Ultimate FileMaker Debugging
Every craftsman should know how to use his or her set of tools effectively. When you know all the various uses and features of a given tool you then become more efficient at your trade.
In FileMaker Pro Advanced, now available to pretty much everyone in version 17, there's one tool which helps you both understand what's happening and figure out what's not happening. The Script Debugger is an absolutely essential tool.
Creating a well functioning script is a lot like Michelangelo creating David. It didn't just appear because he held the tools in his hands. It was because of the constant refinement with the tools until the beauty within was finally present. Writing a script is no different. You won't get it right the first time and you with almost always be able to refine and make it better.
So, it goes without saying that knowing how to use the Script Debugger is one of the number one things you should know how to do when coding in FileMaker Pro.
Comments
The shortcuts won't install
Hi Matt,
FileMaker Pro 17 does not display the shortcuts that I have been using since you released the FileMaker Keyboard Shortcuts.
I have tried to install it and it will not change anything, I even tried to just install the Debugger and Data View Key combos, but the system will not accept them either.
When attempting to install your resource file, FileMaker Keyboard Shortcuts, it acts as if it is installing it in the Preferences, but it doesn't.
Is there something I'm doing wrong, or missing?
Lee
It should work...
I had updated the file now found in the resources section. The best I can suggest is to manually add FileMaker in the Keyboard preference pane and remove any previous entries. Then quit FileMaker to see if you can get things to reset. Worst case scenario, you may need to go to the Preferences folder and throw away FileMaker's preferences file and have it create a new one.
Fixing shortcuts in version 17
Like Lee, I lost all of my shortcuts after updating to version 17 from 16. Here's what I did to fix the problem in case that helps someone else.
In version 16 the plist file containing the shortcuts was named "com.filemaker.client.advanced12.plist". With Filemaker 17 which merges the former Advanced and Pro versions, the plist has a new name, so the old plist file had to be renamed as "com.filemaker.client.pro12.plist". Since I had both 16 and 17 installed, I renamed them to include the version numbers, but that may not have been necessary. Without renaming, however, the Keyboard Preferences shortcut options would only show one version of FM. After restarting 17 I had to reselect the option to use advance tools, since that option had never been available in previous versions and wasn't include in the renamed plist. Then restarting let FM to recognize the newly renamed plist file brought my shortcuts back.