Customer Reviews

Filemaker Pro 11

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I am the Senior FileMaker Pro Developer at a major American university/medical school, where we have integrated FileMaker Pro and Oracle-based products to manage the vast amounts of clinical data collected for our cancer research center. We've recently started testing FileMaker Pro 11 in our environment, and have so far been very impressed with the new features and enhancements I've encountered.

Here are a few notable things I've encountered:

CHARTING
This long-overdue feature alone justifies the upgrade price! In the past, creating a simple chart in FileMaker Pro has been a complex process involving byzantine workarounds and/or expensive plug-ins or services. Now you can create dynamic charts which key off table data, found-set data, or related data. The new feature supports bar, line, area, and pie charts. I looking forward to seeing more chart types in future releases.

SUMMARIZED DATA ON TABLE LAYOUTS
This feature greatly increases the usability of the table view in FileMaker Pro, and reduces the need for my Excel-savvy users to export the data for further analysis.

RECURRING IMPORT
This feature creates a dynamic link between an existing Excel spreadsheet and a FileMaker Pro file. This is great in an environment like ours where many different data platforms (including Excel) must be supported. With this feature, I can allow an Excel spreadsheet to be the primary repository of a given chunk of data, but still use a FileMaker Pro solution for analysis and reporting. This gives us more flexibility to offer multi-platform solutions to complex workflows.

THE INSPECTOR
The old "Object Info" palette has been greatly extended as a full-blown "Inspector", where all aspects of an object such as position, text & data formatting, field behavior attributes, etc. can be managed. Multiple inspectors can be open, which makes creating layouts a lot more efficient.

ENHANCED OBJECT BADGES
"Object Badges" are visual hints which appear in layout mode which advise the developer about how that object is formatted. This feature has been implemented before with badges for tooltips and script triggers, but has now been extended to show fields with conditional formatting and indexing for the new "Quick Find" feature.

QUICK FIND
This new feature allows the user to search for a particular value across all fields in the layout at once. I don't know how many times I've created this feature in my own solutions, but it was always a hassle and never as elegant or fast as Quick Find. Now I can include this feature in every solution without any any additional effort.

ENHANCED CUSTOM MENU CREATION
A long-awaited re-write of the Custom Menu tool (in FileMaker Pro Advanced) makes the process a lot simpler and intuitive. Finally!

IN-CONTEXT OBJECT CREATION
I've discovered many places in the interface where I can instantly create new objects such as fields, scripts, etc. in the context of what I'm doing. For example, I can invoke a "create script" window directly from within the "Custom Menu" window if I wish to attach a script (which I hadn't previously defined) to a menu item. Another example is the ability to create a new field when defining a table layout without needing to invoke the "Manage Database" window. There are more examples of this "in-context" integration, but the net effect is that I spend less time invoking windows and more time focused on the task at hand. It's a small thing which makes a big difference to a developer.

COPY / PASTE / IMPORT CUSTOM FUNCTIONS
A huge time-saver for developers. Now I can simply keep all my custom functions in a reference file, and move only the ones I want into any given solution.

***

I'm still discovering all the new features of FileMaker Pro 11, but as a 20-year FileMaker Pro developer, I can tell you the upgrade price is more than justified - it's a no-brainer. For companies, institutions, and casual users who are considering FileMaker Pro as a new platform, there has never been a better time to jump on the bandwagon - you won't regret it!

I have been using the Mac since 1984, and the original FileMaker was the first software I ever purchased. The evolution of FileMaker to FileMaker Pro has been smooth and seamless. My move into FMP v11 was prompted by my purchase of an iMac with the Snow Leopard OS.

I use FMP for everything, including checking accounts, bookkeeping, client records, sales, any kinds of lists that may require sorting (by name, by phone number, by ZIP code, etc.) I also use FMP extensively for my preparation to announce the Reno Championship Air Races each September:

Reno sends me an EXCEL spreadsheet with all the competitors' information, such as aircraft and type, class, pilot's name and home town, alternate pilot's name, color, race number and sponsor information. There is much more info I don't really need. I can import the file into FMP, sort it by aircraft race class, then I can output each record in race-number order as a list in a particular format, in this case, into 2" by 8 1/2" strips which I output onto 8 1/2" x 11" paper. Then I take those sheets to my local friendly Office Max store and have them copied onto various colors of heavy paper, then cut to the 2-inch size. At the races, eight strips representing the planes in a particular heat or race are inserted into my spotting board so I know who is in each race (and how they fared in qualifying.) If you come to Reno, I'd be happy to show you the system.

