Tag Archives: FileMaker Pro

Historical Foreign Exchange Lookup in FileMaker


Scripts to look up Foreign Exchange rates seem to be something of a recurring item on this blog. It is because the Internet keeps changing and what worked last year, doesn’t necessarily work this year. Also, this time, I had a need for looking up foreign exchange rates on a specific date. I found another […]

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Creating a Custom Keyboard to Speed Boilerplate Data Entry


This could be useful for designing a custom set of text boilerplates to quickly add to an email or in a data entry situation. These panels allow you to create a set of custom buttons that can perform a variety of tasks, from typing pre-defined text to executing scripts or even launching applications. I realize […]

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Export Calendar Files from FileMaker – the easy way!


I have written about this multiple times in the past and thought I was done with this, but apparently not. A reader from Germany reported that there was a problem with a certain type of export and could I just tweak the script to make it work.

Why fix something minor, when I can rewrite the entire script?

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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.

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Part 1: Sending SMS Messages from FileMaker


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.

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Ever wish there was a way to ‘Send to FileMaker’ from your Web Browser?


Turns out there is a fairly easy way to do this. It involves creating a bookmark in your web browser that is written in Javascript. It calls a FileMaker script using the URL scheme ‘FMP’ and sends the web page title, and the page’s URL to FileMaker. Once you have this in FileMaker, you can […]

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Automating Webcam Photo Capture within FileMaker (Windows)


OK folks, here is a hack for you. The Challenge: Capturing images from a web cam into FileMaker on Windows. I was able to achieve this previously on a Mac using AppleScript, but there is no similar easy inter-application scripting language on Windows. FileMaker Go on mobile has the ability to grab photos right from […]

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How to Maintain a Connection to FileMaker Server on a Dynamic IP Address with DynDNS Updater


Overview Once you have your FileMaker Server setup and accessible remotely, I recommend setting up Dyn.com Remote Access service. Their tagline is “Access your device or files using a unique hostname, instead of a confusing (and ever-changing) IP address.” The reason you may need a service like this is because in many cases your Internet provider doesn’t […]

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How to Setup FileMaker Server for Remote Access


Setting up remote access to FileMaker Pro databases is a fairly common task for FileMaker Developers. It is also one of the more common support questions asked by my clients after I have left the building, so I have created a walk through on how to set this up that is hopefully simple enough for […]

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Made changes to a FileMaker Layout and want to back out of it?


Ever modified a layout and then wished you hadn’t? This is a common occurance for FileMaker developers, or at least me. If you are like most developers (or me), you long ago turned on the option for Saving Layout changes automatically. Up until FileMaker 12, there was only one Undo move available. With FileMaker 12 […]

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Getting Help about FileMaker – FAST!


I recently saw a useful tip from the folks at Skeleton Key on speeding up access to the FileMaker Help System. View the video version of their tip here. This tip is primarily for Mac Users. I tested this in FileMaker Pro for Windows using Parallels and it doesn’t look like this is really an […]

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How do I update information in a whole bunch of records at once in FileMaker?


Recently a friend of mine who hadn’t used FileMaker for a while asked me how he could move through a bunch of records and update some text in all those records. He vaguely remembered there were some quick ways of doing this. This blog entry is for him and everyone out there in Google, Yahoo […]

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Windows Management Part II: How to stop the user from accidentally closing the last window in a FileMaker database


Here is a demo file containing the “On Close” script. The script is self contained and can be pasted into any FileMaker database. How to stop the user from accidentally closing the last window in a FileMaker database Add a script called “On Close” In the Script, prompt them when they try to close the […]

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Windows Management Part I: Cleaning up Windows in FileMaker


I was working on a database that linked a lot of data to other data, employing many join tables. It is a database about maintaining a library of video and audio recordings of art events. The idea is to allow researchers explore and move through Artists, Events, Media Assets, Groups and Programs easily. As a […]

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Creating and Storing 2D Bar Codes in FileMaker


2D Bar Codes are all the rage these days. These new style bar codes can store considerably more data than a standard bar code. Combined with the wide spread availability of iPhones and other smart phones with a built-in camera, capable of scanning these codes, there is an opportunity to employ these codes for a […]

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