How to Sort a Database in FileMaker Pro

FileMaker Pro is a relationship database that helps the user manage large amounts of data and keeps records in the order they were entered. The user may rearrange records based on a value in one or more fields. This process, called sorting, allows the user to customize the order in which the records appear. This is useful for situations like bulk mailings and alphabetical lists.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Open the file which contains records to be sorted. Go to "File" and Click open and navigate to the location of the file. Select the file and click the open Button in the "Open File" dialog box.
2. Go to browse mode, located under "View" on the tool bar.
3. Select "Records" from the tool bar. Click "Sort Records."
4. Choose the fields for sorting in the "Sort Records" dialog box. For example, for a mailing, select zip code to arrange the records in zip code order.
5. Determine the sort order. FileMaker Pro gives the option of sorting the data in a variety of ways, such as ascending order or descending order. Click the sort order desired.
6. Pick secondary sort fields, if needed. The secondary sort field will sort the duplicates in the primary sort field. For example, when sorting by last name field, a secondary sort field of first name will arrange "Smith" "Bob" before "Smith" "John." Click the sort order for the secondary sort fields.
7. Click "Sort." The browse screen will appear. After the sort, the status area on the left side will show the records as "Sorted."

Tips & Warnings

• If records are added after a sort, the status area will show "Semi-Sorted."
• The shortcut for the FileMaker Pro "Sort" command is Control S on the PC and Command S on the Mac.

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