In this article I want to introduce you the new functions from the MBS FileMaker Plugin in version 11.4.
Dictionary
Let's start with the new features in the Dictionary component. Here you can now filter the keys by their beginning or their end. With the function "Dictionary.KeysWithPrefix" you can now get a list of all keys that have a specific beginning. You may have entries like "person.123.firstname" and "person.123.lastname" and by using Dictionary.KeysWithPrefix you can look for "person.123." to find all keys starting with this prefix. The opposite is the case with the function "Dictionary.KeysWithPostfix". In this case the keys are filtered by their end. So, in the previous example, we could filter by .firstname and get "person.123.firstname". The postfix and prefix keys functions allows you to organize things in the dictionaries with e.g. dot notation.
SQL
With the new function SQL.FieldExists you can check if a given field exists that we want to query. To do this, we specify the command reference number and the name of the field in the parameters. If the field exists, we get 1 as return value.
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We like to explain everyone how to setup TeamViewer on macOS for remote support.
Go to teamviewer.com and download the Teamviewer app, e.g. teamviewer.dmg. As far as I see you can directly click download on the cookie dialog and then close the website, but the webdesign may change. No need to allow cookies!
Once downloaded, you open the disk image.
Please make sure the domain shown in the GateKeeper dialog is only www.teamviewer.com and nothing different.
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A client got a bit xml file from Swiss government with a list of all registered/permitted medications. A huge XML file with thousands of entries. In order to import those easily, we use our
XML.Import function in
MBS FileMaker Plugin.
We copied the XML Import example database included with our plugin to desktop. We copied the xml file to desktop and renamed it test.xml. Then we open the database and run the script. Since we didn't change it, it will simply look for a file named test.xml and import it. Since the XML file is 50 MB, this takes a while, but the
XML.Import function creates 18 new tables with a lot of fields:
The example has "Import2" as prefix for reasons, but you can change that. We got over 130000 records created within a minute.
The client asked how to get the ID from preparations into the other tables like the Pack table. But then we surprised our client with the magic of FileMaker's relationships. We connect the right parent entries to the UUID field of the parent table. Once all tables are moved in place and all connections are made, the graph looks like this:
As you see limitations table got duplicated, so we can connect it both to preparations and packs.
Once this is setup, we create layouts. A layout for a pack can now show fields from preparation to show which preparation it belongs to.
Also via all that relationships, the table for a preparation can show the first pack, substance and price on the same layout.
Let us know if you have questions and enjoy the magic of those functions.
Check out the FMTraining.tv website. Richard Carlton and his team do a daily free live stream about FileMaker to watch. And they have a huge library of FileMaker training material to watch and learn all about the Claris FileMaker product family.
A few days ago Christian Schmitz from Monkeybread Software joined a live episode to talk a bit about the MBS FileMaker Plugin. Watch it on YouTube.
We talk a bit about what's new in MBS FileMaker Plugin in version 11.4 and answer user questions.
Do you like this video?
Please let Richard know and send him your wishes or ideas for future live broadcast as well as topics for training videos. And check out the FileMaker Training bundles as well as their new book for FileMaker, updated for 2021.
Nickenich, Germany - (September 7th, 2021) -- MonkeyBread Software today is pleased to announce
MBS FileMaker Plugin 11.4 for macOS, iOS, Linux and Windows, the latest update to their product that is easily the most powerful plugin currently available for Claris FileMaker produce line. As the leading database management solution for Windows, macOS, iOS and the web, the Claris FileMaker Pro Integrated Development Environment supports a plugin architecture that can easily extend the feature set of the application.
MBS FileMaker Plugin 11.4 has been updated and now includes over 6600 different functions, and the versatile plugin has gained more new functions:
We updated our
WordFile functions to store the resulting word file into a container instead of a file with the new
WordFile.WriteContainer function. You can substitute any text in the word file with
WordFile.Substitute function or check whether some text is there with
WordFile.Contains function.
In this release we add thread pooling for Windows. This highly benefits some functions using threads like e.g.
CURL.PerformInBackground. We can reuse threads and lower the memory footprint.
If you have to read plist files on macOS, please check our new
PList functions. We return content as JSON and also allow to write back those plist files.
Our
SendMail functions got an upgrade to produce S/MIME signed emails with new
SendMail.Sign function. For this we also added new
PKey.ReadFromContainer function to read in private keys to sign.
For iOS we added
SharingPanel functions to run the sharing dialog for sending text, files, pictures or URLs to other applications or services, e.g. AirDrop.
