Today, 9th March 2010, FileMaker Inc. announced the new FileMaker version 11. There are many new features in Filemaker 11. I like to tell you about some of these features. Enjoy!

FileMaker Charts

The database becomes more colorful! FileMaker Inc. licensed ChartDirector from Advanced Software Engineering and included it into its database. It is now easy to create bar charts (vertical and horizontal), line, area, and pie charts from your data. You can choose between 2D and 3D presentation, solid or shaded colors.

Chart Setup

The team at FileMaker Inc. made every effort to create charts as easy as possible. In two dialogs you select the data and the format options for your charts. Enter chart title, axis labels, and series names, either as a constant text or from a table field or calculation. The data for the data series may come from table fields or any calculation, making it easy to scale different data sets.

The color for the data series are selected from predefined color schemes. Some might see this as an unnecessary restriction, but FileMaker offers 20 different color schemes, enough to find something for your taste. And you can choose your own color for the chart background. Select from solid fill, different linear or radial gradients, or transparent.

Data Source

The data source for the charts may be one from three choices:

• Current Found Set – Deselect any record from the current found set will remove it from the chart as well.
• Current Record – Each field contains the values for the data series as a list, each value delimited with a line-break (¶).
• Related Records – You would choose this option to create a chart for the records from a portal.

Data-based Table Definition

When you create a new database with FileMaker 11 you will face a different view. Instead of the Database Manager you see something like a spreadsheet. This is a new way for you to create fields. You can add fields and records at the same time. It is the Table View using a spreadsheet-like format. For newcomer, this could be an easier way to start the first table. Enter the data as it comes, add new fields as necessary, change field format, and set field options on the go.

Of course, the old way to define a table, creating fields and changing their options is still available. And you can decide in the Preferences which way you like to start a new file. But the spreadsheet-like format is a great tool. Creating grouped reports by adding leading or trailing groups by fields, adding statistic fields as you need them, or sort, delete and hide fields.

The Inspector General

Developer will love this new feature. In Layout Mode the Inspector will show all object attributes. Grouped into three tabbed pages, you have direct access to position, appearance, and data options. If you have a large monitor, you can open multiple Inspectors,  showing all three tabs at the same time. Otherwise use keyboard shortcuts to bring the required tab to the front.

Most object attributes can be changed with the Inspector. Position, dimension, background and borders, text attributes, tab positions, and data format. But also tooltip text, field assignment, repetition numbers and direction.

A huge advantage working with the Inspector, selecting multiple objects and changing one option will change only that option. In previous FileMaker versions changing tab positions for multiple fields at the same time could change the alignment or other text settings. This annoying behavior is a thing from the past.

Text Highlighting

When you look at the Inspector image on the right, you can see a new text attribute in FileMaker 11: Text Highlighting. It is the button with the T on yellow background. This eye-catching text attribute can be applied to text labels and field contains. It is supported by the function TextStyleAdd like bold or italics.

Quick Find

Another great time saver is the Quick Find feature. Let the user search across multiple fields on the layout. Just assign any layout field for Quick Find, FileMaker is doing the rest. The user can access Quick Find in the toolbar. But this feature is fully script-able, allowing the developer creating their own Quick Find fields anywhere in the layout.

Fields included in Quick Find are marked with a small magnifying glass in Layout Mode. Field from related tables can be included into Quick Find, but might increase search time. Merge fields can be included into Quick Find. All this saves the developer the need to create a special calculation field to emulate this feature in previous FileMaker versions.

Snapshot Links

Talking about time savers. FileMaker offers now a Snapshot Link. It captures and preserves a found set of record IDs, including layout, view, and sort order. The Snapshot Link can be mailed to another person with access to the same database. Clicking on the Snapshot Link will restore the saved environment setting. It will not save the records itself, any record deleted since the Snapshot Link was created or any new record will not be found. It is rather a reference to the original found set. It does not matter whether the database is already open. The Snapshot Link will recreate the saved database status.

This is a great feature to bring important records to the attention or your colleagues. Or you can use the Snapshot Link to start the next day where you left of the night before. The Snapshot Link feature is fully script-able, making it easy to make this a default feature for your database.

Recurring Import

You have to import data from an external source on a daily base? Let FileMaker do the work. When you import that file the first time, select the option “Set up as automatic recurring import”. FileMaker will import the data again the next day you enter that layout again. And manual import is just a button away. This makes it easy to keep data, for example from an Excel file, available in your FileMaker database.

Layout Folders

Similar to script folders, layouts can be grouped into multiple folders. Especially in huge projects with dozens of layouts this will make it faster to switch between layouts.

Portal Filtering

Now it is easy to add a filter to a portal to specify the related records that are shown in the portal. In the past you had to created multiple portals with as many relationships to create any similar. Now define a filter condition and the portal records are filtered right away.

Enhanced Usage for Variables

Variables can be used in unexpected ways. For example use a merge variable. It is similar to a merge field, but it will display the content of a global or local variable. This will open the door to enhanced layout designs.

To make scripted find request easier for the developer, you can use variables there, too. I wonder, what other plans has FileMaker with variables.

New Script Triggers

After the successful introduction of Script Triggers with FileMaker 10 it was to be expected that this version would introduce some additional Script Triggers:

• OnLayoutExit
• OnObjectValidate
• OnViewChange

This gives the developer more control over his database. He can react to more actions of the user.

Other Features

The new feature list is long. Not mentioned yet is the refined security features and the option to allow opening the database only with FileMaker Pro 11. This could be important, because the file format is still fp7. Previous FileMaker versions could open these files, but would not have access to the new features. Therefore, it might be of vital importance for the database to be opened only with FileMaker 11.

Enhanced support for Bento data import (Mac OS) and improvements for Instant Web Publishing (a status toolbar similar to the one used in FileMaker Pro) are other new features. Also new functions and other things. Not all changes are listed in the New Feature section of the FileMaker Help.

FileMaker Pro 11 Advanced

Of course there are new features in the Advanced version as well. A feature I was long waiting for, copy, paste, and import of custom functions from other FileMaker database. With a simple dialog I can copy required custom functions from my custom function library. Great!

Improvements in the Customer Menu User Interface and and Enhanced Script Debugger are also new. Perhaps not as exciting as it could be, little changes might improve the work for any developer a lot easier.

Conclusion

To get an idea of all the new features you have to work with FileMaker Pro 11. You can download a trial version for free at FileMaker.com.

I myself will dive into the new version to explore new features and discover new opportunities with this database. The new features already found will improve my work and projects.