jsmall.us

I have hosted a version of my FileMaker/PHP Hybrid demo solution on a publically available server. The FileMaker Pro part of it has the Admin account disabled, but you will be able to log in as a Staff user with account name " pclark " and password " pclark ". The web portion will allow you to to create your own account. FileMaker staff login fmnet:/shn.serveftp.net/PUSD_OE_Main Web user login http://shn.serveftp.net You can download a copy of all the demo files. I fixed a couple little bugs in the FileMaker files, and I included all the latest API patches in the current version of the download.

Okay, with my Devcon presentation behind me, and my summer vacation behind me (boo)… guess I better switch back on. For those who may have missed the significance of it, look again at Micah Woods' Smart Pill plugin for FileMaker announced just before Devcon. High on my to-do list? Figure out the coolest novel way to use this thing.

So, I planned a vacation for this week (the week immediately following FileMaker Devcon). All of my official Soliant work duties were pretty well covered, and I didn't receive any panic calls from the office or from any Soliant clients… enter the ghosts of freelance past. After (mercifully) not having had much "help desk" action all year from various and sundry family, friends and former clients, the week I'm on vacation I get "emergency" calls from a freebie website done years ago, three former customers, my sister, and a former colleague. In all but one case, there were two or more voicemail messages left on my business line, generally also accompanied by redundant messages on my cel and email. Only in that one case (thank you!) was my plea of being on vacation gracefully honored. In all other cases I basically got, "Yeah, that's nice. But what about ME?" The best laid plans… (how does that go again?)

Here is the download package that will be posted on Advisor's site as soon as they get the updates processed. It includes the FileMaker and PHP files plus a readme file and a pdf of my slides. Enjoy. Username is "Admin" and password is blank on the demo files. Current version is 1.1

Q: Given a file with just base table references can I use the script and go to a layout in the script and create the records. A: Sure. No problem, although Having relationships between your FileMaker TOs gives you lots of additinal options. What might help in terms of visualizing what you can do is to remember that you are always acting on layouts in virtual windows from CWP. You still have a found set and multiple windows! (nice.) Check the web compatibility bit in ScriptMaker and you will see that the “New Window” step turns into “New Window (VIRTUAL WINDOW ON WEB)” when used in a script. One trick I use commonly to preserve a session record context with CWP is I use a CWP find to isolate my base record, and then run a FileMaker script on that record (as needed, invoking new virtual windows to create processing sets i.e line items or what have you). This can make your PHP scripting pretty simple, and really helps performance, because all the scripting becomes FileMaker side. That is ...

First off, the official name, "FileMaker API for PHP" has a real snappy ring to it. I'm sure that will really catch on (not). When in official capacity (i.e. onstage at Devcon ) I will have to use the sanctioned official name, so I have been practicing the discipline of not abbreviating it or nicknaming it. Chris Hansen (half?) jokingly has called it FAP. I call it filemaker.php or fmphp in my code comments. It's pretty convenient for everyone that the other two established third party FileMaker API classes for PHP called themselves the cool and streamline name, " FX.php " and the charmingly cumbersome name, " FMandPHP ". This leaves no conflict for fmphp or filemaker.php, so I suspect one or both of those will become the de facto nicknames for the official class. So what about this new kid on the block? If you already have a test server with PHP on it, you can just grab the "Bundle" with the class, examples and docs here: http://www.fil...

Many of the developers I know who have been to FileMaker's Devcon more than once, have started to wonder if it's worth going to a trade-show cum newbie-fest that is starting to feel like deja vu. This year it seems clear that the event organizers have listened to this feedback. Look at the three session tracks this year (plus the workshop track which I'm setting apart). Two things stand out immediately. First they have a dedicated "Advanced" track. I am optimistic that Ray Cologon, Corn Walker, Andy Lecates, Todd Geist, and all the other heavy-weights on the advanced track will up the ante this year, giving advanced and expert developers some good stuff to chew on. Second, take a look at the special themed "Web Publishing Track" (featuring a session by yours truly, as it happens). This is a significant change in focus for Devcon, dedicating between a quarter and a third of the entire on conference to connecting web browsers to FileMaker solutions. My s...

http://www.macworld.com/news/2006/02/16/oompa I'm sure Rev Blackwell †1 will let us know what implications may emerge on the security front. By way of headline-level information for Joe User, how's this?: SEEMS PRETTY HARMLESS FOR NOW. However, with things like Automator lying around on Ye' Olde Grandmother's Mac (that's not a brand of whiskey, sir), one can imagine this could be a marker event ... a mockup if you will. After all, all those *nix weenies have a way easier time with (Mac)nix than WinNT. Let's see; your job is to figure out how to install and trigger a shell script on as many "open" computers as you can find, with out user intervention.††2 (NOT REALLY, BRUCE) With the swelling of said slim install base, do you think most of the said same weenies had to, "like, study another ' For Dummies ' manual?" Now that a measurable number of broad-band connected !Macs! (soon to be !Intels! , thank you very much) are ap...

Effective March 1, 2006, Jeremiah Small (that's me) will no longer be providing technical consulting services under the banner of Small Solutions, Inc. In December of 2005, I entered an employment agreement with Soliant Consulting, as a "Senior Technical Lead" (aka Project Manager). I am utterly pleased and gratified that I was able to make this connection with Soliant. They first came onto my radar when I read Roger Jaques' article on anchor/buoy last summer just before DevCon in Phoenix. I went and found him there with the sole intent of comparing notes on a case I was making at the time for a hybrid approach to A/B (which is a remains a cool idea, but which I have since abandoned in favor of the rote simplicity of strict A/B; perhaps more another post.) I was impressed with his approach, articulation and attitude, and then was further impressed with Scott Love's presentation on A/B and other topics in his session presentations. I came away from DevCon 05 thinki...