With the next MBS FileMaker Plugin release, we will embrace JSON functions for our FileMaker plugin. As more developers now learn JSON, we can now return you more data as JSON. Instead of making dozens of calls to query all information about a field in a PDF document, you may just want to call DynaPDF.GetFieldsAsJSON and get details for all fields in one chunk and then pick what you need. On the way we made similar functions for annotations, bookmarks, color spaces, doc information, embedded files, fields, fonts and system font information:
As the new function barcode function for DynaPDF came along, we pass there all parameters via JSON. Check DynaPDF.InsertBarcode function to insert a barcode in the current open page. We provide the DynaPDF.GetDefaultBarcodeParameters function to get default parameters, where you can just take that JSON and then make changes, before inserting it.
For listing files, we add a Files.ListAsJSON function to return not just the file names, but more information as an array of JSON objects. You can have file name, size, directory and visible flags included. If requested, we also include in creation, modification and access time stamps. By using JSON, we can later add more entries as needed.
When you use LDAP functions, you can get result as JSON block with LDAP.JSON function. You can add or modify records with LDAP.AddJSON or LDAP.ModifyJSON functions.
For SQL functions, you can also use JSON to query what's currently in the record, in parameters or all records. You can also set parameters via JSON, e.g. to batch create records with an INSERT statement.
Finally for CURL you can use CURL.GetHeaderAsJSON function to query the headers of a HTTP Request as JSON object. As always, this allows us to pass you multiple items in one plugin call and then allow you to process the entries.
Let us know if you have questions or additional function ideas.
We have started to look on the Windows Learning APIs to implement some functions for our plugins. Since 2017 we have CoreML functions for macOS. FileMaker 19 now ships similar functions built-in, but we think the plugin can still do more. As we are now using newer Visual Studio 2019, we can finally also check the Windows Learning functions:
You can use ONNX Models with the classes, so check the Microsoft website on how to get models. This mainly points to the ONNX Model Zoo, which has some interesting models available.
We started by porting the desktop SqueezeNetObjectDetection example from the Windows-Machine-Learning repository. You may want to download the SqueezeNet.onnx file from models folder and the kitten_224.png file from the media folder.
In Xojo you can use WinLearningModelMBS class to load a model with the Load function. Then query details and the input/output features to learn what the model does. Once you want to use the model, create WinLearningModelSessionMBS and WinLearningModelBindingMBS objects. The last one is used to assign values to the input and output elements. Then you Evaluate the model and get a WinLearningModelEvaluationResultMBS object and there you query the result values.
For FileMaker we embrace JSON and use it to pass values for the new WindowsML functions. Use WindowsML.Open to load the model and query all information about it with WindowsML.Description function. Use bind functions like WindowsML.BindImageFile to assign input image, run the model with WindowsML.Evaluate function and then you get a result as JSON. You may use our JSON functions to work on the result and show it to the user.
A difference between the macOS/iOS implementation by Apple and the one by Microsoft is the missing of labels for the latter. For Windows you get a Labels.txt file with the list of what index in the result points to what label they mean. Our example code will show how to handle this.
Those functions and new classes are coming for next pre-release versions in October 2020. We may get a good start set and may add more as needed later. Especially as we learn what other models may need as input and output features.
We run the "./makeprojdir test test de.monkeybreadsoftware.test" command in the Terminal in the folder to create the project files for our test project. Please change your identifier and project name.
The project opens in Xcode and we can pick a target simulator and just run it.
In project settings (click first item in the left side list), pick the tab "Signing & Capabilities" and select your bundle identifier and your team. Xcode may repair certificates if needed.
We use plugins as frameworks (Requirement for iOS App Store), so we create a Frameworks folder in the project folder next to the Plug-Ins folder. Please copy the simulation version of the MBS.fmplugin.framework there, optionally for push notifications the MBSInit.framework one, too.
Drag & Drop the Frameworks folder into the project items list in left side of the Xcode window. In the popup make sure the copy checkbox is cleared, add to target has your target name checked and create folder references is checked. The Frameworks folder appears in blue in the side list, not orange.
After building you can right click on the app in the Product folder in the left side bar and show it in Finder. Then look inside the package and check if Frameworks folder has the MBS Plugin file.
