FileMaker Pro 9

FileMaker Server also deserves a brief mention. Apart from a redesigned interface, its big new feature is PHP Site Assistant, which guides you through a number of options and then automatically creates a PHP website (or, at least parts of it) to publish your database. There's a selection of layout themes and styles to choose from, and it aims to be usable even by someone with no PHP programming experience.

Version 9 retains the same file format as versions 7 and 8, so there's no need to rebuild files except, of course, to use the new features. It's also the first version specifically designed to work with Vista, although a Vista-compatibility update for version 8.5 was released in March.

Whether it's really FileMaker's most dramatic new offering in years depends on these new features being what you've been waiting for, but there are certainly many useful improvements across the board. Most of the more significant new features are quite specific, though, so not all users will benefit equally from an upgrade. As such, it's a recommended purchase, but not an essential upgrade for everyone.

Author: Jack Weber