Soliant Consulting

How to Parse JSON (or any other language) in FileMaker

Makah — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 18:19:17 +0000

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

Here is a breakdown of the script (parsing part only, see sample file for full script).

Remove the noise and separate the data. I use a substitute to remove the unwanted characters (“{[}[ ) and replace commas with a return character so that the data I want is in a nice value list.
Find what the error case will be. To find the error case, it may take some trial and error via the script debugger/data viewer. For this example, the error case is when the result returned is the first value in our value list. Therefore, when I go through the loop, and the value I’m looking for cannot be found (for example: name), then the first value will be returned (Service:Request:IsValid:True). So I know that if the first value is returned, then I should exit the loop.
Create a loop that does the parsing. Add an exit loop script step that checks if the value returned is the error case. Use an iteration variable that gets updated with each passing of the loop.
Inside the loop, set each variable to the proper node. The formula for each set variable script step is the let function:
Let( [

search = "name:"; //Node we are currently setting, includes semicolon

start = Position( $JSON; search; 1; $i); //Where the node is in the value list

vCount = PatternCount( Left ( $JSON ; start ); "¶")+1; //what number in the value list

result = Substitute( GetValue ( $JSON ; vCount ); search; "")//get the value and remove the node name

];

result

)

The custom function fn_ParseJSON ( JSON ; node ; instance ) follows the same concept:

Let ( [

CodeClean = Substitute ( JSON ; ["\"" ; ""]; ["["; ""]; ["]“; “”]; ["{"; ""]; ["}"; ""]; [",";"¶"]; ["dogs:"; "¶"] ); //Clean up the code

start = Position( CodeClean; node & “:”;1; instance); //Find where the node is

vCount = PatternCount( Left( CodeClean; start); “¶”) +1; //Find the value position

Result = Substitute( GetValue ( CodeClean; vCount ); node & “:”; “”)//get the value and remove the node name

];

Trim( Result)

)

You’ll see in the sample file that you can start with the JSON code and end with the specific data you are looking for.

I hope this helps you with your parsing! Let me know if you have any questions. You can download the sample file here: parsingjsonfp7

Thanks for Reading!

Makah Encarnacao

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New Additions to Soliant Team

Bob Bowers — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 23:37:20 +0000

I am pleased to announce two new additions to Soliant’s development team. We normally don’t announce things like this, but as many of you know these two individuals, I felt it would be appropriate.

Wim Decorte joins our Philadelphia team as a Senior Technical Project Lead. Wim has exceptional skills with FileMaker Server, SQL, .NET, and XML. He is also a FileMaker Excellence Award winner and author of many white papers and tech briefs on FileMaker products. He’s in the process of relocating to Philadelphia, so those of you on the East Coast can look forward to seeing more of Wim in days ahead.

Martha Zink joins our California team as a Senior Developer. Martha has served as a speaker at DevCon and is an exuberant Authorized FTS Trainer. A rising star in the FileMaker world, Martha will continue to be based in Houston.

The addition of Wim and Martha also marks a significant milestone for Soliant: with them, we now number more than 50 employees. And though larger, our core mission remains to help our clients’ businesses evolve by providing insightful advice, dependable project management, and databases that make a real difference. We continue to strive to have a positive impact on the FileMaker community, and, of course, to make Soliant a great place to work. I’m confident Wim and Martha will better enable us to accomplish all of these things.

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Use System Level Scripts to Archive Backups or FTP Import with FileMaker Server

Makah — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 18:15:39 +0000

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.

Creating Zip Files of the Backup and Moving Them to Another Location

This example assumes you are on a mac.

1. First thing to do is set up a schedule that keeps only one backup in the folder. In this example, I call that backup “ScriptedBackups.” For this particular client, I have a development FileMaker file and a production FileMaker file, so I need to create a back up schedule for each one with it’s own separate folder:

/Volumes/Server HD/Library/FileMaker Server/Data/Backups/ScriptedBackups/Production/
/Volumes/Server HD/Library/FileMaker Server/Data/Backups/ScriptedBackups/Development/

2. Once you have the backup schedule ready, you can create the shell script to zip up the file and then move it to the proper location. Put the scripts in the scripts folder within FileMaker Server (Library/FileMaker Server/Data/Scripts/). The set of scripts available below were written by Jeremiah Small (thank you!). The zip_daily.sh script defines 2 variables: the starting path and the target path. You need to update those 2 paths, and the path to the worker script. The shell script will call the worker script to do all the work; it also adds data to the logger, so you can monitor results.

zip_daily.sh

zip_worker.sh

The nice thing about having a worker script is that you can create as many calling scripts as you wish and you only have to update the two paths. For example, we use a zip_daily.sh, zip_hourly.sh, zip_monthly.sh, and a zip_weekly.sh, and they all call the same worker script.

