ISO FileMaker Magazine

As technology advances and becomes as critical to our digital lives as water is to our physical well-being, we must be keenly aware of whether that "water" is tainted with harmful elements that could harm us.

This sentiment applies not only to your health but also to your technological security concerns. For most technical systems, we may be inclined to assume that "big tech" — meaning the creators of the software or technology — will automatically make things safe for us. However, there may be risks that neither the provider nor the user recognizes until they surface.

Recently, the FileMaker landscape has been impacted by several critical security findings, making it essential for you to understand your level of exposure.

In many cases, threats may be mitigated by measures within your control. However, in some instances, upgrading is the only viable solution. Many FileMaker systems still rely on versions much older than FileMaker 19, following the old adage, "If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it." This time, however, it is very, very broken. Older versions of FileMaker Server, if publicly accessible, can be hacked in ways that conceal any traces of intrusion. In this case, using outdated versions is a risk you can't afford unless you're prepared to accept that your system is essentially open to anyone willing to find it.

Be sure to use the link below if you're interested in purchasing! There may be unexpired discount codes available.

Being more productive when developing in FileMaker is something that will always pay off. You’ll create solutions faster and feel better about how quickly you can solve problems.

Due to the unique environment in which we write code, there are concepts other developers have access to that we don’t. We’re not using a standard text editor with modules and plug-ins to extend its functionality. In FileMaker, we rely on a few third-party plug-ins and tools to enhance the development experience.

In this video, I’ve invited Robert Naud and Josh Halpern to demonstrate Typinator from Ergonis Software. It’s a powerful tool that can handle all sorts of tasks involving the OS clipboard and FileMaker. Since FileMaker uses a dedicated clipboard format, which is primarily XML, you need to translate that XML into the normal text you work with. Typinator makes this possible. You can automatically inject script steps, layout objects, custom functions, and almost anything transferable via the clipboard. By combining AppleScript and/or JavaScript with a few command line tools, you can work in FileMaker with auto-expansions that make your job much easier!

If you're developing in FileMaker and haven't invested time in learning and using JSON, you're at a significant disadvantage. JSON is not difficult to learn, and it's used in so many areas of modern development that it's crucial to get familiar with it if you haven't already.

In this video, I begin with the basics of JSON and its implementation within FileMaker. Once you start using it, you'll find it's valuable for much more than just passing parameters. While passing parameters is one of the most common use cases — allowing you to pass multiple values easily — JSON also supports a wide range of applications, from creating UI features to saving the state of tabs, layouts, user preferences, and even capturing metadata about your stored data.

Additionally, many advanced FileMaker features, like web viewers, rely on JavaScript and JSON for functionality. As you explore data exchange between applications, you'll see JSON frequently in modern APIs as well.

Make sure to take full advantage of this multi-part video series, where I'll cover the various ways you can leverage JSON within FileMaker. This knowledge will significantly expand what you can do with the platform.

Over the years, I've met a wide range of developers. Just like the variety of clothing styles you'll see at any popular concert, there are potentially just as many different programming styles. The usefulness, however, of development standards is equivalent to the simplicity of a stoplight. If we can all agree on one thing, then that one thing can benefit everyone who uses it.

When you consider this statement in light of FileMaker's available Global Variables, it's hard to agree on the decision of whether to use them or not. Maybe you like using a global variable temporarily across scripts — even though some might consider that approach problematic. Maybe you avoid using Global Variables because a trusted source once told you never to use them. Or perhaps you're one of those tidy developers who just can't stand the sight of them within the Data Viewer.

Whatever your stance, there are definitely times when using a Global Variable is beneficial. The scope of a variable is a concept familiar to pretty much every programming language. A globally scoped variable is valuable only as long as you can trust it. In this video, I present a method for using FileMaker's Global Variables that provides an extremely high degree of confidence in their use. We create a system where the variable is modified in one place only, making for a solution which is much easier to modify and maintain.