Opening multiple windows per file

You can open more than one window per file. This allows you to view the same layout in separate windows, or to simultaneously view different layouts in the same file. You can perform sort operations and find operations independently in the different windows.

To open an additional window:

Choose Window menu > New Window.

The window displays the same layout, sort order, and found set as the previously active window. To view a different layout in the new window, choose a layout from the Layout pop-up menu. For information on sorting and finding records, see Finding, sorting, and replacing data.

The following table describes the behavior of some FileMaker Pro actions when there are multiple windows open.

Action

Behavior when there are multiple windows open

Editing data

Changes made to fields in Browse mode are reflected in other windows when you commit the record. For more information, see Committing data in records.

Creating a new record

In other windows that display records from the same table, the new record may or may not initially appear:

•	In each window that is displaying a found set of records, the new record is added as an omitted record and is not immediately visible, even if the new record matches the layout’s find criteria.

•	In each window that is displaying all records, the new record is added as a visible record. However, the active record in each window does not change to display the new record.

Deleting a record

The record is removed in other windows that display records from the same table, regardless of whether the windows are displaying a found set or not.

Finding and sorting records

You can find and sort the same records differently in each window.

Note When you switch within a window between layouts that display records from the same table, FileMaker Pro maintains the same found set. (For a particular window, every layout that displays records from the same table shares the same found set.)

Closing and reopening files

When you close a file, FileMaker retains the state of the last-used window. When you reopen the file, it opens a single window in that retained state. The information retained for a window includes:

•	the current layout, window size, and position

•	the current record

•	the current found set and sort order

•	the found sets for any other tables viewed with the window

Note FileMaker Pro only retains the window state for locally opened files. It does not retain the window state when a shared file opened by a client is closed.

Switching modes

You can display the same layout in different modes in different windows. For example, if one window is in Browse mode, another window can be in Layout mode.

Switching between Form View, List View, and Table View

When multiple windows are displaying the same layout, only the window in which you switch views changes.

Changing a layout design in Layout mode

Layout changes appear in other windows that display the same layout when you save the layout, switch to another layout, or switch to another mode.

Scripts

Scripts act on the active window unless you design them to work in a particular window. There are script steps that you can use to open and manipulate windows. For more information, see Windows script steps.

Working with web viewers

If a layout contains a web viewer, and the same layout is open in multiple windows, you can navigate each web viewer to a new location after its initial web address is loaded. However, if the web address is a field-based calculation, when the field value changes, the web address is re-evaluated and the new web address is loaded.