Скачать или смотреть How to Find Special Characters in FileMaker Using Normal Letters

Learn how to search for entries with special characters in FileMaker using standard search terms. Improve your search results with proper indexing settings.
---
This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/67745556/ asked by the user 'WhoKnows' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/15441875/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/67747678/ provided by the user 'michael.hor257k' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/3016153/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

Visit these links for original content and any more details, such as alternate solutions, latest updates/developments on topic, comments, revision history etc. For example, the original title of the Question was: Find special characters in FileMaker with normal letter

Also, Content (except music) licensed under CC BY-SA https://meta.stackexchange.com/help/l...
The original Question post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... ) license, and the original Answer post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... ) license.

If anything seems off to you, please feel free to write me at vlogize [AT] gmail [DOT] com.
---
Unlocking the Secrets of Searching in FileMaker: Finding Special Characters

Searching for specific entries in a database can sometimes feel like a daunting task, especially when special characters are involved. For example, when trying to search for the name "Cole" in FileMaker, you might want to find variations like "Čole" as well. However, relying solely on FileMaker’s internal search function can lead to incomplete results. In this guide, we’ll explore why this happens and how to enhance your search capabilities to include special character entries.

The Search Challenge

When you type in a search term, such as "Cole," you might be surprised to find that entries containing similar, accented variants like "Čole" do not appear in the results. The underlying issue often lies in the language settings for indexing your database fields.

Understanding Indexing and Language Settings

FileMaker allows users to choose the language for indexing search fields. This choice significantly impacts how searches are performed and which results are returned. Let’s break this down:

Indexing Language Options

Czech or Unicode: If your field's language is set to Czech or Unicode, FileMaker considers special characters as part of the different variations. This means that when you search for "Cole," it will include the "Č" and find matches like "Čole."

English or Default: If the language is set to English or to a default setting, FileMaker may only recognize plain variants of letters. Thus, searching for "Cole" will not return "Čole" since it does not match the character exactly.

Solution: Adjusting Your Settings

To ensure that your searches can include special characters, follow these steps:

Access Field Options: Open your FileMaker database and navigate to the layout that contains the field you’d like to adjust.

Select Field Settings: Right-click on the field and choose "Field/Control" then "Field Options."

Change Language Settings:

Under the “Auto-resize” tab or somewhere similar (depending on your FileMaker version), locate the “Language” setting.

Change it to either Czech or Unicode if you want to search for names with special characters like “Čole.”

Rebuild Index: After changing the language, rebuild the index for that field to ensure it reflects the new settings.

Conclusion

By understanding how FileMaker uses language settings for indexing, you can enhance your search process and find entries with special characters more effectively. Remember, choosing the right indexing language can make all the difference between successful searches and frustration. So, the next time you are on the hunt for a variant of a name, ensure your settings are adjusted accordingly to maximize your results. Happy searching!