Welcome to our community, full of great ideas on developing your FileMaker solutions effectively,
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. […]
View the full article
The FileMaker Let function is your tool to make a calculation readable, well formatted and easy to debug. Let us discuss how it can be used.
The post Like a Boss: Let us Discuss the FileMaker Let Function appeared first on Geist Interactive.
View the full article
[ 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
Hi all,
Today I'm happy to announce the release of Elemental for FileMaker. This is a free fully unlocked solution containing some cool user interface and design stuff that I hope you find useful and can incorporate into your own solutions.
You can grab a copy now at https://www.elemental-fm.com
In Elementals first version you'll find the following:
Avatars
Over 20 API integrations with avatar generators. These are uniquely generated based on a name y
The FileMaker Script Debugger is powerful. Its features are often overlooked. In this post we examine the buttons that control stepping through a script.
The post Like a Boss: Using the Script Debugger to its Full Potential appeared first on Geist Interactive.
View the full article
One of the greatest joys of working in technology is that you never really have to stop learning - although you certainly can. Everything also moves so fast that it often feels like you can’t keep up. The great thing about FileMaker is that you're not stuck in the '80s or '90s when the software first started - you get to explore as widely as you like. FileMaker can literally reach into almost all aspects of technology.
You can learn about relational structure, SQL, REST, web APIs, and whatever
Even to this day, after providing FileMaker-related technical education for many years, I still see solutions with less-than-optimal structure and storage. When it comes to graphics, “all things add up.” The cumulative cost of data or technical debt often comes back to bite you when you’re trying to refactor an old solution to meet modern standards.
This video showcases what I know about storing and using graphics within your FileMaker layouts. If you’re unaware of how large images impact perfo
Expedite your FileMaker finds with saved searches. This article showcases a dynamic search builder that allows a user to construct Find Mode queries and save them for later use. Follow along with the free demo file and video. Dynamic Saved Searching in Claris FileMaker >>
dbservices.com
FileMaker Pro Audit Trail “Revisited”
By Doug West
Nearly ten years have passed since our Easy-Bake Audit Trail made its Internet debut! The same principles are still going strong, and now we’ve refined the approach based on user feedback.
The steps to implement this revised technique in your solution are as easy as:
Copy the one custom function from this demo file and paste it into each file of your app.
Copy the _audit field and paste it into each table of your app.
(Optional) Add exclu
Proof+Geist is once again proud to receive the Claris Innovation Excellence Award (2024) for OttoFMS. Claris FileMaker developers deserve world-class DevOps tools. OttoFMS brings seamless integrations, powerful automations, customizable interfaces, and effortless deployments to the FileMaker community. Our team needed a tool we could rely on, so we built one to share. We were honored […]
The post Breaking News: Proof+Geist Wins Claris Innovation Excellence Award (2024) for OttoFMS. appeared fi
When tackling the task of updating a UI/UX look and feel, it can quickly become overwhelming — especially if you have hundreds of layouts and countless individual styles, some in use and others deprecated.
While designing a new solution from scratch allows you to take advantage of modern best practices, many existing solutions have simply relied on the Default style and applied it across numerous layouts.
The goal of this video is to demonstrate how you can achieve an updated look without disr
After the joy of seeing so many friends and colleagues last year, we are excited to be premier sponsors again for this year’s Claris Engage 2025. Come just us from March 25-27th on the Apple Campus in Austin, Texas. Where Can You Find Us? We’ll have one booth on the main expo floor— it will […]
The post Claris Engage 2025 is just around the corner! appeared first on Proof+Geist.
View the full article
Introduction If you work with large JSON structures in FileMaker, you may be aware that the current shipping version of the product (FileMaker Pro 21, a.k.a. FileMaker Pro 2024) has a single-element JSON cache, which is reset whenever JSONSetElement or JSONGetElement is called, and that you can boost performance by taking this into account. Six… Continue reading JSON Optimization in FM 21View the full article
Are you a FileMaker developer looking to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) into your workflows? Productive Computing University‘s AI Essentials for FileMaker Developers course is designed to give you a solid foundation in applying artificial intelligence (AI) within your FileMaker solutions.
Why use AI?
AI is changing the way developers build solutions, automate processes, and improve workflows. As a FileMaker developer, understanding how to incorporate AI into your projects can enh
Continuing from a previous video that introduced the Execute FileMaker Data API script step, this video explores the remaining CRUD operations added in FileMaker 21+.
With the create, update, duplicate, and delete actions, we can now leverage more stateless data operations thanks to direct write access to tables.
