Ever since the last MAJOR update for FileMaker Pro (version 3 when they went from a flat-file database to relational), upgrades have been significant, but mostly behind-the-scenes features to improve such interactions as interactions as web connectivity and ODBC (Object Database Connectivity). FileMaker 6 is following in the same veins, the new big feature is XML support. This is big, and provides phenomenal opportunities for interaction of FileMaker and other XML savvy products--like the web. More on this later.

The one special unique feature of FileMaker 6 is that this is the last version of FileMaker to run on any Mac that isn't running OS X. There are a variety of reasons for this, not withstanding Steve Jobs trying to close off all ties to pre-OS X, but from what I've been told by FileMaker engineers, there is some ol' code in them thar FileMaker and the program will be re-written from scratch for the next release. As such, it makes sense to drop code that isn't necessary and it looks like a fair chance of having a pure cocoa application on the next run.

As such, it seems it's a good chance for those who plan on running OS 9.x (or at least 8.6) for some time to get this version because the next version of FileMaker will not run on your computer. For those of you who are already on X (or soon will be) the need to get FileMaker 6 may be answered below!

Interestingly enough, one of the side features of running FM Pro on OS X now is that the button bar, seen in Windows and in Mac OS 9 cannot be obtained in OS X.

As seen above, in OS 9, a button bar similar in appearance and action to Microsoft Office applications is found below the menus. However, in OS X, the button bar is nowhere to be seen.

So, for those of you with button bar envy, stay with OS 9 until FM 7. Enough and onward.

For the average database user, there are two new features of special note: one of these is FM's ability to import multi-media and photos directly from a camera (or USB card reader). FileMaker provides a template for this (amongst many other templates). Once the database is running, simply turn on your camera or insert your memory card and press "Import." If there is EXIF data to import, you can do it at this time. If you import photos from a folder already on your computer, the EXIF data cannot be imported into FileMaker. One of the (other) limitations with the EXIF data importation is field names. If they differ from what FileMaker's pre-made template provides, the data will be lost upon importation.

Above, black (text) fields will be imported because there is a matching name, grey (text) fields will be ignored because the template doesn't match the names. Fortunately, one has a "Define Fields" button right there to help create new fields for matching, but the layouts will have to be amended to accommodate them.

While the ability to import images and files from cameras and folders is a great feature, for me the newest feature that makes me giddy with pleasure is the ability to perform a "Find and Replace."

From the very beginning with FileMaker v. 1, one could globally replace the contents of a field within a found set with a different item. That is, if you had an address book database and an entire family changed their last name from Brown to Smith, you could find all the "Brown" names (with the same address to make sure you didn't have any other Browns), and replace the contents in one record and then globally change the entire contents of that field of your found set to Smith.

However, let's say the wife had hyphenated her name so it was Jones-Brown. Before FileMaker 6, her name (and anyone else with a hyphenated name) would be changed from "Jones-Brown" to "Smith." In the past, I've gone so far as to export an entire field's records out of FileMaker, brought it into Word where a find and replace is very easy, and imported the whole lot back into FileMaker. Now one doesn't have to perform the same jumping-through-hoops to get the same job done. The only bummer with this new feature is that it was so long in coming.

Another simple time-saving feature that's been long in coming is the Format Painter. To use the Format Painter, you go into the Layout mode, and change a field or object as you want it to appear. Then, while the item is active, go to the Layout menu and select "Format Painter." Now, any item you click on (using the new Format Painter cursor), will have that set of attributes. Below, I change the font from Helvetica (left side) to Times (right side) and change the field box to "embossed" with a simple click of the mouse.

While there were no major changes in the general appearance, there have been a variety of key-command changes. Many of these changes make no sense. For example, "Grouping" objects used to be Command-G ("G" for grouping) is now Command-R ("R" for round 'em up?). "Bringing an Object Forward" used to be Cntl-Shift-F ("F" for front) is now Cntl-Shift-[ ("[" for ????). Only locking an object (from Command-H (or Option-Command-H (OS X)) to Option-Command-L) at least has an mnemonic link. I have not been able to figure out why these changes were made beyond providing some work for an engineer.

Now for the biggest part of FileMaker 6, XML. XML (or Extensible Markup Language) differs from HTML in that HTML explains how something will look (between systems), but XML explains what it is (between systems). For example, in HTML if I write

<b>Moby Dick</b>

It will make the book title appear bold (Moby Dick) on any browser. But, if you don't know what Moby Dick is, the information (can be) meaningless. In XML, one could type:

<book title> Moby Dick </ book title>

From this, any application knows what this is and can do something appropriately. How the information appears is up to how the recipient program has been set to display the information.

The extra good news is that other programs know about XML and use it. These other programs include Microsoft Office and many RDBMS (Relational Database Management Systems). Thus, XML significantly opens up the number of programs that FileMaker can "talk" to and interchange data with.

An excellent collection of white papers and other information can be found at <http://www.filemaker.com/xml/xml_articles.html>. More information about FileMaker and XML can be found at <http://www.filemaker.com/xml/index.html>

If you do not own FileMaker, and you are in need of a database, FileMaker is a wonderful product and can easily be recommended.

However, if you currently have FileMaker, do you upgrade to FileMaker 6, that's (always) the big question. If you have FileMaker 5 or earlier, and you plan on moving to OS X, you must upgrade. If you have FileMaker 5.5 (an OS X compatible version), the question is does the ability to perform "Find and Replace" and import media from folders and cameras enough of a grab to upgrade--that might be a hard choice.

On the other hand, if you want to take advantage of XML, this is one of the biggest no-brainers around--you buy and enjoy. Regrettably, if it weren't for the importance of XML, this otherwise would be a rather ho-hum upgrade release.

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