A little guidance please.

[BST59]

I consider myself at the intermediate level of knowledge for filemaker pro5 stand alone version as well as some html editors on the market today.

I want to bring a Filemaker Pro database online without ANY restrictions at all. I believe whoever hosts the site will need fmpro unlimited & server? How will fmpro developer help me? What HTML editor is best to integrate with filemaker pro (windows based)? I would like to create a data driven website and can use as much guidance as one is willing to offer.

THANKS

[Garry Claridge]

If your solution is solely for the web you should only need FM Unlimited. You will not need FM Server nor FM Developer.

Learn some CDML. Maria Langer's book "Database Publishing, with Filemaker Pro, on the Web" is a good basic reference. Here is the link:http://www.marialanger.com/booksites/fmproweb.html

CDML and Javascript work very well together.

I use BBEdit for the development of all of my pages.

All the best.

Garry

[Steve T.]

Hi BST...

FMP.

We only use FMP-Unlimited, so I can't say much about Server or Developer, but we're happy (mostly) with it. Not all users, but I have read about (and experienced) quirky behavior, though, in Mac OS 9 and Windows versions having to do with crashes and resource consumption. If you end up making a really-high volume site, you better make sure Web Companion can serve your needs (pun!).

HTML Editor.

Well, I guess it depends how much of a coder you are. Most of the folks I know prefer Macromedia Dreamweaver since it's great at both code and graphical layout. I think there's a kind of plug-in that you can install, too, that will let it recognize FMP CDML code.

CDML.

As a colleague of mine said to me once, CDML is like "lasso-lite" meaning that it's great for doing a whole lot but it is limited in a number of ways. We have gotten away with using just CDML (and a sprinkling of javascript) for years, but we're starting to look at additional scripting resources as we begin more complicated projects. FMP-friendly ones include lasso, xml, php, and as garry suggested, javascript et. al.

Of course, most of the folks on this forum are biased (it IS FMFourms, after all) but we're all big fans of FMP, what it can do, and how easily (ha!) it can be done.

Good luck!

[Anatoli]

RE: in Mac OS 9 and Windows versions having to do with crashes

Only in Windoze 9x and Me. Not in NT and W2k.

RE: CDML is like "lasso-lite"

Actually WC and CDML started from Lasso 1.2 and lately was enhanced by Inlines and more tokens.

[Garry Claridge]

RE: Only in Windoze 9x and Me. Not in NT and W2k

I, and many others, had a lot of problems with crashing with Win2k until WebCompanion was fixed. As I have said elsewhere OS X and FMU 6.0 run fine together.

All the best.

Garry

[Anatoli]

RE: Win2k until WebCompanion was fixed

Which version was that?

In mission critical applications I am testing new software for 3 - 6 months before implementing.

And we are only upgrading it if we really need new features badly. Never "just because" or to get more money from customers.

[Garry Claridge]

Re: Which version was that?

I can do searchs here and check old note-books. However, I would have to charge you for the information.

All the best.

Garry