8 FileMaker Features We’re Thankful For

Happy Thanksgiving from AppWorks! We wanted to take this time of year to contribute potluck-style to a list of our best-loved FileMaker features. Feast your eyes on our all-time favorite FileMaker traits, and please let us know which features you think warrant a little extra holiday gratitude.

1. Themes

I’m thankful for the ability to save a set of styles as a “theme”, and to be able to adjust them across an entire file in a few simple clicks! It makes maintaining a consistent design MUCH easier – David

2. JSON

I am thankful for JSON and its flexible and scalable syntax. Using FileMaker’s native JSON functions to pass parameters to scripts and data through APIs make development much faster and easier! – Michelle

3. Card windows

The versatility of Card Windows means there is a LOT to be thankful for. Beyond just allowing you to work within a new context without leaving the original layout – which is pretty cool by itself  – they can also be used in place of popovers, custom dialog boxes and make great ‘pickers’ as well. The additional feature of displaying layouts from OTHER files makes this a game-changer, especially when developing in a modular style – Michelle

4. Single-segment button bars

I’m thankful for button bars, which are better than old-style buttons for these reasons:

1. They function as layout calculations, so you can add data or calculation from your system to a layout without needing a field or a script.
2. They can convert from button to popover button.
3. A button bar with a single segment entirely replaces and improves upon the previous button feature – Matt

5. Autocomplete

My fingers are thankful for the auto-complete functionality of the Script Workspace and calculation dialog. Not only does this help me achieve record setting script steps per minute (SSM), but I also spend less time searching through knowledge base articles for the right function name – Ian

6. Auto-updates if you rename

Piggybacking on autocomplete, having my schema name changes automatically propagate through a file is a huge timesaver. I can iterate on naming conventions and have confidence that my scripts, calculations, and relationships are coming along for the ride – Ian

7. Auto-evaluation of calculations

I’m thankful for auto-evaluation of calculations in the data viewer. You can just make adjustments to your calculations on the fly and get immediate feedback on how the evaluation changes, without having to move your hands off the keyboard and click “evaluate” – David

8. Encryption at Rest

I’m thankful for Encryption at Rest (EAR). This feature solves a number of security problems for FileMaker customers, and provides a level of peace and tranquility just in time for the holidays – Matt

We would love to hear if we missed any praise-worthy features, or which FileMaker features you think are underrated!