Sometimes you find the need to parse another language in order to get that data into FileMaker. I’ve found that with a lot of substitutes, this process can be pretty painless. I will demonstrate how to do this via a script, and then how to do this via a custom function. I’ll be using JSON in my demonstration. I recommend looking at the sample file while reading through these steps: parsingjsonfp7

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System level scripts can be very helpful to use with FileMaker Server. There are two problems I was able to solve by using system level scripts, and now I use these two processes on a daily basis. The first problem I came across was that the server machine was always running out of memory. To solve this, I created a process that creates a zip file of my backup, and then move the backup to another machine. The second issue I came across was a client needed to refresh FileMaker data from another data source on a nightly basis. Using ftp to access a machine and then grabbing a file to import it into FileMaker solved this request. I will go into how to do each of these in detail.

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Yesterday, a client asked me to make a collapsible list in FileMaker. Essentially, he wants a subsummary list that only shows the “child” data upon request. In my head I initially thought “FileMaker can’t do that!” which turned into “there’s got to be some way” so I told him I would try. I played around with a subsummary report to see if I could trick it into displaying what I wanted. The problem with the subsummary report is that the “child” data is in the body part definition. So once you omit all the child records, the parent goes away. I need a way to keep the parent record, and hide the children. I was in the middle of compiling an email to my client telling him it’s not possible, and giving him a list of other work-arounds (popup windows, tooltip, ect) when it hit me: The only way to make this work is to have all the data in one table. In this example list, I want to show dog breeds (parent), and then under each breed a list of all of its possible variations or mixes(children). So I made a shadow table that has foreign key to the breed table, a foreign key to the variation table, a sort field, and an action field.

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We recently presented a webinar to our clients on mobile technology integration and based on the feedback we’ve received, we decided to post a link here for anyone interested in getting ideas about how to incorporate mobile technology into their organization.

Watch the Video: Mobile Technology Integration

Thanks to those of you who attended the recent webinar on Desiging for FileMaker Go.  A number of people have asked about getting the demo files and slides used by Dawn Heady in the session … there’s a link to them below.

download the slides

download the demo files

watch the video

May 25, 2010 – Beginning with the next full version of FileMaker Server and FileMaker Server Advanced, the XSLT API for Custom Web Publishing and the XSLT Site Assistant will no longer be available.

As FileMaker software evolves the list of APIs and technologies it supports may change and less efficient interfaces may be deprecated in favor of new ones. If you are using XSLT in Custom Web Publishing or the XSLT Site Assistant, FileMaker recommends that you migrate your solution to use other more efficient APIs, technologies, or alternative features of the product to meet the same need in your solutions.

Note: FileMaker will continue to support XML and applying an XSLT style sheet during export.

Here are some recommended resources to help you choose an alternative to XSLT:

About PHP Web Publishing:
http://www.filemaker.com/support/technologies/php.html

FileMaker Server 11 Custom Web Publishing with PHP
http://www.filemaker.com/support/product/docs/fms/fms11_cwp_php_en.pdf

Thanks to those of you who attended the recent webinar on charting in FileMaker Pro 11.  A number of people have asked about getting the demo files used by Bob Bowers in the session … there’s a link to them below.

Download webinar files.

FileMaker 11 introduced many new features that are sure to keep developers busy exploring the possibilities of the product. It is important, however, to understand the ways in which each feature is intended to be used and how. In this post, I’m going to focus on one new feature in FileMaker 11 – filtered portals.

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This coming Wednesday, May 12, I’ll be presenting a webinar on the new charting features of FileMaker Pro 11. This event is part of an ongoing series of webinars from FileMaker, Inc, and I’m honored to have been asked to be the presenter for this important new feature.

My objective for the webinar will be to provide a thorough introduction to the new charting capabilities. (Well, at least as thorough as one can provide in under an hour.) I’ll focus heavily on the methods for specifying the data series, but I’ll also cover some general reporting principles and provide some tips and ideas to help you get started.

If you’re interested in attending the webinar, you can register here. And if you can’t make it on Wednesday (10am and 1pm Central time), a recording will be available afterwards. Hope to see you there.

The new Chart Tool of FileMaker Pro 11 is very powerful; it allows for the charting of a variety of data sources. One of the data types supported is “Current Found Set” and when the option “Show data points for groups of records when sorted” is selected, the chart can display summary field values. It’s basically the graphical equivalent of a summary report that only includes sub-summary parts without a body part.

When programming a chart using summary data it is important to keep in mind that the resulting chart varies with the current sort. If the user were to change the sort, the values displayed will also change. This dependency requires great care to ensure the chart title and labels stay in synch with the data represented. Because chart data can be specified via the calculation engine, the chart title, labels, and even the data itself can be dynamic and thus can always stay in synch with the sort.

The demonstration parses the snapshot's XML to determine the current sort and calculate the chart's content.

In the demonstration file Dynamic_Summary_Chart_Demo.fp7 there is only one chart, but it dynamically updates based on the users found set and sort. The chart has several important features:

• When the user selects the sort button “Year” or “Month”, a script performs a hard-coded sort of the current found data and stores three bits of information about the sort in global fields: sort type, sort table, and sort field. The chart’s calculations reference these global fields when determining what title, labels, and data to display.
• When the found set is changed, either by clicking one of the on-screen find buttons or by performing the menu command “View > Find Mode”, the data is re-sorted and the chart refreshed.
• When the data is unsorted, the chart calculates to display no bars and the Chart Title will display a message encouraging the user to sort the data.
• By making use of another new feature of FileMaker 11, Save Records As Snapshot Link, the user can even perform a manual sort of their own choosing and the script will parse the snapshot’s XML to determine the user’s sort table and sort field. Once the script populates the global fields of sort information, the chart’s calculations will dynamically update.
• Because there is no ScriptTrigger that executes every time the sort is changed, the solution makes use of Custom Menus so that Sort and Find Mode commands are fully supported.

The demonstration file is unlocked and contains a video to further describe its methods. Download the file at:  soliant_dynamic_summary_chart_demo.zip