Save a copy as XML, what do you use it for, and what tools would you use dissecting?

[Søren Dyhr]

I seems to remember that Matt Petrowski had a video where he "flattens" layout elements for faster rendition .... 

Is this what you use? 

--sd

 

[comment]

Currently I am not using it for anything. One reason for this is that the format is not finalized yet, so any investment in a tool that would be able to read and process the raw output is risky.

In any case, the declared purpose of this feature is documentation. I am not sure what you mean by "he "flattens" layout elements for faster rendition". If the intent is to return the processed XML to the original solution via the clipboard, then this would have two problematic areas:

• You would need to find and isolate the relevant section/s within the entire XML document (and again, any process you develop for this purposes might break with the release of a new version);
• No one guarantees that the XML format used for documentation is the same as the one used in the clipboard data.

Both of these issues are easily avoided by using a copy=>process=>paste workflow.

Now, if I were contemplating using the feature for anything other than just archiving the output, then without a doubt the first step would be to apply an XSL transformation (or more likely, a series of transformations) to get a result suitable for the intended purpose. Same as what I believe all the 3rd-party tools designed to process the DDR do.

 

Edited June 27, 2024 by comment

[bcooney]

We use it extensively with our tool that compares schema changes, FMComparison (free with FMPerception)

https://www.fmcomparison.com

[Søren Dyhr]

5 hours ago, bcooney said:

https://www.fmcomparison.com

I have working with both FMPerception and Beezwax's similar tools, and these pinpoint unused and missing parts, but here in this case am I looking for ways to optimise layouts as well as discovering where extracting a repeated calc out into a custom function could done. The site you refered to, mentions:

• See changes in a field calculation definition
• Quickly find deleted scripts
• View changes in the script order and the Relationships Graph
• Discover if passwords have changed

I'm aware that development by and large should be done on hosted files, where you can use backups, if you accidentally should be  doing something foolish. But does your tool facilitate partial roll-back features?

--sd

[bcooney]

Save as xml is not the same as creating an xml file for use in a DDR. For this version of xml we provide a tool for code version comparison. 
 

there is no way to do partial rollbacks of code in FileMaker. If there was, we’d have a tool to do it. Instead we built a tool to handle deployments, OttoFMS. It can do a complete rollback if you immediately want to undo a deployment. 

[Søren Dyhr]

2 hours ago, bcooney said:

Save as xml is not the same as creating an xml file for use in a DDR.

I was aware of that, since I already have used FmPerception ... some years ago, and I do appreciate the more notion based answers you give here, because what I would like is tools to do is pinpointing blunders instead of just getting omissions and residues in my coding. 

Something that toolwise hints toward best practice, for mere mortals (...underachievers in academics) instead of just finding clutter.

--sd