You can do code signing of our plugin before or while building. To do it while building, you can go to project settings (click first item in the left side list), then click Build Phases tab and there scroll down to "Install and Codesign Plugins" section. There edit the script by changing Plugins to Frameworks in the path used there:
find "${BUILT_PRODUCTS_DIR}/${WRAPPER_NAME}/Frameworks" -depth 1 -print0 | while read -d $'\0' path; do
codesign -f -s "${CODE_SIGN_IDENTITY}" "$path"
done
Now run it and the plugin should show as installed plugin.
To make MBSInit.framework ask for notification, you go to the General tab of project settings. There is a section for "Frameworks, Libraries and, Embedded Content". There you can click plus button on the bottom and select the MBSInit framework. The Embed setting should be Embed & Sign. When this is done, the dialog shows up.
Trouble Shooting
You may need to buy an Apple Developer membership. Please don't do this with your normal Apple ID, but make a newer one, e.g. developer@YourCompany.com
MBS Plugin in version 10.4 for iOS is broken and won't load. Sorry, we made a linking error. Use older or newer version. 10.5pr1 should come early October.
In Xcode preferences dialog, please login to your apple developer account. So the repair features can work in Xcode with all the certificates.
The plugin will load unsigned in simulator, but device only loads signed plugins.
For App Store the application and plugins need all be signed using the same certificate and provided as .framework in the Frameworks folder. If you have the plugin in Plugins folder, the automatic tests for App Store will reject the application.
If compilation fails, just hit run again or please use Clean command first and build again. Often this repairs an issue.
When quitting simulator, the iOS app may crash and break into debugger. Just ignore it and press stop button.
Each version of the FileMaker SDK is built with a specific Xcode version. Best you use that version to build your app and you may not upgrade Xcode as that may break it.
In this article I want to introduce you the new functions from the MBS FileMaker Plugin in version 10.4.
CURL
Let's start with the changes in the CURL component. Here are some new functions that give us information about CURL connections. With the function CURL.GetOptionURL we get the value of the current URL. The function CURL.GetOptionCustomRequest queries current custom request value and with the CURL.GetOptionPostFields function you can get the current post fields values. The function CURL.GetOptionUserName returns the name of the current user.
You can also use the CURL.GetRetryAfter function to query the Retry-After retry delay time you get from the header. This time tells you in how many seconds you can expect the next retry from the server.
Another new function is CURL.GetEffectiveMethod. This function returns the last used effective HTTP method
SSH KeepAlive
The SSH.ConfigureKeepAlive function enables or disables sending KeepAlive messages over a SSH connection. In the parameters you can specify how often KeepAlive message are sent. Please specify how many seconds to wait before sending a keep alive message. If a zero is entered here, the sending of KeepAlive messages is disabled.
The FMDataMBS class does a Data API connection while the FMAdminMBS class provides methods for the Admin API. Both have FMConnectionMBS as base class for the core functionality to connect.
Nickenich, Germany - (September 15th, 2020) -- MonkeyBread Software today is pleased to announce MBS FileMaker Plugin 10.4 for macOS, iOS, Linux and Windows, the latest update to their product that is easily the most powerful plugin currently available for FileMaker Pro. As the leading database management solution for Windows, macOS, iOS and the web, the FileMaker Pro Integrated Development Environment supports a plugin architecture that can easily extend the feature set of the application. MBS FileMaker Plugin 10.4 has been updated and now includes over 6300 different functions, and the versatile plugin has gained more new functions:
The main feature of the newer plugin version is our move from Visual Studio 2008 to the more current version 2019. We now use universal runtime library, the same Visual Studio runtime as FileMaker. As Windows 10 includes those DLLs by default and Windows 7 and 8 can install them, the plugin should run fine there. We worked on this for over a year to get all our libraries ported and recompiled. All parts come together and we can finally ship our Windows plugins built with current tools and start to add more Windows 10 APIs over time.
You may know that FileMaker has a built-in Location function for iOS. MBS FileMaker Plugin include CoreLocation functions for macOS for years. For the new version we added WindowsLocation functions to query the location of your Windows PC. Useful for all those Windows tablet PCs running FileMaker Pro. Check also CoreLocation.requestLocation function for macOS to ask for location permissions.
For GraphicsMagick we have new functions to select a font family, stretch (condensed or expanded), style (italic or oblique) or weight (bold). Once set, you can use GMImage.Annotate to write text. We can list the font types available to a text file with GMImage.ListTypeInfo function.
