Let’s talk about Claris Connect as the way to orchestrate data-driven workflows involving Eversign digital signatures, Claris FileMaker, Slack and a range of other possible platforms! Fabio Bosisio from Beezwax will walk through details for setting up these types of integrations.
Continue reading “Claris Connect integrates Eversign, FileMaker and more”Category: FileMaker 18
A fast, flexible Tableau Connector for FileMaker
Building a custom Tableau® Connector for Claris® FileMaker® enables faster, more reliable and more flexible connections between Tableau and FileMaker datasources, compared with the legacy Web Data Connector.
For a number of Beezwax client projects, we’ve installed and deployed a Tableau Connector (aka “TACO”) for FileMaker. The TACO was built using the Tableau Connector SDK (provided by Tableau) to connect to datasources on FileMaker Server. The TACO method uses JDBC rather than the FileMaker Data API for the connection between FileMaker and Tableau, and in our testing the performance of data extracts was up to 10 times faster.
Continue reading “A fast, flexible Tableau Connector for FileMaker”The Value and Benefits of Transactions with Claris FileMaker
Posted in All, Claris Development, Events, FileMaker, FileMaker 18, FileMaker 19, FileMaker Server, Performance, Techniques
Let’s talk about Claris® FileMaker® and transactions! Vincenzo Menanno discusses what transactions are, how they relate to FileMaker data operations (creating, updating, and deleting records), database normalization, and how to use transactional concepts to improve FileMaker performance, especially over a wide area network (WAN).
Continue reading “The Value and Benefits of Transactions with Claris FileMaker”bBox for FileMaker v0.98 with M1, GraphicsMagick & Sips
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”
Integrating FileMaker’s Data API and Ruby with the fmrest-ruby gem
We often work on projects that intersect two technologies near and dear to us: FileMaker and Ruby. This allows us to build robust web applications in Ruby on Rails, integrated with data sources from FileMaker solutions. When Claris introduced the FileMaker Data API we were naturally curious to try it out. At the time there was no off-the-shelf Ruby library for us to simply gem install, so we decided to roll up our sleeves and build one. Thus, fmrest-ruby was born.
This article will walk you through setting up and using fmrest-ruby in a Ruby on Rails project. Some level of familiarity with Ruby/Rails and FileMaker’s Data API is advised, although much of the content covered here is applicable to any Ruby project, Rails or not.
Continue reading “Integrating FileMaker’s Data API and Ruby with the fmrest-ruby gem”bBox for FileMaker v0.96 with JSON processing, Python 3 and more
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”
Math in a FileMaker field, for Inputter’s sake
Posted in All, Claris Development, FileMaker, FileMaker 18, FileMaker 19, UX
Editor’s Note: An often-ignored reality of data management is that entering data, correctly and cleanly, into all of these database apps we build can be a royal pain in the…
Assumptions can be dangerous, like assuming that your office manager-doubling-as-bookkeeper wants to manually calculate tax on every Invoice row. Or even has the time to.
Not many job titles (anymore) are simply “Data Entry Manager,” and yet entering data is a task that continually must be managed, by one or by many, in the role of “Inputter”. Just entering data can be tedious enough — so, let’s not make it harder. In fact, let’s strive to make it easier. With that in mind, Beezwax Senior Developer Christos Savva provides an example of performing math in a FileMaker field, using a custom function. This is designed to improve data entry user experience, for the sake of Inputters everywhere.
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Setting FileMaker’s startup file from CLI
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”Connect FileMaker Server to Oracle Server and Oracle Cloud Using ODBC and TCPS
Posted in Claris Development, FileMaker, FileMaker 18, FileMaker 19, FileMaker Server, Integration, Security
A longtime enterprise client recently asked us to integrate a FileMaker Server with an Oracle server. No problem, right? This task requires some development to optimize the database schema and script the data sync, but using FileMaker and an ODBC driver to connect to Oracle is straightforward.
