All posts by David Weiner

How to protect data in fields from being edited, while still allowing the fields to be selected for copy / paste functionality.

One of the features that makes FileMaker so easy to use for data entry is that there’s typically very low friction between the user and the data. Specifically, fields on a FileMaker layout are usually just open and ready for editing. This makes it simple to just dive in and enter data, but the flip side of this low-friction environment is that critical data can sometimes be edited by mistake. As soon as the user moves off the record to “commit” the changes, your data is changed permanently.

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Themes in FileMaker are a designer’s toolbox, and are undoubtedly a huge help when designing layouts. Every layout has a theme, regardless of whether you pick one or not. If you just start out creating a layout, the theme defaults to one called “Enlightened”:

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AppWorks would like to announce the new version of Matt Navarre’s highly-acclaimed fmSearchResults for FileMaker!

fmSearchResults 5 download delivers many new features, greatly simplified implementation, a new theme, natural triggered search, and faster performance. But the biggest new feature is the price — it’s offered as a free download under a Creative Commons license.

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How to make a single layout in FileMaker that works (and looks good) on both desktop and iPad screens.

Creating and maintaining two separate sets of application screens in FileMaker — one for mobile and one for desktop — has always been a pain in the butt. While there are definitely arguments to be made for creating much simpler functionality and screen design on an iPhone, the same argument is harder to make for an iPad versus desktop interface. Believe it or not, many people these days are opting to use ONLY a tablet with an attached keyboard as their primary work machine. Often, this occurs in the same workplace, where some users are on an iPad, and others are using a desktop computer.

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Yeah, I know. How can you really be excited about something like FileMaker portals? And what is a portal anyways? Well, maybe YOU can’t get excited about them, but we at AppWorks can, and I’ll tell you why: Because portals are used all the time in FileMaker development, and there are two huge new time-saving options in the FileMaker 17 portal creation dialog box — “Show records from Current Table” and “Show records from New Add-on Table”. Each of these options on its own can save us an hour or more of development time, up front, which makes the initial setup of a new file much, much quicker, especially considering how frequently portals are used in FileMaker projects. Which means we can spend more time on the fun stuff, like improving the UI, adding features, and refining the user experience, and all for the same end cost.

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