Use Archive.ExtractFile to extract just one file from an archive and get it back as container value. For SSH connections use SSH.ConfigureKeepAlive to prevent the connection from timing out when an operation takes longer than 2 minutes. When tracing plugin calls on server use Trace.SetServerLogPath to have one log file per thread and not mix all calls from all scripts in one huge log file.
For CURL we added functions to query some of the options to help with debugging. You can query effective HTTP method and the retry after delay. We extended post fields to allow more than 8 MB in data size.
For iOS use iOSApp.ReadReceipt function to read the app store receipt and see what items the user purchased with the store. Check the StoreKit functions to list products and start a transaction.
We optimized speed for Audit functions, add better error handling for socket functions, rewrote Hotkey functions to use native API on Windows, improved text encoding handling for XML and restored the notifications to show errors in MBS calls (if you have notifications allowed for FileMaker).
Finally we updated bzip2 library to version 1.0.8, CURL to 7.72.0, DynaPDF to 4.0.41.118 with ZUGFeRD 2.1, GraphicsMagick to 1.3.35, JPEG library to 9d, PCRE to 8.44, SQLAPI to 5.1.1, SQLite to 3.33.0 including decimal extension and we updated Xcode to version 10.6.
15. September 2020 - Monkeybread Software veröffentlicht heute das MBS FileMaker Plugin für FileMaker in Version 10.4, mit inzwischen über 6300 Funktionen eines der größten FileMaker Plugins überhaupt. Hier einige der Neuerungen:
Das wichtigste Feature der neueren Plugin-Version ist unser Umstieg von Visual Studio 2008 auf die aktuellere Version 2019. Wir verwenden jetzt die universelle Runtime-Bibliothek in der gleichen Version wie sie FileMaker verwendet. Da Windows 10 diese DLLs standardmäßig enthält und Windows 7 und 8 sie installieren können, sollte das Plugin dort problemlos laufen. Wir haben über ein Jahr lang daran gearbeitet alle unsere Bibliotheken zu portieren und neu zu kompilieren. Jetzt können wir unsere Windows-Plugins, die mit aktuellen Tools erstellt wurden, ausliefern und im Laufe der Zeit weitere Windows 10-APIs hinzufügen.
Sie wissen vielleicht, dass FileMaker eine eingebaute Standortfunktion für iOS hat. Das MBS-Plugin enthält seit Jahren CoreLocation-Funktionen für MacOS. Für die neue Version haben wir WindowsLocation-Funktionen hinzugefügt, um den Standort Ihres Windows-PCs abzufragen. Nützlich für alle Windows-Tablet-PCs mit FileMaker Pro. Für iOS probieren Sie die CoreLocation.requestLocation-Funktion, um die Standortberechtigungen abzufragen.
Für GraphicsMagick haben wir neue Funktionen zur Auswahl einer Schriftfamilie, der Größe, dem Stil (kursiv oder schräg) oder der Gewichtung (fett). Einmal festgelegt, können Sie GMImage.Annotate verwenden, um Text zu schreiben. Wir können die verfügbaren Schriftarten mit GMImage.ListTypeInfo als Liste in eine Textdatei schreiben.
Verwenden Sie Archive.ExtractFile, um nur eine Datei aus einem Archiv zu extrahieren und sie als Containerwert zu bekommen. Für SSH-Verbindungen verwenden Sie SSH.ConfigureKeepAlive, um zu verhindern, dass die Verbindung mit einem Timeout abbricht, wenn ein Vorgang länger als 2 Minuten dauert. Beim Trace von Plugin-Aufrufen auf dem Server verwenden Sie Trace.SetServerLogPath, um eine Protokolldatei pro Thread zu bekommen und nicht alle Aufrufe aller Skripte in einer riesigen Protokolldatei zu mischen.
Für CURL haben wir Funktionen zur Abfrage einiger Optionen hinzugefügt, um bei der Fehlersuche zu helfen. Sie können die effektive HTTP-Methode abfragen und die Verzögerung bis zum nächsten Verbindungsversuch. Wir haben die POST-Felder erweitert, um eine Datengröße von mehr als 8 MB zu ermöglichen.
