Extending FM possibilities with PHP?

[thulli]

Hi,

As written here http://www.fmforums.com/threads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=127207&an=0&page=0#127207

I'm looking for a way of building a complex application. I wrote already most of the business logic in PHP5 but now we need to port this PHP/MySQL to FM7.

I know that with FX.php you can access the data of FM. But I would like to process some data and send the result back to FM, do you know if that is possible ?

Otherwise, I could have to write a C++ plugin but I have no idea how that works? Where can I find the API doc?

[Garry Claridge]

Re: I would like to process some data and send the result back to FM, do you know if that is possible ?

Yes it is.

All the best.

Garry

[thulli]

Thank you very much for your answer Garry.

Do you know an example for this kind of script?

I would like to access several tables in PHP, process the data, build a PHP object based on this data and then send back to FM the result of the object's methods.

[Garry Claridge]

If you are using FX (I don't) you may find examples on their site. Looking through the posts in this Forum may also reveal some examples.

Have you tried some FX basics?

Are you a programmer?

Are you experienced with php?

Good Luck.

Garry

[thulli]

i'm an experienced developer in several languages including PHP.

[Steve T.]

Hi, thulli! I only recently learned PHP/MySQL, but I think you've already found that neither ScriptMaker nor CDML will do what PHP can do, but they aren't really supposed to, either. To me, FileMaker is primarily an end-user application with great ease-of-use for everyday office-type functionality. In this regard, FM stands alone IMO. As a web server, I loved FM because I could use the same db the endusers use for web publishing. I think it is (or I should say "was") a niche product, however. FM4-6 web publishing was primarily CDML which worked for many of us, but workarounds or supplemental technologies (like JS) seemed to be needed more and more as a solution grew in complexity.

For the type of work you are doing, however, I would definitely suggest you stick w/PHP, especially since it is a tool w/which you are already familiar... just use FM as the db. I have not used the FX.php class by Chris Hansen yet, but I did take a looksee and think it's worth your time to see how you can get PHP and FileMaker working together, whether or not you decide to use FX.php for your applications.

I think FM7 web publishing is completely different from any FM before it, and I for one am waiting in the wings to see how things work out and what user opinion is before trying it out myself. In fact, I may not, now that CDML is gone and I went through the trouble of learning PHP/MySQL. My next goal is the PHP/FM combo you are trying to master now. I hope you share your findings!

--ST

[FMWebschool]

PHP is being used by quite a few companies. I am currently in Chicago teaching a two day class on FX.php. There are individuals from all over the U.S. here learning. Being that PHP is the most used scripting language on the web, it only seems natural to use such a powerful supported scripting language with FileMaker. There were only a few changes that needed to be made to make FX.php work with FileMaker Pro. Our new book "FX.php In 8 Hours" covers this. http://www.fmwebschool.com MYSql hooks have been built into FX.php newest release. You can download the latest version at our site as well.

Our FX.php book is the same book that we use to teach our classes.

[bruceR]

Yes, I've got the book, it's pretty good. But some of the supposedly correct completed examples contain errors.

[DanBrill]

I got the book too. It's nice too have all the info in one place. But as BruceR points out, some examples contain errors. The whole thing could use the pen of a good editor, both for computer code and general English syntax.

Dan

[bruceR]

You don't need a browser or any web interaction to use PHP with Filemaker, though you can if you want. Just use PHP inside of regular Filemaker calculations. Get the free xplat shell plugin from Abstrakt.com. Then try something like this:

set field [yourField, External ( "shell-Execute"; "php -r '" & OtherField & "'" )

In otherField put something like phpinfo();