Continue reading “Connect FileMaker Server to Oracle Server and Oracle Cloud Using ODBC and TCPS”How to enable WebKit and JavaScript debugging in FileMaker Web Viewers
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”
bBox for FileMaker v0.95 Now Available
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.
I Once Was Lost, But Now Am Found: InspectorPro 7 Global Search
When I am working in the Bay Area, I often carpool to Beezwax’s Cupertino and Oakland offices with Vince Menanno, the creator and lead architect of InspectorPro. Over two years of commuting, I have been bugging him to add global search to InspectorPro, so FileMaker developers can search elements across the entire DDR for any solution. Vince must have gotten tired of my nagging, because at long last we can all enjoy this functionality, in InspectorPro 7.
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Show me external vs. embedded containers in FileMaker
Posted in FileMaker 17, FileMaker 18, InspectorPro
Dear InspectorPro: Can you show me a report on the container fields used in my FileMaker solution, with a list of all externally-referenced vs. internally-stored (“embedded”) fields? Sincerely, Thanks in Advance-d.
Continue reading “Show me external vs. embedded containers in FileMaker”
Restoring Backup Files on FileMaker Cloud for AWS
Recently, we had a client who required restoration of FileMaker backup files for their FileMaker Cloud for AWS 1.17–hosted solution. This seemed a simple enough request—we would download their backup files using the FileMaker Cloud for AWS Admin Console and then re-upload them to the server. However, things did not go smoothly as there was seven gigabytes of data to download and the process was too slow for their fast-paced production environment…like half-a-day too slow.
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Let’s Abstract a While() in FileMaker
Posted in FileMaker, FileMaker 18, Software Design, Techniques
Introducing JSON Filter, Map, Reduce.
Now that FileMaker has given us a practical and more simplified way to loop in a calculation with the While() function, the doors have opened to other ways to look at looping. Continue reading “Let’s Abstract a While() in FileMaker”FileMaker 18 Adds Support for ESV (Finally!)
Posted in FileMaker, FileMaker 18, Techniques
Here at the Beezwax, we have been performing research on FileMaker 18 import changes, specifically new support for ESV: Emoji Separated Values.
Continue reading “FileMaker 18 Adds Support for ESV (Finally!)”
We’ve been waiting for While()… for a while
Posted in FileMaker, FileMaker 18, JSON, Software Design, Techniques
FileMaker has been missing a looping control structure in its function set for…well…a while. So, the introduction of FileMaker 18’s While() function is less a fancy new feature than it is a fix for a long standing limitation in FileMaker’s function set.
Continue reading “We’ve been waiting for While()… for a while”
Native HTML Email in FileMaker 18
Posted in FileMaker, FileMaker 18
Email is one of the simplest tools used to communicate and send information. Just open a mail client, write a message and press a button to virtually send a letter or message to a recipient.
Sometimes, in addition to simple text, we want to enrich our emails with graphical contents and attachments, making it more pleasant for those who receive it or giving a more cohesive image to our brand. This requires HTML, and it’s not as simple to build and send emails this way.
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Imports without Tariffs. Natively, with FileMaker Server.
Posted in FileMaker 18, FileMaker Server, Performance, Techniques
Combining functions, features, or steps in creative new ways can deliver productive results. I was thrilled to discover in FileMaker 18 that the new file-based script steps give us the ability to perform imports natively on FileMaker Server, with no configuration or changes needed.
Continue reading “Imports without Tariffs. Natively, with FileMaker Server.”
Using REST and cURL with FileMaker Server 18’s Data API
Posted in FileMaker 18, FileMaker Data API, FileMaker Server, Integration
Well, here we are again! With the release of FileMaker 18 we get the third version of the FileMaker Data API. This version brings an iterative advancement in features while maintaining the core functionality that was introduced with V1 of the API in FileMaker Server 17.
I’m following suit with an iterative advancement of my previous blog posts about the Data API (here and here).
NOTE: We’ve updated this series of blog posts and demo files to cover FileMaker 19:
Using REST and cURL with FileMaker 19’s Data API Continue reading “Using REST and cURL with FileMaker Server 18’s Data API”