via AppleInsider | Apple subsidiary to release FileMaker Go for iPad and iPhone tomorrow.

via Deprecated Technologies – FileMaker Forum.

Other dprecated technologies are also outlined in this post to FileMaker’s Feedback Forum

The company positions FileMaker as a relatively easy-to-use tool for small and medium business — “the database management tool for mere mortals as opposed to database programmers.” But version 8.5 offers a substantive new feature that lets you display dynamic Web content in a FileMaker database layout. It also adds new scripting features and support for Intel-based Macintosh computers that will make the program run significantly faster.

Should you upgrade? That depends on your database needs and capabilities. If you’ve got mad database skillz and want to create customized programs for your business, this might be worth the $99 price of admission. If you’re more likely to stick to the database templates FileMaker offers, and all you need is a basic database, you can probably wait for the next full version upgrade.

First, A Bit of Background
FileMaker 8.0, released last fall (and reviewed here), included new features designed to make it easier to share FileMaker data with others who don’t use the program, especially via e-mail. The PDF Maker feature for the first time let users export data from a record or a set of records to a PDF file from within FileMaker while retaining the native FileMaker formatting. The Excel Maker feature works similarly.

Fast Send, another new feature in FileMaker 8.0, lets users quickly e-mail the contents of any field, by right-clicking in the field and selecting Export field contents from the pop-up menu. The E-mail Merge feature made it easy to automate e-mail marketing campaigns from within FileMaker. And Fast Match made it easier for users unfamiliar with database query syntax and methods to quickly find data they want.

New users or users of versions of FileMaker before 8.0 will pay $299 for FileMaker Pro 8.5 or $499 for FileMaker Pro 8.5 Advanced. The Advanced product adds a suite of customization and development tools. FileMaker Server 8, a separate product that makes it possible to integrate FileMaker databases with enterprise SQL and Oracle systems, is priced at $999, and FileMaker Server Advanced 8, which adds Web publishing and connectivity options, lists for $2,499. All prices are manufacturer’s list in U.S. dollars.

Adding Web Content
The main new feature in 8.5 is the Web Viewer control. A control is a database field that performs a special function. The Web Viewer control accesses and displays Web content in a FileMaker layout, including content defined by information in the database. The control will display virtually any type of Web content, including HTML, PDF, QuickTime, Java applets, Flash and SVG charts and PHP classes, fillable forms and binary files such as Excel and Word documents.

This is a useful feature because it means the database can automatically find and display information relevant to the record without you having to take the time and trouble to open a browser and search for it. For example, a customer database could include Web Viewer controls to display a map showing the location of the customer’s premises and/or the customer’s Web page.

Using scripting, the control can find the map by automatically passing address information from the FileMaker database record to the Google Web page. Or it could find the Web site by automatically passing the URL from the record’s URL field. The benefit here is that if the customer’s address changes, you only need to change the address fields and the Web Viewer control will automatically find the right map for the new address.

FileMaker also suggests that companies could include a Web Viewer control in a customer order database that automatically accesses and displays FedEx tracking information based on the number in the record’s tracking number field.

How To Take Control
You create a Web Viewer control in the program’s design mode by clicking on the Web Viewer icon in the main tool palette and then drawing a box in the layout area. The control’s configuration dialog automatically pops up.

FileMaker has included automated tools in the dialog to create scripts for sourcing information from popular data-driven Web sites. These include Google and MapQuest maps, Google, Wikipedia (and other Wiki site) searches and FedEx tracking information. In the case of Google Maps, for example, you simply click on the arrows beside relevant Google Map search fields — street address, city, state, zip code — and select the relevant FileMaker field from the fly-out menu list.

Using FileMaker Pro 8.5 lets you display Web content within a database. This customer database uses content from Google Maps to display the customer’s business address. (Click for larger image).

It’s possible to source and display almost any content on the Web, but if you want to get it from sites other than these few, you’ll have to write your own custom scripts — which makes using this feature considerably more complicated. If you want the control to go to a site and look up specific information, you’ll need to know the special syntax used by that site in order to write a script that works.

Our Hands-On Experience
To test the feature, we created a new database using the provided Contact Manager template and added a Web Viewer control to display a Google map based on address information in the record. It was easy to do and the feature worked as advertised. However, the entire Web page, not just the map, displays in the layout. It also doesn’t size itself to the box you’ve created. So if you make your layout box too small, the relevant information likely won’t be visible. And in the case of some Web sites, it’s difficult or impossible to scroll the page. You may have to adjust existing layouts to accommodate the larger boxes needed for Web Viewer controls.

The other new program features are not as important or useful, but they’re still worth having. Some were created specifically or in part to support the new Web Viewer control. All of them relate to script features used to create custom database functionality, so they may be somewhat obscure and of little importance to non-technical people.

