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for peer-to-peer support of the FileMaker Platform and related products and services.
Author’s note: Inevitable comparisons will be drawn between the new While function and the venerable CustomList custom function, which I wrote about at length several years ago. Preliminary testing indicates that CustomList is faster under certain circumstances and While is faster under others. In my opinion, both of them belong in your developer tool kit. […]
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Hierarchical JSON Viewer / Editor
By Andy Persons & Doug West
One of the standout new features of FileMaker Pro 16 is native support for the JSON data-interchange format. In addition to providing easy integration with a host of online services, it also provides developers with the tools to create robust hierarchical structures for use entirely within FileMaker. This hierarchical JSON viewer / editor file provides some tools for visualizing, manipulating, and leveraging JSON text.
Features
Michael Layne from Gearbox Solutions presents on FileMaker’s new JSON functions. He does a deep dive into FileMaker’s new JSON functions and demos several examples of how they are using JSON for passing parameters, populating form data, validation and rollback, managing session info such as value lists as global. Michael also demos REST client and REST server with new data API.
The post FileMaker JSON, REST, and the Data API appeared first on Blue Feather - FileMaker Developer, Android, We
WidgetStudio makes it easy to use, design and share powerful interface widgets, like calendars, gauges, charts, and timers. Pick from the constantly growing set of included widgets or build your own. Freely share them with your customers or friends.
The post Announcing WidgetStudio – FileMaker WebViewer Widgets appeared first on Geist Interactive.
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GoDraw3 is a FileMaker drawing tool for users. For FileMaker developers, however, it is full of customization. A developer can do with it what she wants.
The post GoDraw3: Hack the Heck Out of It appeared first on Geist Interactive.
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Here are files that may be demoed or referred to during my “Virtual List on Steroids” DIG-FM presentation on Thursday, May 10th, 2018 (VLR = “virtual list reporting). Demo Files Step One – Admitting There’s A Problem VLR, part 2 (on Steroids) VLR + JSON Array, v1 [new] VLR + JSON Array, v2 [new] VLR […]
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The FileMaker Database Design Report exposes the DNA of a custom app, showing where a field or calculation is used. The report is invaluable to a developer.
The post Like a Boss: The FileMaker Database Design Report appeared first on Geist Interactive.
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When something new comes into fashion, sometimes, you just can't ignore it. Such was the case with Card Windows. They just opened up so many possibilities within the world of FileMaker development.
While Button Bars, Popovers and Sliders have changed the way many things are done within your FileMaker user interface, the way Card Windows can be used should be your first consideration for many of your standard UI tasks.
Understanding what happens when a card window comes forward allows you to ta
Last week, the Adatasol FileMaker Podcast, hosted by Dan Weiss of Adatasol interviewed Todd. He spoke about Geist Interactive: our history, where we are, and things we love.
The post Todd Geist on the Adatasol Podcast appeared first on Geist Interactive.
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We are FileMaker Developers. That means we can be JavaScript developers as well. We can learn and use JS in our work to enhance our custom FileMaker apps. Let's explore why we can and learn JavaScript.
The post You can Do JavaScript appeared first on Geist Interactive.
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For some of us, one of the most enjoyable aspects of programming is the fact that we get to feel so "in control" over every single aspect of how something works. You are the God of your own universe and it's either as bad or as good as you make it.
Our human shortcoming, however, is that fact that we don't just know it all - we have to learn the various ways of doing things. Knowing how to use FileMaker's functions, and when they are useful, is a key aspect to creating well functioning software
FileMaker Pro Brings Light to the End of Repair Shop’s Dark Data Tunnel
Solution Optimizes Workflow & Allows ERS to Analyze Data to Reduce Customers’ Repair Costs
When an endoscope fails or performs poorly, it’s a big, costly deal. Broken scopes lead to downtime and downtime costs money. So how do hospitals, surgery centers and clinics keep their endoscopy suites in full working order? They rely on businesses like Endoscopy Repair Specialist Inc. (ERS) to provide preventive mainten
Have you ever been deep into a complex FileMaker script and realized you need to know something about the structure of the app? Maybe you need to know where a custom function is used, or what scripts call the script you are working on. What do you do?
The post Realtime Developer Intelligence appeared first on Geist Interactive.
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GoDraw3 is a FileMaker drawing tool for users. For FileMaker developers, however, it is full of customization. A developer can do with it what she wants.
The post GoDraw3: Hack the Heck Out of It appeared first on Geist Interactive.
