FX.php & FileMaker

[hdx]

Hi there,

firstable FX.php (http://www.iviking.org/) is a really cool project,

but how do you get data from your Filemakerdatabase Unlimited

Version 6.0 on MacOS X with the fx.php class, while Websecurity

is enabled for the hosted Filemakerdatabase on another Server ?

If it's disabled everything goes fine, don't know what to do.

Well, is there a way connecting the database from another host,

while having websecurity enabled for the hosted database in filemaker

unlimited 6.0, please let me know it.

Maybe someone can help us out and knows how to configure it.

Thanks

[Anatoli]

I know nothing about the php for FM and how it works.

IMHO you can select what kind of security each Unlimited will use e.g. first machine Web security and the other standard FM security.

Small question, why php?

[hdx]

Well, I think the power of PHP is better than CDML for publishing your

database content. Do I have to say more ?

[Anatoli]

I am not convinced at all. Why is it better?

And we have also Lasso for FileMaker and it should be easier to program, than php.

[Garry Claridge]

PHP is used as "Middleware" and is a reasonably comprehensive programming language. I don't know how comprehensive Lasso is, however PHP is much more powerful than CDML.

I've devised a method of using PHP with WebCompanion. A search of the archives should find an explanation on how to use this method.

All the best.

Garry

[Anatoli]

When I checked the php some things which are free in CDML were coded in php on 10-15 lines. I don't want to go that direction.

CDML in FM v.4 = Lasso 1.2

Now we have Lasso 6 with integrated MySQL. It can talk to almost any database.

CDML has around 110 commands.

Lasso more than 800.

Lasso is 100 times more powerful than CDML, but some of the syntax moved away from CDML, because Blue World people want users to program in very similar way for MySQL and FileMaker.

BW has some White papers on PHP and ASP.

The best is their support and user forum. When I was stuck I've got tips from all sides in 15-30 minutes.

See you there

[Fritz Jung]

Good points... I am a former lasso user that due to the frustration of promises for over a year, had to bag lasso and go with php/mysql on our unix box... Had to learn PHP and covert dozens of lasso/fmu sollutions...

After spending over a year with PHP, and taking another look at lasso, LASSO is clearly the better middleware for many things...

Problem is Lasso is a grand! PHP is free.

Filemaker unlimited is a grand... Mysql is free.

After running FMU (up to the latest version) for a couple of years (of total frustration due to it's horrible lack of speed) then working with mysql... It's mysql all the way... it is amazingly fast and stable.

just my 2cents on this.

Fritz

[Anatoli]

Sure you are generally right.

But I never ever reached any speed limits in FM. I have more problems with Central European coding in FM and WebCompanion, for which are workarounds available.

I still didn't crack the problem with Lasso

[Gerk]

In my past experience (I have done db development for many many years), and both things have clear advantage.

my biggest beef is that filemaker feels very much like a crippled implimentation after using full fledged SQL underpinnings. So many things filemaker has issues with (like JOINs are painful at best, and multiple joins are mostly unachaievable without jumping through hoops).

I also dislike the way that filemaker deals with temporary variables, scripting, etc. Any language that you cannot use a text editor to write your scripts is in the dark ages in a big way.

Sorry if I sound negative, but once you have gone away from FM to a more powerful solution, its very hard to transition back. And this comes from someone that did FM solutions exclusively for years. not knocking FM, its great for what it is and does, but it's not a full fledged solution for all things.... its a great way to get fast forms, easy access, and provide users with something they can hack up themsevles tho

As for FX, it's pretty neat, but unfortunately many versions of FM are slightly braindead in their approach... i.e. the FMPU 5.0v6 i run here refuses to adhere to things like the max records, etc. Doing a simple search and pulling 5k records (and parsing the XML) to show one record is just insanity

[Addam]

Hi Everyone...

I just had to jump in here. I don't know PHP or XML. However, in my office we are using SQL & XML with a web front end for another one of our products.

Now... I program all of the FileMaker Stuff... I've found that the use of FMP6, CDML & JavaScript together is GREAT!

Granted FMP Scripts suck via the web using CDML. But I haven't found a reason to move to SQL or even Lasso for development. I use a web interface for users and JavaScript for all of the things that I would generally use FMP scripts to do and for things that FMP CAN'T DO.

Basically FMP is just the home for the data (No speed issues here) all it is doing is processing data.

I agree with Anatolli oh his comments...

Since I use a Web interface for my users, I can talk to and get information out of ANY DATABASE. I have to reconstruct a page or two, but consolidation is nothing.

Just my 2 cents...

[Anatoli]

Update on Lasso: it works now with 8-bit Central Europe language set and FileMaker after patch.

