The year 2024 will end in less than three weeks. Do you need some more licenses?
- You can order licenses for 2025 or later and have invoice, delivery and payment done in 2024.
This way you secure the current pricing and the possibility to keep upgradeability for older licenses.
- And of course you can order updates for several years in advance for all your MBS products.
- As all our Xojo and DynaPDF plugin licenses are per developer, you should check if you got a new developer in your team this year and adjust licenses to match team size.
- For MBS FileMaker Plugin please check if you have enough license for the number of seats or servers you have in use.
If you upgrade to unlimited seats or servers, the plugin won't need to check the usage counts.
- For LibXL you can check if you like to upgrade from individual developer licenses to the Enterprise level. We can assist and may apply a special upgrade price.
Especially if you run on a budget and you want to spend some money in the old year, you can buy updates for several years in advance.
If you need help to decide what Xojo, FileMaker or plugin license you need, we may be able to assist you.
New in this prerelease of version 14.6 of the
MBS FileMaker Plugin:
- Improved stack printing for Windows to help debugging issues.
- Updated SQLite to version 3.47.2.
- Improved SyntaxColoring.AddContextMenuCommand function to allow them to show in browse and layout mode.
- Fixed crash in DuckDB client for SQL functions.
- Added a sort feature to the plugin for the Show Window list.
- Added Archive.IsOpen function.
Download at
monkeybreadsoftware.com/filemaker/files/Prerelease/
You can subscribe to our FileMaker mailing list to get notified for new pre-release and release versions.
If you have a lot of databases in FileMaker and not all windows are visible, you are certainly a power user with a huge database project. And whenever you go to the window menu to show a window, you have to scan the list to find the one you like. To make live easier, the MBS Plugin now sorts this starting with 14.6pr3 later this week.
As you see we just sort the menu entries in place if the plugin is installed. Enjoy!
Available for macOS only in MBS Plugin 14.6pr3 and later.
Our monkey likes to have things together in a compact form.
For this reason, it also likes archives and would like to have
the option of creating an archive from the children's information and the individual files in the portal.
We want to implement this now.
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Day 8 - Weather data with JSON |
Today is day 8 of our advent calendar and winter is getting a bit chilly for our monkey. To avoid any surprises at Christmas, he wants to be able to call up the current temperature and weather conditions for each customer in FileMaker.
We would like to retrieve the weather data from a weather database. The weather data can be found on the website openweathermap.org. A few years ago we already made a video about how we implement this with FileMaker nativ functions. Today I would like to show you how this works with the JSON functions of MBS. These have the advantage that they can work very quickly, even with large amounts of data.
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Many customers in Germany are currently interested in the topic of electronic invoices. With the MBS FileMaker Plugin and the DynaPDF functions, we can help you to implement this in FileMaker solutions.
ZUGFeRD
If you are looking into the topic of e-invoicing, then you should read on the website of the Forum elektronische Rechnung Deutschland what ZUGFeRD, what XRechnung and what Factur-XX is.
Then download the current standard: ZUGFeRD 2.3.2. In the download you will find the specification for ZUGFeRD (and Factur-X). There are also various code lists, schema files and many sample invoices.
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Door 7 - Open Files With Roundabout Route Via Temporary Files |
Welcome to day 7 of our advent calendar. Today we would like to add a function to our document portal from day 3. So far we can add documents to this portal via drag and drop, what we are missing now is the possibility to open them from FileMaker.
To do this, we use the MBS function Files.LaunchFile. We can pass a path to this function and the file or folder located at this path is then launched with the standard program provided for this purpose.
But we realize now that we have a container value and no path, how do we do this now? You could perhaps come up with the idea of writing the path to a field when reading it in. This procedure becomes problematic, if we move the original file to a new location and the path is no longer correct. So we have to take a different way. We save the file in the temporary folder and display it from there.
To do this, we first create the path where we want to save the file. We determine the temporary folder with the Folders.UserTemporary function. In the Folders area, we also have further functions for other special folders such as Desktop, Applications or Documents.
Once we have the path to this folder, we still need to append the file name with the correct file extension. The file name is made up of the primary key and the file name. The file name already contains the file extension. We now put together this determined file name with the Path.AddPathComponent function, specifying our temporary path in the parameters.
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Door 6 - Sending Out Wishlist Forms |
Today it is time for us to take care of the wish lists of the giftees. We want to prepare a form that we send by e-mail to the giftees, who fill out this form. In a later door we can then read this information from our returned document.
To do this, we first create the template we want to send. To do this, we first need a simple PDF file on which we can position our fields. We have the option of either building this form with DynaPDF, or we can use a pre-designed PDF in which we create fields. I chose this method now. The document was created with Pages and then output as a PDF via the print settings. We want to write several labels in this file. The labels are not only important for the labeling, so that the customer knows which data is to be entered there, but also for positioning the form fields. We want to position these behind the labels.
