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FileMaker 13 Issues


innodat

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I sort of vented a bit about the issues with FM13... so Lee and Josh suggested a post here.

 

Honestly, I doubt that anyone can help. All of this stuff is well known an can be found in the official FM bug report database: https://www.dropbox.com/s/jt09b82i0xijbu3/FMP%20Bugs.zip

 

Here are some examples that drive me nuts and I have zero understanding for FileMaker for not fixing them (or having fixed them a long time ago):

 

1. Disappearing keyboard-shortcuts

Open more than one window of a file, plus script editor and you will soon find half of your keyboard-shortcuts have vanished (command-L, command-D, etc.). This is not even new to Yosemite! Already a problem in Mavericks. Restarting FileMaker is the only remedy. C'mon FileMaker Inc.!

 

2. Cut-off Actions

Perform Find and Constrain Found Set script steps don't show the top-most action. You have to scroll down to see them all. Same goes for this type of window else where (developer utilities, for example). Missed something many times, lost time because of it. It's just extremely sloppy. C'mon...

 

3. Animated GIF no longer working.

Mavericks and Yosemite. I know, I know, there are many other way to program progress bars, but all of them require much more overhead than a simple animated gif. Works just fine in 12, regardless of which OS X you have installed, but not in 13. 13 has been out for how long? Enough said.

 

4. Quick Find fails

If you have any fields in pop-overs with Quick Find enabled, Quick Find will not work on that layout. Such a basic and indispensable function has to be bullet-proof! No excuses. If they couldn't get these fields to work, then at least they should automatically disable Quick Find for any field placed in a pop-over.

 

5. Manage Layout loses place

Is it really that hard to have the manage layout window remember the scroll-location when you edit a layout name? Can't imagine.

 

6. Define Database pasting fields at bottom

I can copy-paste scrips to specific locations in my script list. Why do fields alway end up at the bottom of the entire list, even with custom oder selected? That hard to do?

 

I could go on and list many more...

 

Granted, if you look at the bug-report database, you can understand why FM doesn't care about the last two of my comments. There are too many actual issues that are unresolved. Looking at this database scares me.

 

Do ambitious features and great ideas come at the expense of stability? What happened to products that "just work"? Has software become too complex in general? Do we have to learn to live with unfinished products?

 

Personally, I have been working with FileMaker Pro since V3, professionally (making a living with it) for the last 13 years. I just hope it's not going down the drain, like Apple's Apps: the ratings are catastrophic lately. I really wonder if it's a good idea for FileMaker to show off their close ties with Apple at this time.

 

 

Anyway, I'm I the only one who's pessimistic?

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Hi Art,

 

I agree that, if we left bugs in our solutions, we would soon be out of business.  FMI really needs to step up their game on fixing bugs - it is a pattern which has existed (AFAIK) since version 7.  Part of the issue is that FMI releases versions every 18 months and I do not feel that is enough time to receive all the input from developers and customers about the issues and to make sure the OS updates are also addressed.

 

I would rather they spend another six months and do a better job of it.

 

However, part of the problem is also ours ... if we do not tell them about a problem, how can they fix it?  And if we do not raise a fuss, it will be ignored.  We should be over on that Report An Issue website and speak up about our dissatisfaction.  

 

If enough DIFFERENT folks raised a fuss, they would listen.  We ALL need to step up and complain and not just a few of us who simply get labelled as being pessimistic whiners.  I get tired of swimming upstream alone.  This is an example of how things get ignored and pushed to the backside of the moon:

 

http://fmforums.com/forum/topic/94139-highlight-colour-on-dropdown-lists/

 

18 months is simply not enough time unless FMI increases their staff and/or steps up their game.  The engineers should run that part of the show and not the sales and upper management (just my personal opinion).

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However, part of the problem is also ours ... if we do not tell them about a problem, how can they fix it?  And if we do not raise a fuss, it will be ignored.  We should be over on that Report An Issue website and speak up about our dissatisfaction.  

 

 

You are right. Point taken.

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LOL, I had searched for this post of yours!  I always think of your post when a new feature comes out and it isn't thought through or only half-bake implemented and then never improved upon again.   :laugh2:

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1. This has been reported by a lot of people and I am sure that they are working on resolving this. Since it was not fixed in recent vRev of FMP/A I believe the issue is probably more complex to solve.

2. This issue is not only related to FileMaker products. I have seen this in other products and assume that something is happening on an OS level, which makes it more difficult for FMI to fix it.

 

LaRetta is right, we should all report issues and I know that FMI is listening. But they only have the resources they have, so prioritizing must happen there.

Naturally we disagree about a priority where the issue we currently experience is not on the top of the list. But I guess that is natural...

Also when we report, we should make an effort to describe in as much details what the problem is and how it can be recreated. The faster the Q&A can reproduce the issue, the faster it is for development to do a fix.

So here we can really help out.

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only half-bake implemented and then never improved upon again.   :laugh2:

 

Yes, like object anchoring and resizing... haha

 

 

 

Thank you all for your contributions. I thought maybe I was too ambitious or too critical. But your input shows me that I'm no the only one who is struggling with FileMaker's focus (or lack thereof).

 

Still, I realize that I mixed different kind of annoyances in my post:

1. bugs

2. unfinished features

3. desired functionality

 

FileMaker is a like a Swiss Army Knife. I'm fine with not getting the kind of functionality  I  would like. What I'm really not fine with is number 1 and 2.

 

But let's even forget about 2 and only focus on 1: how can we really get FileMaker's attention? All I ever hear is "we don't have any information on that yet". My feeling is that a few more people reporting won't make a difference. So...

 

 

 

Proposal to brainstorm about

 

Do you remember the Mac Pro page that asked Apple to re-release Mac Pro? It was basically a paragraph explaining why the page existed and then asked people to comment.

 

I'm suggesting to set-up a page, just like the one mentioned above, and ask FileMaker to delay V14 until they have cleaned up long-standing bugs. If we get a couple hundred developers to speak up, even if it's anonymously- well, it might not actually delay V14, but get their attention and focus on what is important to us developers who contribute heavily to the reputation of the product. 

 

I'm happy to "professionalize" my own operations in accordance with FileMaker's new requirements (reseller certification, platinum requirements, etc.). BUT in return, I expect a product that is handled and taken care of in equal professional manner.

 

Several times a year I get advertisement emails which seems to be going out to the entire FBA registry. I don't know who took the time to gather these email addresses, but I know that there must be lists out there many thousand strong. One email to such a list which explains well what this is about might be enough to get plenty of posts. Based on the 18 month release schedule V14 is coming this spring. The Beta might be headed to TechNet/FBA very soon. So we'd have to act quickly.

 

Rest assured: my intentions are 100% sincere. There's nothing malicious about this idea. I'm not suggesting to bring down FileMaker - quite the opposite.

 

Thank you for your thoughts in advance,

Michael

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