Demo file: virtual-list-simplified.zip Note 1: The example in today’s article and demo file is intentionally very basic. Note 2: The demo is self-populating to keep the data current, so the values you see in the screen shots will not exactly match those you encounter in the demo. Recently I had the pleasure of discussing virtual… Continue reading Virtual List Simplified
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When you need to display data which is dynamic by nature, it tends to boil down to who's viewing the data and how do they need it presented. There's typically more than one way to solve the same problem and knowing what your options are helps you make a good decision when it comes to displaying that data.
In this video, I showcase what I would consider are the top three methods of displaying dynamic data. Starting with the easiest method first, we talk about how to make things easier by using a
FileMaker Squarespace Integration
Squarespace is one of the largest all-in-one website building and hosting providers with $300 million in total revenue in 2017, and is currently hosting over 350 thousand websites. This makes Squarespace a useful tool to expand your business by starting a professional looking website. And when you add FileMaker to the mix, you can streamline the process of dynamically showing data from your FileMaker app on your Squarespace website.
Custom Code with Squaresp
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 […]
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As with all software projects, one of the biggest prices you'll ever pay is the accumulated technical debt. It's a cost which starts as soon as you make the choice to simply write a new script with every new feature you add into your FileMaker solution.
Thus, the trick with creating something which is easier to manage is to simply decide to limit the number of things you create. So, what does one do when you've made that decision? Well, you focus on using the available toolset, using great orga
There are all kinds of methods for using indicators within FileMaker. We have multi-segment button bars, using the Hide calculation on any number of layout objects and, of course, there's simply using text alone to indicate something. In one of my more recent projects, I needed to group duplicates together.
While normally you'd want to rid your system of duplicates, this particular use case actually wanted them retained as an indication of importance or urgency. So, what was really needed was a
As 2019 draws to a close, I am mildly astonished to note that FileMaker Hacks is now nine years old. As promised in my recent conversation with Jeremy Brown, and in response to a number of reader requests, here, for the first time, is a comprehensive table of contents (as of December 2019). While some… Continue reading Table Of Contents for FileMaker Hacks
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Pour clore notre série d’article concernant la mise en place de sauvegardes périodiques sans FileMaker Server commencée par une réflexion sur les besoins auxquels on veut répondre, je vous invite à regarder la construction des chemins de sauvegardes. Notre objectif va être de rendre nos différents scripts plus lisibles mais aussi plus facilement modifiable si […]
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Importing data may be a very common task for some of your FileMaker workflows. Of course, not all data is going to come from the wonderful world of an online API. Some software just doesn't make its data available through the Internet.
So, what you often need to do is get hold of the import file and then create the script. But, what happens if your data for import is in some obscure location and may be hard for the user to find? Well, in that situation we want to work with as many known values
Filemaker Twilio Integration
Twilio is used by many major corporations such as Lyft, Twitter, and AirBnB to send texts to communicate information to their customers. Integrating Twilio with FileMaker can give you the ability to easily send appointment reminders, sales discounts, and much more straight to your clients’ phones with just a few lines of code.
Account Set-Up
To integrate with Twilio, you’ll need to first sign up for an account. Twilio offers a free trial which gives you a $15 bu
FREDERICK, MD—MainSpring, a FileMaker Business Alliance Platinum member and four-time North American FileMaker Partner of the Year, recently announced its exclusive letter of supply on the GSA Schedule, making it simpler and more affordable for government entities to purchase FileMaker licenses.
This is the most recent addition over the span of their 20-year Schedule. The FileMaker licensing offering will serve as a complement to MainSpring’s existing FileMaker development and FileMaker
As a long-time developer, I can certainly say that FileMaker development has advanced quite significantly over the past decade. However, I can also say that FileMaker was never developed from the ground up to have a highly robust event model. The bolt-on method of supporting events through script triggers never really planned on having too much support for drag-n-drop between various layout objects.
Fortunately, there are a number of little tricks you can apply with your knowledge of how the Fi
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. • • • Dear Thanks in Advance-d: Yes! Here’s a screenshot from InspectorPro 7 showing a list of Container fields from an example solution […]
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Hopefully, we can all agree that when something is more fully refined, it's the craftsmanship which showcases the higher quality of the work. The time and effort put into making something that much cleaner and that much more efficient.
Such is the case with enhancing FileMaker's portals. Sure, you can use portals as they're provided, and you'll certainly get all the benefits of using them "as is". But, what happens when you want your solution to be that much easier to use and that much more imp
The reincarnation decision
Whether it’s from age, functionality or neglect, all software eventually reaches its end of life. When we approach custom software with a client, we normally will evaluate several factors before deciding whether our engagement will be simple support, light rebuild or even a complete ground up reincarnation. Here are some of the factors we consider:
Cost
Cost is the factor that clients are interested in hearing our thoughts on; But it’s also one of
FileMaker RingCentral Integration
Cloud-based communication and collaboration is taking ahold of businesses everywhere, from messaging apps such as Discord and Slack to VoIP services like Vonage and Intermedia Unite. RingCentral, voted PC Mag’s Best Business VoIP Provider of 2019, has put itself in the forefront of cloud VOIP providers because of its intuitive interface and ability to integrate with other services. And with a simple webhook, you can add screen pop notifications to your FileMake
L’un de nos lecteurs, Martin, partage avec nous un script qu’il a écrit pour réaliser des sauvegardes régulières alors même qu’il n’héberge pas son fichier avec FileMaker Server mais en utilisant la fonction de partage de FileMaker Pro Advanced (partage “pair à pair” accessible depuis le menu Fichier / Partage / Partager avec clients FileMaker…). […]
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Hello again from Tableau Conference 2019 in sunny Las Vegas! Here at Beezwax, we had 5 attendees this year with a diverse set of sessions between us. I wanted to give a rundown of what I went through and some of my takeaways. Zen Master: Design Secrets for a Non-Designer This was a fantastic session! […]
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As a long time developer of FileMaker solutions, I clearly remember the first time I personally attempted to create a calendar solution. It was not as easy as I'd initially thought. There were a TON of "little things" which you find out about down the road.
Don't get me wrong, the learning experience is well worth it and made me a better developer for sure! But, when it comes to building one natively within FileMaker today, it just doesn't make much sense. That is, unless you really only need t
Hello again from Tableau Conference 2019 here in sunny Las Vegas! Here at Beezwax, we had 5 attendees this year with a diverse set of sessions between us. I wanted to give a rundown of what I went through and some of my takeaways. How to “Excel” with Tableau This session was primarily a more […]
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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? The […]
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Greetings from the Mandalay Bay Convention Center! It’s Day 1 of the Tableau Conference 2019, and there is so much to see and do here! Prior to tonight’s kickoff, one of the exhibits that I was keen to visit is a Viz Gallery set up on the second floor. Studying each piece, I found myself […]
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Disclaimer: the techniques shown in this article are provided on an as-is basis. Use with appropriate caution and at your own risk. Introduction This is a quick follow-up to last month’s article on 2-Column Magic Value Lists, and, to avoid repetition, will assume the reader is familiar with that material. A colleague pointed out that… Continue reading 2-Column Magic Value Lists, part 2
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