I've been thinking of buying Developer 5.0, but haven't been able to find much information other than Filemaker's salespitch on filemaker.com. I was wondering if there are any other websites that may give more information. Some specific question I have:

-1- Does it basically work the same as FMPro when I'm designing the solution? ... or do I have to learn some sort of programming language?

-2- Can I make a runtime solution with a relational database (more than one file)?

-3- Can a runtime solution be accessed by multiple users over a network?

-4- After a database has been converted to a runtime solution, can it be converted back for design changes?

-5- Is there a limit to how many runtime solutions I can make?

If anyone knows of any sites, or can answer some of these questions for me, I'd really appreciate hearing about it. If you don't want to post here, you can email me at: [email protected]

Thanks.

Paul

Here are the answers;

1. It is FM pro v 5. You do all your design work in Fm5(there is no other language) and then run your database files through the "binder" which then creates a stand alone solution that does not require Fm5 to run.

2. You can make a relational solution with many files.

3. Runtimes can not be networked and are single user only.

4. You can open bound runtime files with a copy of FM5 to make design changes. The developer's edition also gives you the ability to remove access to the design functions.

5. There is no limit to the number of runtimes you can create.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Good Luck,

Martin

[This message has been edited by mwiedemann (edited January 29, 2001).]

Thanks, Martin. That answers most of my concerns. Now can you tell me what the advantages are for using Developer, instead of just the client version?

Thanks.

Paul

The developer kit comes in handy if you want to distribute copies of your solution to individuals who do not already own FMP.

So, the bound runtimes are single user only? If I want to set a small

network of users (5-10) to share files, FMdev isn't for me, then?

I tested database sharing on our network using the Web component, but it

was a little clunky, required the databases to be open on the server and

conflicted with our ZoneAlarm firewall (which resulted in a blue screen of

death).

I suppose this means that I should have a copy of FM5 on each client PC for

proper multi-user access? What about FMserver? Is that a practical

approach?

Another question: If there is no programming language, is the scripting

powerful enough to replace an old (but fully programmable) database

product? I have issues such as: (1) creating a user-friendly menuing

system for multiple database access, (2) custom reports & calculations, (3)

full "programatic" database manipulation (modifying field values, string &

numeric value manipulation, conditionally copy values from fields in one

database to fields in another database).

Thanks for any input to my queries.

--Stuart

quote:

---

Originally posted by mwiedemann:

Here are the answers;

1. It is FM pro v 5. You do all your design work in Fm5(there is no other language) and then run your database files through the "binder" which then creates a stand alone solution that does not require Fm5 to run.

2. You can make a relational solution with many files.

3. Runtimes can not be networked and are single user only.

4. You can open bound runtime files with a copy of FM5 to make design changes. The developer's edition also gives you the ability to remove access to the design functions.

5. There is no limit to the number of runtimes you can create.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Good Luck,

Martin

[This message has been edited by mwiedemann (edited January 29, 2001).]

---

one more to the list of questions...

iwth a runtime file, the binded file, can i still link some html files TO it?

i have a mini website, which is just an interface and a few extra pages that i created for accessing the database. it worked fine the the straight fmp version, over the web. now i want to pack it up on a CD.

i've binded the file, and now the html pages "can't find" the database. (i DID change the reference for the fmp file in my cdml.) does something else have to change in my cdml?

one thing that might be related - it was an fmp5 file. then i transferred the info to fmp4, and used developer 4 to bind the file.

any ideas? feedback?

thanks

quote:

---

Originally posted by Seell:

So, the bound runtimes are single user only? If I want to set a small

network of users (5-10) to share files, FMdev isn't for me, then?

---

Well, not for runtime solutions anyway. Use FMP and FMP Server.

quote:

---

I suppose this means that I should have a copy of FM5 on each client PC for

proper multi-user access? What about FMserver? Is that a practical

approach?

---

This situation is where you use FMP Server and a copy of FMP client on each users workstation. FMP Server, while simple, is one of the best, most robust and stable database servers that I have ever worked with.

quote:

---

Another question: If there is no programming language, is the scripting

powerful enough to replace an old (but fully programmable) database

product? I have issues such as: (1) creating a user-friendly menuing

system for multiple database access, (2) custom reports & calculations, (3)

full "programatic" database manipulation (modifying field values, string &

numeric value manipulation, conditionally copy values from fields in one

database to fields in another database).

---

FMP is a database system, not a programming system. You have as much control in FMP scripting as you do with just about any other database system. About the only thing that you cannot adequately control is the actual functionality of the pull-down menus, however I have long since stopped doing anything with them anyway and I use buttons and such on the interface itself.

I have programmed in many databases and FMP offers as much control as any of them did, albeit in a less programming-like manner.

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Kurt Knippel

Consultant

Database Resources

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.database-resources.com

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