solutions wanted Non-Filemaker 'skin'

[thespin]

Dear new friends,

I am researching Filemaker as a possible RAD tool to develop standalone applications for retail (I believe only version 8.5 Advanced has the capability to create applications with Run Time FM capability included).

[if I were to go by the posts in this forum I would believe that FM is unstable and very prone to crashing. But I know that forums are where people come with their problems while people whose application are golden rarely come to tell others about it. However if you have any comments one way or another, please share.]

One question I have is: When I create standalone FM applications, can I disguise the fact that the application was created using FM ? (I would like to discourage the use of FM to 'crack' the app)

I would also like to know if I can disable functions in my app to which the user would normally have access e.g. export file ?

[Genx]

Just relating to this:

If I were to go by the posts in this forum I would believe that FM is unstable and very prone to crashing. But I know that forums are where people come with their problems while people whose application are golden rarely come to tell others about it. However if you have any comments one way or another, please share.

Out of curiosity, where have you read this?

[Lee Smith]

Hi [color:orange]Genx,

Probably from the General Topics, because that is where the corrupted file topics usually end up.

Hi [color:orange]thespin, welcome to the forum.

You can create a Standalone (runtime) with Develop/Advance Editions of FileMkaer. They are different from the Standard Edtions, because they have some additional tools, including the ability to make a Stadalone solution. BTW, FileMaker renamed it Developer Edition with the realeas of v8, calling it Advance.

Again, welcome.

Lee

[Ocean West]

FMP Advance has the ability to remove the ability to strip out all script and schema access for runtime solutions. (read prevent hacking) and thus restrict you from modifying that file further - make backups.

[Søren Dyhr]

One question I have is: When I create standalone FM applications, can I disguise the fact that the application was created using FM ? (I would like to discourage the use of FM to 'crack' the app)

Well you can to some extend, but as such are you picking the wrong tool.

Regarding the cracking, won't there be crafty people who with various tools can reverse engineer everything? Filemaker doesn't exhibit any more vulnerabilities than others ...I guess, provided you hide things behind passwords etc.

However, I consider the standaloning as side feature, which can have it's use - I would how ever never, since it's not it's dedicated use... but some fine points are made here:

http://www.runrev.com/newsletter/april/issue24/newsletter1.php

I agree with Genx, this is a very odd angle to what filemaker is about, I've never heard FM standalones were:

unstable and very prone to crashing

It's more or less what could happen with the wrong person or intentions behind the steeringwheel, be it a Farrari or a wheel chair, both are likely to do the same when getting over the edge of a cliff.

In filemakers defense could be said that it's not as much the crashings as such the unskilled at the steeringwheel are likely to commit, but the making of a inadequate data structure will turn a solution slow as molasses.

Expect to be fooled by the relative flat learning curve both Filemaker and Runtime Revolution exhibit, without propper planning will most projects fail, perhaps not miserably but usually not hitting the intended purpose exactly ...often do we see that other metaphors are foolishly attempted squeezed down on a relational database as tool ...and oftentimes is it either a spreadsheet- or a typewriter- 'ish one.

Perhaps you should tell us why a database tool is a correctly chosen tool for your project, you thread's header talks about "Skin", which could be interpreted as flashy deceptive behaviour over content, and here should filemaker or databases instead as such be regarded as "vessels of meaning" ....

--sd

[thespin]

Thank you all so much for your kind replies.

Søren, I very much appreciate that link to Revolution software. It appears that it may be a much more suitable package to accomplish my purpose.

Have you even used the Revolution product ? If so, please describe briefly your experience with it.

My first project involves scraping data from web pages to which the user navigates (also has an auto navigate feature based on input lists) and saving such data for later manipulation and printing. I was researching FileMaker because of its WebView, its scripting functions, and its selecting/sorting/reporting facilities.

[Søren Dyhr]

No not really I've fooled a little 'round with it, but I'm caught in the filemaker groove, my passion lies with the relational approach and only to a less degree the appearances of the matter, which I usually pass on to others.

The reason for taking the tool up in our consideration, were some shortcommings felt in the interface when IWP'ing a solution. Runtime is by and large a browser builder ...but sometime along the line of the investigation, we're we sidetracked by other and more prosperous endevours ...not that I'm say you can't make brazz on RunRev applictions ...it was just our business which turned elsewhere.

--sd

[thespin]

Thanks again.

Where did you get documentation on the product ? If you were using the vendors, was the documentation well written ?

[Søren Dyhr]

Where did you get documentation on the product ? If you were using the vendors, was the documentation well written ?

I didn't poke paticular into the documenttation, more than just a few times, and it was the online thingy, from where I could copy and paste the nifty code snippets I needed ...I find it pretty intutive as far as the interface functionality goes.

In comparison with what filemaker offers under help, is it a much more agile browser to use under Runrev ...it intermixes seemlessly already downloaded documentation with online based.

--sd