We got a new function
Container.Screenshot to take snapshots for WebViewer controls. But this function can also be used for all other named controls on a layout to snapshot content like pictures of text fields.
For DynaPDF we got new functions to set printer settings via new
DynaPDF.Print.SetSetting function. You can check whether an input PDF is a tagged one with the new
DynaPDF.GetInIsTaggedPDF function.
For macOS you can now have the plugin prevent closing the database design dialog while relationship tab is selected. See
SyntaxColoring.DontOpenManageDatabaseDialogWithRelations.SetEnabled function to enable it.
We improved errors printed into trace log, got new
SQL.FieldExists and
SystemInfo.isWindows11 functions, allow backslash for escaping paths in
XML.GetPathValue function and added HEAD as verb for
CURL.SetupAWS and
CURL.SetupOAuth functions.
Finally we updated CURL library to version 7.78.0, DynaPDF to 4.0.58.153 and SQLAPI to 5.1.5.
See
release notes for a complete list of changes.
7. September 2021 - Monkeybread Software veröffentlicht heute das
MBS FileMaker Plugin für FileMaker in Version 11.4, mit inzwischen über 6600 Funktionen eines der größten FileMaker Plugins überhaupt. Hier einige der Neuerungen:
Wir haben unsere
WordFile Funktionen aktualisiert, um die resultierende Word-Datei mit der neuen Funktion
WordFile.WriteContainer in einem Container statt in einer Datei zu speichern. Sie können jeden beliebigen Text in der Word-Datei mit der Funktion
WordFile.Substitute ersetzen oder mit der Funktion
WordFile.Contains prüfen, ob ein Text vorhanden ist.
In dieser Version fügen wir Thread-Pooling für Windows hinzu. Dies kommt einigen Funktionen zugute, die Threads verwenden, wie zum Beispiel
CURL.PerformInBackground. Wir können Threads wiederverwenden und den Speicherbedarf verringern.
Wenn Sie Plist-Dateien unter macOS lesen müssen, probieren Sie bitte unsere neuen
PList Funktionen. Wir geben den Inhalt als JSON zurück und wir können auch JSON als Plist-Datei ausgeben.
Unsere
SendMail Funktionen haben ein Upgrade erhalten, um S/MIME-signierte E-Mails mit der neuen Funktion
SendMail.Sign zu erzeugen. Dazu haben wir auch die neue Funktion
PKey.ReadFromContainer hinzugefügt, um private Schlüssel zum Signieren einzulesen.
Für iOS haben wir
SharingPanel Funktionen hinzugefügt, um den Sharing Dialog zum Senden von Text, Dateien, Bildern oder URLs an andere Anwendungen oder Dienste, z.B. AirDrop zu übergeben.
Wir haben eine neue Funktion
Container.Screenshot, um Schnappschüsse für WebViewer-Steuerelemente zu erstellen. Diese Funktion kann aber auch für alle anderen benannten Controls in einem Layout verwendet werden, um Snapshots von Inhalten wie z.B. Bilder von Textfeldern zu erstellen.
Für DynaPDF gibt es neue Funktionen zum Setzen von Druckereinstellungen über die neue Funktion
DynaPDF.Print.SetSetting. Mit der neuen Funktion
DynaPDF.GetInIsTaggedPDF kann überprüft werden, ob ein Eingabe-PDF ein getaggtes ist.
Unter macOS kann das Plugin nun verhindern, dass der Datenbank-Design-Dialog geschlossen wird, wenn die Registerkarte Beziehung ausgewählt ist. Siehe
SyntaxColoring.DontOpenManageDatabaseDialogWithRelations.SetEnabled Funktion, um dies zu aktivieren.
Wir haben die Ausgabe von Fehlern im Trace-Log verbessert, neue Funktionen
SQL.FieldExists und
SystemInfo.isWindows11 eingeführt, Backslash für das Escaping von Pfaden in der Funktion
XML.GetPathValue zugelassen und HEAD als Verb für die Funktionen
CURL.SetupAWS und
CURL.SetupOAuth hinzugefügt.
Schließlich haben wir die CURL-Bibliothek auf Version 7.78.0, DynaPDF auf 4.0.58.153 und SQLAPI auf 5.1.5 aktualisiert.
Alle Änderungen in den
Release Notes.
New in this prerelease of version 11.4 of the MBS FileMaker Plugin:
Download at
monkeybreadsoftware.com/filemaker/files/Prerelease/, in
Dropbox folder or ask for being added to the dropbox shared folder.