Scripting Features
FileMaker now lets you name any object in a database layout. An object in a FileMaker layout is any field, text, geometric shape, portal (an embedded display of information from another database table), tab panel (for grouping and displaying information as file folders) — or Web Viewer object.

Being able to name objects makes it easier for developers to create startup scripts, for example, that place the cursor at exactly the point in the layout where they want the user to start. You could do this in earlier versions, but it required the extra step of creating a hidden field at the object and then using the Go To Field script command. Now you can simply use the Go To Object command.

The related GetLayoutObjectAttribute function finds out the name of the active object and returns information about it — type, bounds, source, content, state, etc. — to the script. Based on this information, the script can then perform additional actions.

The Set Web Viewer script step lets developers embed browser-like commands in Web Viewer scripts such as reset, reload, go forward, go back, or go to a specific URL. When using Web Viewer to show currency exchange information, for example, the reload command ensures that the current live information is displayed rather than already out-of-date information on a cached version of the page.

Finally, the new list function finds out all the values associated with a field. This could be used to script tooltips — pop-up text that displays when anyone places the mouse cursor over a field. By hovering the mouse over the Company Name field, for example, you can see all the company names in the database, or by pointing to the Items field in a customer order record, see all the parts in a shipment.

The new script features all work as advertised but have little utility for non-expert FileMaker customers who want to make simple databases. That said, and notwithstanding FileMaker’s claim that the product is for non-programmers, there are many, many in-house and contract FileMaker developers who will presumably welcome these new features.

The only other enhancement relates to the internal functioning of the program on Macintosh computers. FileMaker claims FileMaker 8.5 is the first program to run natively on both PowerPC- and newer Intel- based Macs. The result is that it runs 1.5 to two times faster than FileMaker 8 on a PowerPC Mac.

Bottom Line
Most of the changes in FileMaker 8.5 will only be of interest to people with fairly advanced database skills. Clearly the most important new feature is the Web Viewer object. For people who have been waiting for this functionality, deciding whether to spend the $99 for an upgrade is probably a no-brainer. Everyone else may want to consider waiting for Version 9.

Based in London, Canada, Gerry Blackwell has been writing about information technology and telecommunications for a variety of print and online publications since the 1980s. Just for fun, he also authors features and columns on digital photography for Here’s How, a spiffy Canadian consumer technology magazine.

When you’re using it, you may not notice that FileMaker’s Bento is, at heart, a database management program with records, fields, tables, forms, and all the rest. In simplifying the organization of information—contacts, calendars, events, and even digital media content—the application goes a few steps beyond the company’s FileMaker, long our Editors’ Choice for personal and small-business databases. Bento also costs far less: It will sell for about $49 (direct) versus $299 for FileMaker Pro 9. You do lose much of the latter’s power, though, and the new product runs only under Mac OS X Leopard, so Tiger holdouts—not to mention Windows users—need not apply.

Installation

The Leopard requirement may seem artificial—perhaps a case of an Apple subsidiary forcing more OS upgrades, but that’s not the case. The executable is far smaller—27MB versus 300MB for Filemaker—and a good part of the reason is that the software uses features available only in Apple’s new operating system. In addition to Leopard, you’ll need at least 512MB of RAM (1GB is better) and a system built around a G4, a G5, or an Intel processor running at 874 MHz or more.

Leopard allows other apps to interact with Address Book and iCal. Mac users may say (as I did) that both these apps already work just fine as standalones, and there’s no need for another way to access them. But the company points out that setting up Bento to work with those programs lets you use the information in, for example, databases for projects or events. Happily, any information I added to a contact in Bento was immediately updated in Address Book, and vice versa. Unfortunately, the database has no calendar display. I kind of like seeing my dates in that format, so that missing feature is somewhat of a drawback.

When I popped the final release disc into my Mac, the installer greeted me with a Home window from which I could start using the software, watch a “learn about” video, or, if I wanted, set up integration with Address Book and iCal, creating a “library” (do we really need a murkier “friendly” substitute for the not-very-scary term database?).

 Be Your Own Librarian

Bento stores information in four levels: libraries, collections, records, and fields—each a superset of the next. You’ll see your libraries listed down the left-hand side of the interface; and on the right, all the fields available in the library you’ve selected on the left. The View menu lets you turn off either side panel or both, so you can see just your records.

After taking advantage of the preexisting Address Book and iCal libraries, it’s time to get started using Bento by creating your own new libraries, which you can do several ways: with the help of a prebuilt template, from scratch using the blank template, or by importing from a CSV file. You’ll find the choices readily available when you click on the Home window’s “Create a library to store data” choice. That presents you with 24 template options, categorized under Education, Personal, and Work, in addition to a Blank template. Note that CSV is the only format you can transfer data to and from, and that you can’t include a lot of the special-field content Bento allows—digital media, for example—with that format. Both limitations need to be addressed. At the very least, you should be able to import and export spreadsheet data.

