Archived Wants & Wishes

Better integration with Quark and Indesign for beginners/intermediate users. Better documentation playing special attention to both publishing systems. May be a configurable wizard to publish variable contents in catalogs or templates with variable data (texts and graphics). I think commercial solutions are extremely expensive and for filemaker is just one step beyond. Many publishers use FM to store data but they aren't XML, XSLT, DTD programers.

In MS access you can imbed one table into another table and link maximum of three fields in the parent table to three fields in the imbedded table so when you input data into one field it enter the link field as well. You can also hide the link fields in the imbedded table so the operator cannot not see what is happening. I would like to see FM have this capability. Lionel

What is the problem with having a checkbox display a check instead of the "X". This can't be hard as someone has already done this with scripts but I don't want to have to rely on scripts to do this. It just looks more professional.

Something similar to iApp will be great for limited knowledgers in web programing. Conditional popup lists for the web without needing javascript or PHP (or a wizard to do it). I mean capacity to refresh the contents from server of sub lists when you select one value in the first field. Example: Makes and models. Yo select one make in the first popup that is actually on your database and the models are actuallized to show you just the corresponding values that there are now on you DB.

Wouldn't it be grand if we could use a calculation to specify the location of a field within a layout? This would start to give FileMaker some graphical capabilities. As it stands if I want data to appear in one of a 100 different locations in a grid I need to hard code a new relationship for each position in the layout. Attached is a screenshot of my relationship graph - a testament to why the relationship graphs aren't always superior to a tabular list. Picture.pdf

With the ability to have multiple windows in any FM solution, we need to be able to attach variables to the windows. It is great to have local vars in scripts and global vars for files, but we need vars that are window dependent. Move from script to script and file to file. Example: key - "$$$" mean a variable that is attached to a window. Window1: $$$User = Frank Window2: $$$User = Paul In window1 frank logs in to some customer record and edits the record. Frank lets Paul use his computer. Paul opens a new window (window2) and logs in to another customer record, edits it and saves. He then closes the window2 and Frank continues his work in wi…

[color:blue]Great, finally the 'hide key field' has been added to dropdown lists in fmp 8. Still a little dissapointed though because you end up with a field that shows a number. Of course I hear you think...what did you expect? Well, a field that would contain the id but (as the dropdown list) only show the second value. That makes sense to the user and gives sense to the dropdown arrow next to the field. Now we still have to add a second field to show the user what he chose. Now I'm going to stop adding topics to this part of the forum because I guess you must be thinking I'm complaining all day long . That's not what I'm like at all actu…

Here is another one that has me baffled - Seems simple but doesn't work right on Mac (works fine on PC though) I've got a simple "find" script that calls, up the layout and selects/performs a field. This field has a pop up menu - value list that automatically pops up when run on the PC, but won't do that on Mac using the same script. All of the obvious field behaviour buttons have been double checked to make sure that Find Mode and Entire contents options have been selected (same for the script itself) Clicking on the field activates it but that really isn't the depth of automation that I need. I'm on Pro 8 Advanced. Any thoughts

It would seem like to me that layout scripts would be a simple yet usefully tool to have. Just like a file script (Every time you open a file or close a file you have an option to perform a script). Have this same concept except for layouts. This would be good for validation (making sure a user cannot leave a layout without filling out certain fields) or good for security (a user could not see a layout without typing a password)

Filemaker is the only application I still run from the Classic Environment. Why? Because in versions 6 and 7, the font is fuzzy. I tried adjusting font styles, changing display settings, anything I could think of, yet still the font looks out of focus. I'm not sure if I'm the only one who has this problem, or if I'm just more sensitive to it, but for all the wonderful features I would love to use in version 7, I just can't look at it. I bought version 6 and loaded it on 2 different macs, and they both had the same problem. I downloaded the trial of 7, and it was the same thing. I would like to continue using Filemaker because it is a great program, but looking at 6 a…

