Great news! FileMaker 2024 has arrived, bringing with it a host of exciting new features! From advanced AI integration to the “Open Quickly” feature, this release is all about making your development process smoother and more efficient. Script enhancements and improved JSON handling also are featured. 

Watch our video to explore the latest enhancements and tools that will revolutionize your development workflow.

This blog post provides a summary of the topics discussed in the video.

The sample file mentioned in the video is available in our course, FileMaker Features & Free Resources, at Productive Computing University.

The Claris FileMaker 2024 release, officially known as FileMaker 21 under the hood, brings a plethora of new features and improvements designed to enhance integration, usability, and performance. Here’s a detailed overview of what you need to know about these exciting updates.

AI Integration and Enhancements

FileMaker 2024, technically known as FileMaker 21 under the hood, introduces advanced integration with artificial intelligence. This release includes a variety of script steps and calculation functions designed to work together seamlessly. Users can set up prompts where they ask questions, and the AI interprets these questions to return results. The answers can be presented as text or used to query the database to retrieve specific records.

Moreover, users can train the AI on their specific data by creating embeddings, which convert words into numerical vectors that the computer can understand. This allows the AI to build intelligence within the data, identifying relationships between words and ranking the relevance of records. Although this feature can be complex, it offers flexibility, allowing users to start with simple applications and gradually delve deeper.

Open Quickly Feature

The “Open Quickly” feature is a new addition that developers will likely find helpful. This feature allows users to quickly access files, layouts, and scripts by typing a few letters or a phrase. For example, pressing the command K brings up a search box where users can type a letter, and the system will display all related layouts, scripts, and files. Holding the Option key changes the script icon, allowing users to execute scripts directly. This feature has the potential to speed up the development process by making it easier to locate and manage scripts, layouts, and files.

Additional information:

To enable or disable script and layout list items appearing while using the Open Quickly feature, you must show/hide those items on their respective lists.  (e.g. If you want to omit a layout on the Open Quickly list, you’ll need to make sure that layout doesn’t appear to the user with the layout list. The same applies to scripts). However, developers are asking for more granularity from a security standpoint, whereby the inclusion or exclusion of these Open Quickly list items is additionally predicated on security-based controls within that user’s privileged set, such as “extended privileges” or “menus set to minimum,” for example.

Enhanced Script Features 

FileMaker 2024 includes enhancements to the “Perform Script on Server with Callback” feature. This allows a server-side script to call another script upon completion. For example, after generating a report, the system can alert the user when the report is ready. The callback script can be configured to pause, resume, exit, or halt a currently running script. Additionally, scripts can now be called by name in a calculation, providing more customization options for script flows.

Execute FileMaker Data API Script Step 

One of the standout features in this release is the “Execute FileMaker Data API” script step. This single script step allows users to define a request formatted as JSON text, which can act on data without calling other script steps. The feature is contextually agnostic, meaning it can run on any layout without needing to manage windows, layouts, or records. This functionality is particularly useful for working with APIs or JavaScript in a web viewer. The script step simplifies data management by preparing data in JSON format, making it easier to integrate with advanced technologies.

Configure Local Notifications 

FileMaker 2024 brings the ability to configure local notifications to the desktop level. This feature allows scripts to call the internal notification system of the operating system, similar to how text message notifications appear. Users can set up reminders that will notify them at specified times, enhancing the application’s utility for managing tasks and deadlines.

Additional Enhancements and Bug Fixes  

The release also includes several minor improvements and bug fixes. Notably, repetitions now support file paths, and enhancements to revert transactions can now be performed with subscripts. These updates build on existing functionalities to make them more useful in various situations. The “Insert from URL” script step now supports the SIGV4 URL option, enhancing its power. Furthermore, new functions have been added to simplify working with JSON, such as adding new records and retrieving the last record in an array.

Advanced Text Extraction 

A new function inspired by the original “GetLiveText” function is now available. This FileMaker Pro for the Mac and FileMaker Go function uses machine learning to extract text from images and provides formatted JSON text, including X and Y coordinates. This added structure and location data make the function more versatile and useful for developers.

Conclusion

FileMaker 2024 offers a wide range of new features and enhancements that significantly improve the development and user experience. From AI integration and enhanced script steps to local notifications and JSON functionalities, this release is designed to make your custom applications more powerful and efficient. Stay tuned for more detailed YouTube videos and courses on these new features at Productive Computing University.

Other products and services we offer:

• What can PCI do for you? – overview of our services
• Health Assessment – a comprehensive report on the condition of
  your FileMaker system and server
• Consulting and Development – services billed by the hour
• Maintenance and Support – services billed monthly
• Packaged Services – flat fee for Health Assessment, Server Installation, etc.
• Plug-ins – tools to integrate with QuickBooks, Outlook, Google, etc.
• Solutions – customizable, scalable, and free CRM template
• Claris and FileMaker Licensing – discounts on new seats and renewals
• FileMaker and QuickBooks Hosting – options to host your files in the cloud
• Productive Computing University – online video training courses for
  beginner to advanced users and developers

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