ISO FileMaker Magazine

Global fields in FileMaker Pro are a staple of how you define what your user interface can do. Without global fields, your ability to present variable scenarios of data is almost impossible - or - at least, unrealistic. You would be limited to using calculated fields and/or extra data fields, and this can make things really slow, REALLY quick.

Global fields are the linchpin to makings things work well, as desired and efficiently within your FileMaker UI. Without knowing how to take advantage of global fields, your UI/UX abilities suffer.

In this video, we take a look at some of the most critical uses for global fields for common core functionality. From creating related records, to showing whatever data you need to present, it's critical you take advantage of global fields. There are also situations where your current data model simply won't allow you to present the data you want to show. However, using global fields you can create "temporary" relationships to the data you need to present to the user. This video and technique file will deliver some of the critical know-how.

Thank goodness JSON was implemented within FileMaker. Without it, we would still be using a variety of other methods for handling multiple parameters within a FileMaker script. Using JSON, we now get the double-sided benefit of 1) having an efficient serialization of key/value pairs as inbound parameters and 2) it just happens to be the standard which most of the rest of world is using for a large chunk of how things interoperate.

In this video, and the technique file, I'll showcase a few examples of how you can receive and work with inbound parameters when using JSON as the method for handling them. We discuss script results, clean-reading code and the final example provides a very useful custom function for the auto-instantiation of JSON-based script parameters into their FileMaker scripting counterparts.

Using the provided JSONVariables custom function is a great alternative to individually parsing all of the inbound parameters. It doesn't replace the need to initially declare your variables, but it does provide the opportunity to have cleaner reading self-documenting code. If you've not used JSON for handling your parameters before, then you should start right now and use this video and file as guidance!

When it comes to using mapping technologies within FileMaker, you've most likely heard about using Google Maps API within a web viewer. Maybe you even know about Bing Maps, Mapbox or even the popular OpenStreetMap.org. The biggest issue with all of these mapping APIs is you'll have to first understand the API in order to achieve your desired result, and then you'll have to jump through the hurdles of authentication as well. It's not as easy as a simple plug-n-play solution.

While authentication isn't really that big of a deal, it's not as simple as pointing to a layout object, then having a map instantly appear on screen where you can immediately start interacting with it and collection data. With the MBS plug-in, you can achieve near instant results because all of the hard work has been taken care of for you.

If you're using FileMaker on a Macintosh, or you're willing to invest in creating an iOS SDK app, then MapKit may very well be the instantly invaluable tool for your mapping solutions. In this video I cover how I'm using MapKit features of the MBS plug-in and how useful they can truly be. If you need to quickly add mapping to any solution which will be used on the Macintosh side of things, then the MBS plug-in and MapKit is an absolute no brainer.

Traditionally, performance in computing has revolved around the optimization of bits and bytes — how many can be saved and how efficiently a task can be accomplished. This principle dates back to the era of computers with only a handful of kilobytes of memory, where maximizing efficiency was critical. Fast forward to today, and the same principle holds true. Despite various ways of achieving the same outcome, the ultimate question end-users continue to ask is: 'Can you make it go faster?'

Enter Perform Script on Server (PSOS), a realm where speed becomes almost a certainty. Here, actions occur where the data is stored, eliminating unnecessary back-and-forth between client and server, with the resulting communication involving updating the client's user interface. PSOS becomes particularly advantageous when a client, perhaps viewing a single record, triggers an action which impacts a significant number of records — say, 20,000. In such cases, leveraging PSOS is imperative.

The challenge with PSOS lies in its somewhat invisible nature, requiring troubleshooting and debugging skills to fully grasp. Equally critical is the task of restoring the current client's context, comprising two essential components: the layout (base table and pertinent relationships) and the found set of records. Thankfully, FileMaker offers a built-in mechanism to handle context restoration.

This video, accompanied by a supporting technique file, equips you with two invaluable scripts — one for obtaining and the other for restoring server-side context. Let's learn how to harness the power of PSOS efficiently and restore some context!