ISO FileMaker Magazine

There are more than a few times when presenting data, as it appears in the real world, is desirable. Labels are a good example.

What happens when you emulate the layout of a sheet of labels, using portals, and you need to move to the next page? Well, you use a technique called Portal Paging - of course. Such was a solution needed by a viewer named Ron (see, it does pay to send in your requests for solutions). If you've gotten to the point of making everything display properly, but you just couldn't find the solution to making it work, then watch this video to learn how you too can page through sets of data within a fixed portal layout!

Using Unicode characters for entertainment value may not be that entertaining. In fact, it would likely be down right boring! Good thing we can use Unicode to accomplish all kinds of useful tricks in FileMaker.

In this video, you'll learn how to access Unicode characters and some of the creative ways you can use them. From showing process-based animations to using characters for the their symbolic value, you simply can't turn a blind eye to what's hidden in your everyday fonts. Watch this video to learn how to leverage the fonts you have installed right now!

Two of the most requested features for portals are likely horizontal scrolling and being able to sort individual columns. The former is something far out of your control, yet the later is something you can accomplish with a bit of creativity.

In this video, you'll learn every detail you need to know in order to sort a portal on any column, in either direction, using any field type and supporting multiple languages! This truly is Ultimate Portal Sorting. The technique only requires one additional field for each table with data presented in a portal, and uses one script for all portals across the whole of your solution. If sorting portals is what you desire then this video will give you what you need!

When it comes to the concept of programming, you may not think FileMaker is something you program in. It's not like a language such as Pascal or C, yet few FileMaker developers know what any good programmer knows. Making a database system in FileMaker is programming.

You're creating a useable system, using logic, based on the features and limitations of the environment you're provided. Learning an environment or language is merely one part of the whole equation. Knowing how to manipulate and use data structures is another part. It applies to any programming experience - including FileMaker. In this video you'll learn how to use arrays, a common programming data structure, to solve FileMaker related problems.

You can't get any better than both attractive and free! Unless it's just too hard to use these attractive free icons in your FileMaker database. But wait, it is easy to get these free icons into your FileMaker database.

All it takes is a little bit of browser know-how, a simple folder import and you're ready to rock and roll with the nicest looking icons your layouts have ever known. Watch it now and your next new database will look sharper than ever.

We all start out at some level when taking on the task of learning FileMaker. Whether you've had formal programming experience or you've never even opened a spreadsheet, there's always something to learn and many different approaches to take.

While reading a post on the FMForums.com message board, I was inspired to shoot this video article about working with check boxes and ended up showing you how to better structure your data.

When you've worked with FileMaker as long as I have, you tend to forget some of the most difficult concepts to grasp. Many of those concepts aren't necessarily specific to FileMaker, and on top of that you have to learn how it's done the FileMaker way as well. Well, this video will teach you how to deal with them and come out with flying colors!

FileMaker's the tool set, and you're the solution builder. However, simply owning a copy of the tool doesn't mean you know every trick of the trade. Knowing how to use FileMaker's default options isn't always obvious. Many times, it's a matter of how you present the feature.

Take, for example, the way FileMaker 8 value list options allow you to show one value but return another. This is a great boon to making your interface look better. The trick is knowing how to make it happen. Fortunately, you can watch this video and learn a few tips about using native FileMaker value lists and making them a bit better to select from.

One of the most exciting aspects of working with an empowering tool like FileMaker, is just how quickly you can see the results. The process of discovery is just as exciting as solving the problem.

Some times, the problem can be a bit overwhelming and the tool itself can be a bit limiting. This is where it pays to know about other tools and technologies. A few years back, I went on the hunt for a plug-in for FileMaker. I found the plug-in, but it never quite made it into the spotlight. After getting to know the developer and using the plug-in for myself, I decided to showcase what it can do. If you've ever wanted to know the SINGLE most powerful method for merging content from fields into a template - such as HTML code or a form letter - then search no more! (You just may have to wait a while for it)

Knowing all the methods to solve a particular problem is likely better than only knowing one. This is what makes solving problems both easier and [sometimes] fun. This video topic is all about creating related records - and knowing as many methods as possible.

Of course, you know how to create a related record by simply typing data into a portal row. So, what do you do when you need to script the process? You use one of these three methods presented.

Most of what makes a FileMaker solution powerful is scripting. Watch this video as I cover the three predominant methods for creating related records. Each can be used in a variety of situations. Which one you use is based on preference and situational needs. So start scripting those related records!

Don't be misled by the title of this article! If you're not interested in capturing email addresses from your email client - straight into a FileMaker field - then think about any pattern of text which you would like to capture. If you do need to extract email addresses from a mailbox full of email then you're in for a treat!

Regular Expressions, also known as regex, which is also known by the name of a command line tool named grep, can extract pretty much anything you could ever want from any piece of text.

In this video we look at a very powerful technique of being able to extract email addresses straight from the mail box file(s) of your email client. This is the fastest method for performing this type of extraction. If you've been using AppleScript or VBScript to perform this task, then be prepared to be impressed!