Moving to Filemaker and migration from TapForms

[Emil Jabo]

Hi guys,

I have a large database set up in TapForms and some of the entries have images attached to them, but the software is already acting kinda slow.

In the near future I will be undertaking a project which will significantly increase the amount of images associated with each database entry. I am concerned that TapForms would not be a viable option for such an image heavy database.

So, I am seriously considering buying and implementing Filemaker as my database software solution moving forward and I just have some questions.

1. Can Filemaker handle a database consisting of many thousands of entries which could each have up to 5+ hi-res images attached to them?
2. Will it be functional or will it become unbearably slow due to the images attached to many entries?
3. Would migration via an exported .csv file from TapForms be possible and will such a migration break the existing association/link of the images to the individual database entries?

It is a rather basic database. I do not need any type of calculations. It is simply used as a place to store basic text data and images associated to a certain entry. It's just there are thousands of entries...

Thanks!

[Wim Decorte]

Yes, FM can handle it.

For best results you'll want to use the "remote container" functionality which makes it efficient on hard-drive space usage and the related speed of backups.  Your server will need the required amount of hard disk space (internal) for the projected size of your solution plus your desired backup strategy.  Don't count on being able to store the 'live' pictures on a network share.

Performance: what you describe wouldn't push FM's envelope but we don't have enough information to say yay or nay.  Performance is a result of the design/architecture of the solution, the load that will be put on the solution and the hardware you'll use for the deployment.  Many factors involved here; so the  more info you can give the better we can help you.

Migration: you can certain import all the regular data from CSV.  As to the pictures: depends on how they are represented in that CSV.  If it is in the form of a link where the images can be downloaded from then it should work, albeit it will require some post-processing of the imported CSV data to go and grab the images.  Perhaps TapForms has an API as well that you can use to request the data.

[Emil Jabo]

Hi Wim,

Thanks for the advice.

To be honest I will likely run this database from my internal hard disk and not over a network.

Each database entry is quite basic with a few text boxes, check boxes and image boxes related to the entry. I can't see it being too much hassle for Filemaker to handle the kind of database I am planning to build because I have seen far more complicated databases working fine.

It was mainly how the software plays with images and whether it would be slow, but I am confident now that FM is capable.

Thanks You!