FileMaker also offers the option of Boolean logic. I like the "If-Then" logic, especially for doing my sales reports and invoices. For instance, if the state field is "AZ", I have programmed the system to include the outrageous sales tax we have to charge. However if the state field is "AZ" and I have a resale number in the database, the system notes that and does not charge any sales tax.

If I can program this, anyone can. It is FUN and not cheap, but it is worth it. BUY a tutorial; don't try to wing it.

FileMaker 11 is a solid release that builds on the foundation laid by FileMaker 10. Many of the features specifically allow developers to create better databases more easily. Some of the biggest new features include:
* Built-in charting tools.
* Quick reports using table view.
* Miscellaneous development interface enhancements

Here's a run down of each feature in some detail...
* New Quick Start Screen - Along the right side are tutorials and resources for beginners. Favorites and recently opened databases are easier to get to.

* Inspector "Gadget" - One major change to the interface for developers is the use of "the inspector" palette. Similar to many other "modern" applications such as Adobe CS and Microsoft Office, FileMaker now has opened up many of the features previously hidden in dialog boxes into a palette they call the inspector. This takes a little getting used to, but once you've become accustom to the change, it's difficult to go back. The palette does take more screen space so having a large (or wide) screen for development is very helpful. It is possible to open more than one inspector window and display nearly all properties of objects all at once be it Position, Appearance, or Data information.

* Manage Layouts - Manage layouts can now organize layouts in folders and submenus similar to how we work with scripts! This is really helpful for databases with hundreds of layouts. You can also create new, duplicate, edit, and delete layouts there as well.

* Charting Tool - In the past, FileMaker required a plug-in or connection to a web site to get charts or graphs into a FileMaker database. Now it's built-in and well integrated into the tool including bar, area, line, and pie charts. You can create charts from the current record, over the found set, or via related records.

* Table View - The FileMaker table layout view now acts more like a spreadsheet and allows the user to add columns and summaries of information with flexibility and without modifying the underlying database structure. This is very easy to use and very powerful. With the right security options, users can add, modify, or delete fields from the underlying table or add, copy, duplicate, and delete records. You can also show or hide columns easily. In essence this allows the user to create ad-hoc reports very easily.

* Quick Find - The new Quick Find feature is a Google type search located in the toolbar that looks across all records and fields to gather a found set. It can be useful but it can also cause issues on more complex databases. It automatically indexes every field on the layout which can add a lot of overhead. I suggest you go into each layout and turn OFF all the fields for quick find. They all default to being included...which can make for some very slow "quick" finds. Then turn on only the most relevant fields to most searches. The fields that will search well are shown with a green search badge in layout mode.

* Report Assistant - Generally enhanced for appearance as well as making it easier to add a summary field to the database on the fly. FileMaker will also allow you to add a script on layout entry via a trigger.

* Recurring Imports - This feature really isn't anything that you couldn't do in the past...it's just automated a little more by creating a script for you.

* Text Highlighting - A simple and nice new text formatting option that makes it look as if you used a yellow marker to make the text stand out.

* Snapshot Links - You can now send a link to your database that includes the layout, foundset, and view via email. It sends this information as a .fpsl file that FileMaker can open and then take the user right to the same place you were as a point-in-time view of the database records.

* Portal Filtering - Without creating additional relationships, you can now show filtered related records directly through defining a calculation. This can go toward simplifying the relationship graph.

* External Table Security - Additional security prevents accessing tables stored in an external file.

* Layout Object Badges - Layouts show a more visual information on fields now that can be helpful when developing a solution.

* Invoice Starter Solution - The invoice starter solution included with FileMaker is now quite useful. It tracks contacts, products, and invoices and relates them all in one database file. This will be a good place for some businesses to start using FileMaker.

* New Script Triggers - There are now a couple of new script triggers: OnObjectValidate, OnLayoutExit and OnViewChange.

* New Variable Uses - You can now use variables in find script steps and on layout merge fields. This can be very helpful in creating a localized solution where the field labels must appear in more than one language.

* New IWP Toolbar (Instant Web Publishing) - Even though IWP has limited usefulness, the toolbar has been updated to be more similar to the toolbar within FileMaker itself.

* Misc Interface Improvements - You can do more functions within dialogs where before you needed to back out of the dialog in order to complete the task. This goes a long way toward speeding up development. FileMaker icons are now purple and pink...more like Mac OS Leopard...out with the blue from FileMaker 10.

