About formulas
Formulas perform specific operations on one or more values in a database file, and return a single result.
Formulas can be used to define:
 •
a calculation field. See Defining calculation fields.
 •
a calculated value for an automatic entry into a field. See Defining automatic data entry.
 •
a calculation that evaluates to true or false for data validation. See Defining field validation.
 •
a calculated value that can be used to replace the values in a field (by using the Replace Field Contents command in the Records menu or a script step). See Replacing the contents of a field.
 •
calculations in some FileMaker script steps, such as the script steps If, Exit Loop If, Set Field, Insert Calculated Result, and Replace Field Contents. See Creating scripts to automate tasks.
 •
titles of custom menus and menu items in FileMaker Pro Advanced. See Defining custom menus (FileMaker Pro Advanced).
Formulas can contain:
 •
constants - numbers, text, date, or time values that don’t change.
 •
operators - symbols that indicate how to combine or compare two or more values.
 •
functions - predefined, named formulas that perform specific calculations and return single, specific values for each repetition.
 •
field references - fields in the same table or in a related table. A related field referenced in a calculation has the syntax tablename::related field. See Working with related tables and files.
Formula examples
 •
Returns the first and last name separated by a space:
FirstName & " " & LastName
For example, Michelle Cannon.
 •
Returns the value in the SubTotal field multiplied by .08:
SubTotal * .08
Related topics 
About functions
Functions reference (category list)
Functions reference (alphabetical list)
Using operators in formulas
Identifying text constants and special characters in formulas
Adding a new line to the results of a formula
Adding comments to a formula
Using a reserved word or symbol for a field or table name
Was this topic helpful? Send feedback.