New Features in FileMaker 9

FMUG MeetingFebruary 1, 2008Bronwen Heuer

IS&T Training Team

Features• Usability Features• New ESS Capabilities• Conditional Formatting• Append to PDF -- New script step• Auto-resize layout objects• The Self Function• Enhanced label support, tab panel control, web

viewer• Script grouping and editing

Usability Features

• The Getting Started screen has links toinformation and your FileMaker files

• Learn More will lead you the FileMakerLearning Center which has video tutorials,links to the User Guide and theKnowledge Base

Usability Features

• Learn More links can be found elsewherein dialog boxes, especially the SpecifyCalculation dialog box

• FileMaker now features Software UpdateNotification which checks weekly to makesure your copy of FM is up to date. This isespecially handy as we are already at 9v3.

ESS: External SQL Sources

• See the December 7, 2007 FMUG

http://web.mit.edu/ist/help/filemaker/fmug/

• This enhancement to FileMaker simplifies theprocess of connecting to Oracle and SQL andMySQL databases.

ESS … in a nutshell

• You can point your FM database in thedirection of a database

• FileMaker then “absorbs” informationabout the database

• You can create table occurrences in yourrelationship graph that are actually tablesin the SQL database

• You can draw relationships between SQLand your FileMaker tables

Append to PDF -- New script step

• FileMaker 8 introduced the ability to SaveRecords as … Excel and PDF

• FM 9 added a script step that enablesappending to a PDF

Append to PDF -- New script step

• In ScriptMaker, under Records > SaveRecords as PDF

• Script options include the ability to appendto existing PDF. Simply navigate to thatfile.

Append to PDF -- New script step

Beyond Appending

• With this new capability of producing complexand data-rich PDFs, developers have foundways to add custom page numbers.

• Visit Geoff Coffey’s Six Fried Rice and find his“Custom Page Numbers in PDFs and PrintedReports”

http://sixfriedrice.com/wp/custom-page-numbers-in-pdfs-and-printed-reports/

AutoResize

Object information nowincludes the ability toresize an object as awindow is enlarged.

Via the checkboxes, youtell FM to anchor theobject to thecorresponding windowedge

AutoResize

• By default, all objects are initially anchoredto the top and left edges of the window.

• Turning on an edge causes the object tohold onto that edge of the window.

• A good tutorial for experimenting with autoresizing canbe found in the Missing Manual including such issues as“letting go,” “maximum growth,” and “keeping it small”

Self Function

• The new Self function returns the value ofwhatever value it lives in.

Enhanced Tab Panel Control

• Functionality was added that allows you tomake tabs on a tab panel completelydisappear

• Info in Six Fried Rice:http://sixfriedrice.com/wp/tab-controls-without-the-tabs/

Improved Web Viewer

Updated Label Support

New and updated Avery label sizes can nowbe found in the New Layout/Report

assistant

Conditional Formatting

• You change the appearance of fields, textobjects and shapes based on theconditions you specify

• You can specify multiple conditions

Conditional Formatting 1,2,3

1. In Layout mode, select the object whoseformatting will change, go to Format -->Conditional Formatting --> Add

2. Value allows you to quickly applyformatting according to the value ofobject, Formula allows you to applyformatting according to a calculation youdefine

3. Specify formatting you wish to apply

Conditional Formatting

• Where there’s a list, there’re multiples….

• You can continue to ADD conditions

• Competing formats? If two conditions aretrue for a value, FileMaker will apply theLAST in the conditional formatting list

Conditional Formatting - Nifty Tricks

Hiding information on a layout based ona condition:

• Make object blend into the backgroundwhen the condition is met

• Cover a button with an empty text box andadd a script step to the button saying, ifhidden exit script

See Six Fried Rice: FileMaker9 Tip#1http://sixfriedrice.com/wp/filemaker-9-tip1-hiding-something-on-the-layout/

Conditional Formatting

How to highlight the active cell

Formula is 1(true)

http://sixfriedrice.com/wp/highlighting-the-active-field-in-filemaker/

“the Chad Novotny/Andy LeCates discovery”

Conditional Formatting: ExtremeFileMaker

Resources

• In addition to the indispensable Missing Manualfor FileMaker 9 by Geoff Coffey and SusanProsser, the following are fine learning tools:

• FM Training Series• FM blogs: Six Fried Rice, FileMaker Thought

Bucket, The FM Collective -- here new featuresare discussed/blogged about

Resources

sixfriedrice.com*fmcollective.comblog.myfmbutler.comfmprandom.blogspot.com

*nice tutorials

FileMaker Training SeriesA self-paced learning program that provides the buildingblocks necessary to get the most from FileMaker 9.Designed for intermediate to advanced FileMakerdevelopers, the FileMaker Training Series can benefitanyone who is creating FileMaker databases. It is also akey resource for developers looking to take theFileMaker 9 Certified Developer exam, which is plannedfor February 2008.

US$99.00 from http://www.filemaker.com/fts07_pr.

Trainer Envy

FM Training materials include video demosof the problem solutions.

View Custom Functions Solutions Demo05_8