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Our Library of Videos
For many FileMaker systems, the number of concurrent logged in users, especially those who will hit issues with record locks, is often very low. Typically, these types of systems are used within the local area network and you just ask the offending user to unlock the record. However, with the number of remote users logging into a system through the WAN, a variety of things have had to change. The way you architect a database system can't necessarily take the same approach as was done before.
As a FileMaker developer, you should now consider the remote user and plan your system accordingly. Fortunately, this approach can be taken at any point in the life cycle of a FileMaker system. You can retrofit or plan from the outset to use a very creative way of avoiding record locks. Quite simply, you provide each user with their own personal file.
If you're familiar with using External Data Sources within FileMaker, then this may be common ground for you. If not, then you'll find a ton of useful information within this video. If your users are accessing a system from across the globe, then using the know-how here will help alleviate a lot of connection stress and struggles because it's a method of data collection and transfer which directly emulates what users do when they interact with a standard web based application. Need the benefits of speed and performance? Look no further than Avoiding Record Locks.
One of the most satisfying things about being a solution developer is the opportunity to create the user interface. You get to create, and modify, how users interact with your software creation. It's like shopping for just the right outfit for that perfect occasion. The one which will present your software in just the right light and with the right amount of pizazz.
Of course, you have to be willing to update and change your style over time. Nothing stays popular forever - right? So, you constantly need to be learning about ways you can make things look and feel differently within your software.
In this video, I showcase a number of tips and tricks related to making your user interface just a little bit prettier. It's not a word you'll use that often, but, by taking the time to prettify your solution, you'll find it's a rewarding task. Learn from this video and the provided example file and make sure your solution's UI is as pretty as it can be. Prettify it!
When first using FileMaker's Filter Portal Records feature it's easy to get excited about how you can limit the set of records to exactly what the user needs to see. You start adding a single filter and the result feels like magic. A simple search filter using a global field will let you extra exactly the records you want. It's great!
However, when start adding more and more filters things start to get complicated really fast. You have to become super comfortable with creating complex calculations with a lot of Boolean logic. If you don't know how to use your AND and OR operators, then it can really seem daunting.
In this video we take a detailed look at how to break down a complex multi-filter approach and make it seem really easy to achieve some super advanced portal filtering. If you've ever been confused about making your portals show exactly what the user needs, especially when using multiple filtering vectors, then enjoy the understanding you'll receive from watching this video.
Who doesn't need to mark subsets of records? I've rarely, if ever, worked on a solution which couldn't take advantage of simple record marking. Whether it's for creating a user based subset or simply toggling an active or favorite value.
Marking records is something which should just be standard. So, why not make it both standard and universal. Meaning, you use one single script regardless of whether you're dealing with a current found set of records or a filtered portal - and independent of a specific field.
That's what this video and technique file are all about. Universally marking records within your solution. A small collection of scripts for targeting any given Boolean field and making it so simple and easy that you don't even need to think about it. You just call the one universal utility script and call it a day. Your records are marked - or unmarked.
Looking for a smaller, and easier, FileMaker solution to manage? Then start using utility scripts and make this marking solution one of your go-to recipes.
For many FileMaker solutions it's fine to use the default standard FileMaker menus. There are only a few dangerous menu options which can cause serious problems. In fact, learning how FileMaker actually works, via its default menus, is a big benefit in a lot of situations. In some, however, it makes a lot of sense to simply take advantage of being able to implement and use our own menu systems.
In this video we walk through how to get started with Custom Menus and how to take advantage of the features they provide. How to comfortably switch between default menus and one you may have customized.
If you haven't considered using Custom Menus, then you may find some hidden gems which make their use more comfortable. And, if you have been using Custom Menus, then you may pick up some tips and tricks which makes them just a bit more useful.
Custom menus are a great way to make your solution more usable. The key to using them successfully may just be to start from something which already exists rather than having to create something from scratch. That's what you'll find in the content for this week's video.
For anything that could possibly go wrong within FileMaker we have a list of Error Codes. They're easily referenced from within FileMaker's help documentation. While they won't give you the exact solution to any particular error that's happening, they do provide the starting point for where to look and troubleshoot.
In this video, we take a look at how to simply use and reference the provided FileMaker error codes. We also look at how you can intentionally cause an error in order to take control of certain feature of FileMaker.
If having a better understanding of working with errors within your software sounds like a good idea (and it is) then you'll have the info you need to get started.
One of the more troublesome questions we ask ourselves as developers is "Am I doing this the right way?". And, while it applies to most all situations, it most certainly applies to data structure.
If you don't structure your data well enough, then you either have to restructure it later, and migrate, or try to solve some of your problems in very odd ways.
Fortunately, the variety of ways you can actually store data presents a lot of options depending on what type of software you need to create. The key is knowing these different ways and choosing one which sets your solution up for success.
All software, over time, becomes outdated. It's like thinking things are all good living in a house built in the early 1900's when everything around you has gained significant improvements. The same applies to software. There are newer and newer ways of doing things. In this video, we take a look at three primary ways of breaking down structured data. We classify the student/teacher subtype as it applies to a person. If choosing how to store your data has always been a tricky question for you then you should find some peace of mind with this particular video.
When you consider every little action you take while creating any type of software, if you add all those actions up, you can end up with a lot of extra repeated steps.
In consideration of all the fields you may be creating for various utility purposes, along with your normal data fields, it's always a nice idea to take advantage of features which may save you those little bits of time.
In this video, and the provided sample file, you'll benefit from using FileMaker's somewhat hidden feature of Default Fields. You can easily create your own set of desired default fields. And, using the provided file, you can easily switch between these various sets of default fields. I also provide my own personal list of desirable default fields.
Plus, if you've not used the FileMaker 18+ feature of writing file data out, then you'll get a double benefit from this technique file and video. You'll be learning how to use the FMDefaultFields.xml file and how to manage a collection of settings which you can custom tailor for your own needs.
Sometimes it's nice to revisit the basics and make sure you've covered all your bases when it comes to what you can do with certain features.
In this video, I take a good look at using the Hide Object When calculation and cover the various options I'm familiar with. This includes uses for the most basic True/False to an increasingly complex calculation which starts adding more and more operators. I also go over the use of containment objects and how they can simplify the use of the Hide Object When calculation.
Have you mastered the use of the Hide Object When calc? Are you integrating uses which account for the user's environment? If not, then give yourself a few minutes and brush up on using this powerful feature of FileMaker development.
If it's not absolutely necessary, preventing a user from accessing parts of your software is a bit better than letting them know what's possible or what's hidden from them. It also allows a given group of users to focus better without presenting options which may not apply to the functions they perform.
In this video and technique file, we take a look at two tricks combined into one. We're making single segments of a button bar hide and show, without resizing, and we're doing this based on a user's collective security access.
If you've had a FileMaker solution grow to the point where all users still have access to all things, then you'll find some great information in this video about limiting access to certain features of your user interface. This video and technique file will give you the insight into providing a limited set of options based on the access levels you define.