Category: FileMaker 2026

Prep Your Schema For AI: GetTableDDL and Field Annotations in FileMaker 26

by Vincenzo Menanno
Posted in AI, AI with FM, All, Claris Development, FileMaker, FileMaker 2026, Integration, Semantic Search

With FileMaker 26, how do you set up your database so an AI model can understand it? Two features make this easier: GetTableDDL, which describes your schema in a language AI already speaks, and field annotations, which explain what each field actually means. This reframes how to invest in aging but essential FileMaker solutions. The system you already depend on does not need to be rebuilt to work with AI. It needs to be made legible.

A Fork In The Road

Many teams adopting AI move quickly and pay for it later, connecting assistants to data that the model does not truly understand. Inspecting the schema may produce answers that sound confident and are quietly wrong. A schema an AI can understand produces answers you can act on more confidently. What follows is how GetTableDDL and field annotations work together, including the behavior that will surprise you the first time you hit it (the “Fork in the Road” below), and the FileMaker naming quirks that quietly waste tokens if you are not paying attention.

Continue reading “Prep Your Schema For AI: GetTableDDL and Field Annotations in FileMaker 26” →

Imports on FileMaker Server, But Better

by Vincenzo Menanno
Posted in AI with FM, Claris Development, FileMaker, FileMaker 18, FileMaker 19, FileMaker 2023, FileMaker 2024, FileMaker 2025, FileMaker 2026, FileMaker Server, Performance, Techniques

Many FileMaker solutions need to import data—often from Excel or .csv. When this is done over a WAN, importing large datasets can be painfully slow. Years ago, we developed a technique to run imports directly on FileMaker Server instead of via the FileMaker Pro client. This significantly improved performance. With the introduction of Export Field Contents as a FileMaker Server-compabile script step, we’re now on the third generation of that approach,

An unexpected benefit of simplifying this pattern is that it becomes far more ‘AI-friendly’—the fewer moving parts, the easier it is for AI tools to understand, generate, and help maintain the workflow.

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What Happens in This Window, Stays in This Window

by Vincenzo Menanno
Posted in All, Claris Development, FileMaker, FileMaker 2026, FileMaker UX Design, Techniques

Using Get ( WindowUUID ) and JSON for true window variables in FileMaker 26

FileMaker 26 introduces Window UUIDs, enabling developers to create and manage window-specific variables using JSON. This innovation simplifies state management across multiple windows without the need for global variables or complex table structures. It reduces technical debt, enhances workflow flexibility, and allows for isolated, lightweight data storage specific to each window.

Continue reading “What Happens in This Window, Stays in This Window” →

Introducing Claris MVPs — plus an Interview with Beezwax’s Vincenzo Menanno

by Beezwax Team
Posted in AI with FM, All, Beezwax News, Business, Claris Development, Community, FileMaker, FileMaker 2025, FileMaker 2026, InspectorPro, Management, News, Organization Development

We’re thrilled to share some exciting news from the Claris community. Claris, an Apple company, launched the Claris MVP program, a new initiative recognizing the developers, mentors, and advocates who go above and beyond to help the community thrive. And we’re incredibly proud that our own Vincenzo (Vince) Menanno, Beezwax’s Chief Innovation Officer, has been named one of the first Claris MVPs.

Continue reading “Introducing Claris MVPs — plus an Interview with Beezwax’s Vincenzo Menanno” →