is bound and ready to distribute, you should thoroughly test your runtime solution to ensure that it behaves as expected. See
Preparing files for a runtime solution (FileMaker Pro Advanced).
FileMaker Pro Advanced may not be available in all of the shipping languages of FileMaker Pro.