FM8 files with FM9

[Spiral]

Hello,

I have a MS server running FileMaker Server 8v4 with the clients using FM Pro 8. One of our db administrators wants FM Pro 9 on his PC.

Will this cause any issues?

I understand that if he modifies any existing FM8 db file with FileMaker 9 features there will be problems.

What if he makes simple changes (i.e. add a new field to a table) will this create problems when the clients, using fm8, open the fm file?

I think he should just use 8.5 until we migrate to v.9

What is the general consensus?

Thank you in advance.

[Vaughan]

It will work. Just get the database admin to hold-off* using FMP 9.0 specific features until all the other clients are upgraded.

*I'm developing with 9.0 while all the clients are using 8.5. My testing indicates that it's perfectly OK to use FMP 9.0's object resizing feature; on 8.5 clients everything is OK except it doesn't resize.

[Colin Keefe]

If he's demanding FM 9 Advanced, not just FM 9, there are valid reasons for wanting to use it aside from playing with new design features (like resizing objects and conditional formatting). The debugger's superior to prior versions, it's nice to have multiple script editor windows open, etc.

If he works conservatively, and is aware of which functions, layout formatting options etc are not backward compatible, then you should be fine. FMS 8 will host the files without problem.

The real issues are:

1. when he implements design changes that aren't supported by earlier FMP client versions - they either won't display or will behave strangely when viewed with earlier FMP client versions.

2. When multiple developers work on the same files using different versions of FMP.

- an 8.0 developer editing a layout with 9.0 specific features will probably break the layout.

- an 8.0 developer working with 9-specific elements of the calculation engine won't see things properly - e.g. Self function, Get(TemporaryPath) etc used in field calcs or scripts.

Edited December 18, 2007 by Guest