FMK2017 - Modularity in FileMaker 16 by Russell Watson

8. FileMaker Konferenz | Salzburg | 12.-14. Oktober 2017
www.filemaker-konferenz.com
New Possibilities Neue Möglichkeiten

and more und mehr.....

Russell Watson

"MrWatson"
Modularity Modularität in fm16

Modularität in fm16 von MrWatson
Russell Watson
“MrWatson”
* The FileMaker Certiﬁed Developer logo is a trademark of FileMaker, Inc. in the United States and other countries.
* Thanks to Klemens Kegebein of the K&K Verlag for permission to use his poster image
BA Hons
Media Studies & German
Sussex University, UK
BSc Informatik
Freie Universität, Berlin
mrwatson-gbs

Menu
1.Modularity Modularität

2.Card Windows Kartenfenster

3.How to make modular widgets  
Wie man modulare Baukasten baut

4.Isn't there a better way to do this?  
Gibt's keine bessere Methode?

5.One more thing… One more thing…

6.Question time Fragen / Antworten / Diskussion

Modularity Modularität

• What is a module? Was ist ein Modul?

• Building block Baustein

• Component Komponent

• Function Funktion
Function

Component

Black Box
• Single Simple Unit eigenständige einfache Einheit

• Separate separat

• Independent unabhängig

• Interfaces Schnittstellen
pp

What possibilities does fm16 offer?

Welche Möglichkeiten bietet fm16 an?

Add a module in FileMaker 15
FileDataCFScriptsLayouts
File B

(Module)
File A

(Your App)
f1 f2 f3
A 1 ?
B 2 !
C 3 @
ScriptAPI
f( X ) f( X )
Script calls
Traditional ⟺ parameters
Layout
ext. File Ref.
/ Static Data
Source
BUILD
IN
Scripts

Add a module in FileMaker 16
File B

(Module)
Dynamic Data SourceFile A

(Your App)
f1 f2 f3
A 1 ?
B 2 !
C 3 @
ScriptAPI
f( X ) f( X )
Script calls
JSON Params
Card
windows
Trend: Avoid CFs → sharability ↑
If possible data via JSON params
just
call

fm16 = Powerful modular functionality!
File B

(Module)
Dynamic Data SourceFile A

(Your App)
Script
API
Script calls
Card
windows

Card Windows Kartenfenster
Layout
* Cal-Picker from John Renfrew

Some great card window examples

Coole Kartenfenster Beispiele
• LOgiCATOR / Mark Scott / Beezwax

• https://blog.beezwax.net/2017/05/09/introducing-logicator-a-modular-
search-interface-for-filemaker-16/

• https://blog.beezwax.net/2017/06/06/introducing-logicator-part-2-
filemaker-16-card-windows-and-modular-design/

• https://blog.beezwax.net/2017/10/12/logicator-part-3-ready-set-integrate-
into-your-filemaker-apps/

• Date picker / John Renfrew

• https://community.filemaker.com/docs/DOC-8288

• https://community.filemaker.com/docs/DOC-8751

• Widgets / Todd Geist / geistinteractive.com

• Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXpcD9Yf6Ko

Card Windows
• Pioneering work by John Renfrew

• Function-Separation Model

• Posts on LinkedIn:

Very Quick Demo

Troubled Relationship

Parent-Child Window
• Child has NO knowledge of parent, no

• Get( ParentWindowFile )

• Get( ParentWindowWidth )

• Positioning of card window

• Only FIRST layout centres correctly

• Modal

• Master Window is frozen

• Communication Child → Parent
window problematic…

How to make modular widgets

Wie man modulare Baukasten baut
Widget

Simplest Widget → ScriptResult
File A

your

app
Simple

Widget
ScriptAPI
Return ScriptResult
Script Pause
Call Script
• Simplest solution…

• …IFF the process can occur in a one script round-trip

• (Script Pause OK, but no Script HALT)

LOgiCATOR
• Simple solution for a single file App

• but not scalable for multi-fie solutions…
File A

your

app
LOgiCATOR
ScriptAPI
ScriptAPI
File B

File C

File D

File E

File F

File G

File H

File I

File J

File K

File A

your

app
File A

your

app
CalDatePicker
ScriptAPI
Open Date Picker
Timer
script
polls
result
Return Date to Original
CalDatePicker
• This is more like functional programming: CalDatePicker is a black box.

• Polling with timer scripts, however, is unpleasant ...

• …and the dynamic data source can run the wrong script, if the target file changes…
Dynamic Data Source

Isn't there a better way to do this?

Gibt's keine bessere Methode?

File A

your

app
Widget
ScriptAPI
Start script
What we need is CALLBACK SCRIPTS…
• …just like other programming languages have…
"On Event X, call File: "A", Script: "Handle X", Param: 1

"On Event Y, call File: "A", Scrip:t "Handle Y", Param: 2

(JSON DATA)
Callback
ScriptAPI
Handle X
Handle Y
Event X
Event Y
JSON

Demo CALLBACK SCRIPTS

How does it do that?

PSBN - Perform Script [ By Name

Modularität in fm16 von MrWatsonFileDataScriptsLayouts
File A

your

app
File W .

Card-Window

Widgets .
Callback
ScriptAPI
JSON Callback

Script info
ScriptAPI
JSON
Layout
Callback

Script info
JSON
File B
ScriptAPI
Module
D, E, F
File C File 50
Script
ID?

Achtung!
PSBN is a Proof of Concept
and is not guaranteed

on production systems*!
* If the internal ID of the script is too high, PSBN cannot perform the script

Finally, because THIS will be MOST
IMPORTANT in coming years…
Scripts
Script
API
Script calls
one more thing…

FileMakerDoc
is coming

Thank You
“MrWatson”
mrwatson-gbs
Questions?

Vortrag und Sprecher
Vielen Dank unseren Sponsoren

FMK2017 - Modularity in FileMaker 16 by Russell Watson

More Related Content

More from Verein FM Konferenz

Recently uploaded

FMK2017 - Modularity in FileMaker 16 by Russell Watson