Crag

Where did you post these files?

I'm not sure it's even possible to seperate data from layout in Filemaker yet. Are you saying it is? -crag

Won't he need FM Server Advanced cause he wants to use the database over the web?

Ahhh, thanks.. i see it now.

Let me ask a question related to this.. if he was gonna use Loop to step through all the records does FM end the loop at end of file? Or is there some way to test for last Record/End of File?

Actually I'd dump SQL2000 unless you needed the extra processing and goodies that come with a full featured SQL server. Take a look at MySQl.. I bet it will do everything you need. Way cheaper and easier and faster. You should also take a look at FoxPro. Now about Access, Doesn't Access have the connection limit of 10 users at one time? Also, FM is a good database. I'm not bashing FM's cabilities. It's a fine system I just don't feel it's REALLY intended for the developer market, yet. Although FM disagrees with that I'd bet. And there is a whole catalog of apps made with Filemaker. So what do I know?

Well I'll admit, I hate Access. I could list tons of faults Access has starting with using it online. Big mistake that many people do. FM is fine. Takes some getting used too. My problems with it are that it takes too much time to develop anything. If you've used FM all your life or for years then you've gotten used to it. I am used to have multiple windows open, each one having different pieces of code (parts of the overall apps). I'm used to cut-n-pasting code, good debugging tools, variables (that are independent of the table and that can be used throughout the program), reusable code, good help. Look here's a short list of improvements to FM's development environment (copied from another thread) that I think would go a LONG way. 1. Debug mode: The ability to set Debug ON per script. Or at least get the Breakpoints working from any mode. Right now it's either all or nothing. You can set breakpoints in ScriptMaker but they don't trigger unless you are in Debug Mode. Also, god help you if your scripts call other scripts. You sit there and click away. Allowing me to set a breakpoint in ScriptMaker while writing the script and have it fire off ALL THE TIME (until I remove the breakpoint) from/in any mode would be nice. 2. Multiple windows. Like multiple script windows. What if I want to compare scripts? I have to print out the script now. Also, allowing me to open the Database Design window while in ScriptMaker would be nice. I am surrounded by screens, not printers. While I can print out the structure of any database I have to get up and walk across the room to the printer (or yell for someone to throw the print-out to me). It would be nice to be able to just leave the Database Design window open for reference and such. Save time too and trees. 3. The ability to copy (cut-n-paste) scripts steps. PLEASE! The Duplicate ability (button) is insulting - like someone threw it in at the last minute to make the masses a little happier. Let me copy what steps I want and paste them WHERE I want. 4. Improve the help. Right now it's terrible. Especially the OSX version. And I don't mean the content I mean how it performs. I know, on OSX this is partly Apple's fault (cause Apple Help sucks when compared to Windows). When I select the FM Developer Help [on OSX] from the Specify Calculation window I get the dreaded "No matching records found" from Mac help. This happens from several other obvious places in FM Developer as well. I mean, I'd expect to get a list of functions or maybe the docs explaining the layout of the window. Also, if I click the home button (after getting no results) I end up at Mac OS Help. I have to select FM Developer Help from the pulldown menu. Not good. 5. The ability to expand the function and database fields lists in the Specify Calculation window. I have a 23" Apple Flat screen monitor and on the Windows side, a 21" flat screen. Everyone geek in the office does. Also why can't I increase the front size in this window? Are you kidding? Some of these calculations get long and drawn out.. might be nice to enlarge the front size. 6. Oh and the ability to merge tables and datbase. Yes I know some of these can be done via a plug-in. The merging of databases, and the variables I've seen plug-ins for. But why should I have to pay for plug-ins that provided what is considered a basic service in every other DB? Also, one last thing - this is for FM Developer 7. So maybe this is in the wrong thread?

You can? How? How do i create a Layout with fields without the underlying table fields?

Coming from a SQL backend and Foxpro environments (and VB & RB) I've had my share of problems getting used to Filemakers way of doing things. The Finds and Sort cause the first headache. After i figured out I could script a Find that worked out well... but sorting is handled so oddly in Filemaker. I still can't believe I just cant say "sort AccountName, aAaccountNumber order Accountname" or something like that. Having to perform the sort and then create the script is CRAZY. Also, the fact that there is no separation from the Layouts to the data is VERY odd. A whole bunch of other things.. but I've gotten used to it. But i gotta say, because of the horrible scripting interface (only allowed to open one script window at a time, etc, etc, ) it takes me MUCh longer to do anything in Filemaker then in FoxPro. What a lot of Filemaker people don't get is "reusable code" (or objects and classes). Most programmers can throw a project together in hours cause we reuse code. You can do something like it in Filemaker.. but it's not as versatile as code. But Filemakers has some things I like.... the calculation fields are VERY nice. But the fact that I can't trigger en event from a field is bad. So it's a love/hate relationship for now.

