Edit Mode in the FileMaker? Yes, indeed!

MORE OUTSIDE THE BOX THINKING, this time by Joe Scarpetta of the Scarpetta Group:

Field Boxes everywhere, ugh.

As long as I can remember databases have had labels and field boxes, and that goes back to the days of Claris Works, FileMaker 2.1. and others as well, at least when the GUI started to take over. Even this blog post is typed into a scrolling field box.  Field boxes have their place, but not in every place, the same goes for field labels.  They have been handled so many ways, label to the left, flush left, flush right, top, in field, you get the picture. Both of them take up space and now with new tools there are so many ways we can use them less.

Why?

The FileMaker 13 Platform provides us 2 new tools to change how we can manage our interfaces. We can now stop thinking about boxes. Has anyone ever looked at a business card and seen a label for Company: Company Name or Name: Joe Scarpetta. Never, at least I would hope not. There is plenty of data that we see that is obvious to us, so let’s stop telling everyone that a name is a name or a company is a company, we know! Now being honest there are exceptions, dates are one exception. What date? So if looking at the data begs a question, then a label must be used or a creative way to show true meaning and intention.

In this instance, the creative part comes from the use of a slider to display more detailed data (with labels, not present on the screen at first) when the users needs to edit the information.  The added benefit:  The data is not modifiable unless the new ‘Edit Mode’ in entered, resulting in a much safer and more secure user experience.  This experience also extends to the Find Mode, as well.  Follow the link to see how it is done.

More…FileMaker User Interface–Time for a Change.

 

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