It started from a practical concern, not as a hobby. One of the not-for-profit groups I have done work for has been using a FileMaker Pro app to generate their camp directory every summer. It was running on an older version, FileMaker Pro 19. This is the same version of FileMaker I have been using since I retired almost ten years ago. I wanted to see whether an AI (artificial intelligence) assistant could help me build my way around the problem.
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Part 3: Sending SMS from FileMaker with AppleScript
October 29, 2022 
5 Comments
A reader, Pierre Boucher, asked if I had tried using AppleScript to send SMS. I hadn’t but a quick web search revealed a fairly straightforward approach, so of course I had to see if I could make it work.
Continue reading Part 2: Sending SMS Messages from FileMaker using Apple Shortcuts
March 3, 2022 Comments Off on Part 2: Sending SMS Messages from FileMaker using Apple Shortcuts
I couldn’t find any articles about going outbound from FileMaker to Apple Shortcuts. It turns out that Apple’s Shortcuts app support a url scheme, similar to what I used in my FileMaker to SMS demo.
Continue reading Part 1: Sending SMS Messages from FileMaker
March 2, 2022 3 Comments
What I was looking for though, was a free and non-server based option, something that could be done from a standalone database on a Mac computer or an iPhone in the field. This method could also work in a networked setup, it is send only, any responses are not going to show up in FileMaker magically.
Continue reading Getting past Paywalls on a Mac with Safari
December 17, 2021 3 Comments
A Simple Solution to avoiding a paywall: Turn off Javascript in Safari (Safari Menu, Preferences, Security Panel, toggle ‘Enable Javascript’) and then the reload (Command R) the web page. Remember to toggle Javascript back on, because so much of the display of the modern web relies on it, that it really isn’t very functional without Javascript turned on. This works for casual use, but if you find yourself avoidi paywalls often, you may want to go the next step.
Continue readingWTF? Search – Available for Chrome
August 12, 2021 Comments Off on WTF? Search – Available for Chrome
The web browser plugin we developed is now available on the Chrome store. This plugin was prototyped in FileMaker. We also have it available for Firefox and hope to have a Safari version soon. Please have a look at it and see if it would be useful to you.
Continue reading Adding .ics files to Calendar on iOS
July 31, 2021 Comments Off on Adding .ics files to Calendar on iOS
Try this, email an .ics file to yourself and then attempt to add it to the Calendar app on your iPhone or iPad. Does it work? It didn’t for me as of 2021-07-31. Seems like it used to work. A web search suggests that other people are having the same problem. Possibly for security reasons Apple turned this feature off?
Anyway, this has an impact on a FileMaker Go demo database I made a while back that exports .ics files. Recently a reader, Nellie, wrote to say:
Continue reading Dialing for Dollars – Getting FileMaker to Call or Text to an iPhone, Skype, Facetime or Zoom
June 23, 2020 3 Comments
In this time of the COVID-19 epidemic, many people are working from home. FileMaker is often an important part of a workflow, even when homebound. Wouldn’t it be great if you could launch your FaceTime, Skype or Zoom calls right from a database screen?
Continue reading Formatting Text in FileMaker using a Script/Button
May 22, 2020 1 Comment
Someone asked: In a word processor you can highlight text and then hit a button to change formatting, line BOLD, UNDERLINE, COLOR…etc. In Filemaker you use the format drop down menus, but does anyone know how to make a button to change the format of the currently highlighted text?
Continue reading Exporting UTF-8 Files from FileMaker Pro
March 12, 2019 Comments Off on Exporting UTF-8 Files from FileMaker Pro
In FileMaker 16, a new function was introduced called ‘TextEncode’. It was a lifesaver and an answer to my repeated whinging about how much trouble it was in previous versions of FileMaker to export plain Jane utf-8 files.
Continue reading How to Delete Attachments from Messages in Apple Mail
November 12, 2018 Comments Off on How to Delete Attachments from Messages in Apple Mail
Someone recently asked me “I have a malware in my MacBook that Sophos can’t deal with and supposedly, they are all in email attachments. I’d like to get rid of any problems.”
Here is how to get rid of just the attachments in Apple Mail.
Continue reading Set a Keyboard Shortcut for “Save as PDF” in Mac OS
July 10, 2018 1 Comment
This is a really useful shortcut. I think it should be built in to Mac OS, but until the powers that be get around to doing this, you can add this feature for yourself. It is now second nature for me to go Command P, Command P to create a PDF.
Continue reading Org Charts in FileMaker Pro
July 4, 2018 Comments Off on Org Charts in FileMaker Pro
…using the Google Chart API Javascript library to generate a decent looking Org Chart right in FileMaker Pro.
Continue readingBackup FileMaker 17 Databases to the Cloud
June 8, 2018 Comments Off on Backup FileMaker 17 Databases to the Cloud
FileMaker 17 introduces a useful new feature called “Create Directories” when creating files. This works with saving a copy or clone of the database, as well as exporting PDFs or text files. I decided this was a good time to update my old Backup database script. I use this script when developing locally. If I […]
Continue reading How to Download a Batch of Instagram Photos in Safari on a Macintosh
November 8, 2017 Comments Off on How to Download a Batch of Instagram Photos in Safari on a Macintosh
Now that Instagram allows you to view your Saved Bookmarked photo collection in a web browser, here is a method of downloading your favorite photos to your hard drive. Safari: Preferences With Safari open, go to the Safari menu and select ‘Preferences’. Advanced tab: Turn on “Show Develop Menu…” option In the Advanced tab, select […]
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