Author: Justin Hesser

The Connecticut FileMaker Developer’s Group will be hosting the next meeting on March 12th at 10:00 AM in the Student Center at the Central Connecticut State University. We will have a round table show and tell about our favorite new things in FileMaker 13. Bring samples of how you have used the new features and see your peers samples. ——————– Connecticut FileMaker Developer’s Group Meeting Wednesday, March 12th, 2014 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM Student Center Central Connecticut State University New Britain, CT 06053 View the e-mail meeting notice. Subscribe to the mailing list.

Earlier this week, our profile series on FileMaker 13 features explained Structured Query Language (SQL), which has been around since FileMaker 9. However, it experienced a big upgrade in FileMaker 12, which has continued to evolve in the latest iteration.

The positive feelings from experts about FileMaker 12, where ExecuteSQL was introduced, still remain. The new service brings a number of advanced features to database creation and gives developers the ability to apply SQL commands against the data of the current FileMaker file.

According to a review by Seed Code, one of the more exciting, but less obvious features in FileMaker 13 is an upgrade in the SQL syntax. This was not announced and was only known to those individuals that played around with the system or read the reference guide.

Specifically, article focused on two specific clauses “OFFSET” and “FETCH FIRST.” These are two functions that users of this system have been asking for some time. They provide the ability to filter results in different ways within the query and improve certain situations.

OFFSET allows users to skip a designated number of rows and display the results. FETCH FIRST lets users limit the number of results in the query.

While the ExecuteSQL feature takes away the “anyone can make a database” legacy that has made FileMaker so popular, it is there for those that choose to take the time to learn it. General users are still able to take full advantage of the solution, but there is now a powerful second level that advanced users can operate.

One of the most talked about features of FileMaker 12 when it launched in April 2012 was the inclusion of the ExecuteSQL (Structured Query Language). FileMaker 13 has improved the tool with increased functionality.

First off, it is important to note a few things. SQL has been a part of FileMaker since version nine. It is a process that allows databases to perform a "Find Request" as Filemaker developers call it. However, it is not done with a visual reputation of a database like using a relationship graph. It is widely used in most other database platforms and is completely text based.

SQL databases can be used as data sources in FileMaker's relationship graph, thus allowing the developer to create new layouts based on the SQL database, create, edit, and delete SQL records via FileMaker layouts and functions and reference SQL fields in FileMaker calculations and script steps. It is a cross-platform relational database application.

In addition to language for querying a database, SQL provides statements for performing data manipulation, which allow you to add, update, and delete data. SQL also provides statements for performing data definition. These statements allow you to create and modify tables and indexes.

The ExecuteSQL calculation function simplified the process by making it possible for users to perform many tasks without accessing the Relationship Graph. Previously, developers used plugins to expose the SQL underpinnings of FileMaker.

The function also means data queries can be made even when there is no specific layout. This reduces complexity and allows users to pull data independently of the layout. Information can be retrieved without creating any kind of relationship. 

Yesterday, this blog covered the FileMaker 13 feature WebDirect. The web technology allows businesses to take their databases easily onto the Web. While it is important to know what the new feature is, it is also key to understand how it works when in the hands of users.

It hit the selves back in December and users have had three months to play with it. Across the board, reviews of the system are positive.

Macworld described the HTML5-based FileMaker technology as "revolutionary." Despite being in it's first iteration, the program works well. In the testing, both Safari and Chrome were used and it was discovered that the system provides 95 percent of the experience of accessing the same database that works just as a database created in FileMaker should.

A review from Technology Tell called the system "truly spectacular."

"Once you've completed making your solution, you can post the solution into a FileMaker Server, and, well, that's it," the article reads. "Users can now simply direct their browser to the FileMaker Server and use the database pretty much as they would if they had FileMaker Pro on their computer."

Tim Dietrich, a database consultant, called the system "amazing" and noted that it will play a major role in the future of the FileMaker platform, but it will need to go through some growing pains before it is able to get there.

While WebDirect is still a new system, it is clearly impressing the technology community. A Connecticut FileMaker developer can help any business deploy these services.

In December of last year, FileMaker introduced version 13 for iOS 7 and Mac OS X Mavericks. It improved on the older model in several different ways, while also introducing a number of new features. One of the most intriguing is FileMaker WebDirect.

According to the company, WebDirect is a "breakthrough for web technology that runs custom business solutions directly in a web browser on a desktop or laptop." This is done without the requirement of web development skills and offers a full blown FileMaker experience.

So if you are a business looking to create robust web content, you no longer need to be familiar with custom coding tools like PHP, HTML5, CSS or JavaScript. All you need are the existing FileMaker skills to create access to your database through a web browser with just a few clicks.

