Figure 1: Registration Starter Solution -- You can use the Starter Solutions for training, examples, and a great starting point for new projects.



Figure 2: Found records -- The first step to exporting records is to find the records you want to export



Figure 3: Sorting -- When sorting records, you can always sort by more than one field.



Figure 4: List view -- Here you can see a complete view of the data you want to export.



Figure 5: Save/Send Records as Excel -- This option is a quick way to export all the data on the current layout.



Figure 6: Excel file -- With the Save/Send as Excel option, all fields (including any hidden fields) on the current layout will export.

Exporting data is especially important when you're working with public schools. There's an almost endless lists of reports required by the State Department of Education, your district, or anywhere else that hasn't discovered FileMaker Pro's capabilities yet. But that doesn't mean you're out of luck. All you have to do is find the records you want to send (in this example, you'll find all events after December 31, 2007), sort them into proper order (you'll sort by date), and export them to a new file using the format your report requires. This example uses Excel, but you can choose any of the formats I mentioned, plus some less common types as well. It's as easy as 1-2-3.

For this example I used the Education Administration Registration Starter Solution that comes with FileMaker Pro (figure 1). It's just one of dozens of Starter Solutions that can help you when starting a new project. If you haven't worked with them yet, take some time to explore them. I added some example records to my version of the database, which subscribers can download.

The first step to exporting records is to find and sort the records you want to export (figures 2 and 3). You'll get just the records you need in the order you want them to appear in the exported file. You don't want to have to edit the records after you've exported them, because that would take much longer than the find. In some cases, you may not even be able to edit the exported records (if you export to a format you can't read on your computer), so it's better to plan ahead so the information is in order.

The second step to exporting records is to go to a list view layout (figure 4). This view lets you see all the found and sorted records on one screen so you can verify the records and sort order before you export.

The third and final step is to export the records. There are two options for exporting records to Excel. The first one involves the Save/Send Records as Excel (figure 5). Although there is a button at the top of the list named "Save as Excel" that can take care of it for you, I'll show you how to do it step by step:

1. Go to the File Menu.
2. Select Save/Send Records as… (figure 5).
3. Select Excel.
4. Choose a folder to save the file to.
5. Enter the file name (I called it HR Events).
6. You can then select to save the "Records Being Browsed" (or the found set) or you can select the current record. For this example, save as "Records Being Browsed."
7. I like to select the option to "automatically open file." It just saves a step.