Begin your journey of building solid business solutions by learning the steps of planning, creating and deploying successful solutions on the FileMaker Platform. This section gives you an introduction to the foundation and design phase when starting a new project and the key principles to consider for any project such as user experience, building for different devices, and performance.

2. Data

Gain practical skills required to define FileMaker Pro data tables and fields. Learn how to construct different types of data relationships, ensure data integrity, and implement multiple-table solutions. Cover important topics such as data types and options for auto-entry, validation, field storage and indexing. Plus, learn how to manage images and other objects in container fields.

3. Interface

Learn how to work efficiently and effectively with layouts, an essential skill for any developer. For solutions accessed by mobile, desktop, and web users, layouts can be tailored to take full advantage of the specific environment, providing for a great user experience. The lessons in this module explore different types of layout objects and the tools and methods for controlling them.

4. Calculations

Learn how functions work in the calculation engine and how to apply them in various contexts. Study how custom functions are built and how to use them in database solutions. Lessons also include the set of functions that are especially useful when developing for the mobile user. And discover new functionality in FileMaker Pro for accessing metadata stored with container field data.

5.  Scripting

Explore the power of the scripting in FileMaker Pro, which allows you to create scripted routines that can then be triggered in a variety of ways. Learn about a number of scripting tools that make it easier to write and troubleshoot scripts, as well as best practices for writing scripts, and scripting for the mobile user. Learn how to build navigation and window controls, create custom menus, and study logical branching and looping routines.

6. Reporting

Practice creating reports in FileMaker Pro using a variety of techniques. Explore basic and advanced sub-summary reports and learn how to build a cross-tab report (with data-driven columns). And see how the ExecuteSQL function can be extremely useful for creating reports and charts with its ability to quickly find, sort and even aggregate data.

7. Security

Become familiar with the security controls in FileMaker Pro and their relevance to FileMaker Go, FileMaker WebDirect, and Custom Web Publishing. Study the account-based security features of FileMaker Pro, and learn how to implement privilege sets, tie access to database solutions to external authentication servers, control both access and authoring rights to systems, and extend security controls with scripting. Learn how to encrypt FileMaker files and network communication and why doing this is important.

8. Deployment

Understand the various techniques for a deploying a FileMaker solution, with particular considerations for the new FileMaker WebDirect technology, as well as considerations specific to FileMaker Go. Get best practices for installing and configuring FileMaker Server, and learn how to trigger scripts from FileMaker Pro as well as operating system scripts from FileMaker Server.

9. Integration

Learn how to integrate FileMaker Pro with external systems, both through ODBC connections and with the FileMaker data API and native FileMaker JSON parsing support. Discover how the integration of FileMaker with APIs opens up a wealth of possibilities for your FileMaker solutions. Review the new Claris Connect and understand how you can link it with your FileMaker apps.