REALLY old - Version 2 (not PRO)

[Yvonne Garcia]

I'm trying to find documentation for the upgrade path for a FileMaker 2 (not PRO) solution. Does anyone know what the most recent version of FMPro is that would convert those files?

TIA,

Yvonne

FileMaker Version: Dev 7

Platform: Mac OS X Jaguar

[Doug Leib]

I looked at the user guides for FileMaker Pro 3-7 and found no indication that any of them could import the FileMaker 2 file directly. Are you able to open the database in 2 and export TAB or CSV maybe?

I've go an old book at the office that might have the answer. I'll post it if so.

[stanley]

Digital Diva:

Surely FM 3 could deal with an FM 2 file??? I didn't get on the bus until FM 4, but since then you've always had some manner of pulling your databases from one version to another. And, as Doug suggests, you can always export, but then you're losing all of your formatting, etc... in which case you're in for a major rebuild. Considering all of the power that has been built into FileMaker since version 2, it may well be worth it.

-Stanley

[Yvonne Garcia]

Amazingly enough, Apple still has a trial copy of FMPro 2 on their FTP site. I've downloaded that and will see if it will work with the FileMaker II file.

Stanley, I know that FMPro 3 can deal with FMPro 2 files; this is an older FileMaker II (before the Pro versions came out) so it isn't quite the same. I have high hopes that FMPro 2 will work, though.

I will post the results as soon as I have tested this.

Thanks for the feedback and suggestions.

- Yvonne

[stanley]

Yvonne:

Yeah. What I was thinking was that you might have to (if possible) download several ancient versions of FileMaker, and move your data through the historical chain until you get to a more modern version. The fact that Apple's still got FMP 2 on their FTP site is encouraging...

-Stanley

[Doug Leib]

FYI - Here's a Chronology of FileMaker Version.

I think Yvonne is referring to FileMaker II. This is 3 versions older than FMP3 thus the unlikelyhood of an import into FMP3. It can be confusing. I suspect that tab or the like may be the only option.

Yvonne, keep us posted.

Doug

[stanley]

Doug:

Nice work. From that chronology (and the naming conventions) I'd think Yvonne would have to also track down the original FileMaker Pro, in order to get the data out of FileMaker II...

-Stanley

[Yvonne Garcia]

Wow, Doug, that was great work. Thank you for it.

Opening the FileMaker II file with FMPro 2 worked fine. Then from there, the file was easily converted to FMPro 6.

Thanks Doug and Stanley for sticking with this.

[cjaeger]

And a big thanks to Nashoba System and Apple for their excellent programming: FileMaker Plus still runs under Classic and MacOS X 10.33 !

[Steve T.]

Huh.... and I thought I was a senior citizen around here for having used (and occasionally still use) FMP 2.1!!! I was going to offer to try converting it for you since we have FMP 2.1, 4.0, 5.5, and 6.0. I don't even want to know what Christian is working on in FileMaker Plus. Yikes!

--ST