Need help getting started

[jhclouse]

I know somebody who uses FileMaker Pro 5.5 on a Mac (800 miles away) to store data about books and CDs. I'm just getting into Java and want to build a simple project using JDO (or just JDBC) to import this data and place it into Java string objects, muck about with it, then write it out to disk in HTML. (I have to do some pretty weird stuff with the data, so just exporting it to HTML won't work.) I've seen information here and there about a JDBC driver but it looks like you have to have FM 6, or some developer package, or something.

I run Windows and Linux and do not actually own a copy of FileMaker--I just want them to be able to send me an .fm5 file and my Java app will be able to import it. Is there any way I can do this without purchasing anything, or is all this stuff commercial? I saw one or two open source plugins but that's it.

Thanks in advance,

Jason

[Anatoli]

Usually to get FM data means running the FM client, or they have to send you some kind of export.

HTH

[jhclouse]

In that case, does FileMaker export to any common db format (that I can get a JDBC driver for) that will preserve column names and all that good stuff?

[Anatoli]

FM client can export to merge files with column names.

ODBC and JDBC are also choice, but IMHO then you need FM Developer.

FM can also export HTML tables and from version 6 also XML.

HTH

[chrisonmaui]

the easiest way to do it would be to purchase a copy of fm client and use the jdbc driver - you don't need to have version six for this to work - 5.5 is fine, just download the driver from fm website.

alternatively the could export to xml which you can import with java as anatoli mentioned or export to html tables which you could read with java file ioreader but both of these are a lot more work - particularly the XML parse can get difficult to code with java. using the file ioreader will be iniefficient compared to a jdbc driver and will encounter buffer problems with extremely large files

hth

[_ian]

Your simplest route would be to export the FileMaker data as XML. You will then have access to the structure as well as the data. You can then write your Java code to do the formatting as necessary. Another option would be to apply an XSL stylesheet as you do the export.

If they send you the .fp5 file you will need to have a copy of FileMaker to get do anything with it.

regards

Ian

[omiossec]

In order to use data delimited file in your javasolution you could use filemaker text file export and jdni interface that is include in standard java instalation.