ISO FileMaker Magazine

Over the years, I've created a number of videos which showcase saving the state of various situations. For example, saving how many and which windows a user has open, saving the window positions and also saving the state of which panels are selected on multi-panel objects. Such as tab panels and sliders.

In this video, we revisit the topic because we now have a newer function within FileMaker 18 which makes it even easier to save which panels are frontmost within your user UI. While I personally think this is something FileMaker should do natively, it's currently under our control. With a little bit of code, we can easily keep track of which panes are frontmost and then restore those panes when navigating through the solution.

If keeping things clean and easy for your users is something you desire, then this video will have both the sample code and the instruction you need in order to take full advantage of FileMaker's While() statement and how to keep track of what's going on in the UI while the user is using it.

Some buttons in your user interface are likely more than obvious in terms of what they do. But what about those times when they're not and it's just nice to let the user know what just happened? Using a combination of Slider panels and mutli-segment Button Bars you can provide any type of feedback you might like to show.

This video presents a method for showing the user some feedback about the results of clicking a button or any other user interface action taken.

Note to subscribers: If you're looking for the file, then you'll find it within the Part 11 download. The link is provided below.

As software users become more and more familiar with various UX methods, it becomes more and more desirable to emulate those methods within your FileMaker solutions. Common patterns such as tab panels and scrolling lists are a piece of cake and native to FileMaker.

Some of the more recent implementations are simple and super easy, like Popovers for example. However, other implementations can be a bit complex and require those ever necessary bits of deep knowledge about how FileMaker works behind the scenes.

In this video, I showcase a pretty straight-forward implementation of your standard iOS paging between views. It’s when you’re going to drill-down a few levels then allow the user to “back out” from where they came. Using the knowledge in this video and the associated technique file will provide you with a lot of insight into how close you can get to the real thing!

Emulating features and design functionality found within iOS apps can be both frustrating and rewarding in FileMaker. Frustrating because you can't just replicate anything you see in iOS, yet rewarding when you pull something off and feel like FileMaker is that much closer to a native looking application. The biggest benefit with FileMaker being you likely created the solution with a speed which simply can't be had when building the same with the native iOS APIs.

Simply put, FileMaker saves a ton of time when creating an application which is heavily data focused. Managing data and programming the interaction with that data may take double or even triple the amount of time when not using an IDE like FileMaker.

This video is all about recreating a nice UI feature I found within sliders in an iOS app named Strava. Instead of using the standard plain and boring dots at the bottom of a slider panel, it uses creative looking icons. Of course, I set out to emulate this look and feel and accomplished it quite successfully. As I set out to accomplish the task, I also found other methods which make the whole process super simple to accomplish. Use the information in this video and the provided technique file to enhance your own use of slider panels.

[UPDATE] Forget about what I mention in the later part of the video about hacking the dots. I forgot about where you could control the size of them. It is hidden within the HUD panel for adding and removing new panels. The size setting is right there. I thought I had remembered seeing it and I searched all over in the Inspector and couldn't find it when shooting the video. :(

When developing in FileMaker, the feature set it offers accounts for a good number of common tasks and provides easy solutions for most of these problems. There are a few issues, however, which FileMaker either hasn’t addressed or wants to leave up to the developer.

One of these is saving the current window state. This applies to tab panels, sliders and moving from layout to layout or when closing the file. The desired result, for the end user, is to simply return to where they left off when returning to a layout.

Obviously, it’s very comforting to come home to the same arrangement of furniture after leaving your home. If a user leaves a layout having made a complex selection of tab panels, sliders and button bars then it makes sense to be the courteous developer and put them back into the same state.

This video showcases a powerful method for saving the state of windows. It applies to all panel type objects and even when closing the file. If keeping your user interface nice and tidy is something you’re interested in for your own solutions then make sure and watch this video!

One of the fun aspects of working with FileMaker, or any other programming environment, is coming up with creative solutions to using the provided tools.

In this case, it's FileMaker 13's new sliders which provide some really cool functionality. When paired with Get ( TriggerTargetPanel ) you can simply use the Slider control for the purpose of capturing a swipe on a mobile device.

When you combine this knowledge with desired features, such as showing a (theoretically) endless number of pictures, you arrive at a solution which can be used in more places than just the one you've figured out.

If your solution is going to end up with mobile features and you want to use the Slider control for capturing swipes this video will have the information you need.

If you simply want a compact way to present multiple pictures we've got that covered too!