Having a few pieces of code that can be easily replicated into any solution is one of the best ways to achieve efficiency in development. Yes, AI is revolutionizing how we build solutions, but it's still important to have a personal "treasure chest" of code you're familiar with and don’t need to re-learn.
In this video and technique file, we take a look at just one of many ways to create a wizard-like, multi-step process. Using a slider is likely one of the simplest methods for collecting data from the end user. You could also use multiple layouts or even a clever single layout with multiple sub-summary parts.
With just two simple scripts and a few convenient techniques that eliminate the need to replicate buttons or text, you can use the methods shown in this video and file to easily integrate a slider wizard into any of your solutions.
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Introducing A Free Demo File You Can Use
If you’ve ever wanted to visualize address data inside a FileMaker solution, this free demo file shows you exactly how it’s done. During a Claris Community Live event, we shared a FileMaker demo called “Plot Locations on a Map” that uses JSON and the FileMaker Data API to plot multiple address points on an interactive map.
This demo is available at no cost and is part of the free FileMaker Features and Free Resources course from Productive Computing University. It’s one of several downloadable files available to help you explore real-world techniques using FileMaker.
What You’ll Learn from This Demo
The demo file combines JSON, a mapping API, and FileMaker scripting to let you take a list of addresses and turn them into clickable map markers. You’ll see how FileMaker can work with HTML and a web viewer to present your data in a more visual, interactive format.
The map uses a freely available API, so there’s no need to sign up for a separate service or integrate a paid mapping platform. The data, including company names, addresses, and coordinates, is inserted into FileMaker and formatted as JSON. When you run the demo, this JSON is substituted directly into the map’s HTML structure, and the locations appear on a fully interactive map inside a web viewer.
How It Works: A Quick Recap
Here’s a high-level look at what’s happening in the demo:
Sample data is preloaded using a script that populates company names, addresses, and coordinates. HTML that works to display the map is stored directly in FileMaker using a script step. A placeholder inside the HTML is replaced with JSON data pulled from FileMaker records. The web viewer displays the final result, showing the mapped locations with labels and color-coded types. Clicking on a plot point shows more details about the selected company. All of this is handled using native FileMaker scripting and JSON functions, along with the Execute FileMaker Data API script step, which pulls the record data into JSON quickly and efficiently.
What You’ll See in the Results
Once the map loads, you’ll see every location plotted and color-coded based on company type. Hovering over each marker gives you basic details, while clicking reveals more information like the address and company category. The experience is dynamic and user-friendly, and it all happens right inside your FileMaker layout.
Who This Is For
This demo is a great fit for FileMaker developers looking to learn new techniques, business owners who want to enhance reporting and visualization in their apps, and anyone interested in how JSON can be used practically inside FileMaker.
For example, you could use this approach to:
Show customer locations for your sales team Track service requests across different regions Display site visit locations for field technicians If you’re already storing addresses in your solution, this is a practical way to make that data more useful.

How to Get the Free Demo File
You’ll find the “Plot Locations on a Map” demo inside the FileMaker Features and Free Resources course at Productive Computing University. This course gives you access to tools and example files that you can start using right away along with video lessons that walk you through each technique. If you’re looking for ways to improve your apps, speed up your development process, or add new features, this course is a valuable resource.

Enroll for free today and get access to the “Plot Locations on a Map” demo, along with other practical tools you can use in your FileMaker work.
Get the free demo Other products and services Productive Computing, Inc. offers:
What can PCI do for you? – Overview Video of Productive Computing Services 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. Core CRM Pro – customizable and scalable CRM built on FileMaker 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 – free and paid online video training courses for beginner to advanced users and developers
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FileMaker Takes Heat Off Thermocouple Manufacturer’s Day-to-Day Operations
Quick-Quote System Gets Custom Quotes Out, Orders In Lickety-Split
In an industry where every product is a custom order, quick quoting is essential; the quicker a quote goes out, the quicker an order comes in – See how FileMaker is helping one manufacturer speed up the quoting process.
Thermocouples make the world go ’round. From hot water heaters and pizza ovens to cars and spacecraft, thermocouples are everywhere. Thermocouples are the most widely used temperature sensors in the world, utilized in industrial processes like snack-food packaging, injection-molding machines, pharmaceuticals and petro-chemical plants. Simply put, our world would not function without thermocouples – a device most people never think about.
Tommy Hopper thinks about them every day. 
As president of STI Manufacturing, Hopper oversees a well-established player in the thermocouple-manufacturing industry. Hopper’s uncle established STI Manufacturing in 1984 in Willis, Texas, and it continues today as a family business with Hopper at the helm. Besides thermocouples, STI supplies RTDs (resistance temperature detectors) and thermowells to clients around the globe, though most orders are domestic.