Unter MacOS können Sie ImageCapture.SetItemsAddedScript verwenden, um ein Skript auszulösen, wenn ein Bild mit Ihrer Digitalkamera aufgenommen wird. Für TextView-Funktionen können Sie sie jetzt mit der Funktion TextView.SetStyledText auf formatierten Text setzen oder formatierten Text mit der Funktion TextView.AppendStyledText anhängen oder den aktuellen Text mit der Funktion TextView.GetStyledText abfragen.
Für iOS verwenden Sie die Funktion iOSApp.ReadReceipt, um die Quittung des App Store zu lesen und zu sehen, welche Artikel der Benutzer mit dem Store gekauft hat. Benutzen Sie die StoreKit-Funktionen, um Produkte aufzulisten und eine Transaktion zu starten.
Wir optimieren die Geschwindigkeit für Audit-Funktionen, fügen eine bessere Fehlerbehandlung für Socket-Funktionen hinzu, schreiben die Hotkey-Funktionen mit nativer API unter Windows neu, verbesseren die Handhabung der Textkodierung für XML Funktionen und stellen die Fehler Benachrichtigungen wieder her, um Fehler in MBS-Aufrufen anzuzeigen (wenn Sie Benachrichtigungen für FileMaker zugelassen haben).
Schließlich aktualisieren wir die bzip2-Bibliothek auf Version 1.0.8, CURL auf 7.72.0, DynaPDF auf 4.0.41.118 mit ZUGFeRD 2.1, GraphicsMagick auf 1.3.35, JPEG-Bibliothek auf 9d, PCRE auf 8.44, SQLAPI auf 5.1.1, SQLite auf 3.33.0 einschließlich Dezimalerweiterung und wir aktualisieren Xcode auf Version 10.6.
Today fourteen years ago we released the MBS FileMaker Plugin in Version 1.0.
Here the original announcement:
[ANN] MBS Plug-in For Filemaker
Make FileMaker Windows Semi Transparent!
Take Screenshots from FileMaker
Run an Applescript on field exit
and more...
Monkey Bread Software, maker of the popular MBS Plug-in for RealBasic and geist interactive have teamed up to bring the extensive MBS function library to FileMaker. The MBS RealBasic plug-in contains over 10000 functions, and this release represents the first step in a project to bring as many of those functions to FileMaker as make sense. Many many more features to com in the future.
The plug-in is available for FileMaker 8 and 8.5. It is available for Windows XP and as Universal Binary for Mac OS X There is a Developer Tool available to help you get started quickly with documentation and Calculation builder. Demos are available on the website
On my next visit to Vienna, we plan another developer meeting:
Wer hat Interesse an einem FileMaker Entwicklertreffen am 10. September in Wien?
Diesmal mit Vince Menanno von Beezwax, der gerne was zum Inspector Pro zeigt.
Vince ist seit ein paar Monaten in Deutschland und kommt gerne mal rüber nach Wien.
Und gerne zeige ich auch was zum nächsten MBS Plugin.
Einfach in gemütlicher Runde treffen in einem netten Restaurant und beim Abendessen was über FileMaker reden. Vielleicht habt ihr ja auch Fragen und Probleme, wo ich helfen kann?
Zeit wäre ca. 18 bis 22 Uhr am 10. September 2020, so dass man auch später kommen oder früher gehen kann.
Wer dabei sein möchte, bitte bei uns melden.
Falls sonst noch Bedarf an Schulung, vor Ort Entwicklung oder FileMaker/Xojo Hilfe besteht, bitte wegen Terminfindung bald melden.
New in this prerelease of version 10.4 of the MBS FileMaker Plugin:
Fixed FM.RunDatabaseDesignReport and FM.RunSaveAsXML to pass directory for macOS again. If possible we now skip the save dialog and tell FileMaker where to save directly.
Sometimes users ask what is better: a plugin or a web service?
The usual answer from your lawyer applies here, too: It depends.
If you can write your own plugin or web service, things may be different than the average user, who uses it.
The web service
The web service provides functionality over a network (usual Internet). It runs on someone else's computer who takes care about keeping it working with redundancy, load balancing and security threads. Your access to the service depends on the quality of your own network connection and the service is usually not available while being offline or without connectivity on the go in rural areas.
You may need to prepare for service being not available and have a table in your database for jobs, so when service is not available, you can store requests and process them later.
If the service gets new features, those are usually rolled out quickly. Usually first to a tester group, but over time to all users. A good service will not break functionality, but use versioning in the URLs to keep old versions running.