I decided to create a library of all my video and music discs using the Digital Media template. It was simple to enter titles, descriptions, notes, and the media content itself via the pleasing black interface. I could even easily add fields in case I wanted more than one media file per record, for example, or decided I’d like to be able to look up what shelf I stored a disc on, or who I’d lent it to. But, nice as this feature is, every Mac comes with iTunes, which can slice and dice your media collection any way you want, so organizing media files alone doesn’t seem a reason to buy Bento. Further, Bento doesn’t give you a way to import iTunes playlists. Leaving out this sort of link to the fantastically popular app seems to be an oversight, to me.

I decided to build another library from scratch using the Blank template, which gave me an empty, slightly intimidating graph-paper-like background and just two fields: Date Created and Date Modified. In the next step I could add more fields by choosing from 19 that included Choice (which pops up a menu of options), File list, time and date, currency, related records list, and calculated.

Those last two—pretty sophisticated for consumer software—should make database jockeys perk up. Related fields let you pull in information from other libraries—for example, a list of student contacts for a class-project library. You can even add a list (we’ll get to that) by dragging a collection from another library onto a form you have open. Calculated fields can perform tasks like combining text with a name, adding tax to a price, or displaying the number of days left to complete an assignment.

To design the user-entry form for this built-from-the-ground-up library, I simply dragged the fields I wanted from the column on the right. I found it easy to add new fields by clicking on a Plus sign at the bottom of the list or by highlighting a field, clicking on a gear icon, and choosing Duplicate from the context menu that popped up (another choice let me edit the properties of existing fields).

Collections, Smart and Otherwise

Sometimes you want to see only a subset of a library’s contents; that’s where collections come in. These appear in Bento’s left-hand column, just under their associated libraries’ entries. You can create an empty collection, one filled with a group of records you manually select in table view, or a Smart Collection. The last uses the Advanced Find feature, which lets you specify selection criteria based on a record’s field values, such as “all records whose price is greater than $100.” If you enter a new record in a collection that pulls from the Media library, the new record will remain in the source library and will also appear in the collection.

Databases have advantages over spreadsheets. Along with the ability to use entry forms that include pictures and other media, you can create summaries and reports from your records and search based on criteria in any field. Turning on Bento’s “Show summary row” feature adds a row to the bottom of a table. Clicking on any cell in this bottom row brings up a context menu that gives choices for the type of information to display—such as Sum, Count, Average, Minimum, and Maximum —based on the column’s field type. For example, with a date field, Minimum and Maximum become First and Last). Unfortunately, Bento doesn’t have an actual feature for producing reports. You can approximate a report feature using collections and summaries, changing displayed fields to those you want. Printing is limited to the current view; you can print only selected records or all of them.

No Sharing Your Bento

Granted, Bento is for individual use, but some kind of sharing facility would be a big help. Zoho Creator may lack Bento’s many useful templates, but it lets you share your database with chosen users or anyone on the Web—and it’s free. Not only can you not make a Bento library available to others online, you can’t even make a copy of a Bento library file to send someone unless your library uses only the limited fields you can export to CSV text format—and that means no media. The simple, built-in backup tool that Bento includes for safety can save to removable media, though, so you could use it as a (cumbersome) way to transfer libraries to other machines—if they’re also running Bento.

If you like to keep your CD collection organized, have records of your household possessions for insurance purposes, or want to keep track of inventory and multimedia in your one-person office, then Bento is a handy, easy, low-cost, and attractive option. It also makes a lot of sense for tasks like managing classwork and vehicle-maintenance records. For managing contacts, appointments, and media, however, I think other tools would serve you better. You can handle contacts more easily in OS X’s own Address book, appointments in iCal, and media organization in iTunes, iPhoto, and iMovie. If you have a very particular set of needs for custom fields and data relationships, Bento is a good choice. The only drawback is that you won’t be able to share the wealth with others. For that you’ll need to move up to FileMaker or use an online database like Zoho Creator.

FileMaker Pro comes in two flavors: a standard and an advanced version. The latter includes some extra developer-oriented features, but otherwise it is much like the standard version, so most of what I say here applies equally to both. FileMaker also offers standard and advanced server versions. The advanced version is used only in certain Web publishing situations and is not part of this review.

SQL without tears

SQL is the standard used to communicate with the big databases found everywhere: in businesses, hospitals, universities, government, on the Web—almost anywhere that a lot of data must be accessed by a lot of people. In the past, FileMaker users were by and large shut out of these important data collections, because FileMaker uses its own proprietary (that is, non-standard) database engine. Technically, it has long been possible for a FileMaker database to query a SQL data source, then import a copy of the resulting data set to play with. But this feature was hard to use, didn’t work very well, and in any case was more like data exchange than data access. I know only a handful of advanced FileMaker developers that actually made use of it.

