Author: Simon Brown

Better, Faster Random Text for FileMaker

by Simon Brown
Posted in All, bBox, FileMaker, FileMaker 2024, FileMaker 2025, FileMaker Server, Integration, JavaScript, Performance, Python, Testing

We often need large amounts of random text to simulate real-world data loads while building a FileMaker solution. I was looking to create a large chunks of unique data for testing — we’re talking at least millions of characters. Here, I’ll compare the performance of a few methods I tried.

Continue reading “Better, Faster Random Text for FileMaker” →

bBox 1.06 for FileMaker enhances support for macOS text windows and Python

by Simon Brown
Posted in AI, AI with FM, All, bBox, Claris Development, FileMaker, FileMaker 2024, FileMaker 2025, FileMaker Server, FM Products, Integration, Python, Tools & Add-ons

We are pleased to announce the release of bBox version 1.06 for Claris® FileMaker®, which adds support for macOS text windows and many update enhancements, including to bBox’s support for integrating Python code with your FileMaker apps.

bBox is a free utility plug-in to extend FileMaker solutions to easily use code libraries. Supporting both macOS & Ubuntu Linux, it has functions to help you work with Python, JavaScript, PHP, Ruby, AppleScript, Bash/Zsh/sh, XPath, and DuckDB. Also included is a demo file that has over 220 examples of how you can put bBox functions to work for you.

If you’re interested in Python integration with FileMaker, also check out bzPython-FM, which uses bBox.

Continue reading “bBox 1.06 for FileMaker enhances support for macOS text windows and Python” →

Quick FileMaker Server Stats.log Summaries

by Simon Brown
Posted in All, DevOps, FileMaker, FileMaker 2023, FileMaker 2024, FileMaker Server, Logging, Monitoring, Performance, Python, Server Administration, System Administration

When making changes to a FileMaker file or a FileMaker Server’s configuration, it is often useful to know if the changes have helped, or made things worse, or perhaps had no effect at all. FileMaker’s Stats.log generates some data needed to summarize this, with some help from monitoring and analysis tools, or in this case, a Python script.

Continue reading “Quick FileMaker Server Stats.log Summaries” →

Using OData, Syslog or DuckDB to handle FileMaker Schema Change Notifications (via Plug-in API)

by Simon Brown
Posted in All, bBox, Claris Development, FileMaker, FileMaker 2024, FileMaker Data API, FileMaker Server, FM Products, Integration, Performance, Techniques, Tools & Add-ons

FileMaker Server v21.1 (2024) introduced functionality for plug-ins to receive notifications of changes to database schema, layout, custom functions, or scripts. Notification messaging is passed in the form of JSON. Let’s show a few examples of these JSON payloads, and how a plug-in might use external tools (Syslog, DuckDB or OData) to handle things.

Continue reading “Using OData, Syslog or DuckDB to handle FileMaker Schema Change Notifications (via Plug-in API)” →

Resetting the Admin Console IP Address Block in FileMaker Server

by Simon Brown
Posted in All

Under its Administration: Administrator screen, FileMaker Server’s Admin Console has a feature you can use to restrict access so that only certain IP addresses are allowed to connect. Although usually a useful feature, here we’ll discuss how to turn it off if it isn’t working correctly.

Continue reading “Resetting the Admin Console IP Address Block in FileMaker Server” →

bBox 1.05 for FileMaker Now Available

by Simon Brown
Posted in All, bBox, Claris Development, FileMaker, FileMaker 19, FileMaker 2023, FileMaker 2024, FM Products, Integration, Python, Tools & Add-ons

We are pleased to announce the release of bBox version 1.05, which adds support for schema change notifications, a new Ubuntu ARM binary, and DuckDB integration.

bBox is a free utility plug-in to extend FileMaker solutions to easily use code libraries. Supporting both macOS & Ubuntu Linux, it has functions to help you work with Python, JavaScript, PHP, Ruby, AppleScript, Bash/Zsh/sh, XPath, and SQLite. Also included is a demo file that has over 220 examples of how you can put bBox functions to work for you.

If you’re interested in Python integration with FileMaker, also check out bzPython-FM, which uses bBox.

Continue reading “bBox 1.05 for FileMaker Now Available” →

bBox 1.04 for FileMaker Now Available

by Simon Brown
Posted in bBox, FileMaker, FileMaker 2023, FileMaker 2024, FileMaker Cloud, FileMaker Data API, FileMaker Server, FM Products, Integration, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, Swift, Tools & Add-ons

We are pleased to announce the release bBox version 1.04, including improvements to text parsing, XPath and SQLite support, and utility functions for FileMaker Admin API, Data API and OData API.

bBox is a free utility plug-in to extend FileMaker solutions to easily use code libraries. Supporting both macOS & Ubuntu Linux, it has functions to help you work with Python, JavaScript, PHP, Ruby, AppleScript, Bash/Zsh/sh, XPath, and SQLite. Also included is a demo file that has over 220 examples of how you can put bBox functions to work for you.