STI Manufacturing fabricates custom products in-house to meet the precise needs of its customers – products like thermocouples, RTDs and needle & gauge valves. For manufacturing businesses like STI, creating quotes for custom, one-off products can be time-consuming. eXcelisys built quote-automation software to speed the process. For years, STI managed operations with Microsoft Access, using the database to track purchase orders, quotes and sales orders. However, in the early 2000s, Hopper got frustrated with Microsoft Windows and the amount of time it took to troubleshoot issues and install service packs whenever Microsoft rolled out a new operating system. 
Hopper liked Access but wanted to shed the Windows XP workstations, so he began seeking a replacement for Access that would run on the macOS. That’s when he discovered Claris FileMaker and contracted with eXcelisys to build a custom FileMaker solution. The system went live in March 2019 and periodic fine-tuning continues to improve and adapt workflows as needed. The FileMaker system handles all of STI’s business needs from tracking inventory and purchase orders to maintaining client and vendor contacts, along with quotes, sales orders and invoices.
FileMaker Speeds up Quoting Process
The biggest improvement the new FileMaker app brought STI was speed in preparing quotes because FileMaker automates the process. “Instead of taking 15 to 20 minutes to put together a quote,” said Hopper, “I can get it out in 3 or 4 minutes.”
At STI, an efficient quoting process is essential because every product is a custom order manufactured to the specific needs of the client. The quicker a quote goes out, the quicker an order comes in. Requests are made through the STI website, which eXcelisys also had a hand in developing. To request a custom thermocouple, customers complete an online form that allows them to specify precise parameters for the product needed (see image below).

Creating quotes was a slow, one-man eXpedition before FileMaker. Because the data on labor costs associated with different builds lived only in Hopper’s head, Hopper was the only employee who could create a quote. Once launched, the FileMaker solution took the heat off Hopper by automating the process, allowing any employee to quote a product and arrive at the same eXact price.
Other features build into the custom FileMaker system:
Pick tickets (to speed up manufacturing): FileMaker generates pick tickets for each order. Inventory tracking: Keeping inventory stocked is essential to operations. If STI runs out of a certain type of wire or connector, the company cannot build products. But this is never a problem because FileMaker tracks inventory and provides low-stock alerts. UPS shipping: STI can create and print UPS shipping labels directly from FileMaker through the UPS API. Unit conversions: If STI buys material by the foot but sells by the inch, FileMaker makes those conversions when producing a quote. Payroll: FileMaker tracks employee hours worked. Need help eXpediting and automating customer quotes to speed up the sales process? Need some customized quoting software for your small business? Contact our solution consultants to eXamine the possibilities. Consultations are free; what are you waiting for?
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The Challenge Demo Files magic numeric value list v1.zip magic numeric value list v2.zip Recently a challenge came up to use a dynamically-generated ascending sequence of numbers as the basis for a value list, and in a multi-user-safe manner. By dynamically-generated, I mean that the list of numbers would be calculated at runtime and would… Continue reading Magic Numeric Value ListView the full article

Longtime FileMaker developers have often used the database itself to store values for various user interface settings. This is valid, because, where else would you store them? A common approach is individual fields. However, there are a few problems with this.
First, it adds "noise" to your data structure, making it harder to distinguish between actual data fields and those used for other purposes. For example, you might ask, "Is this an actual data field or is it used for something else?"
Second, FileMaker’s data transfer over the network is essentially all or nothing because every field in a table must be transferred. I've seen solutions with literally thousands of fields - every one of them, and their contents, is being sent over the wire.
This is not an ideal situation, but it can be easily mitigated by migrating to a system that addresses both issues. Furthermore, you can take additional steps to move this data just one table away and still maintain the same benefits for your user interface.
This video presents a modern approach to managing your user interface settings. By learning from it, you may also gain insights into other ways to use JSON in your development.
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