MBS FileMaker Plugin, version 8.3pr4

New in this prerelease of version 8.3 of the MBS FileMaker Plugin:

• Added Plugin.UsedFunctions function
• Updated OpenSSL to 1.1.0h and 1.0.2o

Download at monkeybreadsoftware.de/filemaker/files/Prerelease/ or ask for being added to the dropbox shared folder.

FileMaker Konferenz 2018 in Malbun

Der Frühbucherrabatt gilt noch bis 23. Juni, also schnell zur FileMaker Konferenz 2018 anmelden.

Vom 17. bis 20. Oktober diesen Jahres findet die neunte deutschsprachige FileMaker Konferenz in Malbun, Liechtenstein statt. FileMaker Anwender und Entwickler können ihre Teilnahme ab sofort buchen. Anmeldungen bis zum 23. Juni 2018 erhalten einen Frühbucher-Rabatt auf die Konferenzpauschale.

Die Veranstalter vom Verein FM Konferenz erwarten auch 2018 rund 180 Entwickler, Anwender, IT-Fachleute und Entscheidungsträger aus Wirtschaft, Bildung und Verwaltung. Rund um über 25 Fachvorträge und Workshops wird es viel Zeit zum Vernetzen in den gemeinsamen Pausen und beim Abendprogramm geben.

MBS Plugin Schulung am 17. Oktober 2018.

MBS FileMaker Plugin, version 8.3pr3

New in this prerelease of version 8.3 of the MBS FileMaker Plugin:

• Updated code for Socket.Connect, ServerSocket.SendQuery, SSH.Connect and SendCommand to use new unified socket connection code, which uses IPv4 and IPv6, queries DNS if needed and tries several IPs if needed.
• Fixed a problem with ODBC crashing on Linux with using freetds to connect to Microsoft SQL Server.
• Fixed GMImage.Opacity, broken in pr1.
• Improved Socket handlign to better get IPv4 and IPv6 handled in various socket functions.
• Added wait parameter for ImageCapture.CloseDevice, ImageCapture.OpenDevice, ImageCapture.RequestDeleteFiles, ImageCapture.requestOverviewScan, ImageCapture.requestScan and ImageCapture.requestSelectFunctionalUnit functions.
• Added Plugin.LicenseeName function.
• Fixed bug in DynaPDF.ExtractText.
• Added Shell.CloseInput and Shell.CloseStreams functions.

Download at monkeybreadsoftware.de/filemaker/files/Prerelease/ or ask for being added to the dropbox shared folder.

MBS Stammtisch in Hamburg

On my next visit to Hamburg, I'd love to make another MBS Xojo & FileMaker developer meeting:

Wer hat Interesse an einem MBS Entwicklertreffen am 27. oder 28. Juni 2018 in Hamburg?

Einfach in gemütlicher Runde treffen in einem netten Restaurant und beim Abendessen was über FileMaker und Xojo schnacken. Vielleicht habt ihr ja auch Fragen und Probleme, wo ich helfen kann?

Zeit wäre ca. 18 bis 22 Uhr, so dass man auch später kommen oder früher gehen kann.

Treffen ist am 27. Juni 2018. Bei Interesse bitte bei mir melden.

Falls sonst noch Bedarf an Schulung, vor Ort Entwicklung oder FileMaker/Xojo Hilfe besteht, bitte wegen Terminfindung bald melden.

Putting an end to the Server Busy Dialog in Xojo and FileMaker

When using COM functions in both Xojo and FileMaker, you may have seen this dialog:



We saw it a lot recently with WIA for scanning. It's the default dialog for COM for the case a message can't be answered quickly. So with remote method calls, the busy app may not answer to another app quickly, because well, it's busy. The dialog is simply annoying for us and we just prefer to tell COM to wait a little bit and try again.

With our 8.3 plugin for FileMaker, you can call FM.InitMessageFilter function and with 18.3 plugins for Xojo you can call InitMessageFilterMBS function. Both install a message filter, which will delay & retry all calls automatically without a dialog. Please try.