But that’s about to change: with FileMaker Pro 9, if you’ve got a SQL data source handy that was set up by somebody else, you can now connect to that data source and make full use of it without knowing a thing about SQL. In short, FileMaker Pro 9 offers SQL without tears.

The key to this miracle is the data source reference. One of the revolutionary features that appeared in FileMaker 7 was the ability to create in one FileMaker database file a reference to another file, and then to use that referenced data as if it were actually stored in the current file. File references opened up a number of opportunities for FileMaker developers. It was finally possible in FileMaker Pro to create applications in which all the data was in one file and all the elements of the application (such as layouts and scripts) were in another. So for example, by adding a simple file reference to my billing database, I was able to post payments in my checking database at the same time, without actually having to open and edit the checking database.

Well, with FileMaker 9, you can now reference and use an SQL data source in exactly the same way that you can reference and use another FileMaker file. If FileMaker Pro can see the SQL data source in the simple Find Data Source dialog, all you have to do is select it, authenticate, and you’re in. Although the data is actually stored in the SQL database, you can interact with it in your FileMaker database—seeing live data that updates automatically, editing that data, and writing it back to the SQL database so that other users accessing the same data will see the changes you’ve made. If you have the proper access privileges, you will be able to create or delete records. And developers can even use SQL data sources in field-level calculation formulas.

And what if you turned to FileMaker Pro in the first place because it wasn’t SQL? There’s good news for you, too. It still isn’t.

Server without tears, too

If you only expect half a dozen or so users to connect to your database, you will be happy to know that the number of peer-to-peer connections allowed by FileMaker Pro, which dropped from nine to four in a previous release, has risen back up to nine. But even for small numbers of users, FileMaker Server is the preferred way to go, and the installation and set-up is much easier to negotiate in version 9. A process that used to make even experienced network administrators break out in an anxious sweat has been improved so much that I was able to get the server up and running in under 20 minutes.

FileMaker Server and Server Advanced also provide better and easier support for PHP, an open-source programming language used to run many database-driven Web sites. This is a very welcome improvement over FileMaker’s earlier preference for using XML and XSLT technologies to program Web applications.

The new Pro’s pros (and cons)

FileMaker Pro 9 has a modest but solid set of feature enhancements that you can use right out of the box. My favorite improvement is the Append to PDF command, available both in the File menu and as a script step. FileMaker Pro 7 added the ability to save a report to a PDF, but the new Append command makes it possible to create a single PDF that uses several different layouts, or, for example, to append July results to a report that currently goes only through June. Conditional formatting can now be applied directly to a field object on a layout; for example, you can easily highlight invalid entries or negative amounts. It’s also now possible to configure layout objects so that they resize automatically on screen. This may be useful if you want to take the trouble to optimize your use of screen space for users who have displays of varying sizes.

The latest version of FileMaker Pro finally makes it possible to group related scripts together inside organizational folders, and serious scriptwriters will be grateful. There are many other smaller changes, including a new startup screen, better online help while you work, live updating, and more. FileMaker Pro 9 Advanced includes all of the enhancements just mentioned, plus some small improvements of its own. I’m particularly fond of the way the debugger in FileMaker Pro 9 Advanced automatically lets me track the current value of every field and variable used in a script.

I noticed one old bug that has not been fixed, but it’s a pet peeve among developers. In a Go to Related Record script step that uses a file reference (rather than a local table), when you specify the layout to go to in the current file, FileMaker still doesn’t display the name of the layout correctly. To be fair, this bug probably doesn’t affect most users, since most people still use the common-sense FileMaker approach of putting both data and layouts in the same file.

In Lasso 8.5 data sources can be written entirely within LassoScript code. This tip includes a data source which parses RSS feeds and makes them available for display through normal [Inline] … [/Inline] and [Field] tags.

Note – Lasso 8.5.5 or higher is required to run the code in this tip.

The data source was introduced in an earlier tip of the week. Please read that tip for background information about the data source and the [RSS_Parser] type which is included.

<http://www.lassosoft.com/Documentation/TotW/index.lasso?9334>

Download and Installation

The source file for the RSS data source can be downloaded using the following link. The “rss_datasource.lasso” file should be placed into either the global “LassoStartup” folder or a specific site’s “LassoStartup” folder. The Lasso site must be restarted before the data source can be used.

<http://downloads.lassosoft.com/pub/totw/totw_9334.zip>

Data Source Change Notes

The RSS data source now supports simple search terms and other inline parameters.

Searching – The default ‘items’ table supports searching using standard Lasso syntax. The available field names include title, description, and pubDate. The full list can be seen using [Field_Names]. Supported operators include bw, cn, eq, ew, lt, lte, gt, gte, nbw, ncn, neq, new, nrx, rx. This search would return only items with a description starting with ‘[Announce]‘.