Through this solution, companies also gain access to other features that include: desktop-style interaction with themes, styles, charts, menus and even the ability to drag and drop files into container field, real-time updates to data without refreshing the browser and automated processes that enable scripts, calculations and conditional formatting to validate data and streamline workflow.

FileMaker WebDirect can also be accessed through concurrent connections in FileMaker Server 13. One connection comes packed with the server at the time of purchase and can be purchased in groups of 5 up to 50 connections, which the service was tested for to ensure proper support.

With the help of a FileMaker developer, any organization will be able to gain a hand adopting the latest version of the database program.

For movie buffs, the Academy Awards are often compared to the Super Bowl. Once a year, the best and most accomplished get together to determine who performed the best over the previous year, replete with weeks of lead-in coverage and millions of dollars spent on performances and ads. And just like with the Super Bowl, interested parties enjoy making their predictions on who will win. Traditionally, these parties have included film geeks, entertainment press and industry professionals, but now, there's a new group among those ranks: data scientists. 

One company, ICC, has been delving into the Oscar-guessing world via Farsite, its analytical arm. They recently posted their predictions, which are based on the sophisticated modeling used by their custom database software. Farsite also posted a brief description of how their algorithms work, which is of particular note considering that their predictions were so close to spot-on last year. 

The company was able to accurately guess winners in five out of the six major categories, which include Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Director. They were particularly unique in predicting that Christoph Waltz would walk away with the hardware for his supporting turn in the Quentin Tarantino slave epic Django Unchained. 

In an explanation on their site, Farsite detailed some of the variables that go into making their predictions. 

"We'll use a first-of-its kind data-modeling tool to predict Oscar winners again this year. The model incorporates more than 40 years of film industry and Academy Award related information to forecast probabilities for the winners. This information includes real-time data and an array of variables, including total nominations, other Guild nominations and wins, buzz and nominees' previous winning performances," reads the site.

This Academy Award Season, they expect 12 Years a Slave to walk away with Best Picture, Alfonso Cuaron to win Best Director, Matthew McConaughey to walk away with Best Actor, Cate Blanchett to take down the Best Actress award, Jared Leto to win Best Supporting Actor and Lupita Nyong'o to get the hardware for Best Supporting Actress. 

Will they be right? The answers will be revealed on this Sunday's Oscar telecast. In any event, their predictive software indicates one of the many uses for programs like FileMaker, that are able to seamlessly capture and parse a large amount of data. 

Few organizations deal with bigger questions than NASA. While many companies have to deal with concerns about people thousands of miles apart, the distances that NASA is worried about stretch into the light-years. 

It's no surprise, then, that they would turn to Big Data. Custom web application development is a powerful tool, and for issues of the scope that they're dealing with, perhaps the only appropriate one. 

Round the clock, NASA has over 100 devices scattered throughout our solar system (including some here on Earth!), gathering information. They take in a lot of data — so much so, in fact, that at the Jet Propulsion Lab, parsing it, storing it and analyzing it is a full-time job. 

Because it gets so much data, sorting through it all can be a chore. The ultimate question scientists have to ask themselves is "what's signal, and needs to be kept, and what's just noise and can be readily discarded?"

To answer these questions, NASA turns to the use of complex algorithms. These computational shortcuts allow scientists not to have to observe every batch of data by hand, a task that would be literally impossible in the volumes that they're collecting. Instead, once the unmanned rovers, satellites and telescopes transmit their information to the servers, the process of scanning it and sorting it is automated. 

Kiri Wagstaff, who works in the machine learning sector of the propulsion lab, described the process that her division goes through when collecting knowledge. 

"Our software picks it up and makes a decision whether something interesting happened in the past five milliseconds. Our detection algorithm looks for correlations amongst all of the radio telescopes. If [an object is] popping up on all of them and not just one, they come together to make a quick decision whether or not to send it into classification," she told Forbes.

She's even more optimistic for the future of these devices. Wagstaff revealed to Forbes that there was room for improvements in the algorithms, especially in the area of better categorizing false events. As the algorithms get better, they will "learn" how not to prioritize these events. In addition, they will be able to move through this entire process significantly more quickly. 

For most organizations, the sky is the limit with what they can do with Big Data. For NASA, the possibilities stretch far beyond. 

As we've discussed on this blog in the past, FileMaker 13 has an exciting range of new functionalities. KYO Logic was excited to showcase some of the more powerful ones earlier this month, and would like to formally thank those of you that braved the snow to attend and share in the possibilities. 

