Converting Access Databases to Filemaker Pro using MDB Viewer

Filemaker Pro 11 can import Excel and CSV files one table at a time. The quickest way to convert your Microsoft Access database to Filemaker is to use the Excel format:

Converting with Excel files

• in MDB Viewer, click the "Export Excel" button to export all tables to an Excel file
• in the Finder, right click on the Excel file to open with Filemaker Pro
• when Filemaker prompts you, select a work sheet (FileMaker will only accept one work sheet at a time)
• select "First Row contains field names" and save

As a result you have now a new FileMaker Pro DB with one table. To include additional tables from your Access DB you have to import each work sheet from your Excel file seperately as a new table into your FileMaker file.

To add additional tables to your FileMaker Pro database:

• in Filemaker, choose "Import data" from the File menu and select a work sheet from your Excel file (FileMaker will only accept one work sheet at a time)
• select "New Table" and "First Row contains field names" and save

For more on exporting Excel files with MDB Viewer, see Converting Access Databases to Microsoft Excel.

Converting with CSV files

MDB Viewer can also export CSV files that are supported by Filemaker Pro.

Filemaker always uses the international CSV format (comma as field separator, period as decimal mark).

By default, Filemaker expects files to be encoded in MacRoman. You can however change the encoding to UTF-8 when opening the file. It is highly recommended to use UTF-8, especially when your data contains characters from foreign scripts.

See Exporting as CSV for more information on CSV files.