Often you need to specify the name of a layout, value list, database,...in a calculation but there's no way of looking the correct name up starting from the calculation window. So you have to close the calculation window, look up the names, write them down and make sure there are no spelling mistakes in the name. It would be [color:blue]great to have a dropdown list above the field names which would include: 'fields'(the fields as we already see them now), 'layouts' (with all the layout names in the db),'value lists' (with all the value list names), etc... Of course: - you can click on the name to add it to your calculation - these names would also change dyn…

Lattitude and logitude.. Did I spell those correct? I'd like a field type that would hold a lat/lon position, and at least a calculation for distance between two points. -jim lee

I defined a custom Calculation using Dev-7 hoping that I could use it everywhere, just like the "normal" calculations. But no, it seems that the calculation is file specific. I can only call it from the file that was open when I wrote it. Am I missing something here? -jim lee

Hey there, This may be out there somewhere but I haven't found it yet. I need some examples or solutions for the way to have users only view the records they have created based on their logon (web sharing). we will have 10 or so (not at the same time really) folks hitting the file to create or add info to records and I want them to only be able to see their records plus one user (admin-like) to be able to see all. Sorry this is so newbie of me. New to FP but I love it so far much better than access. Thanks for any help.

It would be really interesting if in the new Filemaker version could export the the scripts just like you would export records. Then it would be much easier to correct mistakes or script updates in a bunch.

I would like the ability to choose wether a graphics item / button is to be printed. Ie if you have a button to run a print script in a layout have this selceted to off, then when the layout is printed it is without the button. would a avoid the need of multiple layouts

To have hidden fields based on a calc, without the nonsense of setting up portals everywhere

Would be great if related tables would be given a specific color in order to keep an overview of whats related to eachother.

Because of a brain fart, I have two scripts with a total of about 75 "Set Field" steps with complex calculations that should have been "Replace Contents" steps. Would be nice to just double-click each one and turn it from Set Field to Replace Contents. As it is, I have to create a new step for Replace Contents, specify the correct field, then copy the calc from the Set Field step, go back to Replace Contents, click Specify, click Calculation, paste, click OK, click OK. Monkey work, I know, but there are bound to be errors.

Sometimes I like to use merge fields on buttons to indicate the state of something. For instance I might have a calculated field that stays one jump ahead of the actual status. When the actual status is "Draft" the button would say "Open" and when the actual status was "Open" the button would say "Close". I also like to name the fields with fairly descriptive names for obvious reasons. In the example above I would name the field something like: Status_Button_Label When I place the merge field on the button it turns into this: <> or worse yet <>. In the example all of my field values are 5 characters but the field name is 23 characters. The …

Well prior to vs. 7, I rarely used Specify Button. Now I'm in that puppy all the time. And it never fails that, as I modify or add a script parameter, I then have the need to modify the script as well. But no. I must instead exit clear out of Specify Button and open Script Maker and find the script. By the time I find the darned script, I've forgotten what I went there for! And worse still ... I'll have a calc box open and then forget whether I'm working on the script-step calc or the parameter calc. Please dear FileMaker ... add a button next to parameter Edit which allows us to open the attaching script - and vice-versa. Every time I go through th…

The hours I've spent creating several layouts almost exactly the same except for a changing tab control and a few fields. Wouldn't it be great if you could simply drop a tab control onto a layout - add tabs to it - and tell it what layout should be displayed within the control for each tab! There could even be sciptable events like there is in delphi's TTabControl for OnChanging and OnChanged - thatis when the user is changing tabs or has changed. Actually the events would go a long way in other places in FM too - having "specify button" simply isn't enough. OnEnter, OnExit and OnChange events would enable you to fire a script as the user enters a field textbox, ex…

I was adding scripts the other day and wished I had a way to save the script name in a different color. I could color the script name on my test file and then I would know immediately which ones to import into the working file. I can dream can't I? Ivan

