Learn FileMaker Pro 9 (Wordware Library for FileMaker) [Paperback]

Jonathan Stars (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 11, 2007 | Series: Wordware Library for FileMaker

Learn FileMaker® Pro 9 provides a logical, hands-on approach to understanding the features of FileMaker Pro, both for beginners and those who have experience with previous versions of the software. From defining database terms and converting files created in previous FileMaker Pro versions to producing reports and using files on the web, this book covers the fundamentals as well as the newest features that considerably enhance FileMaker Pro s database management capabilities. Learn how to: Format layout objects with Autoresize and conditional formatting. Harness the power of the new External SQL Data Source tools. Adapt one script to many purposes to cut development time and expense. Work with the enhanced Web Viewer to harvest data for your applications. Share data as PDF and Excel files and export data as e-mail attachments. Organize your relationships with the anchor-buoy method. Use the alignment tools to quickly align objects on your layout.

Product Details

• Paperback: 592 pages
• Publisher: Jones & Bartlett Publishers; 1 edition (October 11, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1598220462
• ISBN-13: 978-1598220469
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,256,840 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

In my previous life, I was an award-winning singer, songwriter, and comedian. I got the FileMaker (database) bug in 1986 when I started using it to keep track of my entertainment business. My book, Learn FileMaker Pro 10, (Wordware Publishing ISBN 1-59822-071-3) is now in its seventh edition.

When I was in school I dreaded writing. It was the days before computers. I wasn't a very good typist and always hated it when I had to revise something I'd written since it required starting over. Writing on the computer was a Godsend! I could type as fast as the ideas flowed out of my brain and then organize and spellcheck them later. After I'd written a number of articles about computer software and other more personal pieces, my plan was to write about ten articles on FileMaker and then pull them together and do a book on the software. That was my plan. It turns out writing a book is not the same thing as writing ten articles. In fact...

Writing my first FileMaker book was the hardest thing I'd ever done in my life - and I've been divorced twice! As I finished up the last chapter, a writer friend of mine said, "Uh, oh. Now you have to write the foreword." I said, "Are you kidding? I've been saving that for dessert. It doesn't have to be in a step-by-step format. I can just write anything I want - what I think and feel." And it really was a treat. I still like to write that way and hope I can write a memoir or a novel sometime in the near future. (Hmmm... But then there are things like outlines and arcs and emotional high points.)

Among my many non-writing projects, I've developed databases for The State of Michigan governmental agencies, CRG Regional Telephone Directories, ICT Cable, various international associations, Marco Music Publishing in Nashville, TN, and Yale University's NARCOMS database. My company, Data Design Pros, LLC, is a member of the FileMaker Business Alliance and I have my own column in FileMaker Pro Advisor magazine online. I've also written for EQ Magazine, Apple COREspondent and numerous association newsletters. Musical projects include a CD for the MSU Jazz Octet, Ray Kamalay's Jazz Improvisation instructional CD and audio engineering on the Boogie Stomp documentary featuring boogie woogie piano wizards Bob Baldori and Bob Seeley due out in the fall of 2010.

I have a number of websites I'm in charge of including: www.DataDesignPros.com (my database business website), MoviTraX.com (a site devoted to software I've developed for movie editors) and TheTechnoGrouch.com (a site where I act out my love-hate relationship with technology). I'll be starting a writing website soon at www.JonathanStars.com, but right now that address points to my business site.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book for beginner-to-intermediate, January 10, 2008

By 

R. Stern - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Learn FileMaker Pro 9 (Wordware Library for FileMaker) (Paperback)

Stars quickly introduces the concepts you need to design a truly useful database. Most other books (including the three mentioned at the end of this review) discuss each module of FileMaker separately and in the abstract, similar to the FileMaker User Guide, leaving you wondering how to get started designing your own database. For example, most books defer "related tables" until halfway into the book because relationships are considered a difficult topic, but Stars introduces related tables in a very basic way in chapter 2.

Perhaps the best feature of Stars is that he offers far more practical tips, including pitfalls to avoid, than any other book I've read.

Stars explains how to design a database the way you'd do it in real life. He initially designs an elementary database, then adds more sophisticated features. (One of the beauties of FileMaker is that you don't need to design an all encompassing database in one fell swoop. You can start simple, then add features a little at a time, and adapt existing features to your evolving needs.) He uses many brief examples throughout the book, so there is no problem understanding the examples if you jump in the middle of the book.

I agree with Stars' philosophy that it is hard to learn FileMaker by reading a book cover-to-cover away from your computer. His book is designed to be read while you are near your computer so you can experiment with his examples. FileMaker is well adapted for learning by experimentation. (If you are beyond the neophyte stage, the book is self-explanatory without requiring access to a computer.)

The downside of Stars is that he is not the most articulate writer, so a few explanations are too vague. However, you almost always can understand him by context or by briefly experimenting with his examples.

Stars is much better for beginning-to-intermediate FileMaker users than the FileMaker Bible, FileMaker Missing Manual, or Que Special Edition. Stars has far more practical advice than the first two. The Que book is too difficult for a neophyte and covers only selected topics in depth. Although the Missing Manual is thicker than Stars, it actually conveys less information because it consumes too much space with the mechanics of pressing each button in a series of dialog windows. Stars presents the same info more concisely, yet is even more approachable for a neophyte.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stars Does a Great Job, June 25, 2008

By 

Allyson O "Programmer, Author" (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Learn FileMaker Pro 9 (Wordware Library for FileMaker) (Paperback)

Learn FileMaker Pro 9 is a great book for the beginner to intermediate user. I actually reviewed this book for a FileMaker newsletter, and I was extremely pleased with the content.

Jonathan has a knack for explaining technical tasks in a conversational tone. If you are just beginning to learn FileMaker his friendly explanations will be a breath of fresh air.

Jonathan also knows when to turn to others for advice on some of the more technical topics and brings in other FileMaker experts to fill in the gaps.

This book will definitely help provide jump start for anyone beginning FileMaker.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Beginners Only?, December 8, 2008

By 

STOAK "soffak" (Anchorage, AK United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Learn FileMaker Pro 9 (Wordware Library for FileMaker) (Paperback)

This book seems to present everything in a tutorial project. Unless you follow the project along it is difficult to just look something up and fix a small problem.

I am a new Filemaker user and consider myself to be an intermediate database user. On the other hand I found Filemaker to be very intuitive and found I had a fairly complex database up and running in a few hours. I bought this book hoping to be able to solve a few small problems as well any new ones that arose. I found it very difficult to do so. I could not situate myself inside the project presented and figure out what I needed. While everything seemed very clearly written and easy to understand, a topic was spread out over so many pages and situated in a large project that it was too much work to figure out what turned out to be simple problems.

If you are trying to learn Filemaker and willing to go through the tutorials then I would look at the other reviews. It seems clearly written and easy to understand to me. I would also add the caveat that I have only tried to look up 5 or 6 things. I ended up reading what seemed like a hundred pages and could not find my answers. Perhaps with more work I could make the book work but I found other resources that work better for my learning style. I would give this book one star for what I needed and my learning style but I wish I would have had a book like this when I learned Access and SQL Server. For a beginner to databases and Filemaker my initial take is this book is deserving of 5 stars.