Field Mapping for FileMaker

Telling DayBack about your FileMaker tables

To show records from your FileMaker tables in DayBack, you'll primarily work within a form found in DayBack's source settings screen. Each table you map to DayBack will appear as a separate "calendar," and you can choose to display some or all of these calendars simultaneously.

DayBack is unique by allowing you to configure and view multiple calendars from various tables at the same time. This can include your FileMaker tables alongside calendars from Google, Microsoft 365, and Basecamp.

Getting Started with Example Tables

DayBack comes pre-configured with two example tables—Events and To-Dos—already mapped for you. These can serve as examples of how to map your own tables. Alternatively, you can use these tables as child records for tables you already have. For instance, if you have a jobs table and need to track multiple visits for a job, the Sample Events table in DayBack can be an excellent child table for that purpose.

The Field Mapping form in DayBack will guide you through the available fields. You can disable any fields that you don't need or are unsure about. However, if a field lacks an "enabled" checkbox, it is required for the calendar to function properly.

If you are a DayBack administrator, you can access the calendar settings by clicking on "Settings" in the left-hand sidebar of the calendar. This will reveal an "Administrator Settings" button, allowing you to configure your calendars.

Getting Started with Field Mapping

After preparing your FileMaker file and creating your new calendar (steps 2 and 3 of our basic integration instructions), the next step is to configure the calendar settings by mapping the fields that DayBack needs to display your records on the calendar.

For each field, click on "Details" to learn more about the specific FileMaker field that DayBack expects. Most fields will have two entries: one for the field name in FileMaker and another for the "Label" that users will see next to the field in DayBack. Here are some key fields to start with:

• Event ID: Select the primary key field from this table (this field is required). Although this field doesn't have a label, as it doesn't appear in DayBack's popover, it’s crucial for DayBack to uniquely identify your records when you edit them.
• Date Start: This field in FileMaker should contain your record's start date. You'll see a list of date fields from your table. If your table only has one date field, like a due date, this is where you should map it. "Start" is a required field, unlike "End."

(Skipping down a few fields)

• TimestampNumCalc Start: This is one of the six required fields you added to this table earlier. If done correctly, this field should already be filled out.
• Label: Enter the text that you want to appear next to your start date/time in DayBack's popover. For example, you might use "Start" for a generic event, "Due" for a To-Do list, or "Born" for a family tree.

Continue mapping your fields by assigning a field name and label to each one you need to display. If a field doesn't apply to your object, you can disable it. (If there's no "unused" option next to a field, then that field is required.)

The "Event display calc " field determines what is shown on the calendar before you click on an event. This is typically a calculated field, and you can use "DBk_EventSummaryCalc " from DayBack's Sample Events table as an example. If you want to include icons or advanced styling in your event display, this is where you would configure it. Learn more about this in our event styling guide.

Special fields: Status and Resource

The Status and Resource fields in DayBack have unique roles. The Status field is primarily used for color coding your events, while the Resource field assigns events to specific columns in the resource scheduling views.

Status

DayBack color-codes your events based on the value in the Status field. Typically, this value represents a temporal aspect of the event, such as whether it has started or if a patient has checked in. However, you can also use the Status field to categorize different types of work, departments, or even payment statuses. For example:

• Green for "paid"
• Orange for "pending"
• Gray for "canceled"

To get started, map the Status field to any field in your table. Then, adjust the list of possible statuses in DayBack's filters tab to reflect the values you'd like to use. You can learn more about color-coding and configuring your status options in the Events Colors & Status guide. If you eventually want to pull the list of possible statuses directly from FileMaker, you can find instructions here.

Typically, you'll want the Status field to be editable so that you can change the status directly in the calendar. However, you can also map it to a calculation field if needed. Instructions for using a calculated field for Status or Resource can be found here: using calculated field for status or resource.

Resource

Resource scheduling is a key feature of DayBack, allowing you to efficiently manage resources like people, rooms, or equipment. Initially, you can map the Resource field to any text field that identifies who or what is responsible for the event, such as a salesperson's name or the name of a conference room.

To learn more about resource scheduling and the available views, check out the Resources Overview. For detailed instructions on mapping the Resource field, refer to mapping the resource field.

Contacts and Projects

DayBack is designed to work with related tables in your FileMaker solution, such as contacts and projects. These relationships can be included directly in your calendar through DayBack's contact and project hooks.

DayBack expects that your events are related to other tables in your FileMaker solution and provides contact and project hooks so that you can include those relationships in the calendar. 

For guidance on how these fields are mapped, take a look at the Sample Events table provided with DayBack. You can also refer to the detailed setup instructions here: Contacts and Projects Setup.

If your primary goal is to get your calendar up and running quickly, you can disable all four contact and project fields for now. You can always return to these settings later to establish the desired relationships.

Adding more fields to the calendar popover

You can enhance DayBack’s popover by adding additional fields, which is particularly useful for including required fields when creating new items. These additional fields, which aren't included by default in DayBack’s popover, will appear in a drawer next to your event popover. They are also integrated with DayBack’s text filter, making them a powerful tool for refining your calendar views using text filters saved as bookmarks.

For more information on how to add custom fields, check out this guide on Additional Fields.