Top Five Items

[Steven H. Blackwell]

February 9th 2010

One month from today, March 9th 2010, will mark the sixth anniversary of the release of FileMaker Pro 7 and the advent of the .fp7 era. An auspicious anniversary it will be, to be sure, and worthy of appropriate commemoration.

I am curious what other developers may think are the top five items that characterize the modern .fp7 versions of FileMaker Pro or FileMaker Pro Advanced and that have come along as the product matured and advanced. Here are my five:

1. Security schema

2. $ and $$ variables

3. GetValue and List functions

4. Conditional formatting

5. Triggers

Steven

[Raybaudi]

I would add:

6. Custom Functions

7. Web Viewer

8. Let and Evaluate functions

[David Jondreau]

Top Five? Tough. Some things make life a lot easier, others make some things possible.

Multi-table solutions

Security

Custom Functions

Script Debugger

with a three-way tie for fifth:

$ vars, Let() and Triggers

[bcooney]

I agree with DJ, it's a toss up btw helpful and enabling.

My vote:

1. Relationship graph.

2. Multi-table solutions.

3. New security model

4. Script parameters

5. Debugger/Data Viewer

[David Jondreau]

I hadn't thought of script parameters or tabs or custom menus either!

I think menus might take fifth place for me.

[bcooney]

What you realize, is how much they've added. Tab panels!

[HOnza]

My top 5 are:

1. Relationships graph (meaning the whole new data modeling concept)

2. Custom menus

3. Script triggers

4. Security model

5. External data sources

Edited February 9, 2010 by Guest

[mr_vodka]

Mine are:

1. Relationships graph

2. Variables & Parameters

3. ESS

4. Triggers

5. Security

Honorable mentions / close runner ups:

6. Plugin API

7. Calculation Engine

8. Custom Menu

9. Custom Functions

[Ocean West]

I would have to say 'me-too' to the previous spoken features that have spawned during the .fp7 era.

And humbly add the following to the pot:

1. Community

Without our worldwide community at large, the masses would have flocked to other tech. The fundamental change to FMP and how we do what we do, demanded a change in the community to pack together the greatest talent and creative individuals.

2. FMPug

By stepping up to facilitate and to channel the passion within our community. This includes being full time FileMaker Advocates and tirelessly discovering the community's needs, and desires. By extension this includes all chapters and non-chapters of user / developer groups worldwide.

3. POE (Pause On Error)

Seeing a need as conventional channels are not enough, FREELY shared information between peers and colleagues raising the bar of excellence to higher levels. Ok, let's tip a hat for DevCon's during this era as it has albeit, slow to adapt to demands of attendees, some change is measurable.

4. Education

This embodies all aspects of training, including FM Forums, Blogs, Speaking Events, White Papers, Magazines, Books, Videos, Training, FTS, and Certification. Without a doubt our community is responsible for dispensing the bulk of this knowledge and its worth is measured by the wisdom achieved by anyone with passionate and insatiable hunger for knowledge.

5. FileMaker Inc.

For brining the new era to life and finally accepting that FileMaker is a platform and start to realize there is strong ecosystem of professionals outside "The Wedge". Not with out bumps and blunders, along the way but earnest efforts have been made thru SE's, BAM's to invigorate the sense of community and attempts to stay off the corporate bureaucratic mentality.

sd