Source: http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=1144 =================================================== Wednesday, June 22, 2005 FileMaker 8 to pack new work-flow and sharing features By Kasper Jade FileMaker, Inc. in the coming weeks is expected to announce a major upgrade to its top-selling database suite for managing people, projects, assets and more, AppleInsider has learned. Advertisement The wholly-owned subsidiary of Apple Computer, Inc plans to roll out FileMaker Pro 8 and FileMaker Pro 8 Advanced, both of which have been under development since the company released FileMaker Pro 7 in March of last year. FileMaker 8 Pro …

Frow ThinkSecret.com : FileMaker Pro 8 in development, Mac OS X 10.4.1 released By Ryan Katz, Senior Editor May 17, 2005 Apple subsidiary FileMaker, Inc. is hard at work on the next version of its FileMaker database software suite, which sources say is slated for announcement towards the end of the year and will be rolled out as version 8. Early builds of FileMaker Pro 8 were in extremely limited hands until early April, when testing is said to have expanded to a larger group consisting of a few hundred more dedicated FileMaker Pro 8 developers and customers. FileMaker Pro 8 will feature a number of significant technical improvements as well as …

I would like to see the ability for custom dialog boxes to include the customary information, caution, or warning icons that you see on most other popular programs.

Hi all, Does anyone besides me see the value of a SAVE button in the Define Database dialog? More than once I've been working on something lengthy in, let's say, Relationships, and I've switched tabs to work in Fields, decided that what I did in Fields wasn't right and I didn't want to save it so I hit the CANCEL button at the bottom of the main dialog and lost all work done in that session in the Define Database dialog. FYI After having this happen several times I've gotten into the habit of closing the dialog and reopening it every time I want to switch tabs. Maybe that's the best solution?

I like the idea of using kiosk mode for many types of solutions but the fact that it cannot be minimised is a real drag and really limits it's uses dramatically. If you want to have the same effect with no menu options in an application that can be minimised you have to pay hundreds of dollars for a plugin (developer license). This is rediculous! A script step that will minimise a database running in kiosk mode would be very good. The solution should go back to kiosk when maximised without having to log in again. Surely this can't be too hard for the gurus at FM?

Hi, friends I wish that... but meanwhile there is any tip (or unveiled feature) to place an icon into the custom dialog, something like the old PCDP MessageBox plugin, without a plugin ?

Possibilitie to change the MENU ( File, Edit, View, Insert, Format, etc) omit and add new options in Prefered language,

Sorry to compare with 4th Dimension, I Prefer FileMaker, but i see things in 4D,

FM is so sweet in that if you attempt to delete a field, it tells you it's being used by another calculation or script. I wish they would also provide the same protection when attempting to delete a layout which is used in a script. And with vs. 7 (and multiple tables within one file), my layouts list is very long and difficult to work with. Of course I have named them consistently and you can jump around a bit but it would be nice if it included sub-categories for further grouping them without having to create blank layouts for categories. Second-layer popups would be very nifty. LaRetta

I would like to have moveable tabs on the ruler line to define the print area. I would like to be able to move my print area to the right and put buttons on the left. Or, like Excel be able to define the print area.

A "Set Field" script step where there is an option to specify the target field name through a calculation or by the contents of a field.

When you open Script Maker and use the scroll on the mouse, FM nicely scrolls down your scripts for you. In fact, most of the Dialogs work similarly and are quite predictable. However, if you open Specify Button and select Perform Script (and you are presented with your list of scripts) Specify Script Options doesn't work the same way. If you begin mouse-scrolling, FM scrolls your FILES instead. If you happen to stop on an import file, FM even gets a bit rude about it. Of course, once you click into the scripts it then works as expected but it should duplicate Script Maker and mouse-scroll immediately upon open. It should scroll the scripts; that's what you u…

I have never understood why they made right-clicking on a button run the script immediately (you can't even hold it down and move off the button). This behavior is very contradictory to the way right-clicking works in any other windows program. I occasionally slip, and then I have to spend a bunch of time cleaning up the resulting mess (when I first started working with the system, most of the major scripts didn't have custom messages to cancel out of a mistake). I wish they would just make it bring up the standard menu, just as if right-clicking on an unused space. At the very least, I wish there was an option to change that behavior. Yeah, I know it's only …

A simple, frame within a layout that houses any other layout. Within the frame are the status and control commands, just like in the main frame. With this, I imagine portal(esque)-aware scripting would be far easier.

