Layout Parts Deep Dive

Intermediate

Master every FileMaker layout part -- header, body, footer, sub-summary, grand summary, title header, and title footer -- and know when and how to use each one.

What you'll learn

The seven standard layout parts and their specific behaviors
How sub-summary parts interact with sort order
The difference between leading and trailing sub-summary parts
How title header and title footer differ from regular header and footer

Layout parts define the structural zones of a FileMaker layout. Each part has a specific behavior in Browse mode (display), Preview mode (pagination), and Find mode. Understanding the rules governing each part -- when it appears, how many times it repeats, and how it interacts with sorting -- is prerequisite knowledge for building professional reports and multi-context layouts.

1/4

The seven layout parts

FileMaker has seven part types. Not all are needed on every layout -- Browse mode everyday layouts typically use only body (and optionally header/footer). Reports need sub-summary and grand summary parts.

TEXT

// Part types and when they appear:
// Title Header    -- appears only on the first printed page (Preview/Print)
// Header          -- appears at top of every page in Preview/Print; at top of window in Browse
// Leading Grand Summary -- appears before all records (Preview/Print)
// Sub-Summary (leading)  -- appears before each sort group (sorted records only)
// Body            -- repeats once per record; the main data zone
// Sub-Summary (trailing) -- appears after each sort group (sorted records only)
// Trailing Grand Summary -- appears after all records (Preview/Print)
// Footer          -- appears at bottom of every page in Preview/Print
// Title Footer    -- appears only on the first printed page

Container field display modes Building Sub-Summary Reports