Preparing the FileMaker Pro database

Most likely, the database you want to publish already has a number of records that can be searched by your Web audience. You can also publish a database that contains no records and have your Web audience "populate" it by creating records from their browsers.

Follow these guidelines for preparing the database to be accessed from the Web:

• Make sure that the FileMaker Pro database is in good working order (see the FileMaker Pro documentation for information on recovering corrupt databases and general file maintenance).
  
• To avoid character encoding problems, avoid using special characters such as the following in the database file, layout, and field names: ; / ? : @ = & > < # % { } ' | ^ ~ [ ] \Q ¨ © " (space).
  
• The database should have a layout with all the fields that will be used when the database is accessed from the Web. This layout should not contain any fields that won't be accessed from the Web.
  
• The fields should have the desired formatting (currency, date, thousands separator, etc.)
  
• If you plan on using the FileMaker Connection Assistant, the database file must be open on the machine where you use Claris Home Page or on the network you have access to.
  
• The options for Web sharing must be set for the FileMaker Pro application and the database you want to access. See the FileMaker Pro documentation for more information on enabling the FileMaker Pro Web features both for the database and for the application itself.