MBS FileMaker Plugin, version 8.3pr2

New in this prerelease of version 8.3 of the MBS FileMaker Plugin:

• Added ColorPanel functions for MacOS.
• Added ColorPanel.Choose for Windows.
• Added FM.InitMessageFilter function to block COM retry dialogs.
• Added WIA.GetCurrentItem and allow you to pass "" for item to use current one.
• Added WIA.ItemProperties and WIA.DeviceProperties functions.
• Improved List.Sort to better sort numbers.
• Updated DynaPDF library to version 4.0.20.53
• Fixed parameter count check for BinaryFile.ReadByte.
• Added ImageCapture.GetFeatures and ImageCapture.GetParameters to return all as JSON.
• Added ReturnAsNumbers parameter for Calendar.Calendar.GetColor, Events.Calendar.GetColor, SyntaxColoring.GetScriptHighlightColor, SyntaxColoring.GetScriptIfColor, SyntaxColoring.GetScriptLoopColor, SyntaxColoring.GetScriptSearchColor and SyntaxColoring.LineNumbers.GetColor.
• Split plugin for Mac into regular (64-bit) and 32-bit plugin for older versions. FileMaker 14 and newer use 64-bit.
• Changed WIA.Scan to handle multiple pages better.
• Changed ImageCapture.OpenDevice to wait for ready signal of device, so your scripts do not continue before we know all details of device.
• Fixed bug in DynaPDF.ReplacePattern when new text was added behind existing text instead before.
• Added ExitIfExpression parameter for FM.Loop to early exit.
• Added conversion code for String to DateTime in case we get dates as text.
• Fixed bug where SQL functions would return date with year 1899 instead of empty value for empty SQLDateTime value.
• Updated SQLAPI to version 4.3.3 beta with fixed for CubeSQL.
• Changed minimum iOS version to iOS 10.1 to match FileMaker 16's iOS SDK.
• Added Window.ConfigureToolbarMenu function.
• Added FM.VariableAdd function.
• Added new mode object for Menu.PopUp.
• Changed context menu to not show activate/deactivate command when in a modal window.
• Added CGImageSource.Properties function.
• Added Socket.GetTag and Socket.SetTag.
• Changed JSON.ToHTML to use @attributes with lowercase a.
• Updated SQLite to version 3.24.0.
• Added Window.TopHeight function.
• Added new mode content for Menu.PopUp.
• Fixed window mode for Menu.PopUp function.
• Fixed DragDrop.CreateWithControl for FileMaker 17.
• Added ImageCapture functions to take pictures and download images from camera: ImageCapture.CameraInfo, ImageCapture.Download, ImageCapture.Thumbnail, ImageCapture.Contents, ImageCapture.MediaFiles, ImageCapture.MediaFilenames, ImageCapture.RequestDeleteFiles, ImageCapture.RequestSyncClock, ImageCapture.RequestDisableTethering, ImageCapture.RequestEnableTethering and ImageCapture.RequestTakePicture.

Download at monkeybreadsoftware.de/filemaker/files/Prerelease/ or ask for being added to the dropbox shared folder.

Convert office documents to PDF with LibreOffice

See newer version here: Convert Office Files in FileMaker

Did you know you can use LibreOffice to convert your Word, Excel or Powerpoint documents to PDF files?

You can learn about command line commands in the help: Starting the LibreOffice Software With Parameters.

To show an example, let us convert a Word file to PDF:

/Applications/LibreOffice.app/Contents/MacOS/soffice --convert-to pdf --outdir /Users/cs/Desktop /Users/cs/Documents/test.doc

To run this, you can use Shell class in Xojo or Shell functions for FileMaker in MBS Plugin.

In FileMaker, you can run this with shell functions like this:

Set Variable [ $shell ; Value: MBS( "Shell.New" ) ]
Set Variable [ $s ; Value: MBS( "Shell.Execute"; $shell; "/Applications/LibreOffice.app/Contents/MacOS/soffice"; "--convert-to"; "pdf"; "--outdir"; "/Users/cs/Desktop"; "/Users/cs/Documents/test.doc" ) ]
If [ MBS("IsError") ]
    Show Custom Dialog [ "Failed to run" ; $s ]
Else
    Set Variable [ $s ; Value: MBS( "Shell.Wait"; $shell; 10) ]
    Set Variable [ $error ; Value: MBS( "Shell.ReadErrorText"; $shell; "UTF-8") ]
    Set Variable [ $result ; Value: MBS( "Shell.ReadOutputText"; $shell; "UTF-8") ]
    Show Custom Dialog [ "Converted" ; $result & ¶ & $error ]
End If
Set Variable [ $r ; Value: MBS("Shell.Release"; $shell) ]

Enjoy conversion!

