Learning Claris FileMaker

FileMaker Let Function and Text Manipulation

I recently encountered the following challenge:  There were just shy of two thousand web based photo files linked in a FileMaker database, and these files were of multiple types (jpegs, jpg's, png, and tiffs) of all different sizes – high resolution, medium resolution, different heights and widths. Most of these files were already linked to two different web pages, so the links could not be changed in any way.

But the photos needed to be optimized and resized ...

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Getting data from web sources is the trend in FileMaker (and all other languages) these days.  

With the popularity and breadth of web services available to your clients, it's no wonder they need it.

For example, your client may be using a web store order consolidation service, one that brings in all their orders from Amazon, e-Bay, and other similar online stores (OK, it just so happens I have a client doing this...).  

The consolidation service is valuable, but it is a large company and suffers from the large company curse:   It's not easy for them to customize for individual customers, which opens a door for enterprising developers willing to learn.

So when a client wants to get data from, or send data to, the service, it's up to the developer to find a solution.  

That means you need to find ways to make FileMaker talk to the service.

One very popular way data is offered to clients by companies like this is XML.

Inverted Portals in FileMaker

Once in a while a great trick comes along that needs just a little more attention.

Doug West of Excelisys developed one last year showing off inverted portals in FileMaker.

So what is an inverted portal?

It's a portal that allows users to enter data in the first line of the portal instead of the last, easily done with only one table occurrence.

Something FileMaker developers have wanted for a long time.

I take no credit for this trick: I made this video to just help spread the word a little faster:

Don't forget to download the free example file at the link below.

Source: eXcelisys [FMP Tip-n-Trick] Inverted Portals with FileMaker Pro | eXcelisys

Gain insights into the FileMaker business world, highlights of sessions at DevCon including WordPress and GIS, Women of FileMaker, and many other ideas from Tim Cimbura (CEO), Dr. Brenda Cimbura (COO), and Nick Ciske, CTO at Cimbura.com, Inc.

FileMaker Google Calendar Integration

More and more, FileMaker users are demanding integration with different web services using a variety of different methods:  SOAP, XML, REST, PHP, ODBC, Javascript and JSON are among the most requested.

Brendan McBride of DB Services shows in a short video how to sign up to google calendar services and some help with FileMaker Google Calendar integration

A new way to develop a FileMaker CRM

Today's treat is a Customer Relations Manager (CRM) prototype designed by Senior FileMaker Designer Gary Brusanowski.

When I saw the User Interface (UI) of this system and how it improves the User Experience (UX), I was blown away.

So what makes this FileMaker CRM prototype different? All of the functionality exists on one layout. That's it, just one layout.  And it works.  Beautifully.

Learn the basics – and some great tips – of ExecuteSQL :

- Using Let statements 

- Basic syntax 

- Which is faster:  ExecuteSQL or FileMaker search? 

- What makes ExecuteSQL massively slower? 

- Debugging the question mark you get with an error 

- Which custom functions to use to improve coding time with ExecuteSQL

 - Sorting, complex finds, and more