The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group The FileMaker Special Interest Group John Green

The FileMaker Special Interest Group, comprising professionals and serious users of the world's number one cross-platform database application FileMaker Pro, has started meeting at the Dorcas Street premises of the Melbourne PC User Group. The last meeting for this year will be on 24 November from 7.00 pm to 9.15 pm. It will be a techniques night on "Navigation between files and within files" with Robert Fleming, Stanton Ryan, Russell Sloan and Peter Newland as the presenters. The group is aimed at intermediate to advanced users, although beginners are welcome to attend and observe the possibilities. Among topics to be included for forthcoming meetings are Printing-problems and solutions, Floating Palettes, Value Lists, Calendars and Plugins.

What is FileMaker Pro?

FileMaker Pro v.6 is a database application that runs on Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows ME, Windows XP, Windows NT, and on Mac Os 8.6 to 9.2 and Mac OSX. It will also run on Linux server.

FileMaker Pro is relational, network-able and multi user. It will work with plug-ins to extend its capabilities It is easily Web enabled and supports XML, ODBC and JDBC. It can store various sound and graphic formats and play QuickTime movies. The Mac OSX version can store, PDF files. It has a very user friendly look and feel, and has serious graphics capabilities and features that have survived earlier flat file versions, making it possible for novices to quickly produce effective solutions. It is sufficiently robust for use in medium-sized enterprises or small work groups, and enables more experienced users to produce advanced and sophisticated solutions.

Format of Meetings

Members volunteer to "show and tell" their solutions. This may involve an overview of how a solution solves problems for users, or it may zoom in on a particular aspect of how a solution implements various features of FileMaker in a novel or interesting fashion. FileMaker development techniques are also explored.

Usually meetings will consist of a presentation of about 50 minutes, a coffee break, then a shorter presentation until meeting close.

If members have encountered a problem using FileMaker Pro, they are welcome to bring it to the meeting to see if the group can devise a solution.

Files and presentations can be brought on laptop for connection to an overhead projector, on CD, on Zip cartridge or e-mailed to the convenor until the day prior to the meeting.

Members using versions of FileMaker earlier than the latest version will be supported.

Reprinted from the November 2003 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia

[ About Melbourne PC User Group ]