Continue reading “bBox 1.04 for FileMaker Now Available” →

bBox v0.99 Integrates Claris FileMaker with JavaScript, Python 3 and Supports M1 Apple Silicon

by Simon Brown
Posted in All, bBox, Claris Development, FileMaker, FileMaker 19, FileMaker Server, Integration, JavaScript, Node.js, Python, Tools & Add-ons

We are pleased to release bBox version 0.99 for Claris® FileMaker® on macOS and Linux with new NodeJS and Python 3 integration, and M1 Apple silicon support for GraphicsMagick image processing and JQ JSON parsing functions.

About bBox Plug-in For FileMaker

bBox is a free utility plug-in to extend Claris FileMaker solutions to easily use macOS and Linux code libraries and functions from Python, JavaScript, PHP, Ruby, AppleScript, C/C++, Bash/sh, XPath, and SQLite. Also included is a demo file with more than 210 examples of how you can put bBox functions to work for you.

bBox is available on macOS and Linux, and runs with either FileMaker Pro or FileMaker Server. Here’s what FileMaker Magazine had to say about bBox version 0.99:

Continue reading “bBox v0.99 Integrates Claris FileMaker with JavaScript, Python 3 and Supports M1 Apple Silicon” →

bBox for FileMaker v0.98 with M1, GraphicsMagick & Sips

by Simon Brown
Posted in All, bBox, Claris Development, FileMaker, FileMaker 18, FileMaker 19, FileMaker Server, Tools & Add-ons

We are pleased to release bBox version 0.98, with with new image file functions and M1/Apple Silicon support.

bBox is a free utility plug-in to extend FileMaker solutions to easily use code libraries and macOS-based functions from Python, JavaScript, PHP, Ruby, AppleScript, C/C++, Bash/sh, XPath, and SQLite. Also included is a demo file that has over 220 examples of how you can put bBox functions to work for you.

Some of the changes in version 0.98 are:

  • M1/Apple Silicon binary
  • Ubuntu compatible version (in addition to CentOS)
  • updated to libxml2 version 2.9.12
  • added bBox_GraphicsMagick function & script step
  • added bBox_Sips function & script step
  • modifications to several functions & script steps to add parameters
  • fixed template text used in several functions & script steps to better describe parameters
  • limit POSIX commands to 3 cores
  • new mode to combine stderr with stdout

Continue reading “bBox for FileMaker v0.98 with M1, GraphicsMagick & Sips” →

bBox for FileMaker v0.96 with JSON processing, Python 3 and more

by Simon Brown
Posted in bBox, FileMaker, FileMaker 18, FileMaker 19, Python, Ruby, Tools & Add-ons

We are pleased to release bBox version 0.96, with JSON processing via jq, Python 3 compile/run,  and improvements supporting Zsh, cURL and Ruby.

bBox is a free utility plug-in to extend FileMaker solutions to easily use code libraries and macOS-based functions from Python, JavaScript, PHP, Ruby, AppleScript, C/C++, Bash/sh, XPath, and SQLite. Also included is a demo file that has over 210 examples of how you can put bBox functions to work for you.

Continue reading “bBox for FileMaker v0.96 with JSON processing, Python 3 and more” →

Setting FileMaker’s startup file from CLI

by Simon Brown
Posted in All, Claris Development, FileMaker, FileMaker 18, FileMaker 19, Techniques

We had a client that was upgrading their system to FileMaker 18. They had already pushed new FileMaker Pro clients out to their user’s desktops. But now that the upgraded system was ready, how could they give users a quick and easy way to launch right into the new database system?

Continue reading “Setting FileMaker’s startup file from CLI” →

How to enable WebKit and JavaScript debugging in FileMaker Web Viewers

by Simon Brown
Posted in All, Claris Development, FileMaker, FileMaker 17, FileMaker 18, FileMaker 19, FileMaker Server, Integration, JavaScript, Techniques, Testing, Web Development

FileMaker supports bidirectional communication between a web viewer and data or scripts. So, you may find yourself doing more development using plenty of web code and JavaScript integrations.

If you’re having difficulty getting your HTML, CSS, or JavaScript to render in a FileMaker web viewer, there’s a great way to help inspect and fix it. You just need to know the hidden option to enable WebKit debugging in FileMaker web viewers.

