The Cartesian product (×) relationship operator

Expert

Use the × (cross-join) operator in the Relationships Graph to return all records from a related table regardless of key values — useful for reporting and utility layouts.

What you'll learn

What the × operator does and how to select it in the Relationships Graph
Legitimate use cases for a Cartesian relationship
Performance implications and why it should not be used on large tables

The × operator creates a relationship that returns every record in the related table regardless of the match field value — the FileMaker equivalent of a SQL CROSS JOIN.

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Create a Cartesian relationship

In Edit Relationship, click the comparison operator drop-down between the two fields and select ×. The specific field values no longer matter — the relationship returns all records from the right-hand table.

FileMaker Script

Edit Relationship:
Left: Globals::gAnyField  ×  Right: Products::ProductID
# Every Products record is always related, regardless of gAnyField's value

Cross-file relationships with External Data Sources Relationship operators: =, ≠, <, >, ≤, ≥, and range