FM7 Runtime

[EllenG]

Looks like FM7 has some of the features I've been looking for, like ability to export to Excel and integrate with PDAs (that is, if I am correctly reading the specs for Mobile 7, it will work with runtime apps??) However, I have some concerns. The font issue may be a problem for me. I already had to change some fonts to get everything looking "clean" cross-platform. But, the layouts on my MAC are already a bit fuzzy (while clean and sharp on the PC).

But, I have a few more important questions...

1. The system requirements. Does this mean that an FM7 runtime appl will only run in Windows 2000 or XP and MAC OS-X? I have users still running Win 98, ME and OS-9. If my runtimwe app will not run in the earlier systems, I cannot convert.

2. Assuming they WILL run on all platforms; how easy is it to import the FM6 runtime databases into the FM7 runtime appl? If I maintain the same fields and basic db structure to start with, will simple data import scripts work?

3. On the multi-window display, can you set the window sizes and placement independently? I was hoping for extended pop-up capability, without the costly plug-ins (ie. Troi dialog), but the multi-window function may make that a non-issue, if I can open a window inside a window, almost like a pop-up??

Thanks for your answers.

[Steven H. Blackwell]

FileMaker Pro 7 is OS X only for Macintosh as per their announcement a couple of years ago on the release of FileMaker Pro 6. For Windows it is Windows 2000 and Windows XP.

You can not import FMP6 databases into FMP7. You can convert them however and then import the data. aor you can export the data as text of some sort and then import.

Multiple windows can be dynamically named and placed dynamically as well with the normal 4 anchor points. Window management is harder than it looks and that you think whether the windows are user created or developer created.,

HTH

Steven

[Charles Delfs]

Ellen,

perhaps your strategy to updating your customers will be to create you new ap in fmp7 and also write an 'exporter converter' app in fmp6 that reads and exports your data (containers excluded) to a transition file (csv, .tab etc) then your new fmp7 ap can import it.

Charles

[Steven H. Blackwell]

Good idea. I imagine some folks will be writing some XML/XSLT tools to do this as well.

Steven