ISO FileMaker Magazine: FileMaker Video Tutorials, Templates, Help & More

by Matt Petrowsky

Article options

• Watch Preview Video
• Watch Full Version
• Download Technique File
• Download Movie File

Ah, calculating price breaks. "If only they knew how easy it really is!", is what I find myself saying - not because it's a super complex setup, and I'm some cool FileMaker developer who looks down on those who don't know. Rather, because it really is quite easy, and I'd like you to know all the inside secrets.

In this video, I walk through everything you need to know to take advantage of managing multiple price breaks. This is typically based on volume, but doesn't stop there. If you want to offer time-based price breaks, you could do this too!

The information in this video will send you well on your way to solving this complex problem in the easiest fashion possible!

by Matt Petrowsky

Article options

• Watch Preview Video
• Watch Full Version
• Download Technique File
• Download Movie File

Go To Layout [Invoices], New Record/Request, Go To Layout [original]

True, those are the minimum steps necessary to script the creation of related records - for the situations when a script is used for creation, instead of relying on the user creating the record.

However, the ultimate goal, of any software-based environment, is to code something once, and have it work for multiple situations. This is what this video is all about. It's about the process of scripting the creation of new records - and doing it efficiently.

It showcases this by starting with the very basic methods, then moves on to the most powerful and flexible methods. If you thought you knew everything there is to creating records, then you may want to watch this one. There's likely some tips in this video which you may have missed!

by Matt Petrowsky

Article options

• Watch Full Version
• Download Movie File

Aside from the word "tagging" taking on new meaning in this Web 2.0 world, the method of simply marking a record for later retrieval is what this video is all about.

The simplest method of marking a record, starts with a simple FileMaker check box. This method, however, becomes quite unusable when you throw more users into the mix. Each user of the database will inevitably want to flag a different set of records - and beyond that, save multiple groups of flagged records.

The solution to this is easily handled with a relationship from an unstored calculated field, using Get (AccountName), to the user's dedicated record within a Users table. The method of storing a set of records as flagged, is then just a matter of a return delimited list of keys within a text field.

Using some creative interface metaphors, you can quickly add a very useful feature to any FileMaker database!

by Matt Petrowsky

Article options

• Watch Preview Video
• Watch Full Version
• Download Movie File

Beyond any organizational tactics used to keep your own FileMaker solutions understandable, there are usually still certain things you can do which slim things down, and make the solution more condensed - essentially more accessible.

One of these things is optimized graphic storage and display. You know, storing and showing interface graphics, icons and such.

I've personally seen a larger number of FileMaker solutions, and it comes from experience that adding an additional global container, for yet one more graphic or icon, seems like such a trivial thing. However, each decision may have longer lasting impacts, which don't become apparent until later down the road.

When you choose to use a certain system of graphic display up front, you end up with a more manageable solution.

This video covers a technique I use frequently when creating a new solution. It takes advantage of older FileMaker technology, and is very forgiving - at least I think so. If you have comments, suggestions or feedback then please leave comments below!

by Matt Petrowsky

Article options

• Watch Preview Video
• Watch Full Version
• Download Technique File
• Download Movie File

While working on the latest and greatest Theme Library file, it dawned on me that I had a good number of techniques I was using. Many, of which, I may not have shared as of yet.

So, I gathered my thoughts and decided to highlight a couple of the most useful suggestions for anyone developing in FileMaker. Here, in the attached video, you'll find some useful developer tips for working within FileMaker. I hope they help you out.

If you have your own helpful developer tips then please leave them in the comments area below.

by Matt Petrowsky

Article options

• Watch Full Version
• Download Technique File
• Download Movie File

Many database developers ( and a lot of us in general ) have this quirk about ourselves - we want our stuff to be "clean". Not in the sense of being dirty, but rather avoiding duplicates. If there's only one Matt Petrowsky as a customer, there should only be one record - right?

So, how do you solve this problem? Well, it all depends on your objectives related to duplicate data. To start with, the key is knowing about all the possible options and how they affect your decisions.

Using the poor example of a unique first and last name ( there is another Matt Petrowsky on this planet ), I talk about the various native and scripted solutions to solving the problem of duplicates. While there's no "one-fix" solution, you can get pretty close to eliminating the vast majority of accidental duplications.

Watch this video to gain a better understanding of what your options are within FileMaker and, by all means, make your own suggestions in the comments below. Like the suggestion of using global fields and pseudo-records prior to data submission ( I didn't even cover this one ) [grin] - but I did cover a lot of other stuff.

by Matt Petrowsky

Article options

• Watch Preview Video
• Watch Full Version
• Download Technique File
• Download Movie File

When calculation, local and global variables came onto the FileMaker scene, it was one of those "game changers". Especially, for how you go about creating a FileMaker solution. You no longer needed to create all kinds of global fields for the purpose of storing information dealing with how the solution operates.

Whether you've been a longtime FileMaker developer or you're just now joining the community, the information in this video will save you a lot of internal solution management headache. You should be storing operational information within global variables. The trick is coming up with a good method.

Using an example of storing the state of all front most clicked tabs, I walk through how I manage my use of global variables in most of my solutions.

by Matt Petrowsky

Article options

• Watch Preview Video
• Watch Full Version
• Download Technique File
• Download Movie File

Most every database system needs some type of note taking solution. If you can't take notes somewhere in the system, it limits the amount of information you can collect about issues, customers, transactions, communications and pretty much everything dealing with human interaction.

I remember the days when each table in my database would end up with a new field named 'Notes'. Well, I simply don't do that anymore. There's really no need, and I'll tell you why.

Using a relational structure, you can easily store all notes - for anything - within one table. All you need to do is classify the notes and identify what they belong to. There are a number of ways to accomplish this, and providing the interface to make it happen is now easier than ever. Watch this video for a comprehensive understanding of how to fully leverage note taking within any FileMaker solution.

by Matt Petrowsky

Article options

• Watch Full Version
• Download Technique File
• Download Movie File

Spend enough time within FileMaker, and you want to accomplish things as fast as possible. This even includes the trivial task of simply opening the files you're developing.

Typically, a solution is delivered with some level of security on it. That is, using the Account and Privileges to lock down what people can and can't do. While using the Relogin script step is useful for testing out different accounts with different levels of access, it's always great to save even more time when you're developing the files.

In this video, I take a walk through the process I use to open solutions within a state where they're ready for me to develop. This makes it easy to simply provide the file or host it within FileMaker Server without the worry, because I know I'm the only one with the keys for convenient master access.

by Matt Petrowsky

Article options

• Watch Preview Video
• Watch Full Version
• Download Technique File
• Download Movie File

FileMaker 10 offers a ton of new functionality using Script Triggers. It's enough to make the mind wander and start envisioning all the cool drag-n-drop features you can now add to your solutions.

You start down the path of adding in this cool new functionality, then you realize... FileMaker doesn't have a full event model implementation. Any object you drop onto doesn't know anything about the object which was first clicked.

Thinking to yourself, you say "There's got to be a way. FileMaker can always find a way to make it happen." Then you hear it. "True, it can be done". You spin around to see where the voice came from and no one is there. You pause, as you wonder where the mysterious voice came from. "Oh, that's right, it's Matt Petrowsky reminding me that most things can be done in FileMaker."

All fiction aside, here the facts is in all it's glory, the fundamentals needed for the closest thing to true drag-n-drop in FileMaker!