Continue reading “How to enable WebKit and JavaScript debugging in FileMaker Web Viewers” →

Use External Directory AD Group for FileMaker Admin Console Access on macOS

by Simon Brown
Posted in Claris Development, FileMaker, Server Administration, System Administration

Besides using its own internal accounts, FileMaker Server supports centrally managed authentication using directory systems such as Active Directory. Using these systems can help control access to both FileMaker Server’s admin console and database files.

If you are using directory bound servers already, you’ll often want to add access to a FileMaker Server’s console using directory groups instead of adding in specific users. Previously this was easily done with either Workgroup Manager (no longer supported on macOS), or the Server application (still viable, but just in a vestigial form).

Here I’ll show how you can do the same thing using the dscl command.

Continue reading “Use External Directory AD Group for FileMaker Admin Console Access on macOS” →

bBox for FileMaker v0.95 Now Available

by Simon Brown
Posted in bBox, FileMaker, FileMaker 18, FileMaker Server, Integration, JavaScript, Python, Tools & Add-ons, Unix

We are pleased to release bBox version 0.95. bBox is a free utility plug-in to extend FileMaker solutions to easily use code libraries and macOS-based functions from Python, JavaScript, PHP, Ruby, AppleScript, Bash/sh, XPath, and SQLite. Also included is a demo file that has over 210 examples of how you can put bBox functions to work for you.

Continue reading “bBox for FileMaker v0.95 Now Available” →

Installing the Zabbix 4.2 Monitoring Agent

by Simon Brown
Posted in All, FileMaker, FileMaker Cloud, FileMaker Server, Monitoring, System Administration

On our FileMaker Cloud for AWS servers, which are currently CentOS 7.6 based, we are typically installing the Zabbix monitoring agent. With one exception, installing the Zabbix agent is a relatively quick and easy procedure.

Although not required, installing the agent allows gathering more data on your servers than a Zabbix server alone.

Continue reading “Installing the Zabbix 4.2 Monitoring Agent” →

bBox for FileMaker v0.93 Now Available

by Simon Brown
Posted in bBox, FileMaker, Integration, JavaScript, Python, Tools & Add-ons

We are pleased to release bBox version 0.93, including new FileMaker script steps and web viewer functions. bBox is a free utility plug-in to extend FileMaker solutions to easily use code libraries and macOS-based functions from Python, JavaScript, PHP, Ruby, AppleScript, Bash/sh, XPath, and SQLite. Also included is a demo file that has over 210 examples of how you can put bBox functions to work for you.

Continue reading “bBox for FileMaker v0.93 Now Available” →

AD-bound macOS systems not authenticating? Restart opendirectoryd

by Simon Brown
Posted in FileMaker, FileMaker Server, Security, Server Administration

We support quite a few macOS systems that are bound to an AD (Active Directory) domain. Occasionally, one, two, or perhaps several would lose the ability to authenticate users with AD credentials. Often this was with one of the FileMaker Servers, where external authentication was being used for either user access or FMS Admin Console access. I’ve explored ways to fix this, without restarting or disrupting other services.

Continue reading “AD-bound macOS systems not authenticating? Restart opendirectoryd” →

bBox for FileMaker v0.90 Now Available

by Simon Brown
Posted in All, bBox, FileMaker, FileMaker Server, Integration, JavaScript, Python, Tools & Add-ons

We are pleased to release bBox version 0.90. bBox is a free utility plug-in to extend FileMaker solutions to easily use code libraries and macOS-based functions from Python, JavaScript, PHP, Ruby, AppleScript, Bash/sh, XPath, and SQLite. Included is a demo file that has over 200 examples of how you can put bBox functions to work for you.

Continue reading “bBox for FileMaker v0.90 Now Available” →

Monitor FileMaker Server XML connectivity with AWS

by Simon Brown
Posted in FileMaker, FileMaker Cloud, FileMaker Server, Monitoring, Server Administration

If you have a FileMaker server that you want to ensure high availability, Amazon’s AWS Route 53 service has some functionality that you’ll want to know about. For this post, I’m going to show how you can set up monitoring and alarms for the XML interface on FileMaker Server.

Continue reading “Monitor FileMaker Server XML connectivity with AWS” →

Overcoming TLS Frustrations with Python and macOS Sierra

by Simon Brown
Posted in All, bBox, Python

The short version of this is that you probably want to upgrade to High Sierra (macOS 10.13) if you need to do much of anything with the built-in macOS version of Python and any network tasks.
Continue reading “Overcoming TLS Frustrations with Python and macOS Sierra” →

1 2 3 4