Plugin wishes for macOS 10.14 and iOS 12

You may all be watching videos from WWDC and learn what's coming soon for macOS and iOS.

• Create ML to make model on device
• Load UDSZ file and show it
• Measure tool for plugin as dialog
• Detecting paper in picture and extracting it, correcting rotation and transformation
• Provide actions for Shortcuts app

If you have comments, more ideas and wishes, please email me or comment here.

Configure Toolbar Menu with MBS FileMaker Plugin

We got a new function Window.ConfigureToolbarMenu for you:



As you see, you can configure the toolbar menu to remove the whole menu (mode 1) or hide only the entries to show/hide/configure.
For mode 1 we skipped the screenshot as simply no menu shows up.

Coming soon in next MBS FileMaker Plugin prerelease...

Tips for FileMaker Data Migration Tool

You may have seen the release of the FileMaker data migration Tool. And you can read documentation here. We got a few extra tips for you here:



First, be aware that matching of tables is by name or ID. So please do not reuse field or tables names. Because due to name matching, if you drop a table with a given name, a few days later add it again for a different reason, the migration could move data from the old table to the new table and match fields just by ID. This can cause serious problems, if data ends up in a different column or table!

e.g. if you have a table test with ID, FirstName, LastName, Job. Than later in development test is deleted. Days after that you create a new table named test with fields Product ID, PersonID, Payment, ID which is totally unrelated to the old table. But now when you migrate, the data from FirstName ends up in PersonID, if those have a matching internal field ID!

Second, please don't use the normal full access account to migrate. Better make a new account with a privilege set where everything is forbidden except the privilege named fmmigration. This privilege name can have an unique add-on, e.g. fmmigrationMySecret and that must match between source and clone files to allow migration. And you want to use that to avoid anyone with an account to just migrate your solution to steal the data.

Third, please be aware that using the normal Terminal window involves using a shell application, which may (or may not) store a permanent history of commands. See man page of history command to clear. This may include passwords. Also the command line may be visible with other tools while running like ps tool. So never ever put your full access password there as the trouble with someone seeing it, is big.

Forth, please check the MBS Shell functions to run the FileMaker Data Migration Tool. MBS plugin can run several shells in parallel to migrate several files parallel and better use CPUs to get the jobs done quicker. Our plugin can return you the messages output by the tool and if you run it directly, no bash is involved, so no history is written. By using our write commands, you can even send text like passwords in memory to the tool. Passing parameters does not need quoting with out shell functions, as you pass each parameter as a parameter to the plugin function.

Here is a sample script:

Set Variable [ $shell ; Value: MBS( "Shell.New" ) ] 

Set Field [ Shell::Output ; "" ] 

Set Field [ Shell::Error ; "" ] 

Commit Records/Requests [ With dialog: Off ] 

Set Variable [ $s ; Value: MBS( "Shell.AddArgument"; $shell; "-src_path") ] 

Set Variable [ $s ; Value: MBS( "Shell.AddArgument"; $shell; "/Users/cs/Desktop/Contacts.fmp12") ] 

Set Variable [ $s ; Value: MBS( "Shell.AddArgument"; $shell; "-clone_path") ] 

Set Variable [ $s ; Value: MBS( "Shell.AddArgument"; $shell; "/Users/cs/Desktop/Contacts Clone.fmp12") ] 

Set Variable [ $s ; Value: MBS( "Shell.AddArgument"; $shell; "-target_path") ] 

Set Variable [ $s ; Value: MBS( "Shell.AddArgument"; $shell; "/Users/cs/Desktop/Contacts target.fmp12") ] 

Set Variable [ $s ; Value: MBS( "Shell.AddArgument"; $shell; "-v") ] 

Set Variable [ $s ; Value: MBS( "Shell.Execute"; $shell; "/Users/cs/Downloads/FMDataMigration") ] 

Set Variable [ $error ; Value: "" ] 

Set Variable [ $result ; Value: "" ] 

If [ MBS("IsError") ] 

    Show Custom Dialog [ "Failed to run" ; $s ] 

Else

    If [ Length(Shell::Input) > 0 ] 

        Set Variable [ $s ; Value: MBS( "Shell.WriteInputText"; $shell; Shell::Input; "UTF-8") ] 

