Product Reviews

A major redesign of FileMaker was being rumoured even before version 6 hit the shelves, and it's finally arrived as FileMaker Pro 7. The good news is that there are many changes and virtually all are for the better. Also welcome is the fact that those who aren't involved in creating databases probably won't notice much difference - FileMaker Pro 7 looks and feels very familiar.

For database developers and administrators, however, there's work to be done. Not only does version 7 introduce many new features, including an expanded relational model and redesigned security system, but the underlying file structure has changed. The bad news is that all existing databases will need to be migrated. Fortunately, there's a fast and effective conversion tool built in, but all except the simplest databases are likely to need some manual tweaking and, at the very least, testing. Many users will see this as an ideal opportunity to redesign their databases anyway, to take advantage of the new structural features.

Foremost among these is an enhanced relational model that now allows joins based not just on equality, but also <, >, and a universal operator that will match all records in the related file. Joins are bi-directional and can see through related tables to data from further down a relational chain. All this opens up many new possibilities and means that lots of clunky workarounds that have been needed up until now can be eliminated or substantially simplified. To go with all this, there's a new graphical interface too. This lets you create relations simply by dragging between fields, and also provides an excellent overview of the database structure. Files can now contain multiple tables, which is neater and makes access control and backing up simpler, although you can stick with separate files for each table, or mix the two approaches. Unfortunately, the conversion tool won't allow you to combine existing files into the new multitable format.

The hard limits on files and fields have also been expanded enormously. Any file can now be up to 8TB (terabytes) in size and contain a million tables - way beyond what any FileMaker user is likely to need today. More importantly, though, individual text fields can now hold 2GB, while container fields max out at 4GB. That's

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significant because it makes FileMaker a more viable option for media asset management, document management or large catalogue publishing.

In the past, FileMaker offered access control through a system of groups and privileges. That's been transformed into a new, more intuitive model, with individual user accounts and much finer granularity of permissions. Authentication can be handled entirely within FileMaker or, if you're using FileMaker Server, you can validate log-ins against Windows domains or Windows Server local users/groups. FileMaker Server can encrypt client communications using SSL and be set up to retire passwords after a certain time.

One very welcome improvement to the user interface is that you can now open multiple windows on the same file, each with its own found set, sort and so on. This lets you, for example, have one contact record open as a detailed form while scrolling through all contacts in an adjacent list window - very useful.

Many developers will have hoped for more advanced programmability in ScriptMaker. It hasn't appeared, but one excellent innovation is that script steps, such as Find and Sort, can now be directly defined rather than simply restoring the existing settings. You can also now pass parameters to a script, which is enormously useful and should reduce the amount of repetitive scripting needed. Data types have been altered slightly so that Global is no longer a separate field type, but becomes a property that can be applied to almost any field. There's also a new Timestamp data type that combines date and time. Among the dozens of other new features, improved portal sorting, enhancements to Instant Web Publishing and better text formatting all stand out.

Obviously, such fundamental and widespread changes mean that the whole FileMaker product line has to be updated, but this is being done in two stages. For now, only FileMaker Pro and Developer are available in the new version. During the summer, Server, Server Advanced (which replaces FileMaker Unlimited) and Mobile will make the transition. This is a sensible approach, as it means that users of simple databases can migrate immediately while database developers have time to learn the new format and work out how to rebuild more complex systems.

Of course, it's a hassle having to convert every FileMaker database, but the benefits will definitely justify the effort. The only real disappointment is that speed hasn't been improved. In fact, many operations including Open, Sort and Find are noticeably slower compared to FileMaker 6. While this upgrade is about establishing fundamental new concepts rather than pushing performance, users will certainly be looking for speed enhancements in 7.x versions. That aside, this is an essential upgrade that manages to improve the power of FileMaker without sacrificing its traditional simplicity.