How to Export Field Names in FileMaker
FileMaker's export feature provides a quick way to export individual records from a database to another format, such as Excel or text. It isn't as obvious, however, that the same feature can also be used to export the field names as well. Copying field names from a FileMaker table to a text document isn't possible, but you can use the merge option during export to get around that limitation.
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Instructions
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1
Create a layout using the base table that contains all of the field names you want to export. If you want to export the field names for multiple tables, you will need one layout for each table. You can limit which field names are exported by placing only those fields on the layout.
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2
Go to the new layout and then select "Export Records..." from the "File" menu.
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3
Change the "Type" option to "Merge."
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4
Enter in a name for the export in the "Save as:" field, select where you want to save the file and then click the "Save" button.
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5
Click the "Move All" option in the center of the "Specify Field Order for Export" window. If you want all the fields, and not just the ones on the layout, change the "Current Layout" option above the field names to "Current Table" first and then click "Move All."
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6
Open the exported file in a text editor, such as NotePad on Windows or TextEdit on Mac. The first row contains the field names, separated by commas.
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7
Repeat the process by going to the layout for the next base table you want to export and starting over with Step 2.
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Tips & Warnings
Increase the speed of the export by limiting the found set of records to just "one" before selecting the export option.
Export the field names directly to Microsoft Excel by selecting either of the Excel options instead of "Merge" in Step 3. Then click the checkbox to "Use field names as column names in first row." The exported file can then be opened in Excel and the first row will be the names of the fields.
