Here are some useful links towards available FileMaker
free resources on the Web:
FileMaker, Inc.
FileMaker,
Inc. is a subsidiary of Apple, Inc. which financial health
is profitable every quarter since its foundation in 1998.
It is the publisher of the FileMaker software which has
been many times rewarded and includes FileMaker Pro 11,
FileMaker Pro 11 Advanced, FileMaker Server 11, FileMaker
Server 11 Advanced, FileMaker Go and Bento 3.
English-speaking official
site
The English-speaking site of FileMaker is the most complete
in resources. Those who would like to improve their skills
as FileMaker Pro user are welcome within our FileMaker Pro
User Group of Switzerland and nearby France, where the
resources and the exchanges are made in our favorite
language, French. People from the English-speaking
community are welcome,... as long as they speak
French.
Swiss official site
To avoid giving you false hopes, the Swiss site dedicated
to FileMaker does not exist. It is the German site of
Filemaker that replaces it. Indeed, the Swiss market
depends on FileMaker GmbH, a Filemaker company based in
Unterschleisseim in Germany. To this day, we find more
translated resources there than on the French-speaking
site, but they won't be of any use if you do not master
this language.
FileMaker
Forums
The FileMaker community got organized in various groups,
either virtual, as the fmforums forums, or real, such the
user groups who meet regularly to share and deal with
specific subjects.
fmforums
Here is an American and worldwide reference forum.
It is the ideal place to ask questions on the very vast
subject of FileMaker, its products and derived services.
You will find an opened and cheerful community there, who
will take time to give you the expected answers, and who
shall advise you on your choices in the usage of your
FileMaker tools. It is also the place to find consultants
or companies offering FileMaker services.
Behind this virtual facade, there are people. You can meet
them in the sessions of the various user groups, and also
during the FileMaker conference which takes place every
year in the USA.
sfmug
The FileMaker Pro User Group of Switzerland and nearby
France (Swiss FileMaker User Group) meets about 6 times a
year.
The meetings are organized via this forum. You can join it,
and maybe meet us at one of our Fench-speaking sessions.
This forum is a place to organize the meetings. It is not
intended to answer any technical questions.
It is during our meetings that the technical problems are
presented and given personalized answers. Precise demands
can be addressed there but these are redirected to the
competent experts of your region.
fmpug
The fmpug site offers resources and centralize the
management of the FileMaker Pro user groups in the world.
The sfmug (Swiss FileMaker User Group) is registered on it,
in the same way as the other user groups. You might find
the user group closest to your region there. Don't hesitate
to register if you want to support this good initiative...
English-speaking only!
FileMaker
et technologies associées
Every new version of FileMaker brings new appreciated
features. But the most important element of recent versions
of FileMaker is its opening on the other systems, allowing
a real interoperability between various databases.
Particularly since the FileMaker 9 version, we have a
performant workgroup tool which is an efficient
intermediary between heavy management systems (SAP or the
other ERP dinosaurs), dynamic Web sites (MySQL-PHP or SQL
Server-ASP) and particular needs of workgroups or small
structures.
The access to Oracle, SQL Server and MySQL databases is
extremely simplified and does not require specific skills
in the underlying technologies used by FileMaker. In some
cases, it is necessary to approach external systems by
other means, more difficult to master that FileMaker.
To give you some clues about these technologies, here are
some links to Web resources:
WEB
When FileMaker is used as a data source for the creation of
a Web site, there are several possible options:
-
Instant Web Publishing (IWP)
-
Custom Web Publishing (CWP) personalized with PHP
-
Custom Web Publishing (CWP) with XML
-
ODBC-JDBC Publishing
Among these options, the only one that does not require supplementary technical skills is the Instant Web Publishing, although it can all the same turn out to be difficult to set up. Its main advantages are the speed and the moderate cost of implementation. But it has the big disadvantage of being very stiff, and in most cases does not allow to obtain a satisfying personalized solution.
This solution meets all the same many precise needs, such as intranets, internal internet services for companies to which the graphic aspect and the integration in a public Web site is not essential.
Other options require the user to master the various associated technologies. Here are some links to the main resources:
PHP
wiki php
The definition of PHP according to the free encyclopedia Wikipedia.
w3schools php
An introduction to PHP and its main functions.
You will find different introductions to the associated technologies (html, css, javascript, etc.) with numerous examples. The reference site for Web development, in English.
php.net
The American site of the PHP community that includes a complete PHP manual, a Get Started tutorial and many other features.
XML
There are many reference sites about XML.
As XML is being more and more used, the contexts and manners get the neophytes lost in a maze of information difficult to sort out then to assimilate.
wiki xml
The definition of XML according to the free encyclopedia Wikipedia.
w3schools xml
An complete introduction to XML. You will find introductions to the associated technologies (css, xslt, xls-fo, xpath, xhtml, xml DOM, SOAP, WSDL etc.) with numerous examples. The required knowledge for understanding all the different uses of XML is huge, and requires quite a lot of efforts.
For those who made the effort to dig in the fascinating world of XML, stop there. FileMaker has removed the page that contained some xslt libraries examples, which probably means that the feature will probably be remove in one of the future versions.
ODBC - JDBC
wiki ODBC et wiki JDBC
The definition of ODBC and JDBC according to the free encyclopedia Wikipedia.
ODBC -Overview
FileMaker information on this subject.
