Application - "FMRobot"

[andygaunt]

Item reviewed: FMRobot

Vendors website: http://www.nmci.com

Overall rating: 5 Paws, Nothing short of brilliant!

Review by: Jeff Duck- Chapter FMPug member

Check out my full review here

You just can't do what this does as fast as it does. FM Robot goes through every parameter of every field. If you take a table with 100 fields and consider the number of calculation fields, auto-populate options and validation options, it would take hours if not days to move those 100 fields. FM Robot does the job in minutes. At that rate, FM Robot paid for itself in about 3 minutes!

Overall, FM Robot is outstanding and I can't say enough about it. There are a few tools that every developer should have in their tool box and this is without-a-doubt one of them.

As a developer/consultant I couldn't meet the needs of my customers without FM Robot. As companies are moving their solutions to FileMaker 7, I would be left in the cold and possibly be out of business. FM Robot has not only helped me keep my current customers but has been a selling tool in getting new ones.

Simply put; I can't live without it.

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[Søren Dyhr]

Hi Andy

I've been eagerly listening to you and Dan in the pod-casts, fine work indeed! However did I in the plugin cast that FMRobot isn't a plugin but instead a solution made utilizing either applescript or VBScript, which means that everything is made thru the front door - and not via the API the plugins usually exploits.

Where goes the limitations, is there any merging job too big or matters interpreted wrong??

Is it the XML from the DDR that gets handled??

If on apple is stuff like Prefab Player installed prior to the actual task it's supposed to do??

--sd

[andygaunt]

Hi S

[andygaunt]

Item reviewed: FMRobot

Vendors website: http://www.nmci.com

Overall rating: 5 Paws, Nothing short of brilliant!

Review by: John Reed- Chapter Coordinator

Check out my full review here

FMRobot is THE tool to use to move a table from one database to another. The entire table! And that includes fields, comments, scripts and more!

First and foremost this is a Developer tool, person and software. If you are not developing solutions in FileMaker and/or do not have FileMaker v6/7 Developer this product is of no use to you.

That said this is the slickest tool I've used in a long time. The instructions are very specific - save the DDR in XML, don't touch the keyboard or the mouse and which databases should be open.

This tool is a must-have for developers who want to minimize their time in development and maximize their profit margin.

Edited July 27, 2005 by Guest
Edited to include v6 Developer

[Lee Smith]

Hi Andy,

I would like to change one misstatement.

First and foremost this is a Developer tool, person and software. If you are not developing solutions in FileMaker and/or do not have FileMaker v7 Developer this product is of no use to you....

You can also use a DDR's created in Dev 6., and earlier i believe, and you don't have to have Dev7, just the Standard Editions is all that is required.

Personally, I found nmci to provide excellent customer service in helping figure out a problem I had. If the file doesn't have the .fp5 (fp7) on it, it will not work.

Lee

[andygaunt]

Lee -

I am not the author of these reviews, I just publish them on behalf of the membership to give more people the opportunity to read about a product before they buy.

Thanks for the catch on the version of Developer.

And yes, while you CAN use Developer 6 to produce DDR reports for importing files into tables within a FileMaker Pro 7 file you will require FileMaker develoepr 7 if you wish to import Custom Functions or move v7 tables between files.

And so I would say that Developer 7 is a requirement if you wish to benefit from all that FMRobot has to offer.

Now, you say the standard edition is all that is required. I take it you mean from the standpoint of having a file open and then using FMRobot to create tables, then yes this is true.

Hey, if you were an FMPug member you TOO could write reviews and get free products! :D

[Lee Smith]

Lee -

I am not the author of these reviews, I just publish them on behalf of the membership to give more people the opportunity to read about a product before they buy.

I know, I just thought it might be good for the reader to know.

.... while you CAN use Developer 6 to produce DDR ..... develoepr 7 .... import Custom Functions ...

Hadn't thought about the CF. That is an excellent point.

---snip---

Hey, if you were an FMPug member you TOO could write reviews and get free products!

Wow, free software.

I love San Diego, but it is a little far for me to make the meetings.

[andygaunt]

Lee -

You can be an FMPug member even with no group in your area.

That is why we have the Virtual membership. Get access to all the "Pug Perks" except the meetings. This includes Special offers ,discounts on FileMaker related products and services from well known vendors AND the chance to Review it & Win (including developer/site licenses of plug-ins.) As well as these fantastic benefits you also get an online business card and access to a whole host of other bennies.

Seriously, you should stop by and sign up today.

Hey, you can even register to win 5 days of training with Database Pros in January 2006 courtesy of FMPug.