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”Using the FileMaker platform we can harness the power and wow-factor of modern web interfaces. This post shows how we can build dynamic data-entry forms for use in our apps.
Continue reading “Dynamic Forms with JavaScript and FileMaker Web Viewers”
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”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”
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”Doing the simple is hard. Someone recently reminded me of this when discussing business workflow. Tasks like scheduling, calendaring, communicating and sending notifications are individually manageable, in a world where tools for these tasks exist online. Calendars, email, databases, Slack, and a collection of other apps and services make this possible.
Continue reading “Claris Connect in action”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.
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.
Continue reading “I Once Was Lost, But Now Am Found: InspectorPro 7 Global Search”
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”
Recently I was tasked with implementing a picker list whereby the user could assign people to a project, and indicate each person’s hourly allocation to that project as that assignment was made. How can data be associated with names in a picker list, before those names have actually been stamped onto their own records?
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”
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.
Continue reading “Restoring Backup Files on FileMaker Cloud for AWS”
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!)”
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”
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.”
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”
Anyone who has used FileMaker will be familiar with the powerful import abilities the platform has. Being able to quickly and easily ingest comma- or tab-delimited data and Excel files makes merging multiple data sources into a single cohesive application pretty convenient. However, the import UI that has existed for the platform over the last decade (maybe longer) is cumbersome and often downright frustrating. This is especially the case when trying to import many columns and match them to fields with different names than the source.
“Hey Siri…Ask FileMaker…”
This story started when we explored iOS Shortcuts to the FileMaker Data API. As we continue to automate tasks by mixing together iOS apps, content on mobile devices and web APIs plus FileMaker, let’s add to our workflow using one of the most powerful functions available to iPhone and iPad users: Siri.
Continue reading “Using Siri with FileMaker, via iOS Shortcuts”
Shortcuts, on iOS, are a new way to automate tasks by mixing together apps, content on your iOS device and web APIs into custom workflows. Now, via the FileMaker Data API, you can use shortcuts as a way to interact with your FileMaker solutions.
Here’s an example of automatically uploading a photo from your iPhone into a FileMaker container field, via iOS shortcuts to the FileMaker Data API.