-BW, ‘description’=’[Announce]‘,

The value for pubDate searches should be a date object. This search would return only items from 2008.

-GTE, ‘pubDate’=date(’1/1/2008′),

Comparisons to NULL allow items with or without a specified element to be returned. Most comparisons are performed as strings so less than and greater than will be alphabetical comparisons. An AND search will always be performed. Logical operators are not supported.

Sorting – The -SortField parameter can be used to specify what field to sort the RSS feed by. By default the items are reported in the same order they were in the original feed. The -SortOrder parameter can be set to ‘ascending’ (default) or ‘descending’.

-SortField=’pubDate’, -SortOrder=’ascending’,

Return Field – The -ReturnField parameter can be used to limit the fields which are returned by the data source. This can be useful if you are using common display code with different data sources.

-ReturnField=’description’, -ReturnField=’title’, -ReturnField=’pubDate’

Max Records and Skip Records – The -MaxRecords and -SkipRecords parameters can be used to page through an RSS feed. Note that since RSS feeds are frequently updated the items in the RSS feed may change between loads.

-MaxRecords=25

Examples

The following inline displays only elements from the Lasso Talk RSS feed which contain the term “RSS” in their description.

[Inline(-Search,
-Host=Array(-datasource='rss_datasource'),
-Database='http://www.listsearch.com/lasso/rss.lasso',
-Op='cn', 'description'='RSS')]
[Records]
<a href=”[Field('link')]“>[Field('title')]</a>
<br />[Field('pubdate')]
<br />[Field('description')]
<hr />
[/Records]
[/Inline]

The following inline displays the first couple elements from an RSS feed using [Records_Array]. Only the link, title, and pubDate of the items is returned.

[Inline(-Search,
-Host=Array(-datasource='rss_datasource'),
-Database='http://www.listsearch.com/lasso/rss.lasso',
-MaxRecords=2,
-ReturnField='link', -ReturnField='title', -ReturnField='pubdate')]
[Records_Array]
[/Inline]

-> array: (array: (http://www.listsearch.com/lasso/Message/index.lasso?233177), (01/05/2008 15:57:07 GMT), (Lightweight RSS Ticker in Jquery)), (array: (http://www.listsearch.com/lasso/Message/index.lasso?233176), (01/05/2008 14:20:46 GMT), (Re: [TotW] RSS Data Source and Parser))

The following inline displays a feed with the newest items first.

[Inline(-Search,
-Host=Array(-datasource='rss_datasource'),
-Database='http://rss.cnn.com/rss/cnn_topstories.rss',
-SortField='pubDate', -SortOrder='descending',
-MaxRecords='all')]
[Records]
<a href=”[Field('link')]“>[Field('title')]</a>
<br />[Field('pubdate')]
<br />[Field('description')]
<hr />
[/Records]
[/Inline]

Implementation

See the source of the “rss_datasource.lasso” file for full details.

The implementation of inline parameters is contained within the [RSS_Parser->Items] tag. The [RSS_Parser->Filter] tag is used to apply a single search term to the current items array, removing any items which do not match. If a sort field is specified then a sort array is created, sorted, and the items array is re-ordered to match. Max records and skip records are implemented using [Array->Merge] to pull the selected subset out of the items array. Finally, return field simply removes any fields which are not named from each map in the items array.

More Information

More information about all of the tags used in this tip of the week can be found in the Lasso 8.5 Language Guide or in the online Lasso Reference <http://reference.lassosoft.com/>.

We are pleased to announce the release of Lasso Professional 8.5.5 Beta 7 for Linux only. This release includes additional changes which should help improve stability. Macintosh and Windows users should continue to use beta 5.

This beta can be discussed on the public Lasso Talk mailing list. Feedback about the beta should be sent to <bugs@lassosoft.com>, feature requests to <features@lassosoft.com>, or documentation errata to <documentation@lassosoft.com>.

The beta software can be downloaded from our beta site using the
username and password below.

Hostname: http://download.lassosoft.com/beta/
Filepath: Lasso Professional > latest_8.5.5 > …
Username: lassoprofessional
Password: spitzer

Lasso Professional 8.5.5 will require a Lasso Professional 8.5 serial number in order to run on a production server. Lasso Professional 8.5.5 will run in developer mode without a serial number.

Note – This information can also be found on the Web at this URL:
<http://www.lassosoft.com/Downloads/Updates/index.lasso?9325>

Thank You

——————————–
Installation Notes
——————————–

Please read the installation notes included with the download for important information about installing this update.

Mac OS X – Apple’s recently released Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard switches to Apache 2.2 for the built-in Web server. The Lasso 8.5.5 installer supports the versions of Apache included on Mac OS X 10.3 through 10.5 automatically.

