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Blogs

Featured Entries

A Conversation About '2 Factor Authentication'

By Josh Ormond February 8, 2016

[ Edit: 3/16/2016 - With the help of some other people, we have been able to recover, or recreate some of the original images from original thread. ] Security is always a big topic when it involves data, or people, or possessions. Recently, over on the FileMaker Community, there was a very beneficial discussion regarding security. Unfortunately, that discussion was the victim of a necessary action...and was deleted. It was deleted, because the discussion was tied to a video that, as was det
- 1 comment
- 5,559 views
Hacking Your Own FileMaker Platform Solutions

By Steven H. Blackwell April 7, 2016

Hacking Your Own FileMaker Platform Solutions Should FileMaker Platform developers mount hacking attacks on their own solutions? At first glance, this may seem an odd question. But I believe that the answer is “Yes, we should.” Consider this. As developers we see our solutions from a totally different perspective than Threat Agents see them. Without practicing our own hacking skills, we can become blind to the vulnerabilities a Threat Agent can exploit to compromise the Confidentiality
- 1 comment
- 5,524 views

Noteworthy

Ahhh... the ubiquitous notes field. Seems simple, right? In a way it is. Just slap down a field and resize it to show more data. Add a scroll bar and you're done. The problems occur when you are trying to locate an important note, print a report or perform a find. Data can be strewn all about a text field that allows free form entry and supports up to ten million characters. Imagine hundreds of different users trying to follow the exact same format for data entry. Pandemonium! This article will

John Mark Osborne

February 19, 2019

I Got Quicker at Debugging and So Can You

I Got Quicker at Debugging and So Can You Eradicate those Annoying Little Code Demons with these Tools and a Few Lines of Custom Code I Developed by Michael Suhrbier, eXcelisys Web App Developer You’ve probably heard of these PHP / MySQL debugging techniques: Xdebug — Great if you can get it working. BackTrace(), print_r(), var_dump(), etc. — Very useful but usually very ugly and not easy for humans to read and understand. PHP / MySQL logs — Fine for the average user, but let’s e

eXcelisys

February 15, 2019

Field Data Validation Options

When you're the one creating the database, you're the one who says which data makes it in and which data doesn't. This all happens through the various methods of data validation. Data is either considered valid or not - and this happens according to your data validation rules. If the data is valid, then everything proceeds as normal. If, however, the data isn't exactly what's required, then you get to choose what happens. In most cases, you can let the user keep taking a whack at it until they

FileMaker Magazine

February 14, 2019

Otto Webinar

Join us for a free webinar about Otto, our Automated Deployment and Dev-Ops utility for FileMaker Server. Otto handles the tedious, and error-prone tasks of transferring files to servers and performing data migrations. If you regularly have to perform data imports and data migrations on your FileMaker systems, you will want to attend this webinar. In this webinar, […] The post Otto Webinar appeared first on Geist Interactive. View the full article

Todd Geist

February 12, 2019

Vincenzo Menanno, Beezwax – FileMaker Record Locking – Atlanta FileMaker Developers Group 2/6/19

If you don’t know which method FileMaker uses for record locking, optimistic vs pessimistic, then you’ll find out during his talk. He’ll share his journey into how he became an optimistic database architect. What are the critical things be aware of when allowing FileMaker to work with optimistic record locking. We’ll look at security considerations when using this approach, and architecture and building solutions for maximum performance while maintaining data accuracy and reliability. Under

Smef

February 8, 2019

FileMaker Integrations

FileMaker OneDrive Integration

The Microsoft OneDrive API can allow you to edit files without downloading and re-uploading to FileMaker. Integrate FileMaker with Microsoft OneDrive to store documents in the cloud and improve sharing while keeping your database lean and mean. Be sure to check out the full article: https://dbservices.com/articles/filemaker-onedrive-integration/ Includes free sample database and tutorial video dbservices.com

dbservices in FileMaker Integrations

February 5, 2019

The Beginning

Scripts that run on the opening of a FileMaker file allow you to accomplish so many different tasks. Open scripts can initialize global fields, setup variables, determine which layout to display based on security or platform, perform sub-scripts, install menu sets and so much more. This article will cover some of the most important uses of Open scripts but each FileMaker solution will likely have unique open script steps. View the full article

John Mark Osborne

February 5, 2019

The Beginning

John Mark Osborne

February 5, 2019

Server Restored Contexts

Prior to FileMaker 13 we never even had the option of performing scripted tasks where the data actually exists. The processing of a script, client side, always had, and still does, make a full round trip for all kinds of these processing activities. Many times, FileMaker does it's best to optimize whatever is being done, but it's still not as fast as executing certain things directly on the server. With the addition of Perform Script on Server we gained a REALLY BIG performance boost by being a

FileMaker Magazine

February 5, 2019

Otto v1.6.1 Released

We are releasing a major upgrade to Otto, our powerful Data Migration and Developer Operations tool. Otto automates the complex and error-prone process of migrating and upgrading FileMaker solutions, making it a key component of your Workplace Innovation Platform. The post Otto v1.6.1 Released appeared first on Geist Interactive. View the full article