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Part 5: Rassling with the R’s — Roles and Responsibilities in Software Development
Knowing the Software Development Roles…
It’s important to get the right people in the right place at the right time. Once the development project launches, everyone involved will have an opinion, eXpertise and investment in the outcome. To get the best results, it’s important to use each person in the right way. Quality in, quality out. In this installment, we’ll walk you through client and developer d
FileMaker Pro Audit Trail “Revisited”
By Doug West
Nearly four years have passed since our last Easy-Bake FileMaker Pro Audit Trail made its Internet debut. The same principles are still going strong, and now we’ve added some bells and whistles based on user feedback.
The steps to implement this revised FileMaker Pro audit trail technique in your own solution is as easy as:
Copy the four custom functions from this demo file and paste them into each file of your app.
Copy the _audit field a
GoDraw3 is a drawing tool, but it can also be used as a visual data-entry system. Objects in a drawing can have data attached, and that data can be saved.
The post GoDraw3: Use Drawings to Enter Data appeared first on Geist Interactive.
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In my two decade career, I've only seen corrupt files while working in technical support. I was in technical support for five long years but even then it was not a common occurrence. Rarely have I encountered a corrupt file while working with a client or in my own personal FileMaker solutions. With good file management practices, your FileMaker file can live a long and happy life, free of corruption. I'm not saying corruption doesn't happen, it's just rare. Still you need to be prepared if the F
In my two decade career, I've only seen corrupt files while working in technical support. I was in technical support for five long years but even then it was not a common occurrence. Rarely have I encountered a corrupt file while working with a client or in my own personal FileMaker solutions. With good file management practices, your FileMaker file can live a long and happy life, free of corruption. I'm not saying corruption doesn't happen, it's just rare. Still you need to be prepared if the F
I’ve been working on a couple large JSON projects over the last few months, and with the one year anniversary of FileMaker having built-in JSON capabilities just around the corner, this seems an opportune moment to share some reflections and opinions (some of which may contradict JSON-related opinions I have expressed previously). Demo file: json-sandbox.zip […]
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FileMaker 16 changed the entire landscape of how many things are accomplished within FileMaker. Because of the ability to show a completely different context as a new Card Window, you can now do all kinds of wonderful things.
Need an interactive sidebar? Use a Card Window. Need greater degree of control over your custom dialog boxes? Use Card Windows. Need to present a pick list, a palette or pretty much any information you could ever want to display in a dedicated child window? Used Card Windo
GoDraw3 is the FileMaker Drawing Tool. It provides a lot of functionality for users, and gives great flexibility for FileMaker developers. Take a look and see how to Draw in FileMaker.
The post GoDraw3: The FileMaker Drawing Tool appeared first on Geist Interactive.
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Electronic data interchange (EDI) is used by businesses to electronically exchange standard business documents. EDI standards can speed up business by simplifying communication between two companies. Check out how FileMaker can help your business by Integrating with EDI: https://dbservices.com/articles/filemaker-edi-integration/
dbservices.com
FileMaker Pro has some very simple and straight-forward validation options. For example, if you only want one field named email to only ever have a single copy of a given email, you choose the Unique option in the Validations section of the field's options.
But, what if you want to allow a given contact record to have multiple email addresses. How do you check for uniqueness across multiple fields? The same email could appear within one field and then would be perfectly valid in a second field
FileMaker Security is like leveling up your character in a video game: get to the level that is best for your data. Here we examine the levels of security.
The post FileMaker Security: Leveling Up a Custom App appeared first on Geist Interactive.
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I've mentioned FLF (Find-List-Form) in several other articles on this web site but I think it's so important that I wanted to devote an entire article to the subject. So many developers have moved so far away from the roots of FileMaker that they almost don't even know what they are. Then they teach other budding FileMaker developers wacky workarounds for something that is so easy to accomplish with basic FileMaker tools, and these impressionable minds think it's always the right approach. Yes,
I've mentioned FLF (Find-List-Form) in several other articles on this web site but I think it's so important that I wanted to devote an entire article to the subject. So many developers have moved so far away from the roots of FileMaker that they almost don't even know what they are. Then they teach other budding FileMaker developers wacky workarounds for something that is so easy to accomplish with basic FileMaker tools, and these impressionable minds think it's always the right approach. Yes,
Relationship Rescue
What does it mean in the Set Field script step when it says “This calculation will be evaluated based on context determined at runtime.”? What is “context”, anyway? It turns out that there are different types of “context” that are relevant to FileMaker development. What do layouts have to do with the relationship graph? What do indexes have to do with relationships? How do the various types of relationships work?What’s the difference between defining a sort in the relationsh
