Links, lists and charts in a small database
By Oliver Schmalzl · Written: · Archive discovery date:
10 January 2023 · Archive date
A database can hold correct values and still be hard to use. A link looks like a link but cannot be clicked. A list is sorted but does not say by what. A chart shows a number without a recognisable unit.
Such details seem small. But they decide whether an interface stays understandable. An invented book list is a good frame for looking at them one by one.
A view should show its rules
The list contains title, series and volume number. Sorting by title needs a visible sign of the direction. When sorting by volume number, it should stay clear whether different series are viewed together or separately.
A search also has to explain what it does. An exact comparison finds identical spellings. A search for similar sounds takes a different approach and can return extra, less clear-cut hits. Users should therefore be able to follow the results.
A PDF export adds another layer: visible web address text and an area you can actually click are two different things. To test this, you have to open the exported document and try the link. Whether a particular FileMaker approach produces this depends on the method and version used.
Less chart, more meaning
For the number of books per series, simple bars are often enough. A round gauge can look nice, but without a traceable scale it says little. Colours should not be the only way to tell things apart.
The most important exercise is to check display and data against each other: are the count, order and labels right? The official FileMaker help is the starting point for concrete implementation steps. The example can be built entirely with data you create yourself.
Original finds
These links were the starting point for this post. The assessment in the text is my own; the linked posts are not my own tests.
- Clickable links in PDFs from FileMaker
- Charts in FileMaker: JSON and gauge charts
- Charts in FileMaker: JSON and gauge charts
- Sorting lists clearly in FileMaker
- Phonetic search in FileMaker
About the date: This post was written on 11 October 2026. The archive date is the date of the earliest related find in the collection, not of a publication at that time. Technical assessments and sources added later refer to the time of writing.