Cross-file relationships with External Data Sources

Intermediate

Relate tables across separate FileMaker files using External Data Sources, allowing layouts in one file to display and edit data from another file.

What you'll learn

How to register an External Data Source in a FileMaker file
How to add TOs from an external file to your Relationships Graph
Limitations and performance considerations for cross-file relationships

FileMaker supports relationships between tables in different files through External Data Sources — a feature that lets a solution span multiple files while maintaining a unified Relationships Graph.

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Register the external file as a Data Source

Open File > Manage > External Data Sources > New. Give it a descriptive name and specify the file path. Use a relative path (file:filename.fmp12) for files in the same folder, or a full network path for hosted files.

FileMaker Script

External Data Source setup:
Name:     Products Library
File:     file:ProductsLibrary.fmp12
          (or for a hosted file:)
          fmnet:/server.address/ProductsLibrary

Relationship-based value lists and the second-field display The Cartesian product (×) relationship operator