ScriptMaster 2.0 announcement

[Jesse Barnum]

ScriptMaster is a completely free, modular plugin for FileMaker that includes a variety of modules for doing file manipulation, URL downloads, XML Web Services, encoding / encryption, FileMaker script triggering, shell scripting, audio and video, email sending, and much more. In addition to the modules that come with ScriptMaster, you can even extend ScriptMaster by writing your own modules in Java!

ScriptMaster 2.0 takes the power and flexibility of the original ScriptMaster, and adds a new function registration feature that lets you use ScriptMaster modules the same way that you would use regular FileMaker custom functions. Now using a module from the ScriptMaster.fp7 library is easy as checking a box, 'register this function'. After that, the ScriptMaster module appears in your FileMaker external functions list just like a FileMaker Pro custom function. And unlike custom functions, ScriptMaster functions are available in every FileMaker file - no need to copy and paste between files!

"Hey Jesse - Your 2.0 of your plug-in is freakin awesome. I love the register function." --Angelo Luchi, SolutionMakers

In addition to the plugin registration feature, there are numerous other improvements in ScriptMaster 2.0:

* ScriptMaster was fast before, but now it's a whole new level: because registering a module pre-compiles it, script speed execution is orders of magnitude faster. For example, the UUID function for generating unique serial numbers used to do about 25 UUIDs per second; it now creates about 1,000 UUIDs per second!

* No need to even install the plugin anymore! The ScriptMaster.fp7 database will now use the auto-update feature of FileMaker Server to download the plugin from your FileMaker Server to each user's desktop.

* ScriptMaster.fp7 now includes Java Web Service libraries, for easy SOAP Web Service access from your ScriptMaster modules.

* If you're writing your own modules, there is now better support for editing Java code within the ScriptMaster.fp7 database that comes with it: It now highlights syntax errors, allows tabs, provides better error reporting, and includes links to Groovy and Java documentation.

Last but not least, there are several new modules that ship with ScriptMaster 2.0. As always, you can customize the modules or add your own using the Java or Groovy programming languages.

* Formatted dialog module lets you display dialogs in your FileMaker solution with formatted HTML content.

* BASE64 encoding and decoding modules for interacting with web services.

* Gradient drawing module dynamically generates smooth gradient containers; perfect for use in layouts with user-specified color preferences!

* FedEx get rates module uses SOAP web services to get shipping rates from FedEx. Just plugin in your FedEx account information and you're up and running!

* Popup menu demonstrates how you can draw a popup menu anywhere on the FileMaker user interface in response to a mouse click.

* Encryption, decryption, and MD5 hashing modules use the DES-128 algorithm to store credit cards, social security numbers, passwords, and other sensitive information in your FileMaker database.

ScriptMaster is a Universal Binary plugin that will run at full native speed on OS X Intel, OS X PowerPC, and Windows. It will also run in the Web Publishing Engine and on FileMaker Server, so you can use it with IWP, custom web publishing, and server scripts scheduled with FileMaker Server 9.

ScriptMaster 2.0 is FREE. You may use this plugin and distribute it with your solutions for your clients. We fund continuing development on ScriptMaster by creating custom modules, so if you like ScriptMaster, please give us a call and let us know what we can do for you! You can see a complete list of modules and download ScriptMaster from http://www.360works.com/scriptmaster