This video walks through the new write capabilities of the Execute FileMaker Data API script step. Along the way, we’ll also share tips and tricks for writing Custom Functions and exp
If you’re on MacOS, and use the Monkeybread (a.k.a. MBS) plug-in with “check variable names” enabled, you quickly come to appreciate how useful this feature, also known as linting, can be. For example I recently helped another developer track down a script problem that turned out to be a slight misspelling of a variable name,… Continue reading A Tip for MBS “Check Variable Names”View the full article
The Execute FileMaker Data API script step has been around for quite a few years. It was introduced in FileMaker 19, around 2020. If you haven't used it, you may be manually creating JSON for your records when you don’t need to — FileMaker can do this for you. I covered this script step in a video in 2021, explaining how the REST/Data API functionality translates into internal use.
While some features perform better than the Execute Data API step — ExecuteSQL() being one of them — it requires a
We demonstrate how ESS (External SQL Data Source) allows users to connect an existing SQL database to a Claris FileMaker file as an external data source. This grants the user access to many of the functionalities of a standard FileMaker table while also allowing them to continue using the SQL database as they were. Includes sample file and video. Integrating Claris FileMaker with a SQL Database via ESS
dbservices.com
Have you ever needed sample images for your FileMaker solution for a demonstration, training, or marketing? Whether for showcasing a new product or just experimenting with data, having a tool built-in into your file will make the process much easier.
Our video shows you a simple way to generate a selection of high-quality, random images directly in FileMaker using a free online resource called Lorem Picsum.
You’ll learn the step-by-step process of generating professional-looking sample
Need a simple method to install or distribute your Claris FileMaker Pro application to other users? Learn how to create an executable that can be run on Mac and Windows to set up automatic downloads of Claris FileMaker Pro with specific settings. Includes a video. How to Auto-Install Claris FileMaker Pro
dbservices.com
Every development task involves both what you know and what you don’t. The key to achieving the desired outcome often lies in learning what you don’t yet understand. That’s exactly what we’ll explore in this video – how to collect data from related tables for use in various ways.
If you haven’t used the GetNthRecord() function before, this video provides a perfect example of one of its applications. When combined with the While() function, you can build virtually any data structure to help you
Ready to take your FileMaker application to the next level? Discover how Claris Studio can help you leverage the data that drives your business. Claris Studio is the fastest way to build web experiences, enabling you to engage with your audience, improve collaboration, and increase visibility of your most important data - all within the Claris platform. Get Claris Studio now at no additional cost.
dbservices.com
Join DB Services for a webinar on March 12, 2025, at 12pm ET, where we'll discuss how to design client and employee web portals in Claris FileMaker. This webinar will guide you through best practices for building web portals, including when to leverage WebDirect and when alternative approaches might be more effective.
Register now
dbservices.com
Yes, You Need a Website (A Modern, Responsive Website)
By Kurt Knippel, eXcelisys Project Manager / VP of Production
It’s 2025 and the times, they are a-changin’. If you’re one of those holdouts still relying on word-of-mouth referrals and a Facebook business page, it’s time to act. Sure, social media platforms are great for establishing a digital presence and providing potential customers with your contact information, but building a modern, responsive website will serve you better over the
One of the best feelings when developing is making new discoveries and finding solutions to common problems you didn’t know how to solve before. In this week’s video, I present an overarching solution for managing the layout state of any layout within your application. I also introduce a highly useful method for both managing and executing a universal sort on any field present in the layout.
The combination of managing the layout state with the introduction of a universal sorting script will si
A streamlined workflow system is a powerful tool that can save a lot of time and make a world of difference for your business processes. We explore a way of automating workflows and handling the heavy lifting of tasks while simplifying script schedule tracking and reducing manual errors. Includes demo file and video. Workflow Settings in Claris FileMaker
dbservices.com
Featuring: Description: In this episode of The Context Podcast, join Martha Zink and Julie Sigfrinius as they discuss the upcoming Claris Engage 2025 conference! Get a sneak preview of all the fascinating things scheduled for the event. From retro games to exclusive merchandise, an expo hall, and a packed roster of talks lead by FileMaker […]
The post The Context Podcast: Claris Engage 2025 appeared first on Proof+Geist.
View the full article
The first and most common way you'll likely use JSON within your FileMaker solution - should you choose to adopt it for this purpose - is as your primary method for passing script parameters.
If you haven’t done so yet, it is highly recommended that you use JSON for script parameters. Not only does this provide an opportunity to become thoroughly familiar with the format, but it also helps you understand the most common method of transmitting data when working with nearly any internet-based API