3. Create a new schedule that calls the system level script appropriately. If the script you created is called zip_daily.sh, create a schedule that calls the script daily.

4. Test

Now you are done!

Tips:

FileMaker server always runs scripts from the root, so file paths need to be absolute, not relative.
You can also use this same logic to create a schedule that deleted files that are older than x number of days. For example, see purge_183days.sh and purge_worker.sh (In this calling file, you will need to update all the filepaths).

FTP into Site and Move Files Locally to Import

The example assumes you are on a pc.

1. First thing to do is create the scripts to ftp into a server and grab a file. Thank you to Mason Dixon for creating these scripts. He set it up so there is a calling batch script and a corresponding text file with the information. In this example, I want to grab unit_import.csv from the ftp site and move it locally to my documents folder inside of FileMaker server. In the text file, edit the ftp site, user name, password, and destination path as desired. In the batch file, be sure that the path and name of the text file are correct. The scripts should be living in “C:\Program Files\FileMaker\FileMaker Server\Data\Scripts\” and the data files should be living in “C:\Program Files\FileMaker\FileMaker Server\Data\Documents\”

doftp_unit_import.bat

ftpdirectives_unit_import.txt

2. Once you have your scripts in place, you want to create a FileMaker Server schedule. The trick here is to use a script sequence schedule, because you don’t want to import the data until the import file has completed its move to the local machine. Create a script sequence that first calls the batch script you created in step one, and then calls an import script from FileMaker.

3. Test

Now you are done!

Tips:

This example assumes the import filename and location never changes.
In the system level scripts, the filename is case sensitive, so be sure it matches the name of the file on the FTP server.
If the file to be imported doesn’t live in the root of the ftp site, then you can change directory by adding “cd newdirectory” to the text file, before the lcd step.
If you are having issues moving the file from the ftp site, be sure that ftp.exe is added as an exception to your firewall.
You can also use the same logic to export a file from FileMaker, and then move that file to an ftp site. For example, see doftp_local_law_export.bat and ftpdirectives_local_law_export.txt .

I hope you find this as useful as I did. I’d be happy to answer any questions via comments or email: mencarnacao@soliantconsulitng.com

Thanks for reading!

Makah Encarnacao

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How to make a Collapsible List in FileMaker List View

Makah — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 18:43:23 +0000

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.

Collapsible List TOs

My list layout is based on the shadow table, and all the fields on the layout are coming from either the breed or variation table. Therefore each record in the shadow table will have the _kf_Breed field populated or _kf_Variation field populated, but not both.

So here’s the kicker: when I press the disclosure triangle for the first time, I am actually importing the “child” variation records into the shadow table. When I press the disclosure triangle for the second time, I am deleting the “child” variation records from the shadow table. The sort field is to make sure that the children always sort with the parent. The action field is either “create” or “delete” and is toggled by the disclosure triangle script. The action field is only used in the parent shadow records. Here’s how it looks:

List View - Parent Records

List View - Parent and Children Records

See Collapsible List Screen Recording Demo

Data Disclosure: The cost range for each dog mix is fictional. Although I really do think my yorkipoo is worth that much, if not more.

In a nutshell, here’s what the disclosure triangle script does:

The catalog ID and the action are passed in as parameters, separated by a return character
If action is empty because it’s the first time the parent’s arrow has been clicked, set it to “create”
If the script parameter is empty, exit script
Create a popup window to do the work
If action is “create”, go to the Variation layout, find on the foreign key breed ID, import the Variation primary keys into the Shadow table
If action is “delete”, go to the shadow table, find on the shadow records to delete, and delete them
Update the original shadow parent record to toggle between “create” and “delete”
Close the popup
Select the original window
Show all records
Sort Records by the SortOrder field

Other tips to note:

Use a clear button object (with no script attached) and add conditional formatting to the children rows
Put the “go to detail” button behind the button object so it’s hidden for the child records
The disclosure triangle itself is a calculation in the shadow table of type container

A few Cons:

If you have a lot of children in your list, your importing may have performance issues, especially over the WAN
You will have to refresh the parent list. I added a “refresh list” button to update the “parent” records, and I also update the list in my navigation script. If you have a lot of parent records that need to be updated, you can also update them in a nightly server script

Overall, pretty slick, Aye? The link to download the sample file is below. I’d be happy to answer any questions via comments or email: mencarnacao@soliantconsulitng.com

Thanks for reading!

