Category: Filemaker Development

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.

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. 

Amassing a fortune is difficult, to be sure. For the philanthropically minded, donating it in the most conscientious possible manner is a struggle all its own. 

It was Andrew Carnegie who noted that it was harder to give money away intelligently than make it in the first place. And that problem isn't any easier now than it was when he was alive: there are some two million nonprofits in the U.S. today, with diverse and passionately stated missions. The question, then, becomes two fold. How can foundations best decide which charities to support, and how can those charities best address their chosen issues?

Big data could help provide answers to both. 

By gathering and analyzing more information than possible before, organizations can quickly identify which part of their missions are working, and which need to be updated. It's easier for them to understand how effective they are at creating change, and introduces a variety of new metrics by which they can measure success. For the donor's part, this new transparency can clue them in to which charities are doing the best and most efficient work, and provide a greater clarity on where exactly their money is going to go. 

Additionally, there's a great potential for cooperation across non-profits. While one might not have the infrastructure necessary to collect large-scale data, a few could make decisions based on the same information. One organization's investment in custom web application development could have a rippling effect. For example, if one group was working to make education more accessible, and another was focused on delivering medical supplies, the overlap of those two issues would lend themselves to collaboration. Demographic data could be shared across platforms, and allow both to work more efficiently. 

As is the case in other industries, it's important for charities and donors to understand how to use the information they collect. The first step in that is analyzing where it comes from: if the sample base is skewed, it could provide inaccurate results. In addition, knowing how to analyze the data found is a crucial step in finding it useful: for small nonprofits, this could mean training new staff on how to interpret data, or hiring a consultant to help manage it. 

While it will still take shrewd planning and keen intuition to solve the problems of society, Big Data can be an important tool in those efforts. 

Paper, paper and more paper.

That was the admissions day process for international students and visiting scholars at Boston University's Center for English Language and Orientation Programs (CELOP), one of the leading intensive English as a Second Language (ESL) schools. In order to process all of those immigration documents, staff had to use huge copy machines borrowed from faculty. Not only were those machines then not available to the professors, the entire system was laborious and painstaking.

The admissions officers needed FileMaker help.

They used the software to create a custom database which allowed them to streamline their operations. Instead of relying on hard copies of all of the records, they automated the document management and saved a ton of time in the process. Scanning time for documents was halved, and once entered, they are now easily available for search. Audits that once took 20 minutes of digging through old records can now be finished in a matter of seconds. 

Using FileMaker made the entire change easy. In just three business days, the university's IT team created and tested a new digital file management platform, just in time for an influx of new students. Hakan Rudy Seber, systems support specialist for Boston University Global Programs, raved about the program's efficacy.

"The speed with which we built this entire document management solution is a testament to the FileMaker Platform's ease of use and the helpfulness of the FileMaker community," he said.

Even if you're not dealing with thousands of international students every year, you might be able to benefit from cutting down on paper clutter. Can Filemaker help? For Boston University and a lot of other users, they answer was a resounding yes.  

Are you a Connecticut FileMaker developer with a shiny new copy of the software and no ideas of what to with it? Here are nine awesome suggestions that can help you get the most of the program:

1. Keep track of plant growth and health for your patio herb garden. Bon appetit!

2. Manage requests for all of the guests of your bread and breakfast.

3. Track and monitor student success between different classes. You can figure out which students need help and in what subject, all in real time.

4. Keep your artistic portfolio on hand at all times. Search it easily, and show the exact digital painting you want to find with just a few clicks.

5. Record and analyze lab results. Dealing with a ton of samples? No problem! FileMaker offers ways to easily organize huge amounts of data. 

6. Oversee your university's library. With the inventory at your fingertips, finding even a rarely used book is easy. 

7. Ensure your pets are happy and healthy. With FileMaker, it's a cinch to keep detailed information on illnesses, eating patterns and treatment history, especially since your dog is unlikely to be able to do it all himself. 

8. Conduct an employee survey. Once you've compiled all the data, you can sort by department, level, hiring data or any other criteria that might pique your interest. 

9. Get a better night's sleep. Recording and investigating your snoozing patterns might yield info that will keep you more energetic and happier throughout the day.

These were just suggestions: clearly, the possibilities are wide and varied. In the end, how you use choose to use your copy of Filemaker is up to your heart's desires. 

Just one FileMaker developer. That's all it took for a Kansas school district to revolutionize the way it administered and reviewed student assessments. 

That district, the Dodge City Public Schools, had struggled with student evaluation. When it began handing out iPads to teachers and students last year, Ray Wipf, executive director of information management, surmised that the devices could be used for more than mobile apps and note taking. Soon, he came up with a solution using Filemaker.

Initially only used on desktops and laptops, the program is now on all 1,200 of the districts iPads — a number that's expected to increase more than fivefold. Students can use the tablets to answer multiple choice and short answer questions, and teachers can track scores and progress, all in real time. Teachers can then quickly identify trends and areas of need, by using custom database filters to sort by subject and areas of weakness. They can view this information in chart, graph or list form, and readily identify students who need extra help. 

Wipf has long recognized the value of being a FileMaker developer.

"I know how to program and I've used FileMaker a number of times in the past. When the district approved the budget to purchase a license for the product, FileMaker was installed on all desktops and laptops," he told education publication The Journal. "We decided the value of doing that would be justified."

Now, with this iPad expansion, the schools in the district are realizing even more benefits from the versatile program. Now that teachers can analyze student results more quickly and thoroughly than before, they can make sure that every student is put in the best possible position to succeed.