Your access to the service will be available as long as you pay whatever the service vendor wants to charge you. Per request, per time and with arbitrary usage limits. The service may stop being available for you if your credit card expires and you forget to update it. If the company goes out of business or decides the service is not profitable, the service may shut down with very short notice.
One question is who owns the data. Can the service provider use data you provide and for example use it for advertisement. Servers may be in a different jurisdiction and could be seized. Problematic if you use shared servers and some other customers does something illegal and your data is seized with the one of the suspect.
Finally you need to consider how big the impact is on you, in case the provider is hacked and all your data on the server is copied by the hackers. Or worse, if the hackers can read all data coming back over months. Of course you may have a contract stating how data is processed, stored, secured, backed up and shared.
The library
The library (or plugin) providing a service locally within your solution is a bit different. You get the library and you can use it locally, even offline. There is usually no per-use fee, but only a license fee to get the library once, with possible yearly maintenance cost.
A shared library has access to the hosting application, so it can work with windows and controls. It can show own dialogs within the application and provide additional functionality on the host windows.
If the vendor of the library goes out of business, the library will usually continue to work. Over time some functionality may break, e.g. with an update to the operation system. If that happens, you may look for other libraries to provide such functionality and gradually replace features as needed.
Every request can be answered by the library instantly or after some processing time. The network latency has no effect. All data can be accessed within the same memory and same disk space as no data needs to be uploaded. Performance may be higher compared to a service, as the library is usually provided as compiled code for the local CPU. And of course all data stays locally.
Finally the library may help you to access a web service. We have examples for e.g. sending emails, Amazon S3 upload/download and more for MBS Plugins.
Conclusion
What you prefer to use depends on your concrete task to solve. Think a little bit about all those factors above and decide wisely. If you have a library doing the job or you already pay for the service, you may just use that. Otherwise it is a calculation of make vs buy, pay by month for a service vs. pay one time for a license and how much work the implementation and future maintenance is.
We set the option to not replace existing values. This calculation now runs on every record creation in FileMaker Pro. The plugin function returns OK, which is written to the record.
The script will now run whenever you create a new record or duplicate one as the calculation runs. We pass the record ID so the script could check the record.
Timer Script Trigger
Other people may create records on the same database hosted on a server. So you may want to regularly check whether there are new records and we just automated it via counting records via SQL to trigger a script when the count changes. Here is the sample script:
# StartRecordCreatedTrigger
Set Variable [ $count ; Value: MBS( "FM.ExecuteFileSQL"; "Contacts"; "SELECT Count(*) FROM Contacts"; 9; 13 ) ]
As you see we query an initial count number and put it in a global variable. We schedule an evaluate and let's take a look on the expression without the backslashes needed:
Let([
$SQLCount = MBS("FM.ExecuteFileSQL"; "Contacts"; "SELECT Count(*) FROM Contacts"; 9; 13);
$e = MBS("IsError");
$r = Wenn($e = 0 AND $SQLCount≠$$LastSQLCount; MBS("FM.RunScript"; "Contacts"; "RecordCreated"));
As you see we query again the count of records via SQL and if that number changes, trigger the script and remember the new count. If an error is reported from SQL, we ignore this for now as the file may be closed currently?
To stop this later, we can release the schedule and have the plugin stop it:
Set Variable [ $$RecordCreatedScheduleRef ; Value: "" ]
As you see we just call Schedule.Release function to release if the variable is set and then clear it.
By using the MBS Plugin to schedule this, we can do the Evaluate even while a script is running already. Your scripts can use OnTimer if needed as we don't need that.
With the next MBS FileMaker Plugin release, we will embrace JSON functions for our FileMaker plugin. As more developers now learn JSON, we can now return you more data as JSON. Instead of making dozens of calls to query all information about a field in a PDF document, you may just want to call DynaPDF.GetFieldsAsJSON and get details for all fields in one chunk and then pick what you need. On the way we made similar functions for annotations, bookmarks, color spaces, doc information, embedded files, fields, fonts and system font information:
We have started to look on the 
When you try the FileMaker iOS SDK from FileMaker 19 and you like to use our plugin, you may need to follow some simple steps:
With 
Today fourteen years ago we released the MBS FileMaker Plugin in Version 1.0.