I bought this bout a month ago in the hopes I can creat database driven web pages everything I find on internet says I should have this plugin and I don't is there another way to do this is my program messed up am I missing something here or what very frustrated as of now

I would like the option of having scripts and functions compiled to machine language. This could make certain things, (like looping scripts and recursive custom functions) much faster. Now the only way to get speed in these cases is to call an external program (using send event or a plugin like shell) or to write a plugin directly. (I'm a bit too dense to figure out the API though ) If loop[] and if[] statements could run as fast in scriptmaker as they do in C (or even perl) that would make my day. Oh, and I wish import and delete functions would speed up too...

I've been doing a conversion from 6 to 7 all this week, and I've noticed that creating a new record has become a task that is more difficult than nessary. How about a simple drop down or dialog box that's available with the "New Record" script step. That way I don't have to create layouts for the simple purpose of creating a new record. And it would remove the step of going to that layout. What would really help out scripting this also: When setting a field, add a drop down to change the Scope of the the field being set. Similar to the way calculation fields have in Create Fields. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!

I want to be able to select a printer for a given report within a script and it allways prints via that specific printer without defaulting back to default printer. Very frustrating that the printer controls are very limited

Oh god of FileMaker grant me the wish that FileMaker Pro 8 will have a relationships manager as easy to understand as Access. ps.is there a tutorial in the forum for neewbies explaining all the buttons?

Basically what would be nice is the ability to use your arrow keys to go from field to field like Excel does with cells. It could be one of the options for a layout.

It would be nice if they had a few hundred professionally designed icons built into the system, also a few hundred backgrounds wouldn't hurt Also making the pop-up list faster in Windows would be extremely helpful.

Helo Everyone, I don't know about the rest of you but I like to check my layouts to make certain I have the propper settings for the view options, and if the layout is visible. I really would love to have a list view where I can check/uncheck the visible option for the layout, check/uncheck what views the layout can be seen in, and maybe even change the name. I would find that extremely usefull in finalizing any development I have been doing. -Al

Howdy! I would like to see a legacy support plug-in for CDML-using customers so we can upgrade to FM7+ without throwing away or re-engineering our CDML-dependent online search engines and web forms. We have FMP5.5 Unlimited at the core of our office so we cannot upgrade. Furthermore, as we are a parent office to other departments, none of our daughter departments can upgrade either since FM5/6 formats are not compatible w/FM7+ and there are no backwards-compatible conversions available. FM7 sounds like a great version but we will probably not update until we resolve our web publishing issues one way or another. I can see FM wanting to phase out CDML, but why not …

I think that is better to add save exe file to filemaker pro7 so that when create some program we can save as exe file and no need to install full fm7 software and unable to modified exe software..

I would like to see the next version of fmp support native html as one of the supported data type. This would allow developers to build email function into fmp that can view html email or documents. regards, clifford

I know it can be done a few ways through portals, layouts and value lists but I'd like a function that will cleanly and simply access an arbitrary related record by number. Something like the getRepetition(repeatingField;number) function or the repeatingField[number] whatever-it-is. Something like: getRelatedFieldNumber(relationship::fieldName;number) This would be particularly useful in loops but probably useful elsewhere as well.

I don't ask for much.. just some really simple things Relationship Diagram: Ability to view as a list rather than graphical interface When in graphic interface and click on a TO, the relationship lines for that TO appear in a colour (e.g Red) Specify Button: When specifying a button to be "perform script" there is a wasted extra step of then having to click on "specify" Importing/Scripts: The ability to better organise than the drag. e.g when organising importing of fields and you have to drag one field up, it can get out of control stopping it from scrolling the window too fast. Tables The ability to duplicate a table. Or at the very lea…

In case FMP developers (the ones who develop FMP, not develop with FMP) are listening, please make my scrolling mouse scroll. Calculated field, stored: NoScroll = [1,000 tiny irritations = 1 pita]

I've had several print layouts where I've needed to use portals to display the related data. This is fine when the data fits into the portal, but I can't use a vertical scroll bar on a printed page. My particular problem is made worse, when I have two portals on the page. I've posted this around and no-one seems to know how to do it, so I assume it's not possible.