Now we have everything we need to create our template.
Since we are working with DynaPDF, we first have to initialize it again, as we already explained in door 4.
If [ MBS("DynaPDF.IsInitialized")=0 ]
Perform Script [ Specified: From list ; "InitDynaPDF" ; Parameter: ]
End If
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New in this prerelease of version 14.6 of the
MBS FileMaker Plugin:
- Removed the dependency on VCRUNTIME140_1.DLL. Appeared back in pr1.
- Updated DynaPDF to version 4.0.95.269.
- Added DynaPDF.GetLastTextPosXAbs and DynaPDF.GetLastTextPosYAbs functions.
- Improved XML.SetPathValue to not create duplicate nodes when finding them using namespaces.
- Tuned formatting of calculations to break behind and/or for long lines.
Download at
monkeybreadsoftware.com/filemaker/files/Prerelease/
You can subscribe to our FileMaker mailing list to get notified for new pre-release and release versions.
Today is day 5 of our calendar and our monkey has a few calls to make on his iPhone. He just doesn't want to keep typing in the number and searching for the customer. It would be much easier if he could simply save the specific contacts in Apple Contacts with the touch of a button. That's no problem, because as a Mac user you can read and write data in Apple Contacts. We use our Contacts functions for this.
But before we can start, we first need to be able to assign phone numbers and email addresses to our contacts. Until now, this was very complicated because we had to leave the giftee layout and enter the data in the respective layouts of the tables. We would now like to change this. To do this, we go to our relationship diagram and double-click on the equal sign between our phone and giftee relationship. Then the Edit Relationship dialog opens and we can make settings.
Here we can decide whether we can delete or create data records via this relationship. To do this, we can make a choice in the checkboxes at the bottom. We tick Allow creation of records in this table via this relationship and Delete related records in this table when a record is deleted in the other table for the Telphone table. This allows us to create records in our portal and if a gifte is deleted, the associated telephone numbers are also deleted. We now do the same for the mail addresses.
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Door 4 - Add GTC with DynaPDF |
Today I would like to show you a tool that you can use in FileMaker with the MBS FileMaker Plugin: DynaPDF. With DynaPDF you have the possibility to create, edit, merge, analyze or sign PDF documents in FileMaker. DynaPDF offers you many possibilities around the topic of PDF.
Our monkey also wants to use one of these functionalities today. Because today we want to build the possibility to attach user terms and conditions to a PDF document. The user terms and conditions always remain the same and can be attached to any outgoing document, e.g. an invoice. I will show you how this works today in this door.
First we have to initialize DynaPDF, which means we have to tell FileMaker where the DynaPDF function library is located. The files are automatically delivered with the download of the plugin and can be found in Examples > DynaPDF. The files have the extension dll and dylib. Which of the files you need depends on your operating system. If you want to use DynaPDF on a Mac, you will need the path to the dynapdf.dylib file. If we are working with Windows, it also depends on whether we are working with a 32 or 64 bit version. If you are using FileMaker 19 or higher, this decision is easy, as only a 64 system can be used here. In any case, the library has the extension .dll.
If you are not sure, just put both dll in the same folder and the plugin will grab the file it needs. The next piece of information we need is the DynaPDF license key. If you want to use DynaPDF in your solutions, you need an appropriate DynaPDF license and an MBS FileMaker Plugin license.
There are four different DynaPDF licenses. Which license you need depends mainly on which DynaPDF functions you use. If you need more information, please visit our website to find out which license is right for you. However, we do not necessarily need a license to try it out, but need to live with the watermark.
After we have determined the path to the libraries and the license key, if available, we can now call the DynaPDF.Initialize function. In the parameters we first enter the path to the library and then the license key. If we do not yet have a license key, we pass an empty string here.
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This is the German version. See the English version here.
Viele Kunden interessieren sich im Moment für das Thema elektronische Rechnungen. Mit dem MBS Plugin und den DynaPDF Funktionen können wir Ihnen helfen dies in FileMaker Lösungen und Xojo Anwendungen zu implementieren.
ZUGFeRD
Wenn Sie in das Thema e-Rechnung rein schauen, dann sollten Sie auf der Webeite vom Forum elektronische Rechnung Deutschland einmal lesen, was ZUGFeRD, was XRechnung und was Factur-X ist.
Dann laden Sie sich den aktuellen Standard mal runter: ZUGFeRD 2.3.2. In dem Download finden Sie dann die Spezifikation für ZUGFeRD (und Factur-X). Dazu kommen noch diverse Code Listen, Schema Dateien und viele Musterrechnungen.
