Runtime and Multi-User

[Andres Dominicci]

Hi Guys:

Let me introduce myself. My name is Andres Dominicci and I'm a Microsoft Access developer since 1996. I stopped working as a consultant a few years ago and open a restaurant. Lately I've been contemplating getting back to developing since some people have called me asking for my services again. After reading and researching I decided to buy FileMaker and give it a go.

Since my knowledge is in Access I'll describe how I use to develop my solutions there and how can this be accomplished in FileMaker. I used to program everything in one file, create a back-end and link my tables from my solution. I saved my backend in a server, created my runtime solution and when people installed it in a multiuser environment they would connect to the database (of course the link files weren't found and I had a routine for the user to select where the file was located). And so with one runtime I could install to as many users as I wanted.

Can something like this be done in filemaker where I put the backend in a server and have the runtime solutions installed in different computers and they can connect to that backend? If not could someone point me to the right direction on how to do this.

So far I love the product and is much straight forward than Access. Thank you guys and hope to get back into developing shape.

Andres

[Vaughan]

Can something like this be done in filemaker where I put the backend in a server and have the runtime solutions installed in different computers and they can connect to that backend?

This is not necessary because FileMaker databases can be shared multi-user right out of the box. All you need is a host computer running FileMaker Server (or FM Pro) and a license of FM Pro for each client computer.

The FileMaker runtimes are single user ONLY and cannot open shared files.

[Andres Dominicci]

Thanks for the fast response. Question, If I keep everything together how then If I make a change to scripts or calculations would I be able to update my customers without overwriting the data they have entered. I've seen there is an update in importing but I think I'll have to update everything and could forget to update something, etc. However if you keep the scripts, calculations, reports, layouts separate it would be just be a matter of just overwriting the front-end. Does that sounds right to you? I apologize if I keep the Access mentality and trying to adapt here. LOL .

Andre

[Vaughan]

There is only one copy of the database, it lives on the server and is hosted by FMS. There is nothing to update on the client's computers because there IS nothing on the client's computers (except for the FMP application itself).

It's possible to kind-of separate the data from the interface, but it's not a clean separation, it's a lot of work (much needs to be duplicated in data and interface files) and it only saves time if only the interface changes and there are no modifications to data structure (tables, fields or relationships). In my experience there are always changes to data.

[Andres Dominicci]

Going back to the runtime. In that area MS Access i think is better because I would create a runtime and use it in a network environment at no extra cost. It would be much easier this way in FileMaker but I'll just get use to it and explain customers the advantage of shelling out a few extra bucks. Thanks again Vaughan.

Andre

[Vaughan]

It's purely a marketing decision by FMI: IIRC FMP 3 runtimes had more sharing functionality.