Chart using Filemaker Pro

[Papabjoe]

Hello all.

I have a problem that may be a step backwards for most of you. Starting in Version 7, I was an active user and developed some almost sophisticated solutions. Over time, my needs for FM dropped and as a result, so has my expertise.

My new role in my job requires some charting that would typically be done in Excel. However, I am doing most of the data entry and reporting in filemaker 9.

I need to create bar charts and I need a quick way to accomplish this.

My current idea, without upgrading to 11, is to create the summary date I need, export it as an excel file with the command to launch the application once the export is complete.

From there I would manually select the data and create a chart.

Question?

Is there a more efficient way to do this in filemaker 9 for mac? I'm not able to purchase any additional software or plugins. Ideally, I'd like to script it so that it not only exports the data but launches excel, and creates the chart. The reason being is that others in my office, may have to perform this task, and they are less than literate in FM, or excel for that matter.

Thank you for your assistance.

[Agnes Riley]

Truthfully, the best way to go about it is to upgrade to FM11. Or use a chart plug-in, like fusion charts.

I did, however, created an AppleScript some time ago that sent the data to Excel to chart it then got the chart stored as a picture in FileMaker. Too bad these things break with every OS and software update.

So, back to my original suggestion: upgrade your FM version. That are quite a few new things in 10 and 11 over 9; you'll appreciate them.

[Papabjoe]

Thanks, but my issue is that I'm entrenched in an excel only office. My superiors are skeptical filemaker is as neato as I keep telling them it is. Needless to say, authorization to purchase upgrades or plugins is not going to happen. If I can make this work and satisfy the requirement for charts, I can then illustrate how I had to bubble-gum and chicken-wire the solution together. While that may or may be enough to motivate the purchase of an upgrade, I still need the solution. Believe me, if I could buy it, I would.

I will look into fusion charts though. Thanx for the tip.

[comment]

I'm not able to purchase any additional software or plugins.

There are many ways to produce a chart in a web viewer - Google Chart Tools and FusionCharts for FileMaker being just the first two that come to mind.

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FusionCharts for FileMaker is not really a plugin, and IIRC, it's free.

Edited January 16, 2012 by comment

[JerrySalem]

I agree that using Google Chart may be the way to go. You get much better control over formatting using google than the native FileMaker chart tool.

You can learn how to build a chart using an http call here;

http://code.google.com/apis/chart/image/docs/making_charts.html

put the http code, into a web viewer and that is it.

This week (!) google updated the chart tool, I am not sure if the wizard will help you but check this out too;

http://code.google.com/apis/chart/image/docs/chart_wizard.html

this looks like a great tool!

Jerry

[ron G]

There are many ways to produce a chart in a web viewer - Google Chart Tools and FusionCharts for FileMaker being just the first two that come to mind.

---

FusionCharts for FileMaker is not really a plugin, and IIRC, it's free.

Jan 11, 2014.  FusionCharts 'free' is no longer available.

[ron G]

I agree that using Google Chart may be the way to go. You get much better control over formatting using google than the native FileMaker chart tool.

You can learn how to build a chart using an http call here;

http://code.google.com/apis/chart/image/docs/making_charts.html

put the http code, into a web viewer and that is it.

This week (!) google updated the chart tool, I am not sure if the wizard will help you but check this out too;

http://code.google.com/apis/chart/image/docs/chart_wizard.html

this looks like a great tool!

Jerry

Jan 11, 2014

Chart Wizzard is removed.  Code Playground is not useful in telling me how to get Google Charts to recognized FM tables.