An easier way to set up relationships. As in When I put a field into a table thats from a different table, Filemaker should think "this person is linking this table to this one via the field they just put in this table. OK, INSTANT RELATIONSHIP". Instead we have to make many steps for one relationship. I also want the ability to attach to a button, a script that just performs a calculation without having to insert it into a field. I want the ability to change the background color of containers, the header, the body, and the footer via script. I want to be able to create a relationship with a summary field and every other field thats greyed out. I want a pater…

I want to control the start and end of sessions in both IWP and CWP with FX.php

Hi, FM7 ntroduced the LookUp and Lookupext functions. It would be awesome if the Source field could be hardcoded in the future releases. Currently, I can't see any reason why this couldn't be made possible, and it will open wide the door for new perspectives in the Relationship flaws. LookupNext(Case(x=y, Company::CompanyTable;Company2::CompanyTable);Higher) So you could dynamically swich from one reference to another, even based on some related fields. No ? Don't tell me it is possible, I didn't tried, but as the Source is SourceField rather than FieldName, I deducted it wasn't. If it is, then you can bet how happy a man I could be, even …

Would be able to do a find and replace that would look through all field definitions. LR

I've found that I like to see these colored in pairs, [color:"red"]{ } , [color:"green"]( ) , and [color:"blue"][ ] . This kind of coloring could help my eyes out when I create long calculations. One comparison would be in Excel, the parentheses color themselves in pairs. So you can find which pair matches up easier. Or am I just really bad at making sure I have ending brackets to all my opening brackets?

I wish I may, I wish I might, may may wish come true tonight....... I would love it if FileMaker would add Type-As-You-Go technology as a specific type of field. It would come so in handy for keeping data clean. I currently use Clairvoyance for all of you scriptology fans. This is a good workaround but clunky. True TAYG would be a wonderful addition. Steve

Suppose you have a whole bunch of different objects (portal, button, label, fields and so on)... it would be really nice if there was a little window which you could invoke to display all the objects on the layout. Then click on the one you want to work with. My reason for wanting this is that sometimes some objects can get buried by others and they are hard to find. J__

FileMaker has made a giant leap forward with the release of FileMaker 7 in regards to Instant Web Publishing. We can now create layouts in the database designed for publishing on the web. No longer is it necessary to create separate web pages for publishing to the web. We can create the layout, test on the web and make layout adjustments in FileMaker depending on how the the browser renders the layout. So what's the Mistake? FileMaker has made two programing limitations that force me and others to have to publish our databases using Custom Web Publishing: 1) There is no way to customize the opening page when a client accesses the web database. We are stuck with the …

Flash support Auto quicktime play in container Native Graphing ability Ability to move and change field colors and sizes through scripts Better Help File Abiltiy to create Mac and PC runtimes from one version(rather than having a PC and a Mac with filemaker) Flash Support (OH I said that already)

Hi, Nice forum catagory, let's hope FM is listening. My wishlist, things I am used to in other programs and would LOVE to see implemented in FM... - initiate script conditionally on field value [without manually starting scripts] - initiate script on time and/or date [dito] - initiate script on field value change [dito] - initiate script on field value (on true, while true every x seconds, on false, while false every x seconds) [dito] - conditionally make items visible/invisible [dito] - conditionally change item/text color [dito] - faster script handling (I can wish, can…

Well, I am one of those that chose to keep everything within one file. It is my first network experience and it seemed simpler (security-wise particularly). Don't yell at me!! I will probably be changing the structure to separation once I can catch my breath. In the meantime, there is one thing that FM can do that would really help. The theory of Save A Copy As ... empty clone or all records. Darned if it wouldn't be handy to choose - on a table by table basis, whether to include the records or not. I currently have a solution that is being designed (with tables being populated via migration) at home while other tables are simultaneously being hosted and u…

Coming from the graphic design industry, I've grown accostomed to some basic layout and design tools that you might find in pagemaker or quark xpress. The layout tools are sufficient, but I spend a lot of time duplicating existing forms. Unfortuneately, I don't have the option of getting "close enough". Some of these forms are government. It wouldn't be that difficult is I had some of the same tools as in the above mentioned layout programs.