Makah Encarnacao

Collapsible List Sample File

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The App Store Needs to Go Corporate

Scott Love — Fri, 20 May 2011 18:45:45 +0000

The iPhone broke open the world of mobile computing in ways that earlier so-called smart phones managed with only a fraction of their customers. While it was theoretically possible to use a browser on other phones, many of us (my geeky self included) never bothered to figure out how. The iPhone changed all that, and Android phones have successfully followed. I look stuff up on my phone all the time. Usually it’s a movie title I can’t remember, as opposed to some intellectual tidbit or research for a client, but nonetheless, I use the computer part of my phone habitually now.

I’m clearly not alone.

It wasn’t too long after the introduction of the iPhone, and again following the introduction of the iPad, where my clients would look wistfully at me and ask, “How can this help my business?” While everyone can sense the promise of mobile computing, unlocking its power has eluded many businesses.

To understand the reasons for this, I think it’s important to consider why the iPhone and iPad have been such a success. Not only do they combine a great user interface with a screen capable of displaying web pages in a reasonable manner, there’s a one-stop-shop for software (and another for music and movies). I think the App Store has as much to do with the iPhone/iPad success as the design of the devices themselves. (And, as an aside, it’s my opinion that the fragmented stores on the Android platform will be a thorn in Google’s side and competitive advantage for Apple.)

Without the App Store, we’d just have a phone connected to a web browser. Imagine what your iPhone would be like without the ten or twenty or fifty apps you’ve installed. Apple gave consumers a direct conduit to the great work of thousands of third party developers; all three — developers, consumers, and Apple — have profited well from it. I don’t begrudge Apple’s commission one bit.

Now extend this to the corporate world… oh, wait… you can’t.

If a company develops a mobile application, they are often faced with the challenge of getting it deployed onto phones. They either need to develop it on the shoulders of an existing technology — FileMaker Go is an excellent example where developers may create data files that are then read by the app — or posting it, usually for free with a secure login, on the public App Store. We at Soliant Consulting have developed apps using both strategies and neither is perfect. It’s awkward at best to post an app on the public App Store and say in the description, “gosh, don’t use this unless you’re an Acme Company employee”, and at times companies may not want to build an app on a proprietary platform such as FileMaker.

Imagine a world in which a company could create its own App Store. Apple has done this in some select cases with strategic partners, but I’m talking about every company getting their own store where not only can employees download applications, but internal teams can easily post them as well. Not only would this solve a critical deployment problem — corporate employees would easily be able to download corporate applications — but consider the real strength of the iOS platform: it opens a world of third party developers to their users. Software tools could be invented, shared, and distributed in as easy a manner as buying a song from iTunes. Imagine if your accounting department created a handy expense tool and posted it on the Company Store. Or your marketing department posted the latest PDFs of your product line. This is where the power of mobile devices is unlocked.

I can see where Apple may not have a direct economic incentive. These apps, by definition, would have to be free within a company, but perhaps Apple could charge for the creation of a store? Surely there are enough smart folks in Cupertino to figure out how to monetize something of such obvious usefulness.

So come on, Apple. Give us all the more reason to buy iPads: we need a means of sharing the custom apps we’ve built for our clients.

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Mobile Technology Integration webinar video

Dawn Heady — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 18:13:28 +0000

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

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Follow up to Dawn Heady’s Webinar on Designing for FileMaker Go

Dawn Heady — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 17:17:42 +0000

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

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Check out Soliant’s First Native iPhone Application

Thays Carvalho — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 21:48:16 +0000

Matt Murray from Purcell Murray, conceived of an iPhone application that would allow dealers to check real-time information on items in stock, products in transit, and model numbers available.

Purcell Murray turned to their long-time partner Soliant Consulting to help them build the mobile application.

Soliant developed the Purcell Murray mobile application with native tools and widgets in Objective-C and the Apple Cocoa API from the iPhone software development kit to keep costs in line with the project’s budget. Soliant used PHP to create a bridge for data to flow from this server to the iPhone app… Read more

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Connecting Around the World with Salesforce – Check out Soliant’s new case study!

Thays Carvalho — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 23:43:00 +0000

Read more Related posts:Check out Soliant’s First Native iPhone Application Matt Murray from Purcell Murray, conceived of an iPhone application... Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin. Related posts:

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Deprecation of XSLT API for Custom Web Publishing

Aaron Gutleben — Thu, 27 May 2010 18:43:22 +0000

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

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