FileMaker: Explore – Tips & Tricks

Geolocation with FileMaker Go

While FileMaker Go can't directly access the iPhone's GPS, you can use a web viewer and Mobile Safari's geolocation features to map your location.

We have a bunch of really smart FileMaker developers here at The Support Group who can do some clever stuff with FileMaker. To find out just how clever, our Development Director ran a contest for the entire technical staff to see who could build the fastest Sudoku puzzle solver using FileMaker. This is the result.

Looping Through Records

A reader asks: "What is the best way to create a script that loops through all selected records?"

Creating a Watermark for Multiple Page Reports

Creating a watermark for a report that prints across multiple pages is easy, if you remember that only part of an object needs to be in the header for it to print on every page.

Creating Calendars with Portal Filters

Ever wanted to display event records in a calendar format? Of course you have! And FileMaker Pro 11 makes this so much easier with filtered portals.

Custom Function: EasyDate

FileMaker Pro 11's new OnObjectValidate script trigger provides us with the ability to control and massage data in ways we couldn't before. While this trigger is often thought of as a way of adding additional limitations and restrictions on data entry beyond the built-in validation options, you can also use it to ease and allow more flexible data entry.

Aggregating Filtered Portals

FileMaker 11's filtered portals exist don't really cooperate with aggregate calculations, as those calculations aren't "aware" of the filter. Here's a simple technique to summarize the rows ina filtered portal, using summary fields instead.

Dynamically naming a variable

FileMaker Pro 10 introduced Set Field By Name step, allowing you to use a calculation to choose the field to be edited. But where's Set Variable By Name? Here's how to dynamically name a variable using Let() and Evaluate().

Find the preceding Sunday (or Monday, or…)

When working with dates, it's often useful to be able to find the preceding Sunday. Here's a method for finding any given preceding day of the week.

Knowing when a user is logged in through Instant Web Publishing

Use the Get(ApplicationVersion) function to test for users using Instant Web Publishing.

Printing “Records Being Browsed” by default

You can use FileMaker Pro Advanced's custom menus to set a default for which records to print.

Quick notes on Quick Find

Make sure you understand how FileMaker Pro 11's Quick Find feature works and what fields you're actually searching.

Highlight the active field with conditional formatting

Highlighting the active field with conditional formatting requires the simplest formula in the world, but HOW to use it is not so obvious.

New Functions in FileMaker Pro 11

FileMaker 11 introduces three new functions, but two seem awfully familiar...

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