Creating a FileMaker solution which simply works is much easier than one which performs well. Yeah! You’d like to assume that FileMaker Inc. will take care of everything for you and your FileMaker solution, no matter how you build it, will just work perfectly and as fast as possible.

Here’s the catch. You can hand a hammer to pretty much anyone. However, using it, in the most efficient manner, is a totally different story.

You must remember, the FileMaker environment knows nothing about how people are going to use your solution and the data it contains.

Shove 500kb of data into a record and when anyone accesses it they’ll get 500kb back - even if they only need to see 50kb only 80% of the time!

This is where you, the developer, enters the picture and starts to answer the hard questions. What do I show? When? To who? How?

The answers to these questions dictate how you approach the structure and design of your solution. This is combined with the little pieces of know-how you pick up from resources like this magazine. With the right tools in hand, and the knowledge of how to use them, you can create a MUCH BETTER performing solution with only a slight bit more effort.