It almost as if FM is afraid that adding more development features will break the product for it's 'non database" users.

Filemaker is powerful. But for developers you'd do better writing Foxpro or if you need cross-platform, RealBasic. FM is expensive... you can't compile (runtime) any Filemaker app you developer for multi-user. In other words, if whoever buys your product has more then one computer, they must buy a copy of Filemaker per seat. Not good. The Filemaker development environment is YEARS behind any other tool I've seen. FM has just now (with the latest version) added visual representation of relationships. Jesus... Access has been doing that for years. And that's just one example. if you have users who are tech savvy but not database savvy then Filemaker is a good solution right out of the box. And you, as a developer will have to find a place to fit in that relationship. Be the Filemaker expert sort of. But I gotta tell you, Filemaker doesn't work like any other database. From a developer point of view, compared against Access Filemaker is much more powerful and can handle a lot more then Access ever could. But compared against MySQl or FoxPro or even the data engine built into RealBasic Filemaker has a lot of catching up to you. This is assuming they even want to go that direction. Filemaker has been doing very well in this little niche market it's created. So who knows... I use Filemaker (a newbie - only about 3 months) cause I got handed a huge database app that was written in FM years ago. Told to rewrite it in Filemaker 7.0 cause the managers know how to use Filemaker itself. This is a good example of where Filemaker fits nicely.

Well FM has other problems... not just bugs. I think the FM Development environment needs a serious over-all. Coming from a FoxPro & RealBasic environment, when i started using FM (a couple of months ago) I expected it to behave similar. I was wrong. Some much needed improvements (for development): 1. Debug mode: The ability to set Debug ON per script. Or at least get the Breakpoints working from any mode. Right now it's either all or nothing. You can set breakpoints in ScriptMaker but they don't trigger unless you are in Debug Mode. Also, god help you if your scripts call other scripts. You sit there and click away. Allowing me to set a breakpoint in ScriptMaker while writing the script and have it fire off ALL THE TIME (until I remove the breakpoint) from/in any mode would be nice. 2. Multiple windows. Like multiple script windows. What if I want to compare scripts? I have to print out the script now. Also, allowing me to open the Database Design window while in ScriptMaker would be nice. I am surrounded by screens, not printers. While I can print out the structure of any database I have to get up and walk across the room to the printer (or yell for someone to throw the print-out to me). It would be nice to be able to just leave the Database Design window open for reference and such. Save time too and trees. 3. The ability to copy (cut-n-paste) scripts steps. PLEASE! The Duplicate ability (button) is insulting - like someone threw it in at the last minute to make the masses a little happier. Let me copy what steps I want and paste them WHERE I want. 4. Improve the help. Right now it's terrible. Especially the OSX version. And I don't mean the content I mean how it performs. I know, on OSX this is partly Apple's fault (cause Apple Help sucks when compared to Windows). When I select the FM Developer Help [on OSX] from the Specify Calculation window I get the dreaded "No matching records found" from Mac help. This happens from several other obvious places in FM Developer as well. I mean, I'd expect to get a list of functions or maybe the docs explaining the layout of the window. Also, if I click the home button (after getting no results) I end up at Mac OS Help. I have to select FM Developer Help from the pulldown menu. Not good. 5. The ability to expand the function and database fields lists in the Specify Calculation window. I have a 23" Apple Flat screen monitor and on the Windows side, a 21" flat screen. Everyone geek in the office does. Also why can't I increase the front size in this window? Are you kidding? Some of these calculations get long and drawn out.. might be nice to enlarge the front size. I could go on... but I'll just admit FM is an odd bird. And it's powerful... but it takes a lot of getting used to and it shouldn't. You want developers to write FM apps.. make it easier. Oh let me say something about the graphics tools. What are these things.. from 1989? God. 1 set of cross-hairs isn't gonna cut it. If Im wrong about any of this please tell me and make my life easier. Thanks for letting me vent.

Thanks... I guess in Windows (I'm in a mix environment) I'll do somthing similiar. What about repeating headers and footer? Say if I need the same header on each page?

Actually there are other ways to auto-format fields (like phone numbers). Check out http://www.filemakermagazine.com/modules...r=0&thold=0 for a nice lesson on the subject. It's easier then you might think. Of course, I wish FM had a way to trigger events from fields themselves....

I'm trying to print a muiti-page form (with merge fields). Each has different fields, etc. Anyway right now I have each page in it's own Layout. is there a way to combine all the layouts into one? Is there like a "page break" function in FM that I'm missing? Also the curly line that's supposed to tell you the dimensions of the page is off. How can I change it? I tried page Setup, but the page is set to the correct size (81/2 x 11). I have no margins and the bottom line is sitting at 9 1/2. Thanks...