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Welcome to our third door in this advent calendar.
Today we would like to start expanding our database.
We want to have the possibility to store additional documents for the giftees.
For this purpose, we will create a table with the name Files.
This table should store the name of the file, the type and the file itself as a container value.
In addition, we also need a field with the Foreigen Key here,
because we want to establish a relationship so that the files can also be assigned to the giftee.
Now we have to think about how we want to bring these files into our database.
We want to use drag and drop to do this.
So we build an area where we can drag the desired file and the type and name are then automatically
read out and the file and the remaining information are then stored in a record in the new table.
This data record should be related to the giftee that is currently displayed.
We can create drag and drop areas with the MBS FileMaker Plugin.
To avoid wasting useful space for a drag and drop field on our layout,
we would like to place this drag and drop field as an overlay,
i.e. a freely movable area on our layout that can be activated and
deactivated by clicking a button. To do this, we first need to create an overlay
and then assign drag and drop functionality to it.
So let's start with the overlay first.
To do this, we have the functions from the Overlay section.
First, we create a new overlay with the MBS function Overlay.Create.
This function returns a reference.
We also need to specify this reference in the other functions so that we know exactly
which overlay in our project the functions should be applied to.
Next, we want to determine the size and starting position of our overlay.
To do this, we use the Overlay.SetFrame function and,
as already mentioned, specify the overlay reference, the position with X and Y
coordinates and the height and width of the overlay in pixels.
So we want the top left corner of our overlay to be 30 pixels away from the right and top edge.
In addition, our overlay should be square and 200 x 200 pixels in size. Our function call looks like this:
Set Variable [ $r ; Value: MBS("Overlay.SetFrame"; $overlay; 30; 30; 200; 200) ]
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New in this prerelease of version 14.6 of the
MBS FileMaker Plugin:
Download at
monkeybreadsoftware.com/filemaker/files/Prerelease/
You can subscribe to our FileMaker mailing list to get notified for new pre-release and release versions.
Hello and welcome to this year's MBS FileMaker Advent calendar.
This year our logo monkey has turned into a Christmas elf and has to take care of the coordinated distribution of presents at Christmas.
What could be more obvious for our monkey than to get an overview with a FileMaker database.
Over the next 24 days, we'll show you how to pimp a simple database with the help of the MBS FileMaker Plugin.
All you need is to have fun with FileMaker.
We'll start by creating the database and work our way through step by step.
Even though the advent calendar is suitable for beginners,
advanced users and professionals can certainly use some of the ideas from the advent calendar for their own purposes.
So let's start with our first door and thus with the basis for this calendar.
Our FileMaker database.
Although we provide you with this database,
it can be useful to deal with the topic of how such a database can be set up.
Initially, we only have a few tables, which we will expand over the course of the Advent calendar.
Initially, our database consists of 3 tables.
The table with the name of the giftee is our main table in which we find the information about the giftee,
such as the last name, first name, date of birth and address.
In addition, each recipient has their own identification number that can be uniquely assigned to them.
This means that the number exists exactly once for each recipient.
In this example, we call it the Primary Key in the table.
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You may know we have over 40
goodies for developers on macOS to make the live easier. And of course also a few things for Windows. But did you know that not only developers enjoy these enhancements, but also your users?
While the normal users of your solutions don't enjoy syntax coloring as they don't edit scripts, they may still enjoy our benefits in same places like the search feature in the export dialog.
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Check out the FMTraining.tv website. Richard Carlton and his team do a daily free live stream about FileMaker to watch.
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 check out the new MBS Plugin 14.5: Announcement, new functions and release notes.
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As you may know Americans love to shop on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This year Black Friday is 29th November. About half our customers are in North America, so we are happy to offer you a discount if you buy this weekend.
Please use coupon code
BlackFriday for the web shop with 20% off for new licenses of MBS Plugins, DynaPDF and
LibXL.
Updates are already offered with discount (usually 50%) compared to new purchases and and our academic prices already have a discount, too. If you like, you can email us to get an order link for all licenses you need or provide an invoice if needed. Especially if you like to use Paypal for payment, we can provide a link with discount or write a custom invoice.
Order MBS FileMaker Plugin Order MBS Xojo Plugins Order LibXL
As usual the discounted offer allows you to buy whatever licenses you may need in the next year. Especially if your license expired in 2023 or before, this is a great chance to get up to date!
This offer expires 3rd December 2024.
PS: We can do DynaPDF upgrades with the discount, too. Please contact us if you need an upgrade for something, e.g. to make invoices with ZUGFeRD.
You have a question? Please don't hesitate to contact us by email or
form. We may help to point you to the right offer.