There are a couple of features that are specific to enhanced developer version of FileMaker called FileMaker Advanced:
* Custom Menus - The custom menu building interface is easier to use.
* Import Custom Functions - Now you can now import custom functions! You can't copy and paste them yet but now you can easily build a library of custom functions in a file and pull them into your solution without recreating each function from scratch.

FileMaker Server has some improvements also. They include:
* Easier installation and administration.
* Better statistics and easier access to them through the admin console.
* Backup file clone allows you to save the database structure automatically through a schedules script.
* Save and load schedules when migrating to new hardware. This will also save time when upgrading to the next version of FileMaker server.
* Specify user account when running a script on the server.
* Set time limits for script schedules.
* No limit on the number of users...bumped from 999 to whatever.
* Administrative user groups. In a large corporate environment with a shared server, you can now assign administrative access to specific databases only and not the entire server.

There you have it...an overview of all the new features in FileMaker 11. Overall, I highly recommend this upgrade for all FileMaker users. It's a great value and welcome upgrade.

If you're still trying to force Excel to be a database tool and need to share and make your critical business data more useful and accessible, there's never been a better time to invest in FileMaker. If you're already a FileMaker user, this is a stable and helpful upgrade.

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Tim Cimbura is chief technology guru at [...], LLC. He uses his expertise to help businesses become more effective, productive, and profitable through the use of FileMaker databases, Apple products, and web site consulting and development.

I grew up as a computer programmer, I used Access a number of years ago, and I now manage a large software development group. I find this product incredible in both its power and its ease of use. It has been a long time since I've programmed and I don't really have a lot of patience for tedious programming. This tool has an outstanding GUI and many of the constructs you need are built-in and quick and easy to put together. The community forum on their website is a great tech support resource and FM tech support shows up regularly to answer questions. I also have the iPad version. I build my database on my Mac and then download it to my iPad to use. OUTSTANDING!

The release of new versions of the FileMaker Family of products--coming six years to the day since the release of FileMaker® Pro 7--marks yet another milestone on the FileMaker, Inc. Product Roadmap.

I am particularly pleased with two new features: one in FileMaker® Pro 11 and FileMaker® Pro 11 Advanced, and the other in FileMaker® Server 11 Advanced.

The FileMaker Pro 11 and FileMaker Pro 11 Advanced products have a new security feature called File Access Protection that allows developers to control which external files can access parts of FileMaker solutions for purposes of table aliases on the Relationship Graph, value list access, and script activation. Developers now have the option of restricting that access to only an approved set of files. The new versions also have several other new security features.


FileMaker Server 11 Advanced also has a new feature that I like a great deal. In response to many requests, FMI has added role-based administration to this product. This allows the server administrator to designate subgroups of files and sub-administrators for those file groups and to assign different privileges for each sub-administrator. This feature will prove very useful both for larger organizations and for smaller ones as well, where the developer may want to designate a sub-administrator with privileges to monitor activities, but not necessarily to control all of them.

I have been using Filemaker Pro software for the past twenty years or more.
I recently purchased Filemaker Pro 11 because the version I had won't run on my new Mac (running OS X.7 Lion).

I use Filemaker Pro to perform many different tasks and functions. I create and send invoices. I maintain contact lists. I track income and expenses. I maintain text files, ad copy, sales letters. And more. The truth is, I might be able to function without Filemaker Pro, but I never want to. Why? Because the software is easy to use, very reliable, very versatile and capable of helping anyone be efficient and effective in performing any task that involves keeping good records and being able to access those records whenever the need arises. For me, 5 stars is not enough. Six stars!

Been a Filemaker user for years and has always performed up to my expectations. Mac or Windows I have used it on both and have been able to design templates that work well for everything I have done. 5 Stars

This software contains some very useful improvements like charting as described by the other reviewers. Mac and Windows versions are included in the box and the software contains none of the the common and irritating activation technology. You are just prohibited from running multiple copies at the same time on a network.

Each version of FileMaker Pro keeps getting better and better. I've been using it since discovering it at a Macworld Expo in San Francisco many years ago when it was offered by a small company called Forethought. (Since bought out by Apple.) I've been a beta tester for it at a university where I taught and used it in a class called "Management Applications of the Computer." If you're managing data it's the only way to go on a personal computer! Simple to use, yet extremely powerful!

Filemaker Pro is a robust database. While I use it for business, it also has uses for home and personal. A wonderful perk with this purchase was a 30 day free trial of Filemaker tutorial from vtc.com. There were no restrictions to the tutorials and was a great training for this version. My last Filemaker was version 8 and this one is even better, especially for a Win 7 system.