LassoSoft recommends backing up the following folders BEFORE installing Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. These folders should be backed up even if you are upgrading Mac OS X in place.

- /Applications/Lasso Professional 8/
- /etc/httpd/
- /Library/WebServer/Documents/

Users who are upgrading an existing server will need to run the Lasso 8.5.5 installer after installing Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard.

Windows – Compatibility changes necessary for Vista are still in progress. A future release will support native Vista installation.

Red Hat Linux – Compatibility changes necessary for the latest version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux are still in progress. A future release will include those changes.

On Linux, Lasso has been switched to use a different thread model so tools like “ps” will show many Lasso8Service processes. This is normal.

——————————–
New Features
——————————–

Beta 3
—————-

- A new tag [MIME_Type] will return the MIME type for a file extension. The tag accepts a file name or a file extension. For example [MIME_Type: 'myfile.gif'] will return image.gif. The MIME types are adapated from the Apache mime.types file Based on data from the Internet media type registry at: http://www.iana.org/assignments/media-types/.

- A new tag [Image->ColorSpace] will return the current color space of an image. The response should be RGB, CMYK, GRAY.

- A new tag [Image->SetColorSpace] will set the color space of an image. The tag takes one parameter which should be -RGB, -CMYK, or -GRAY.

Beta 2
—————-

- [Email_Parse->Body] will now return an array of all applicable body parts when the -Array parameter is specified. For example, [Email_Parse->(Body: -Array, -Type='text/html')] will return all HTML body parts. [6567]

- [Match_Comparator] now accepts any of the standard inline search operators as an abbreviation for the built-in comparators. For example, [Array->(Find: (Match_Comparator: -bw, 'j'))] will find all array elements which begin with the letter “j”. The built-in comparators include -CN, -NCN, -EQ, -NEQ, -LT, -LTE, -GT, -GTE, -BW, -NBW, -EW, -NEW, -RX, and -NRX.

- New comparators include [Compare_LessThanOrEquals], [Compare_GreaterThanOrEquals], [Compare_NotBeginsWith], [Compare_NotEndsWith], [Compare_RegExp], and [Compare_NotRegeExp].

——————————–
Updated Features and Fixes
——————————–

Beta 7
—————-

- Linux stability has been improved. Lasso’s signal handling has been improved. Lasso’s error handling has been improved. An error in the lasso8ctl script has been corrected.

- An issue which could cause corruption of multi-part form data has been corrected.

- [DNS_Lookup] now supports -Type=’aaaa’ to look up IPv6 addresses.

- [Client_IP] now supports comparisons against IPv6 addresses. Equivalent addresses in IPv4 and IPv6 should be recognized as equal.

[Client_IP == 'ffff::*:*']

Beta 6
—————-

- Linux stability has been improved. An issue which could cause Lasso on Linux to crash has been corrected.

- The number of capture groups permitted in [String_ReplaceRegExp] has been raised from 9 to over 16000. This permits capture group numbers greater than 9 to be used. For example, “\20″ would return the 20th capture group. In order to select a capture group in ambiguous circumstances, the group number can be surrounded in curly brackets. For example, this pattern matches each of the 26 letters in the alphabet. The replacement pattern replaces the entire alphabet with the 20th character surrounded by zeroes.

[String_ReplaceRegExp(-Find=('(.)'*26), -Replace='0\\{20}0',
'ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz')]
–> 0T00t0

- A bug which caused [Field: 'recordid'] to return the current record ID value rather than the value of the “recorid” field has been corrected.

Beta 5
—————-

- An issue which could cause results from any data source to be returned in the wrong character through the [ResultSet] tags has been corrected.

- Linux stability has been improved. An issue which could cause Lasso on Linux to crash has been corrected.

Beta 4
—————-

- Stability has been improved. Several memory leaks in the XML type and the built-in SQLite data source have been corrected.

- Additional improvements to the Unicode support for Microsoft SQL server on Windows have been made. However, we are still tracking an issue using -SQL statements on Windows.

- An issue with XML-RPC deserialization, which was introduced in beta 3, has been fixed.

Beta 3
—————-

- Lasso should no longer crash on Linux. Lasso has been switched to use a different thread model so tools like “ps” will show many Lasso8Service processes. This is normal.

- Unicode support for Microsoft SQL Server has been improved. On Windows, Unicode data is fully supported. On Mac OS X or Linux, Unicode data is supported in everything except for nText columns. It is recommended to use ODBC to access Microsoft SQL Server from Mac OS X and Linux if full Unicode support is required.

- The [KeyField_Value] should now be reported by the Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, OpenBase, and ODBC data sources after an -Add or an -Update action.

- The -UseLimit tag should now work properly with the Microsoft SQL server data source.

- The iCal tags will no longer cause a recursion depth limit when parsing an alarm.

