Dear FileMaker Experts,

Have you guys all seen this article?

http://help.filemaker.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/7701/~/deprecation-of-xslt-api-for-custom-web-publishing

When they say this, does that mean that with the next version of server our current FileMaker Server xslt will be gone or removed?

If so that is very troubling and reminds me of how they removed the .dbf import and export in a recent version that caused such an uproar.

Is it possible to get them not to remove that api as we have been using it for years and have lots of uses for it?

Thanks in advance,

Shawn

That's exactly what they're saying. Note the XML interface will still be functional.

- John

Thanks for responding. That sounds pretty horrible to me. The current xml export doesn't seem to have all the options that the server one does and it's xml is much less dynamic to work with since it doesn't label the data with the field names. It would be nice if people would go to the feature request and ask that this not be removed as to prevent the nightmare that happened when they removed the .dbf export functionality.

As FileMaker software evolves the list of APIs and technologies it supports may change and less efficient interfaces may be deprecated in favor of new ones. If you are using XSLT in Custom Web Publishing or the XSLT Site Assistant, FileMaker recommends that you migrate your solution to use other more efficient APIs, technologies, or alternative features of the product to meet the same need in your solutions.

As John May noted, the answer is Yes. You should communicate your concerns directly to them. Your local Business Account Rep is a good starting place.

Steven

deprecated does not mean it will be pulled from the product immediately. It does mean that it will not be developed any more and that you should look to get up to speed in other technologies.

XSLT was never a good choice in my mind IMHO and we've always had a slew of more efficient and better supported web publishing options: anything through ODBC/JDBC, PHP through the FX.PHP open source API, .NET through the open source fmDotNet API,...

I'm not bashing you but as a developer we don't need to jump on anything that FMI gives us, we need to evaluate it against what else is available to integrate FM and might have wider support in the web world in general.

Actually, it looks like FileMaker is misusing the term "deprecated", as per this line at the top of the mentioned URL:

"Beginning with the next full version of FileMaker Server and FileMaker Server Advanced, the XSLT API for Custom Web Publishing and the XSLT Site Assistant will no longer be available."

Sounds like XSLT will be outright eliminated.

- John