FileMaker Go layout considerations

Expert

Design layouts that work well on iOS devices: appropriate touch targets, native controls, and FileMaker Go-specific features.

What you'll learn

Minimum touch target size and font size guidelines for iOS layouts
Which FileMaker features work differently or not at all on FileMaker Go
How to use device-specific scripting with Get(Device)

FileMaker Go runs on iPhone and iPad and shares the same database as FileMaker Pro. However, layouts designed for desktop do not translate well to touch: button targets are too small, text is unreadable, and interactions that use hover or right-click do not exist on touch. Designing for FileMaker Go requires deliberate layout choices.

1/3

Touch target and font size guidelines

Apple recommends a minimum 44×44 point touch target. In FileMaker Go (non-retina: 1pt = 1px), buttons should be at least 44pt tall. Body text should be at least 14pt; field labels at least 12pt.

FileMaker Script

// Minimum sizes for FM Go layouts:
// Button height:      44pt minimum (60pt recommended)
// Body text:          14pt minimum
// Field label text:   12pt minimum
// Portal row height:  44pt minimum
// Tap-friendly field: full-width, tall enough to tap comfortably

Layout performance optimization Choosing the right table occurrence for a layout