Like many innovations, the Relationships Graph solves some problems and creates others. More-complex relationships can be defined using a special dialog box for example, an account record can quickly be related to all invoice records whose paid-date field is empty and whose invoice-date field is more than 30 days in the past. To create a simple relationship between two tables, draw a line between the match fields (see “Striking Up Relationships”). You now define relationships between data tables using something called the Relationships Graph. Rich new possibilities require a flexible new interface for developers. But looking back on it now, I have to say that the old way was a bit nutty. And getting data from indirectly related files was, well, a pain in the neck. Sorting lists of related records in portals in more than one way often required creating multiple copies of the same relationship. In FileMaker Pro 6, tasks such as changing passwords and defining relationships involved opening file after file. In earlier versions of FileMaker Pro, anything more complex than a grocery list required multiple files-one file for each distinct class of data (accounts, invoices, line items, products, suppliers, and so on). The biggest news in FileMaker Pro 7 is that developers are no longer constrained by the old one-file-equals-one-window-equals-one-data-table rule. Beneath the surface, in fact, it’s a whole new app. The improvements I’ve already mentioned would be enough for an ordinary upgrade, but this isn’t an ordinary upgrade. According to FileMaker, text fields can now hold as much as 2GB of text (up from 64K), and files can grow to 8 terabytes (up from 2GB). Container fields are no longer limited to multimedia files such as photos or QuickTime movies in fact, each container field can now store virtually any kind of document, even other FileMaker Pro databases as large as 4GB. In addition, many old technical limits have been obliterated. A developer can also assign autoenter calculation formulas to data-field definitions, to format phone numbers and Social Security numbers automatically. Text-formatting functions make it easier than ever to do things such as flag invoices that are 60 days past due and show negative calculation results in red. It’s now possible to configure layouts so that changes made to a record require confirmation before they’re saved if you discover you’ve edited the wrong record, you can click on the Cancel button and no harm will be done. Web users see the same layouts, click on the same buttons, and (in most cases) benefit from scripts that work the same way.įileMaker Pro 7 also has its share of improvements that ordinary users will appreciate, even if many require that a developer set them up. And due to major improvements in the Instant Web Publishing feature, Web access to a database is remarkably similar to LAN access in overall functionality. The number of concurrent users on a LAN has doubled to 250. For example, it’s now possible to give a single account both edit-only access to existing layouts and create-and-edit privileges with respect to new layouts, so a user can define custom reports.ĭiscussion of FileMaker Server 7 (for LAN sharing to more than 5 users) and a new product, FileMaker Server 7 Advanced (for LAN and Web both), is outside the scope of this review, but the specifications are impressive. Network administrators will find that configuring access privileges and dealing with passwords is both easier and more flexible than it used to be.
Fewer Worries for IT Professionalsįor IT pros, FileMaker Pro 7 offers major improvements in security and multiuser access. But developers-whether they’re in-house, independent, or do-it-yourself-will be most excited about this release. Version 7 of FileMaker’s popular flagship product, FileMaker Pro, has something for everyone, including end users who have never defined a field or tweaked a layout, managers who make purchasing decisions, and IT types who support networks and care about security and reliability.
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