    End If

    # Loop while app runs and collect messages

    Loop

        Set Variable [ $s ; Value: MBS( "Shell.Wait"; $shell; 1) ] 

        Set Variable [ $error ; Value: $error & MBS( "Shell.ReadErrorText"; $shell; "UTF-8") ] 

        Set Variable [ $result ; Value: $result & MBS( "Shell.ReadOutputText"; $shell; "UTF-8") ] 

        Set Field [ Shell::Error ; MBS( "Text.ReplaceNewline"; $error; 1) ] 

        Set Field [ Shell::Output ; MBS( "Text.ReplaceNewline"; $result; 1) ] 

        Exit Loop If [ MBS( "Shell.IsRunning"; $shell) ≠ 1 ] 

    End Loop

    Commit Records/Requests [ With dialog: Off ] 

End If

Set Variable [ $r ; Value: MBS("Shell.Release"; $shell) ] 

Finally, if you build something, be aware that you may not have the right to redistribute the FileMaker Data Migration Tool on your own. FileMaker developers need to have a FDS subscription to be allowed to download it.

Import images from cameras on MacOS with FileMaker

We got a few new ImageCapture functions to import images from camera on Mac. So if you can import in Photos.app or Image Capture.app, you can also import them in FileMaker.



We got new functions like ImageCapture.RequestTakePicture to take a picture, ImageCapture.MediaFiles to query files on device and ImageCapture.CameraInfo to query details on the camera. With ImageCapture.Download you can download an image or video from device and ImageCapture.RequestDeleteFiles can remove files from device.

Coming soon in next 8.3 prerelease...

PS: For Xojo, you can do the same with our ImageCapture classes: ImageCaptureMBS

Plugin wishes for macOS 10.14 and iOS 12?

You may all be watching videos from WWDC and learn what's coming soon for macOS and iOS.

Now the are a lot of new APIs, but I'd like to know from you what you'd like to see in our plugins for Xojo and FileMaker.

Usually we provide lower level wrapper for Xojo to Apple's APIs for macOS with hiding all the threading issues from you and translating values from native Xojo types to the matching Foundation types. As there is currently no iOS plugin SDK for Xojo, we can't make all features available via declares.

For FileMaker we usually provide a much more higher level API to do selected things and provide plugin functions for both macOS and iOS.

If you have ideas and wishes, please email me. I'll keep a list and if we have a lot of wishes for a given API, I may give it some priority.

FileMaker DevCon UK 2018

Looks like I join this year the FileMaker conference in England:



October 23-24, 2018 in London, UK. Register on filemakerdevcon.uk.

MBS FileMaker Plugin, version 8.3pr1

New in this prerelease of version 8.3 of the MBS FileMaker Plugin:

• Updated DynaPDF to version 4.0.20.51.
• Added Files.MountPath function.
• Added Time.UnixTimeStampToFileMaker function.
• Fixed a problem with Text.ReplaceAll causing freeze with empty string to search.
• Fixed a problem with DynaPDF.RotateTemplate function.
• Added Command-G shortcut for find bar to continue search.
• Fixed problem with Bonjour causing 180% CPU usage.
• Added Text.AddLineNumbers function.
• Changed Path.NativePathToFileMakerPath to make sure we have a / on the end on Mac.
• Switched to 16bit GraphicsMagick library for Mac.
• Added GMImage.QuantumDepth function.
• Added GMImage.Read function, useful to create gradient images.
• Added ImagePicker.ClearOverlay and ImagePicker.SetOverlayImage functions.
• Fixed crash in JSON.GetArrayItemsAsList for undefined values.
• Added CURL.SetupOAuth function.
• Upgraded FileDialog.OpenFileDialog, FileDialog.SelectFolderDialog and FileDialog.SaveFileDialog to use newer API on Windows to get newer dialog.
• Added additional UTF-8 text encoding validation for CURL.GetResultAsEmail to avoid crash due to bad UTF-8 sequences in email text.
• Added WindowsUserNotification.Setting function.

Download at monkeybreadsoftware.de/filemaker/files/Prerelease/ or ask for being added to the dropbox shared folder.

FileMaker DevCon Scandinavia 2018

Looks like I join this year the FileMaker conference in Sweden:



October 22-23, 2018 in Gothenburg, Sweden. Register on devconscandinavia.se.