ISO FileMaker Magazine

Even when discussing seemingly mundane topics like Default Fields, there are always valuable insights to uncover. This video offers an exploration of the default fields I consistently incorporate into every table I create. While you might be familiar with or have utilized some of these fields, there could still be a surprise or two in store.

For those who are relatively new to Claris/FileMaker development, this video holds significance. Learning about core techniques for data loading and effortlessly achieving desired results is crucial. Whether it involves displaying a count of related records or utilizing the internal Record ID for various UI functionalities, understanding how to accomplish a range of tasks within our preferred database software is truly beneficial.

When starting out with FileMaker, there's rarely the situation where you receive any "before you get started" advice. This is because working in FileMaker is like picking up a blank canvas and having someone say "Go for it! Paint something."

Essentially, you need to know what the tools are, how you use them, what can be accomplished and how certain decisions might affect you. So, when it comes to field indexing, you might not know the default settings could potentially cause your solution to become bigger than it should - without any benefit to performance.

While searching an indexed field vs. an unindexed one becomes somewhat obvious - the search may be slower than expected - it's the fact that every field, by default, can optionally enable its index that makes things interesting with regards to file size and, to a certain degree, some efficiency.

In this video I break down exactly how you can see what is going on with each specific field index and what the true difference is between a value index and a word index. You may even find out that your primary key fields are actually able to index more than they really should!

Having worked with FileMaker for well over 20+ years, and experiencing a wide variety of data models, it's always possible to get into a situation where you need to re-evaluate the data decisions you've made with regards to your structure.

The data model you may have initially thought would handle all situations may need to be modified. Knowing about the multiple options you may have available for structuring your data makes a big difference when you start to consider simply "adding that new field" to your database.

It may be that the workflow or process required would cause duplication of data and therefore increase the complexity of your solution unnecessarily. In this video, I cover the topic of a Single Source of Truth for storing field data. While the topic isn't limited specifically to fields, and should be considered for tables and data overall, it's good to know how to deal with specific cases where storing data becomes a big concern when dealing with additions, updates and deletions. Be prepared to learn more about strategic ways to store data in this video about Single Source of Truth.

For the new user to FileMaker, it seems so easy to simply create a field, make a value list containing "Yes" and "No" and set the field format to Checkboxes.

It sounds so simple right?

Well, this seemingly simple desire tends to trick more new developers than I'd like. After receiving an email about this very goal, I decided to create a video about how I approach single checkboxes.

In the past, I've created videos about temporary checkboxes using just global variables, but I figured I should elaborate on the data storage of the checkbox and how you can creatively display a checkbox when you opt not to use graphics.

I should mention, however, because of the font differences between Windows and Macintosh, this solution isn't as ideal as graphics. Especially, when designing for cross-platform, primarily because of the rendering differences between the two. But, when used for FileMaker Go on iPad or iPhone, or limited to one specific platform, this solution is quite ideal!