ISO FileMaker Magazine

One of the most exciting aspects of working with an empowering tool like FileMaker, is just how quickly you can see the results. The process of discovery is just as exciting as solving the problem.

Some times, the problem can be a bit overwhelming and the tool itself can be a bit limiting. This is where it pays to know about other tools and technologies. A few years back, I went on the hunt for a plug-in for FileMaker. I found the plug-in, but it never quite made it into the spotlight. After getting to know the developer and using the plug-in for myself, I decided to showcase what it can do. If you've ever wanted to know the SINGLE most powerful method for merging content from fields into a template - such as HTML code or a form letter - then search no more! (You just may have to wait a while for it)

Don't be misled by the title of this article! If you're not interested in capturing email addresses from your email client - straight into a FileMaker field - then think about any pattern of text which you would like to capture. If you do need to extract email addresses from a mailbox full of email then you're in for a treat!

Regular Expressions, also known as regex, which is also known by the name of a command line tool named grep, can extract pretty much anything you could ever want from any piece of text.

In this video we look at a very powerful technique of being able to extract email addresses straight from the mail box file(s) of your email client. This is the fastest method for performing this type of extraction. If you've been using AppleScript or VBScript to perform this task, then be prepared to be impressed!

This video covers one of my most favorite topics, organization. Without it, we'd all be lost. When done right, it makes even the most complex information easy to understand.

FileMaker's Relationship Graph presents some very interesting challenges for organizing information. The graph isn't a simple entity relationship diagram. It's a complete snapshot of your whole solution. Data structure, application environment, data presentation, business logic - you know, the whole enchilada! So, what you really need are some ideas to help make sense of your own solution. Recently, I spent a great deal of time within the relationship graph of one of my own solutions. Watch this video to harness some great tips that will make things much easier down the road!

Data manipulation is the hallmark of any database system. There will be many times when data must be added to a FileMaker system which comes from an external source - a web page form is a good example. One of the most common methods for acquiring data is through a web form. Typically the web form is emailed to a specific email account.

While FileMaker can be used to capture information directly from the web (using FileMaker Server Advanced), this isn't always an option. Plus, there may be both legacy systems and newer methods, such as PHP and web forms, where information needs to be captured and parsed into your database fields. This example file and video will walk through the use of a very powerful tool which I am providing to subscribers of the magazine. The Universal Data Parser, and this video, will teach you a great deal about data manipulation!