BTW, there is not simple way to use MySQL on Intranet as FileMaker with 25 -- 50 FM clients/users AND on web.

[Arin]

Stepping back to the original question... I've been wondering the same thing... I haven't been able to access the sample FX.php database while Web Security is enabled (even in 'AllUsers' mode with no passwd).

I'm starting to think it may not be possible (may not be built in to the FX.php class yet).

One possible workaround I was thinking of for my solution ( I work with MySQL as well, and noticed FX.php's new caching class uses a MySQL database to speed up frequent FM requests) was to use a PHP/MySQL user/login authentication system, and then have only THOSE user authenticated pages access the FMP stuff, and basically shift the security control to the MySQL and PHP design... in order to make this secure I would also use the Web Companion config dialog to 'restrict to IP adress(es)' of my web server (where the php requests are coming from).

I'm also still running FMP Unlimited 5 on OS 9, but would love to switch to OS X on my 867 G4, but I only own the standard version of FMP 6 for OS X... but it seems as if FX.php doesn't care if I have the Unlimited version or not (where the version 5 WSC does).

Let me know if you find any other solutions to this... and feel free to email me with info about FX.php and Web Security... [email protected]

-A

[Arin]

Stepping back to the original question... I've been wondering the same thing... I haven't been able to access the sample FX.php database while Web Security is enabled (even in 'AllUsers' mode with no passwd).

It turns out I made an error, the Web Security Database DOES work with "All Users" mode (if you make sure you put the space between All and Users )

After reading the supplied FX.php docs (I guess I should know better than to read the README last by now) I found out there is a php function for a 'database' password, but it only seems to work when using the "FileMaker Pro Access Privliges" but at least there is _some_ security... Oh and the IP limit thing doesn't seem to work at all with FX.php, it returns an error just like having Web Security enabled with a user/pass does.

Hope this helps someone... I'll post if I find anything else...

[Anatoli]

Lasso is also working without FM Unlimited, but such use is against FMI license.

[DownhillRacer]

Fritz,

You say "total frustration due to it's horrible lack of speed". What number and kind of databases was FMU serving? And what was the server load? Just curious because in the future I want to web-enable an application I am currently building. Thanks.

Michiel

[Anatoli]

IMHO -- it's probably question of bad design and not real status of the things.

Example: on Celeron 1.3 GB with ATA 7200 RPM, IIS with Web Server Connector and FMU we have in average 10 full transactions per second of CPU.

Full transaction may be processing request for 2000 records from 10K, sorting that 2000 and serving 20 to the visitor.

[Arin]

Lasso is also working without FM Unlimited, but such use is against FMI license.

Ahh I see... so it 'works' from a technical standpoint, but it doesn't from a licensing standpoint....

[Anatoli]

Yes. The limit is 10 IP, but Lasso machine (on the same computer or different) has only one IP.

[Arin]

I also found that accessing FM using FX.php from an Apache/PHP server only uses the 1 IP from the Apache/PHP server... the cool thing is that you can then setup a firewall to block all other IPs from whatever port your FM / WSC is using so the security is increased.

This is all fine for databases that have 'full access' but I'm having trouble understanding how to integrate FX.php with the Web Security Databases... maybe it just doesn't work.

If not I'm sure a custom solution using php can be built, or I'm already somewhat familiar with MySQL/PHP user authentication so I could go that route, and then just mix the FX.php code with the MySQL authentication on any given .php page.

There sure are a lot of options with the FX.php stuff...

[cjaeger]

FP php does work with Web Security Database. The password variable is somewhere hidden in he code of FX.

There is a PHP FX Tutorial (all in German) at

http://www.filemakerprofis.de.

They even have additions to the library for download, like debugging and such.

If you just want to work around the 10 IP limit, i'd rather recommend FileMaker Unlimited (or a reverse proxy ...).

[Arin]

I'm not so concerned with the IP limit, as I'm already running FileMaker Unlimited in OS 9 to connect to my WSC anyway... I just thought it was interesting that FX.php only used 1 IP...

I'll take another look at the docs, but it seemed to me that you couldn't use the 'Web Security.fp5' but I did find the FX.php code for $fmPassword which is used to access the FileMaker password.

But I'll try translate some of that page... and see what I can find... thanks...

[cjaeger]

try google language tools:

http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.filemakerprofis.de%2Fmodules.php%3Fop%3Dmodload%26name%3Dtutorial%26file%3Ddetails%26func%3Dcontent%26nr%3D2&langpair=de%7Cen&hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&prev=%2Flanguage_tools

[cjaeger]

This will allow you to browse the entire site in English. have a look at the Forum FileMaker & Internet for FX PHP info and make sure you take a trip to tips & tricks .. (tips & cheats in google-ish)

[Arin]

Thanks!