Learning Claris FileMaker

There are always new transitions to our lives where we move on to something better.

Some transitions are small and others that are larger most likely require careful planning in order to progress.

Then with the plan in place, it lessens the likelihood of problems and may create a better foundation.

Read more on the blog

What is Find Mode?

There are many different application development platforms which have many features.

One feature that FileMaker has in their platform is “Find Mode”.

Find Mode is a mode specifically where searching for information is constructed. 

It varies from “Browse Mode”, where information can be entered and stored, but looks very similar.

When constructing a find this mode has the ability to be as simple as typing into a field and pressing Enter/Return to search, but also has the power to execute something more complicated using a “Find Request”.

...

... this is called scope creep.

This is when the customer’s list of desired features grows and keeps growing, causing development to be focused on these new features and therefore to lose track of the original intended purpose of the software or solution.

One thing that can help prevent this is proper question asking at the beginning of the project.

As developers we are experts in development and not necessarily in the field of work the customer is engaged in.

Taking the extra time to create assumption and terminology lists for a project can help put us in the customer’s shoes and give clarity to the customer’s view of a feature.

...

SVG Icons in FileMaker - "An Introduction"

By: Robert Hritz

Whether back button arrows, refresh buttons, or a thumbs up: icons are a powerful force in today’s software solutions.

FileMaker solutions are no different in the variety of display options for your specific needs.

This article is going to focus on this addition: SVG Icons.

“Workflow Automation with Script Triggers”.

...

I don’t have any empirical data, but I believe it is safe to say that almost every organization is concerned with the business processes they follow and the continual improvement to this workflow.

This is not a new trend.

It should come as no surprise that the study of workflow – or the study of the deliberate, rational organization of the work – began in manufacturing at the turn of the 20th century, which is about twenty years before it was even dubbed ‘workflow’.

Every industry had embraced modernization and automation processes by this point so each company’s goal was to formalize the steps required to make a specific widget.

This allowed them to introduce optimization techniques as the workflow for building each part was refined.

This repeatability in the process also lead to improved quality since the part was made the same way each time.

...

A Tutorial/Tip: Layout Coloring Level: Beginner-Medium By: Laura Betz One of the first things developers start working with in FileMaker is designing a layout.

Being able to choose the right size, shape and color of objects allows a lot of opportunities for development.

This post will focus on the use of color being one of the main characteristics that stands out to developers within the design process, and ultimately the end user.

...

Have you ever wondered what the difference is from a development standpoint of creating a custom FileMaker solution for a business compared to creating a vertical market solution for resale? 

The first and most obvious difference is that instead of developing a solution for a specific company w...

A Discussion: Creating User Workflow

By: Laura Betz

We need to get things done. 

All of us.

No exceptions.  

So, how does this get accomplished?

When building applications there is always a purpose that needs to be fulfilled and applications may help facilitate this process. 

In ... 

FileMaker has the convenience of being able to perform updates to live systems when put onto a server or in the cloud.

Also, when the FileMaker system is set up this way it is more accessible in many places.

However, there are FileMaker systems that are used quite often or are large and/or complex in size. 

Performing live updates on these systems may cause problems because of the inability to test on real data.

Having an offline copy of the system makes testing on data a lot easier.

Also, if there isn’t access to the server and/or cloud, then developing something to test would still be possible.

These changes, though, would have to be copied to or somehow replace the live system.

Here some drawbacks and benefits for developing on an offline file:

...

By Bobby Hritz

Make a simple popover menu in FileMaker to enhance an application to be more user-friendly.

In Part 2 of my post, I would like to share some of the key points specific to the FileMaker Script Triggers portion of my “Workflow Automation with Script Triggers” session.

When talking about script triggers, the best definition I found is that a script trigger specifies that a script runs when an event occurs.

This then leads us to the question “What is the event?”

In FileMaker, we know that a button, a menu item, or even another script can call a script.

While those actions are technically script triggers (lower case “s” and “t”), they are not the events and Script Triggers (upper case “S” and “T”) we are talking about here and now.

...

Whether you are a company who runs primarily on paper, or you have joined the masses who have moved to paperless, keeping your data current / safe and accessible is a constant concern.  

You may have information stored electronically, on your desktop or in a network. 

Most business know what information they have and where to find it. 

Ironically, most companies do not have a plan to recover information or data in the event the data is lost or corrupt.

All too often companies are working without the ‘safety net’ of scheduled, clear and current backups.

Having the appropriate backups can save you money, resources, and human capital needed to “find” the lost data. 

A backup can make the difference between loosing months or maybe even years’ worth of work versus being able to pick up where you left off the day before in the case of a major failure.

...

When designing layouts for any application we create we consider what is the best method to show information for people viewing it.

In a database system, we are dealing with tables that have many records in them.

...

(explore what is the best way to display those records)

May 22, Claris Inc. announced the release of the newest iteration of its flagship business innovation platform, FileMaker 19.

This release, while light on features compared with other annual releases, stands out for multiple reasons.

Read more on the blog ...