Appleworks layouts in Filemaker

[siou]

Hello and thanks again for all your help!

I have a friend that has made an entire database in appleworks and now wants me to help her to make it a filemaker database.

She has so many pages laid out perfectly and if I have to re layout all these pages it will take me weeks..

Is there any way to just take the layouts and copy them to filemaker?

I know i will have to make them work...as far as definitions and calculations...but just this layout help will really be great?

Help help?

thanks for any suggestions!

[Fenton]

You can copy the layouts, but they copy/paste as one big picture. You could then send it to the back, put your real fields on top, then delete it when done.

Strangely enough, you can copy/paste or drag/drop each object one at a time, that works. But it wouldn't be any faster than using Filemaker fields. Plus FileMaker has the cool built-in 3D fields.

I answered a question on another list, about how to Open an AppleWorks database with FileMaker, getting the fields. You have to save the AW database as ClarisWorks 4, then open it with Filemaker 5.5 or earlier (which has a Claris Extension file for import). You could then open/or/convert it with FileMaker 6.

[Lee Smith]

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Filemaker 5.5 or earlier (which has a Claris Extension file for import). You could then open/or/convert it with FileMaker 6.

Hi Fenton,

Just curious, have you tried using the Claris Extension in version 6.x ?

Lee

[siou]

Hello and thanks for your reply. I am now going ahead and just importing the fields as big image blocks, but I will still have to work longer to layout all of this.

I did try saving them as Clarisworks 4 and then i tried with filemaker 5.5, and they would not even open!

Help? I wish that I could just import all these fields workable and then just update it in filemaker 6.

I wish upon a star...

thanks.

ami

[siou]

How do you "use the claris extension in filemaker 6??

I am really in the middle of this and could use the help!

thanks for all!!!

ami

[Lee Smith]

You would need to have the extension first? It came in FileMaker 5.x I'm not sure that this would work as I don't have AppleWorks and can't test it.

If you want to attach a sample file, I would be happy to test if for you. In order to test it, I would just make a copy of the Extension, it's located in Extension Folder in FileMaker Pro 5 Folder. I would then just copy it and put it in the extionsion folder in FileMaker 6.

There are only two reasons that I can think of that FileMaker didn't include this with version 6.x.

1). It doesn't work with version 6.

2). The latest versions of AppleWorks don't convert with the extension.

However, I would still try it to see if my combination of files would work. After all you have nothing to lose as long as you are testing with mock files or copies,

Lee

[Fenton]

The Claris extension doesn't work in FileMaker 6. Yeah, I tried. Siou, ClarisWorks 4 can be opened by FileMaker 5.5, so I don't know what was wrong. The Claris extension is installed by default, and should be in the Externsions folder, in the FileMaker application folder. Maybe you have to choose it manually, from the drop-down list, when opening (I always do in such a case).

But that will only get you the field names. The layouts you'd still need to do manually. So if you're already started it's a moot point.

It's too bad in a way that FileMaker and Apple now seem to basically ignore each other, like a normal family :-/

I know I started in ClarisWorks, then got FileMaker 3, 'cause it had pictures for each record. I opened my Landscape Plants database in FileMaker, and I was off and running.

[siou]

thanks for your help...unfortunately my version of filemaker 5.5 will not open it! can i email the clarisworks databases to you and can you convert them to filemaker?

can you email me, and I will send them to you?

[email protected]

thanks so so much.

[Lee Smith]

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The Claris extension doesn't work in FileMaker 6. Yeah, I tried.

Yeah, I figured you had. But the question was just laying there begging to be asked.

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It's too bad in a way that FileMaker and Apple now seem to basically ignore each other

It's more than too bad, I think it is a crime.

Lee

[BobWeaver]

I had a look at my Filemaker 5.5 extensions folder, and didn't find the clarisworks extension. But, it is in the Filemaker 5.0 extensions. So, you may need to go back to 5.0 to find the extension. If you can't find the right version, you can email me the file and I will try to convert it for you.

[Fenton]

Oops, that must be what I did, moved the ClarisWorks file from version 5's Extension folder to version 5.5's, where it seemed to work fine, though not officially sanctioned. I've actually never used it except in answer to a question. I see now that its date is more than 1 1/2 years earlier than the other extension files. I then removed FileMaker 5 from my machine; 5.5 was so much better.

[siou]

I had been trying to find a version of 5.o all day, because thats what exactly i thought you did....great! I am glad to finally get to the end of that one!

Can I please pretty please email to you these clarisworks files, and if you can convert them in the filemaker 5.5 jimmy that you have set up..I will be so happy.

I really need to get this finished soon!

Can I email you?

thanks ami

[Fenton]

Yes, you can send them. Click on my web address, then click on the email link to setup a email to me.

[BobWeaver]

Just an update. Ami sent me the files to convert. I converted them and emailed them back.

But, unless I overlooked something, it only converts the field definitions and the data. It ignores any existing layouts and creates two default layouts, one form view, and one list/table view.

At least it recognizes and keeps the autoenter options and the calculated field formulae.

So, I guess this is better than nothing.

[Ugo DI LUCA]

Interresting...

I have all versions from 4 to 6, and I got this extension in 4.1 only...

However, converting a ClarisWorks db into a FileMaker db without any change to the layouts presentation, would be IMO rather limitative, as you necessarily would change the layouts to include some of the relational features available in FileMaker (portals,...).

If it is not an objective, then why move to FileMaker ?

[BobWeaver]

True enough. If someone spent a lot of time arranging the layouts, you could still copy/paste the graphics and static text elements. Still, I agree with Fenton's and Lee's opinions. The database part of Clarisworks/Appleworks is such an obvious imitation of Filemaker, you would think that the underlying structure must be similar enough to allow a complete import.

[Macs R We]

I answered a question on another list, about how to Open an AppleWorks database with FileMaker, getting the fields. You have to save the AW database as ClarisWorks 4, then open it with Filemaker 5.5 or earlier (which has a Claris Extension file for import). You could then open/or/convert it with FileMaker 6.

THANK YOU, FENTON! You just saved me a scudload of time (and my client a scudload of money). I am in the process of converting an AppleWorks database which is hopelessly corrupted. Converting it to FileMaker essentially rebuilt it, allowing me to convert and import it to a "better" Filemaker implementation without the AppleWorks crashes and hangs.