Visual Quickpro Guide

FileMaker Pro

Advanced for Windows and Macintosh
by Cynthia L Baron & Daniel Peck

From Peachpit Press
$24.99 (US), $37.50 (CAN)

Review by Gary Coyne

For quite some time now, Peachpit Press has run a series of books under the QuickStart banner. They were aimed at the beginning user, and as the name would imply, the intent was to give the reader a "quick start" at using the program. The pleasant aspect about these books is that they took programs that were occasionally quite sophisticated and led the reader through how to at least use the basics of the program. It was hand-holding through the mire of a challenging program and led them through to results.

But what of the intermediate user who wants to go further but would also appreciate some hand-holding into the dangerous paths of advanced techniques? Thus was born the QuickPro Guide series. (Instead of a hopping bunny, this series has a leaping leopard for an icon--we're talking getting serious here!)

"FileMaker Pro, Advanced for Windows and Macintosh" is the first of these I've encountered and I'm mostly impressed. Although the title doesn't say it, the book focuses on advanced features of version 5 of FileMaker Pro.

When FileMaker 3 was released, the whole world of FileMaker was radically changed. What once was flat was now relational. After having worked with FileMaker since 1986, I had a devil of a time making the transition to how to "think" in relational terms. Oh how I wish this book were around then. Chapter 2, titled "Organizing Data Efficiently" should be mandatory reading for anyone working with a database in general and FileMaker in particular. Not only does it do a superb job of breaking down what's data and what's not data, but most importantly lays out the foundations of how to build up a relational database.

In Chapter 3, sound logical advice is provided on "Layout Enhancements." Here, sound, proven advice is provided to guide the reader on how to make your database look professional and not a hodgepodge of collected field. There's even advice on selection of fonts (if the database is expected to be used cross-platform) and advice on using all caps versus title case (use title case).

From then on out, the book covers specific features within FileMaker. However, rather than explaining how to do (for example) scripts, it demonstrates with details how to do specific scripts. So, from simple internal, external, conditional, status, loops, and user-imput scripts, the book presents a pleasant range of the subject material for the reader to work from. The book also makes suggestions on ways to add comments to scripts so that when you go back to them years later you know what and why you did what was done.

One of the trappings in a "let me show you how to do it" type of book is the author may overlook simple facts like explaining how or why this feature is important. With the same excellent type of explanation shown in Chapter 2, each feature is presented with a clear and understandable explanation of why this feature is important and where the authors plan to go with the need. It is up to the level and capabilities of the reader whether they can follow along with how and why the conditional value list based on cities was made and then later create a conditional value list based on (say) sports later in their own database. If there is any hesitation on the reader from excelling beyond the printed matter, from what's provided here I'm afraid to say the reader isn't reading.

There is a good mix of materials in the book, from simple to complex. An example of a simple FileMaker technique is its ability to export data in an html format. This is no more complex than selecting File > Export Records and selecting HTML Table Files as the choice. Done. Conversely, if one wishes to export FileMaker data into a program that supports formatting tags (e.g., "< >") such as Quark, the book presents how to make a calculation field of concatenated text so that exported text can be stylized.

The later sections of the book deal with how FileMaker interacts and work with other programs. For example, did you know that you can create a script for FileMaker to send via (say) Eudora an e-mail message to all the people in your database? Finally, the book explains how to set up Instant Web Publishing and Custom Web Publishing using CDML. This latter section is limited but can get you started. A dedicated book for a better understanding is not a bad idea if you have complex plans for publishing your database on the web.

My only complaint with the book is that occasionally the book tends to go into detail what should not be detailed. At least not by the time one is exploring intermediate and advanced techniques. For example (in a section on copying and pasting a graphic from a graphic program) the book breaks this down into three full steps with complete explanation. And I quote: "(1) Open your graphic program and create your type of open the document that already contains it. (2) Select the graphic, then copy it to the Clipboard (in Windows Ctrl+C/on the Mac: Command-C). (3) Return to FileMaker and switch to Layout mode (Ctrl+L/Command-L). Paste the graphic into the layout (Ctrl+V/Command-V)."

I shall assume that this "enhanced explanation" is due to the direction more by the publisher than a choice by the authors, but I question the need to explain how to perform a basic computer operating skill in a book about a specific program. This whole explanation could have been stated something to the effect: "Copy a graphic (created in a graphic program) and paste into your database in the Layout mode of FileMaker Pro."

All that notwithstanding, the book is very good. If you have been bogged down in the past because a book told you "how to make a script," but felt unsure about how to lay out the basic plans, this book explains "how to make a specific script" and expects you will be able to follow the structure for making your own scripts from then on.

The manual supplied with FileMaker Pro v. 5 is particularly weak, much worse than manuals in the past. Regardless of your experience, you will have a need for 3rd party books with FileMaker 5. This book should be one of those considered.

.