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Our Library of Videos

842 videos found.
Portal Filtering Options 12/22/2016 - 4:24pm

It’s so easy with FileMaker, to simply add, add and add some more - especially to the Relationship Graph. You get the request to see a different set of data, and you hop right to it by adding a new relationship and table occurrence.

Wait a second! Each time you add something new to your FileMaker solution you’re making an agreement with yourself that you’re willing to maintain an ever growing garden of technological spaghetti. With a bit of planning and know-how, you can easily satisfy a growing number of data requests by making your portals able to filter out whatever you desire to show.

In this video, I walk through the use of a dynamic portal by way of filtering data using the Custom List function. It’s the ideal solution to being able to see whatever data you want to see from a relationship where the data is already being loaded from FileMaker Server. If you’re interested in a FileMaker solution which both performs well and also offers user flexibility, then you’ll find some answers within this video.

Top 5 Reasons to know the Let() function 12/15/2016 - 12:08pm

I can certainly understand why the Let function isn’t the first thing newer FileMaker developers decide to learn. First, it’s a very complex looking function, and it isn’t inherently obvious in terms of the benefits you’ll receive for knowing it. And, second, it likely just doesn’t show up on the “must-know” radar until you see it used in an effective way.

However, the second you realize its true value, it becomes a must use function. I actually can’t see how someone would develop in FileMaker Pro without using it. It’s the ultimate code organizer. It makes things clean and provides so many opportunities to keep your overall code base much smaller.

In this video, we take a look at the Let function and my top 5 reasons for why you should know and use it. If you’ve got more reasons, then please add comments on the article page!

Relationship Based Data Filtering 12/08/2016 - 9:26pm

For some developers who are new to FileMaker, they may not come from a background of having worked with SQL or some other query language. Creating joins on the fly, as data is needed, is a foreign concept. Yet, when you create a relationship within the Relationship Graph, you’re creating a join which will be permanent for the life of the file or until deleted. This isn’t the case with SQL based solutions.

With FileMaker, the notion of joins comes in the form of persistent relationships within the Relationship Graph. These persistent joins add to the complexity of your solution but stand at the ready to return whatever data you wish to present.

In this video, I walk through the process of breaking down how to extract specific data via relationships. It’s the dark arts of showing exactly what you want to show on screen or being able to isolate that data using a Go To Related records script step.

Whatever your needs are, knowing how to filter out your desired data is a key skill to have when working with FileMaker Pro.

Managing Settings & Preferences 12/01/2016 - 6:46pm

With most software, especially a growing software solution like a FileMaker database, you inevitably end up with settings and preferences. These settings may be used for the solution itself, certain features or even user specific settings. No matter what the settings or preferences, you often need an easy way to manage and access them.

In this video, I showcase a method for handling settings which may be required for a server side script or client side operations. No matter when or how the settings are used, providing an easy way to get at them is always and ideal solution. Using the example of sending an email via an SMTP server, we can take a look at a creative approach to accessing settings which are managed within $$GLOBAL.VARIABLES.

Single Portal Drill Down 11/16/2016 - 6:52pm

We’ve all been inspired by the creativity and wide array of UI widgets which have come from the mobile side of computing. In fact, what you present and when/how you present it always offers the opportunity to find new ways if doing so. The whole swipe down to “rubber band” a refresh was a breath of fresh UI air.

When presenting users with options, one of the more common methods for presenting these is using a Pop-up menu. After making a selection in an initial menu a second menu presents options specific to the selection made in the first and so on down the tree. It’s a very common UI pattern.

Sometimes, however, this doesn’t quite work from a UI standpoint. It’s at this point in time when another option may be desired. If you’re comfortable with learning and using ExecuteSQL and how Virtual List works, then you’ll find that presenting a hierarchical tree of options can easily be managed within a single portal. Drilling down through the options and having a way to traverse back up the tree is everything you’ll find in this video. The sample file will have all the parts you need in order to copy into your own FileMaker solutions!

Photo capture & manipulation 11/10/2016 - 1:26pm

If you’re capturing photos with an iPhone or iPad and FileMaker Go, then everything should work just fine as long as you do everything within FileMaker Pro. You see, FileMaker takes care of presenting the user the picture in the proper way. But, this isn’t how the photo is stored.

As soon as you need to do any type of manipulation to the photo, then you’re headed for a shock when the picture turns out upside down or sideways.

This video discusses what you need to know in order to manipulate photos captured with a mobile device using FileMaker Go. If you’re in need of server side cropping of photos then pay attention to the details covered within this video!

Using hashes for validation 11/03/2016 - 11:44am

Earlier in the year I released a video about using Google Forms in order to capture and then import data into FileMaker Pro. The code I was personally using was a bit more advanced than what I wanted to show at that time, so I simplified the process.

Having implemented, and used, many more Google Forms since that time, and knowing that I was exercising a great degree of control over the import process, I decided to reveal it all.

So, in this video I showcase the method I use to verify that an import is exactly what you expect it to be. I use an MD5 hash, which FileMaker implemented in version 13 under the somewhat hidden feature of GetContainerAttribute(). Using an MD5 hash it’s possible to uniquely identify anything you could ever want to identify. It’s a fast hashing algorithm and it can be used for all kinds of features within your FileMaker database. You can determine if a collection of fields has been changed. Whether an image has been modified or, in this case, whether an import file meets your exact criteria.

If you deal with imports and you like knowing that a file will match the expectations of your scripts then this video will provide a wealth of information regarding that process!

Creative Layout Design 10/28/2016 - 10:03am

While recently teaching the layout/design portion of an in-person FileMaker training course, I found myself showing off one of the features which FileMaker has had since version 12. It’s an often overlooked feature which can be used quite creatively when you know how it works. It’s the Layout Background style of the layout theme.

When you understand the order in which FileMaker displays things, you’re free to create nice modern looking layout designs. Further, when you combine this with knowledge about themeing and styles, you can create a look and feel which is quite flexible as well.

In this video, I walk though an example database where I grab an image from Flickr and integrate it into a new custom theme for a FileMaker file. If you’ve never used images as part of your theme design, then watching this video will give you a great level of insight into what’s possible with layout backgrounds.

Graph Management Techniques 10/20/2016 - 3:47pm

When was the last time you opened the Relationship Graph and heard that little voice say “Wow, you’ve gotta clean this up!”? Maybe it was yesterday, maybe it was just a few moments ago.

Whenever the voices come, it’s a pretty easy task to accomplish when you apply some solid understanding to how the graph works and what it represents in the whole of your solution.

If code could write itself, then organization would never be necessary because no one would need to maintain or revise it. It would simply rewrite itself as needed. Sort of like how a tree grows. When a new branch is needed, it just starts to grow. Unfortunately, you’re the gardner of your own creations so you need to apply some forethought to what you create when working in the Relationship Graph.

In this video, I provide my own personal insights into how I approach the graph and what I think makes for an easier solution to maintain. When you consider how complex a FileMaker solution can quickly become, the notion of keeping things easy to work with should be a high priority.

Dynamic Column Sorting Indicators 10/13/2016 - 2:08pm

Providing visual feedback about the sort state, and direction, of your list views is always a nice feature to have. Not only does it fulfill the expectations of what users are already used to within the OS, but it let’s users know they can actually sort on those columns.

In this video, I walk through the use of a Button Bar object in conjunction with some other common tricks in order to provide dynamic column sorting indicators.

This is one of those standard must-have features within your FileMaker solution!

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