I need to build a royalty free cross-platform runtime CD-ROM. I

want to use Flash5 for the front-end design and hook this up to a FM database using XML to exchange data and queries. Firstly, is this possible?

and if it is which version of Filemaker do I need to develop with?

Note the CD will be distributed to many users and needs to be a runtime stand-alone solution with no licensing costs for end users, i.e. I want to pay for 2 FM Developer licences for Mac and Windows.

The plan is to migrate the CD product to the web hence the use of XML and Flash.

I think what you're trying to do involves in depth knowlege of many areas, and could prove v. complex.

I'm not sure about using Flash as the front end....Java is probably your best cross platform bet......

You'll need FMPro Developer

The Developer version is supporting XML and JDBC (Java). It is probably just possible to do such thing, but even with my experience I would not undertake such complex job.