FileMaker's Mistake

[Sam Laundon]

FileMaker has made a giant leap forward with the release of FileMaker 7 in regards to Instant Web Publishing. We can now create layouts in the database designed for publishing on the web. No longer is it necessary to create separate web pages for publishing to the web. We can create the layout, test on the web and make layout adjustments in FileMaker depending on how the the browser renders the layout.

So what's the Mistake? FileMaker has made two programing limitations that force me and others to have to publish our databases using Custom Web Publishing:

1) There is no way to customize the opening page when a client accesses the web database. We are stuck with the FileMaker logo and page layout.

2) In list view only five records at a time can be viewed. There is no way of increasing this. (Yes, work arounds can be created such as portals or have the records show in table view, but this will eliminate any formating that was done in the original FileMaker layout)

What is the motivation for these constraints and omissions? It seems to me that FileMaker has been able to do some wonderful things with FM 7 and yet someone has decided to limit what customers wanting to publish using IWP can do. It is obviously a programing decision and I can not figure out why! I was hoping that FM Server Advanced with eliminate this problem, but it did not. I will be putting FM 7 back in the box for now and will continue to deploy my solution using FM 6 Unlimited.

I am hoping that through pressure from those in this community and other users of FM 7, we can show FileMaker the error of their ways so they will release an upgrade that will correct the limitations listed above.

Does anyone out there have addresses of FileMaker decision makers? I would like to send my comments to them and hope that others would too. Does anyone have an suggestions that can put pressure on FileMaker to listen to it's customers?

Thanks - Sam

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