- The cache tags have been modified in order to be thread safe. This should prevent a crash or data corruption which could occur on a busy server using the cache tags. Thanks to Johan Sölve for this fix.

- Email – HTML images embedded in a message using the -HTMLImages parameter will now use the proper MIME type for their file extension. The [MIME_Type] tag is used to look up the MIME type.

- The [File_Serve] tag will now use the proper MIME type for most files based on their file extension. The [MIME_Type] tag is used to look up the MIME type.

- XML-RPC is now more forgiving of XML encoding differences. [6593]

- A crash which could occur when serializing data has been corrected.

- The -Thumbnail parameter will now be ignored when changing the size of CMYK images. This prevents an issue where the image colors would be inverted. -Thumbnail still works for RGB images.

- The embedded SQLite data source has been updated to version 3.5.2.

- The SQLAPI++ library used in the connectors for Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, OpenBase, and ODBC has been updated to version 3.7.23.

Beta 2
—————-

- Leopard – The connector for the built-in Apache 2.2 server on Mac OS X 10.5 has been updated to a quad-build Universal binary including both 32-bit and 64-bit builds of the connector.

- Fixed problem where certain table level encoding settings could cause -SQL inlines to fail.

- Linux – Fixed problem where thread termination via execution time limit could cause LassoService to exit. [6707]

- Windows – Internal SQLAPI library has been upgraded to version 3.7.23.

Beta 1
—————-

- Division by zero on Linux will now produce a divide by zero error rather than returning an infinite value. [6710]

- Custom data sources can now be initialized using a -Host array in an inline. [6775]

- [File_Stream] will now use an at-end handler to stream the file. This prevents an error where some content from an aborted include can leak into the downloaded file. [6679]

- [Stock_Quote] should now work properly. [6716]

- [Valid_Date] is now more strict when a -Format parameter is specified. The date is now formatted using the specified -Format parameter and compared to the input. The only allowed variations are leading zeroes or spaces in date/time parts. [6650]

- [Valid_Date] will return False for any inputs which do not contain at least one letter or number. This prevents some inputs like “–” from being seen as valid dates. [6649]

- The iCal tags should now fold and unfold long lines properly and will handle escaping the reserved characters backslash, colon, and comma properly. [6713]

- Matchers and Comparators should now work properly on arrays of pairs including keyword/value pairs such as those in [Action_Params]. For example, [Action_Params->(RemoveAll: (Match_Comparator: -bw, '-')) &] will strip all keyword/value pairs out of the current [Action_Params] array. [6772]

One of FileMaker Pro’s strengths is that it allows for organic design: It’s easy to modify FileMaker Pro databases, and they tend to grow and change over time as their users’ needs change. On the flip side, this flexibility can be frustrating: a simple database will often have to be reworked to allow for additions or expansions.

Returning to a database after a long hiatus often starts the maddening process of having to become familiar with the database all over again. You’ll forget which scripts do what, why you created a field named “rt077,” and whether or not your boss should have access to your Admin layout. After a few cycles of design over time, some databases become inscrutable patchwork quilts of scripts, fields, relationships, and layouts.

These challenges will confront everyone but those using the simplest of databases. By practicing good database design habits, you’ll be able to work with more advanced designers, keep track of your work, and save large chunks of time. Follow these ten tips, and you’ll be better able to keep up with your database’s needs.

Tip 1: Use ID Numbers

The first thing you should do when creating any new database — even one you’re dead certain will only have two fields and no scripts — is create an identification field. To do this, define a number field, and in the Options, set an auto-entry serial number.

This ID number field will allow you to keep track of individual records. If later you export data, set up relationships between databases, or simply try to find a specific record, this ID number will be invaluable. You may never use it, but on the day that you need it, it may save your bacon.

Some FileMaker Pro designers like to keep ID numbers at a fixed number of digits. Most designers and users are comfortable working with ID numbers of about six digits.

Another important thing to remember about ID numbers is that you should always, always use numbers, not text, to establish relationships between databases. Spelling errors and typos are all too common in regular text.

Tip 2: Include User and Date Info

By keeping track of who enters data and when, you’ll be better able to correct mistakes and — if need be — isolate problems. Also, if you ever need to import data into another system or migrate data into a new database, this information will prove invaluable.

To track this information, define two text fields and auto-enter Creator Name and Modifier Name. Do the same with Create and Modify dates. If you really want to cover your bases, add another set of fields for Create and Modify times.

These fields (especially the two time fields) may initially seem like overkill, but if you ever have to restore a database from a backup, or migrate data into or from a system with time-stamping, these fields will save your life. These are also fields that cannot be applied retroactively: from the first day of your database’s life, it’ll be able to tell you when and by whom a record was created and/or modified. These fields will add to your file size, but are a bit of necessary insurance for the future.

