Evaluating FMP

[Ndesaint]

Hello,

I'm evaluating FMP because I'm setting a database shared through an intranet, with a few data and low access requests (a priori). FMP seemmed to be a good solution, but I have some questions that I couldn't find the answer, on this forum, neither on the fmp web pages.

- Am I constrained to have one web page per data file or could I built many of them?

- If yes, isn't it sometimes easyer to write scripts intead of using the fmp interface?

- There are layouts, but what if I want a page holding requests on nearly all of my datas? And what if I want to show informations only if a related field has a correct value?

- How are the read and write access handled? How are people recognized by fmp? I saw some things with th ip address, but what about dhcp then? I have a copy of someone's files, on my own computer and cannot modify them... How does it come?

May be the answer could be given only with the answer to the question: - Is there any documentation and api somewhere?

May be my questions are too "oracle-like", it's the only database system I know so far.

Thanx in advance for any help or answer.

Nicolas

[Kurt Knippel]

quote:

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Originally posted by Ndesaint:

Hello,

I'm evaluating FMP because I'm setting a database shared through an intranet, with a few data and low access requests (a priori). FMP seemmed to be a good solution, but I have some questions that I couldn't find the answer, on this forum, neither on the fmp web pages.

- Am I constrained to have one web page per data file or could I built many of them?

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Filemaker uses a couple of different HTML tag subsets (CDML, LDML, XML, etc) to access the data and display it in a web browser. You can have as many pages as you wish accessing the databases, there is no direct tie or any limitations.

quote:

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- If yes, isn't it sometimes easyer to write scripts intead of using the fmp interface?

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I am not even sure what you are referring to here?

quote:

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- There are layouts, but what if I want a page holding requests on nearly all of my datas? And what if I want to show informations only if a related field has a correct value?

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Web pages do not have to reflect anything that is on your layouts. You setup your pages as you need them, following the rules and conventions of the particular HTML subset you are using. For instance FMP Web Companion and CDML allows certian capabilities, but Lasso/LDML has others and XML still others.

quote:

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- How are the read and write access handled? How are people recognized by fmp? I saw some things with th ip address, but what about dhcp then? I have a copy of someone's files, on my own computer and cannot modify them... How does it come?

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There are a couple of different security methods that can be used. FMP has a built-in password system, which allows you to associate certain database and application functionality with different passwords. You can also build a true username/password login system within FMP that controls more stuff via scripting.

IP/DHCP really has nothing to do with anything. This is likely refering only to the networking protocols that the application is using.

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May be the answer could be given only with the answer to the question: - Is there any documentation and api somewhere?

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Documentation comes with the application, I am not sure if it is available seperately. Although any 3rd party book on Filemaker may answer your questions, especially one on FMP/Web integration.

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Kurt Knippel

Consultant

Database Resources

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.database-resources.com

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[Ndesaint]

quote:

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Originally posted by captkurt:

Documentation comes with the application, I am not sure if it is available seperately. Although any 3rd party book on Filemaker may answer your questions, especially one on FMP/Web integration.

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Thanx for this answer.

I think getting a documentation is the first thing I should do, but I'm evaluating the product to be sure it fits my requirements, and I wouldn't buy it before that... And I do not have any third party to ask this doc to... I can't imagine that everyone has to get the application itself even before knowing this is the needed one!

[Ndesaint]

quote:

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I am not even sure what you are referring to here?

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I'm refering to php, xml, lasso, or things like that. I'd like to write my own pages using the filemaker capabilities (and not lasso or softwares like that if possible), but without having to use the fmp interface... just writing requests processed by the web server...

[Kurt Knippel]

quote:

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Originally posted by Ndesaint:

I'm refering to php, xml, lasso, or things like that. I'd like to write my own pages using the filemaker capabilities (and not lasso or softwares like that if possible), but without having to use the fmp interface... just writing requests processed by the web server...

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Not possible. Web stuff and Filemaker database stuff are two TOTALLY different animals and have no connection to each other.

The only real requests that you make to Filemaker are for a set of records. It returns them in the format requested and the web pages do the work from there via the CDML/LDML/XML tags.

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=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Kurt Knippel

Consultant

Database Resources

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.database-resources.com

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

[Kurt Knippel]

quote:

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Originally posted by Ndesaint:

Originally posted by captkurt:

Documentation comes with the application, I am not sure if it is available seperately. Although any 3rd party book on Filemaker may answer your questions, especially one on FMP/Web integration.

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Thanx for this answer.

I think getting a documentation is the first thing I should do, but I'm evaluating the product to be sure it fits my requirements, and I wouldn't buy it before that... And I do not have any third party to ask this doc to... I can't imagine that everyone has to get the application itself even before knowing this is the needed one!

Well this is kinda what evaluation is all about. Download the FMP demo, and review the help file. This might give you the info you want. Or ask a sales rep to send you some information, or possibly download some white papers. Check Filemaker's site for this information.

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=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Kurt Knippel

Consultant

Database Resources

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.database-resources.com

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

[Ndesaint]

Thanx a lot for all these answers my Captain. This should be a good start with fmp. Help is not working on my demo download, I'll ask the sale dep., the helpdesk or smth like that.

However, I could have explained my problem a wrong way. Is it really impossible to use fmp (or at least fm developer) as a web server, sending requests on its own databases to show the web pages I want to desing?

[spragueg]

Ndesaint,

I just emailed you the CDML Reference guide.

G

[Kurt Knippel]

quote:

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Originally posted by Ndesaint:

However, I could have explained my problem a wrong way. Is it really impossible to use fmp (or at least fm developer) as a web server, sending requests on its own databases to show the web pages I want to desing?

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Filemaker include a plugin called Web Companion which is capable of acting as a web server, although I would not recommend using it as a generic web serving application. Use it for what it was designed for, simply making a database available to qeb queries.