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Our Library of Videos
It happens to all of us. We get stuck in a rut, where we keep repeating the same task over and over again and we just can't "unstick" our brain from doing things a certain way. Sometimes, when you pass the problem past another person, they come up with new and creative ways of doing things.
This video is based upon a situation where the need was "a quick way to assign any one of multiple categories to multiple items" - in this case articles. The solution was, to use a dedicated palette. By using a new window as a palette, you can capture a category and assign it to a value within another window.
No matter what type of data you're working with, there may the time when you need to make assignments to records shown in list view. Be prepared for that occasion by watching this video!
FileMaker is a very powerful desktop database. It can make you feel downright giddy each time you figure out a complex problem and make it a "click-a-button easy" solution for your users. However, when it comes to SQL integration, FileMaker has always had to play catch up to many other popular tools. SQL has always seemed like the playground for the big boys when it comes to using FileMaker. In fact, I often suggest that a FileMaker-only developer either become more educated about SQL tools or seek the advice of another, more knowledgeable, developer when evaluating a project's SQL related requirements.
On the other side of that coin, there are times where FileMaker's SQL support is just perfect for what needs to happen. In those cases it's simply a matter of "making the connection". That's exactly what this video is all about. How you make the connection from a FileMaker database to a SQL database. I walk through the process of connecting a FileMaker database to a MySQL database used for a popular blogging package named WordPress. If you've ever wanted the information about how to use SQL within FileMaker then this video is a great starting point!
Ever since FileMaker 8 was released, a variety of techniques have cropped up which allow for more and more control within a FileMaker solution. Whether you're talking about managing interface graphics, or how you name your scripts, there are all kinds of ways to use variables.
This video presents an overview of the techniques I covered within 2006 which lend themselves to making FileMaker a much more powerful tool for creating and managing database data.
I list my Top 5 most favorite techniques and provide an extended look into one technique which was only discussed as a tip in one of my most recent mailings. Start this upcoming New Year with a great head start on making the most of FileMaker. Best Wishes on this Holiday Season and Happy FileMaking!
Taking the time to outline your database architecture is a valuable step in the process of developing a database. It's like a business plan to a new company. The business may not go as planned and you may not follow the plan to the letter, but the plan does provide the groundwork for a focused direction. Withouth the plan, randomness and lack of focus is more likely to creep in.
In this video, I walk through the use of Excel as an outlining tool for creating a new FileMaker database. I move through the steps of taking the brainstorming within Excel into FileMaker and show you how easy it is to use Excel for this purpose.
If saving time with the pre-development stage is an area you've wanted to improve, then this video may have the information you need.
Looking for the first video? Find it here!
Sometimes, we all get stuck in the routine of doing things a certain way. New methods may appear as time passes by and unless we take the time to evaluate our own methods, we miss out on the power and elegance of these new ideas!
I've been using FileMaker 8's variables since they were introduced. However, I never thought to use them for graphics. While storing a lot of LARGE graphics within memory is not advisable, there's nothing that says you can store smaller interface graphics into the client memory space. In fact, this makes your interface more snappy when it comes to performance. You're not taxing the server for a transfer of an image each time it's shown.
Of course, FileMaker may have it's own internal caching of graphics, when it comes to displaying layouts, but why not take advantage of any system that helps manage or make things more dynamic? This video presents a great solution to providing a flexible system of displaying icons and graphics. Special thanks to Stephen Dolenski of FMForums.com for sending this in. This tip earned a whole year's subscription! - (so be sure to send in your own cool FileMaker techniques)
In this video I talk with Stephen Knight of FMWebSchool.com. Stephen takes me on a walk through of their new product named FMStudio.
FMStudio is a dedicated Dreamweaver extension which connects the work you do in Dreamweaver to any FileMaker database you choose. This makes it very quick and easy to design your own custom look around the data stored in your database.
If you're someone who uses Dreamweaver or you've always wanted an easy way to create web pages which display FileMaker data then this product may be perfect for you.
Whether you've just started working with FileMaker, or you've been a developer for a long time, the following suggestion is always a great way to approach the design process - simply ask questions!
Most every solution to your development process can be answered, yes answered, by asking a question. If you think you don't know what you're doing, you can always ask "Do I need to seek more knowledge?". If you think you already know it all, you can ask "Does my brain have enough space for this ego?" - or some similar such question.
At every critical point in the process, it may be as easy as asking yourself "Will users really search for data based on a zip code field? Do I need all those fields or will one Address field for the whole address work just fine?".
In this video, I start the process of breaking down the development of a new FileMaker database system. I decided to document this process and the tools I use to do this. Surprisingly, (or not so much) I end up using Excel to outline the structure of this new database. Spend a few minutes watching this video and see if you pick up a few tips about making the brainstorming process a bit easier!
PHP is one of the most prevalent technologies on the web today. In fact, FileMaker Inc. made the move to integrate PHP as one of the supported technologies for accessing FileMaker data over the web. This video, however, is about using PHP right from within FileMaker. It has nothing to do with the web and everything about how you can extend what FileMaker can do.
In the video, I cover the pervasive desire of being able to email straight from within a FileMaker database. By using the SmartPill PHP plug-in, you can access a variety of class libraries which allow you to do all kinds of things within FileMaker. If you're not afraid of scary looking code, and you're itching to increase the power of what your database can do, then watch this video today!
There are all kinds of things you can do to dress up your layouts. When it comes to FileMaker native tab panels, it may just be a matter of what you do with the tab panels themselves that makes the difference.
In this video I walk through a number of the tricks you can use to make tab panels a bit more versatile. One in particular, will help you create a navigation area similar to those found in Microsoft Windows products. Watch this video to learn a few more things about what you can do with native tab panels.
FileMaker is an easy environment to work in. It's mostly point and click for a lot of things. It allows you to start simply then grow more complex as you learn while you develop. The work you do, however, can either become very complex or stay simple - from the start. There's always a balance to be attained when trying to build a complex solution.
Code readability is the topic I'm talking about. The goal is powerful, and often necessary, complexity, yet a level of obvious simplicity - for the sake of future understanding and possible collaboration.
In this video, I present a new method for naming your scripts and defining script variables. It's a very elegant combination of three custom functions from two VERY smart developers. I'm pleased to provide this powerful scripting technique. I've personally never seen anything like it and I love it!