Tip 3: Build a Template Database

Creating new databases can be tedious: building ID fields, setting up user interfaces, and defining standard tracking fields over and over again gets old.

To save time, make your life simple: Build a single database to use as a template. Add an ID field, define the Create and Modify tracking fields, and build your favorite interface with Detail and List View layouts. Make sure everything is perfect, complete with layout colors and security options. Then save the file somewhere on your hard drive and set it as stationery. (To do this, highlight the file icon, choose Get Info from the Finder’s File menu, and check the Stationery Pad box.) Every time you double-click on your file — voila! — you’ll be hours into the project.

Tip 4: Think Ahead about Security

Security in FileMaker Pro gets complicated, especially as you start working with multiple, relational databases. You’ll need to modify user and group settings for each database in your system. Some complex FileMaker Pro systems can include well over a dozen databases.

Save yourself a great deal of time and mousing: anticipate your user’s security needs and set up passwords and groups in your template file. For example, you may wish to simply have one password for using the database and another for editing its design. You’ll find these options listed under File: Access Privileges. Once established in your template file, these passwords will propagate across your system as you create duplicates of the file.

Tip 5: Use Naming Conventions

In six months, you’ll have no clue that StAds stands for street address . Field, script and other names can quickly become confusing. If you try to pass your database on to a new designer, he or she will really have no clue what some names mean if you don’t label them clearly. To prevent this kind of confusion, adopt and stick to naming conventions.

First off, don’t abbreviate. FileMaker works perfectly well with long names. Err on the side of clarity with field names such as Invoice Number and Customer Name, and script names such as Go to Month Report Layout and Sort by Date.

Second, keep your fields in order by thinking alphabetically. FileMaker allows you to set a custom order of fields in the Define Fields dialog box, but it’s a sure bet that you’ll forget to manually position fields, or that someone else may not follow the same organization scheme. Use a low-tech solution and rely on the alphabet. Instead of First Name and Last Name as field labels, try Contact Name First and Contact Name Last. These will sort next to each other alphabetically and will allow anyone who can read to divine your organizational scheme. It will also allow for sorting if at some point your data is exported with its field labels.

Tip 6: Nest Your Scripts

One of the most difficult things to do when managing a FileMaker Pro database — or suite of related databases — is keeping track of which script does what. First, name your scripts using language that will be clear to you and your users. Beyond that, try to break complex, multi-step scripts into multiple smaller scripts. This will help on two fronts: you’ll be more able to follow the logic of a multi-step script, and you’ll also be able to reuse individual steps if need be.

Notice here the master script followed by smaller steps. Within the Compile Reports script, use the Perform Script command to trigger other, nested scripts.

This simple technique will allow you to keep one function to a script. Rather than building a script that runs a calculation, sorts some records, changes layouts, and updates a report, you can write four clear scripts that, by name, will be immediately comprehensible.

Tip 7: Use Dividing Lines

Ever notice the dividing lines in your application menus? (View your FileMaker File menu for examples of these lines.) This simple visual cue has helped keep users organized since the first Mac OS. Using a hyphen as a script name in the script menu will establish a menu divider. This will make building and using databases easier for you and your users.

Notice the difference between these two menus.

{imageref(“scriptmenuafter”, border:”0″)}

The one with the dividers is much easier to follow, and you can include more scripts without the menu looking too long or being too confusing for your users.

Tip 8: Say Yes to Comments!

Comment is a simple script command that will save a great deal of your brainpower for other things. You’ll find it near the bottom of your ScriptMaker commands. Use it as a script’s first command to describe what a given script does. This can be as easy as “This script sorts by user first name, last name, and middle initial” to something as detailed as explaining the logic of an if-then loop. I’ve found that it’s best to start a script with a single comment, rather than clutter the script itself.

Tip 9: Create a Documentation Layout

Documenting your work is important. Consider taking the time to create a documentation layout that explains every field in your database.

Next to each field, simply write an explanation of what that field does and why it’s there. As you get into the swing of designing, it’ll be easy to skip this step, but sticking with this habit will do wonders in keeping you organized. It’s also very considerate to include a documentation layout when passing your database on to someone else.

Tip 10: Think Ahead with File Names

FileMaker allows you to link more than one database together in a related system. Unfortunately, once you’ve related more than one file, it can easily get confused if you rename any of your files. You run the risk of breaking relationships if you rename files.

The easy answer is to not rename files. Think ahead with your file names. It’ll be helpful if you begin each related (child) database with a prefix to show that it belongs with another database.

This will also make it easier for people to recognize which database they need to launch across a network if you’re working in an office.

Most of these tips are geared toward saving time and keeping your database design process running smoothly. Establish these habits with every database you design, and you’ll find that even your Mom’s Recipes database can grow to become a related, fifty-file database used to support legions of chefs worldwide.

by Scott Love