Defining container fields
Use container fields to store any file:
 •
photos, movies, sounds
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documents, including Microsoft Word and Excel files, PDF files, and so on
You can reference container fields in calculation formulas or summary fields.
Data in container fields is by default embedded. You can, instead:
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store a reference in the field when you select a file to insert into it
 •
define the field to store data externally
To define container fields:
1.
With the database open, choose File menu > Manage > Database.
2.
In the Manage Database dialog box, click the Fields tab.
3.
If your database contains more than one table, select the appropriate table from the Table list.
4.
For Field Name, type a name for the field.
See About naming fields.
5.
For Type, select Container.
6.
Click Create.
7.
To set options for the field, click Options.
See Setting options for fields.
To set up the field to store data externally, see About setting up container fields.
8.
Continue to define fields, or click OK.
To define container fields in Table View:
1.
With the database open in Browse mode, click Table View Table View button in the layout bar.
2.
Click + in the column heading to add a new field.
3.
Right-click the column heading for the new field.
4.
Choose Field > Field Type > Container from the shortcut menu.
5.
To select options for the field, right-click the column heading for the field, then choose Field > Field Options.
Note  You can switch to Layout mode and make the field larger.
Notes
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To put a static graphic (like a logo) on a layout, create, paste, or import the graphic directly onto the layout, or use a global container field. Either option will use less storage space than storing the same graphic with every record.
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You can't find or sort records based on a container field, but you can define a text field to describe or identify the contents of the container. Then, you can find or sort records based on the information in the text field.
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To specify how data in a container field displays (for example, whether the image is cropped or scaled), see Formatting and setting up field objects in Layout mode.
 •
You can create a script that includes the Insert File script step to specify the contents of a container field.
Related topics 
Inserting graphics into fields
Inserting QuickTime movies and multimedia into fields
Inserting files of any type into fields
Specifying formats for container fields
Deleting data from container fields
Creating file paths
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