OK, every time I go back to define fields, the columns are reset. I tend to use descriptive names (probably unecessarily it might be argued), such as CUSTOMER_ADDRESS_STATE or some such. Every time I go back to define fields I have to expand the darn columns to see all of my fields. Just my thing I guess... Kevin

It would be nice if FMP would allow us to set the # of records that will show in IWP on a layout that is view as a list. Currently it is set to 5 records. I just talked with tech support and they said the reason for setting it so low was so it would not tax the machine that the database was on. What about machines that are built to handle it? They are still forcing us to only see 5 records. In my book, this is a huge problem. We don't want to go into custom web publishing. One of the reasons we went to FMP 7 was the increased functionality of IWP and how easy it is to put a simple database on our Intranet. Ok, enough ranting for now. This just bugs me big time. …

In Browse mode I often would like to "scroll down" to the next item meeting my search criteria (e.g. the next client in a list named "Bob") without changing the current found set or the sort order. This is the behavior of a "Find" command in most other programs, e.g. web Browsers, Excel, and text editors. It is not easy to create a script to replicate this behavior, particularly if the User has applied their own Sort criteria to the found set. Wouldn't it also be great to perform a "Find" which scrolls down to the page which contains the next instance of an item in Preview mode?

Would be really nice if all of the DLL's were placed in a separate folder like the extensions are when a runtime is created. That would really tidy things up.

.........if you could lift x lines of script using Cmd-C and then paste into another script using Cmd-V ? Not a lot to ask in this day and age, is it ?

When I am designing forms and layouts I am usually doing with my companies corporate identity in mind. I can't tell you the number of times I have had to redesign or edit past work, because a particular font did not load properly. I often collaborate with a freind who works on a mac. I would like filemaker to warn me if the original fonts in the design are not available on the station the file is opened on. I would like it to give me the opportunity to either cancel without opening or at least choose a substitute font that will not alter the layou to much. Or if opening on a different platform, at leas it should allow me to select the mac equivelant font.

I request that FileMaker add a matrix field type so that matrices can be entered and matrix mathematics performed (with new functions). I also request a contains operator and field event trapping. Also, FileMaker should work with Microsoft to use protected memory so that if FileMaker freezes it wouldn't freeze the whole darn machine.

Unless I missed a setting somewhere, FM doesn't "remember" ANY custom colors. Once you close and reload a database, all the custom colors are gone. Also, the process of putting custom colors back in are a major pain since 1) there is no "color picker" aka Eye Dropper, and 2) In order to use more than one of the custom color blocks, you have to first, establish your color, remember the RGB code, click the block you want it in (which wipes out your current color selection), then manually enter the numbers and save it. Unless your perfectly happy with limiting yourself to the predefined palette, this is just wasted time that could be easily corrected with a few modification…

Just simply SetField using globals across tables in same database.

1) Define Fields - When I drag the field size larger so I can read longer field names and then close, it reopens scrunched up again. 2) I wish I could kick someone's butt for the sloopy Import/Export boxes. They obviously took the time to review and change it; and it helps having clearer map symbols. While they were there, they could have also added a few things - like a clear-all ability. It is obvious that whoever designs this has no real-life importing experience. They certainly haven't had to import 250 text fields without matching field names and had to manually unselect each darned one - if they had, it would be fixed by now. 3) Fix portal right-side d…

It seems redundant to create additional TO on for each portal one to view and one to "add" I wish there was the ability to turn off the add records via the portal in the presentation layer. Right now I have to create yet another TO just to uncheck a box.