One Tuesday, May 8, I had the privilege to present the new calculation functions in FileMaker 12. This was the eighth webinar in the 12 Days of FileMaker 12 series by FM Academy. There are over a dozen new functions in FileMaker 12, several of which accompany significant new features such as enhanced container fields, [...]

Probably one of the most talked about features in FileMaker Pro 12, at least from a developer perspective, is the new ExecuteSQL() calculation function. To users interacting with FileMaker records, this is largely a hidden feature. Yet this powerful new option impacts developers in several ways. Previously, developers used plugins to expose the SQL underpinnings [...]

In an earlier post I wrote about FileMaker Server’s ability to combine system scripts, or shell scripts, with native FileMaker scripts. This shows one of the many ways that FileMaker integrates with external systems, one of the great benefits of working with FileMaker. Yet aside from integration, FileMaker’s server-side scripting also runs native FileMaker scripts. [...]

FileMaker solutions often employ what’s know as robots–computers that run FileMaker scripts so that users do not need to execute scripts manually. The release of FileMaker Server 9 debuted server-side scripts, which can reduce the need for robots and take advantage of Server schedules. In this post I’m going to take a brief look at [...]

A few months ago I wrote a piece on image manipulation in FileMaker container fields on Mac OS X. That type of manipulation was relatively simple – rotating an image – but required AppleScript and ImageEvents. What if you required a more complex adjustment of images, such as converting from TIFF to JPEG, or compression, [...]

Sending data to FileMaker from external sources poses interesting options and challenges.

Once you start down the path exploring new features or technologies, often the deeper you dig the more cool stuff you expose. In my first post on SQL and FileMaker I focused simply on pulling and comparing data between tables. There are several advantages to employing SQL in FileMaker: speed and context perhaps the primary [...]

FileMaker Pro succeeds as a database system because of its many layers. As a rapid development database you can create a robust and elegant solution fairly quickly. Dig deeper, invest some time and effort, and you expose powerful tools and options that extend your solution. One such hidden tool is FileMaker’s internal SQL engine, which [...]

Each summer for the past 16 years FileMaker developers, users, and staff gather for a few days to discuss all things related to FileMaker Pro, FileMaker Server, integrated technologies like SQL, PHP, plugins, and now FileMaker Go. DevCon, as this event is called, brings together over 1,000 individuals from all walks of life who share [...]

Web publishing with FileMaker Pro requires several choices. Instant Web Publishing (IWP) nearly mirrors the FileMaker layout for a similar user experience, but has few customization options. Custom Web Publishing (CWP), as the first word implies, offers greater ability to make changes in appearance and content, but requires more effort on the part of the [...]