Guests were treated to the presence of Mia Roop and Ronnie Rios, both of FileMaker Inc. Mr. Rios, who was the featured speaker at the event, is a Solutions Consultant at the company, and brought with him over 15 years experience in consulting and database software solutions development. For over half a decade, he wore an Apple badge providing pre and post-sales technical assistance to customers, developing internal systems and reporting tools, and ultimately growing into Technology Coordinator and Consultant roles. A FileMaker Certified Developer and Authorized Trainer, he also holds an MBA, several Apple certifications, and is fluent in Spanish.

He and Ms. Roop were instrumental in discussing some of the more powerful features, including FileMaker WebDirect, FileMaker Go, Custom Themes, Popovers and Slide Controls, Object Control Visibility, 256 bit AES encryption, and more. These tools are instrumental in creating user-friendly applications with better interface, security and mobility options. 

As Connecticut FileMaker developers, we at KYO logic were thrilled to not only have such knowledgeable guests from FileMaker, but also such interesting and engaged attendees. We hope you continue to check out this blog, and would like to once again extend our gratitude to those that were able to come. 

One of the reasons that FileMaker has managed to be successful for over two decades is the company's firm commitment to innovation. Few companies have been able to navigate the ever-changing tech waters like FileMaker, which has seamlessly integrated new capabilities over the years to keep its classic offerings imminently modern. 

The newest iteration, FileMaker 13, has instituted many changes to benefit customers looking to organize and analyze data more effectively. Many of the most impressive of these come bundled with "Go,", the mobile application for the custom database software, now available on iPad and iPhone via the App Store. What makes the program especially convenient is that its a universal app, meaning that you only need one download to use it on all of your iOS devices, whether they're running iOS 6 or iOS 7.

While Go has been available in the past, the newest version has a slew of new features and improvements, making it easier than ever to create custom business solutions. 

Better keyboard types

Data entry can be a painstaking and meticulous process. With this app, it's quicker and easier than ever, thanks to new input options. You can choose between a variety of keyboards, including ASCII, URL, email, numeric 10-key, number keypad, phone number and number and punctuation. All of these choices are specified in FileMaker Pro 13 for use in the mobile application. 

Bar code scanning

These days, more information is stored on bar codes than ever before. They're not just for supermarkets and other retailers anymore: now, students, job-seekers and researchers are all keeping data in the form of upright black bars. With the latest version of FileMaker Go, you can scan them instantly, and any associated data will be immediately populated into the correct fields. This is possible for a number of different types of codes, including UPC and QR. 

Starter Solutions

Getting started with FileMaker Go has never been more simple. Design clues are available in a freshly designed portal, making it easier to organize contacts, assets, content management and invoices. 

Seamless controls

You don't have to think of content in terms of static boxes anymore. Instead of a program like Excel, which constrains you to particular fields and isn't particularly dynamic, FileMaker now allows you to create multiple sliding panels so that your content can exist in changeable regions. This is especially valuable considering the sometimes limited space on mobile devices, which are built specifically for moveable pieces. 

To this end, you can use the swipe gestures you've become accustomed to on these devices. One finger changes panels to a slide control, and two can be used to change records. 

Better security

The integrity of your information is critical. It's why better encryption was added to FileMaker Go 13. Now, data is encrypted while on your device or hosted on FileMaker Server 13, as well as when it's moving over a network on the web. An AES 256-bit encryption means that you never have to worry about losing valuable information, even if your device is lost or stolen. 

Looking to get the most out of this new, exciting software? Working with a Connecticut FileMaker developer can help you design the sort of custom solutions that make your company more efficient and increase profits. 

For marketers, being able to use Big Data has long been a valuable skill. Understanding how to segment and describe different sectors of your customer base is the first step in providing them with a customized experience, and it takes a keen awareness of numbers to compete in today's digital marketplace. In fact, research firm Circle Research estimates that more than 80 percent of marketing professionals have turned to analytics in some way.  

Now, those same skills are becoming more and more valuable for executives. 

Big Data is no longer just about how to reach consumers most effectively. Now, it's also suffused throughout every aspect of running a business. In the past, learning how to use FileMaker might have been the domain of a single middle-manager. These days, however, these sorts of skills are becoming more germane to what it means to be a CEO. 

In an interview with Marketing Magazine UK, Drew Nicholson, the chief executive of dnx, describes the importance of these capabilities for top-level executives. 

"CMO's have been given the biggest opportunity they've had in 50 years. Data will give them insights and opportunities that they've never had before, but they have to do it well or they won't gain stature. If they use the wrong data then they'll lose credibility," said Nicholson.

Trying to decide the best person to lead your company? These days, the right candidate will need some facility with programs like FileMaker. If your organization is lacking in these sorts of skills, it's in danger of falling behind the curve.