Todd Geist

February 4, 2019

To Be … Or Not to Be – A FileMaker Certified Developer

To Be … Or Not to Be – A FileMaker Certified Developer Should You Hire Only FileMaker Certified Developers? How Do Developers Earn Certification and What Does it Mean? We asked a bunch of developers about the certification process and its impact on their work. As a consumer, you want to know what you’re paying for when you hire a developer with the FileMaker Inc. seal of approval. How do developers get certified — and what, eXactly, does it mean? “I do think the certificate process

eXcelisys

January 31, 2019

FIleMaker Script Steps Reference: Worth the look

The Script Step reference pages in FileMaker's help is a useful source for all developers, new and experienced alike. It's worth our look once in awhile. There's a lot to learn and to be reminded of on each page. The post FIleMaker Script Steps Reference: Worth the look appeared first on Geist Interactive. View the full article

Todd Geist

January 31, 2019

FileMaker Help Functions: Always more to learn

The FileMaker help functions pages are a worthy set of documents to review many times in a developer's career. There's a lot of information about each function. Here we take a look at the pages and see how their set up. The post FileMaker Help Functions: Always more to learn appeared first on Geist Interactive. View the full article

Todd Geist

January 30, 2019

Geist Interactive Hosts Local CIO/CTO Focus

Geist Interactive is sponsoring the CIO/CTO Focus event series. The next event will be Feb 19, 2019, and will feature a discussion with leading Chief Information & Chief Technology Officers (CIO & CTOs) from the area. Todd Geist, CEO of Geist Interactive will be moderating the event. Register using the link below. The post Geist Interactive Hosts Local CIO/CTO Focus appeared first on Geist Interactive. View the full article

Todd Geist

January 29, 2019

FileMaker Help: A Worthwhile Read

The FileMaker help guide is a useful set of documents, and we can use the context-sensitive help feature to get to the relevant help pages quickly. It is worth our time to review what is written. The post FileMaker Help: A Worthwhile Read appeared first on Geist Interactive. View the full article

Todd Geist

January 29, 2019

Universal Tagging System

One of the most wonderful aspects of FileMaker, or any development project, is implementing a portion of the software which can be used system wide. Meaning you don't have to recreate functionality over and over again in order to benefit from what you implement initially. Especially when it can be used in all locations universally. In this video, I show you how to implement a Universal Tagging System in which you can apply tags to any other element you're managing within your database system. A

FileMaker Magazine

January 28, 2019

Out with the Old, In with the New — Updating PHP is Essential for You!

Out with the Old & In with the New, Updating PHP is Essential for You! Why PHP & WordPress Updates Should Top Your New Year’s “To Do” List By Michael Suhrbier, eXcelisys Web App Developer What is PHP? Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP) is an amazing and popular server-side programming language used in web development. How prominent is it? Well, it’s powerful enough to run the biggest blogging system on the web (WordPress) and the largest social network platform in the world (Facebook)!

eXcelisys

January 24, 2019

Back and Forward

I've always been intrigued with how to mimic a web browser's back and forward buttons... as have many other developers. While I don't usually include them in a professional solution, I do find the exercise of creating an airtight historical navigation solution challenging. I prefer well designed navigation over history buttons. Therefore, I present this article as a brain teaser and not necessarily as a recommended solution. But, I'll let you make the decision. I'll go into why I don't think his

John Mark Osborne

January 22, 2019

Back and Forward

John Mark Osborne

January 22, 2019

Advanced JSON Script Parameters

While many FileMaker solutions will manage multiple parameter passing in very simple and straight-forward ways, there are some solutions which you know will grow over time. Because of this expected growth, you may want to have an additional level of comfort knowing you've implemented a very strict system for managing data transfer between scripts. You also may be interested in working with external APIs and connecting to systems and data which is provided via the currently popular format of JSO

FileMaker Magazine

January 18, 2019

Creating and Using Invisible Window IDs

Editor’s note: I first became aware of Paul Jansen when I licensed his FMTools in the late 1990s, and I finally had the pleasure of meeting him last June at dotFMP after 20 years of online and voice communication. It’s an honor and a privilege to welcome him to FileMaker Hacks as a guest author. […] View the full article

Kevin Frank

January 14, 2019

Holiday Light Maker Finds Peace on Earth with Sales Quoting & Fulfillment App

Holiday Light Maker Finds Peace on Earth with Sales Quoting & Fulfillment App FileMaker Platform Brings Bright Sparkle to Global Operations at Christmas Northeast / Nicolas Holiday Just as Santa relies on the elves to keep his North Pole toy shop churning, holiday light manufacturer Christmas Northeast / Nicolas Holiday depends on the FileMaker Platform to manage sales and distribution of its bulbous bling. As the sole manufacturer of all GE-branded holiday lighting products, the compa

eXcelisys

January 11, 2019

Survival Guide (7 of 7): Find, Hire & Work with a Software Developer, Successfully!

Survival Guide (7 of 7): Find, Hire & Work with a Software Developer, Successfully! Bringing Your Vision to Life: Development, Testing & Deployment Development styles — What to eXpect Broadly speaking, there are three common approaches to development: agile, waterfall and prototyping. All are intended to get to the finished product in an efficient manner, but each takes a different approach. The agile development style practices discovery as development unfolds and requires

eXcelisys

January 11, 2019