Select files in FileMaker
How to get a file path from any file? This sample file shows a simple way of achieving this. Of course this also can be done with plugins and probably more convenient, but this is one way to do without.
Step by step
- Use the script step “Insert File”, and
- store the file as a reference in a variable.
- This variable on Mac has 2 values. Get the 2nd value to extract the full path.
The first value is a relative path, starting with “file:”. The second value is an absolute and platform based path, starting with “filemac:”.
Use the path
The extracted path is a text string. You can mold the text if you need to, to create exactly the result you need.
Make it your own
This simple test file will probably not do all you need. Change it, enhance it, and make it your own.
Sample file on how to select a file and save the file path in a variable.
Be aware the script step used here is not compatible across all platforms. Check the Claris Help.
Requires FileMaker Pro 20 or newer.
Date Routine
Dates are cumbersome to write down. That is probably fine if it is just a single date. But adding manually the day, month and year to get a valid date is quite a lot. When doing repetitive work and adding many dates regularly, this becomes tedious toil. How can you simplify adding dates? This sample file shows you.
Setting the order
It is quite easy to capture the current date in FileMaker. It also gives you the tools to extract day, month and year. As you have the building blocks readily available, it is possible to reconfigure these as you like. That’s what is done in this sample file. The current setup is focussed on a European style date:
Day/Month/Year
The scripts requires simple numbers and no separators. If you need any other setup, feel free to reconfigure the scripts.
4, 6 or 8 digits
The file requires a field with a script trigger. The trigger kicks off a script which evaluates the input. It will recognize the number of characters filled in and then build the full date around it.
- 4 digits = day+month. Adding “0104” will get you the first of april of the current year
- 6 digits = day+month+2-digit-year. Adding “010226” will get you the first of february of 2026.
- 8 digits = day+month+4-digit-year. Adding “05121725” will get you the fifth of december of the year 1725.
Activate the calculation by jumping out the field. Without leaving your keyboard, press [TAB], which usually jumps to the next field. Now you can work in lists or forms with a shorter and simpler way to add dates.
Make it your own
This simple test file will probably not do all you need. Change it, enhance it, and make it your own.
Entering dates in a date field can be cumbersome. DateRoutine shows how you can use FileMaker scripting and field triggers to complete dates. This is a free sample file.
Currency Conversion Addon
In a global setting you might need to be able to sell in multiple currencies. This addon for FileMaker uses the Free Currency Conversion API to get a list of over 30 currencies to be used in FileMaker Pro.
How it works
The addon is simple to install in any FileMaker version that supports addons. We strongly advise to use a (near) latest version of FileMaker. After installation, you add your API-key from freecurrencyapi.com. For this you need to create a free account on that website. The API-key is part of your account.
Once the key is installed, you can retrieve the supported currencies (there is a pro version with more currencies). That is what you can work with. The next step is simple: From the available currencies you add the currencies you want to use to a separate table. Then define a base currency. The base currency has a conversion rate of 1:1. All other currencies can now be updated with conversion rates to and from that base currency.
That’s all!
Add to the development
The basic setup is, that you have to make a click to update the currencies. For many it will be enough to make an occasional click. For some, it is paramount to do this automatically on a daily, weekly or monthly base. You must implement such mechanisms yourself. Also you might ask if product pricing should be updated automatically or not. That is entirely up to you.
Add to the development as you deem important for your project.
Change, add or remove currencies
On the Conversions layout you assemble the exact list of currencies you need. At any time you can remove, add or edit currencies from that list, click to update the latest rates and you are good to go. No hassles, no questions needed. It is all straightforward.
Email does not work?
We are happy to send out free content, but sometimes require you to provide a valid and personal email address. This excludes free, gibberish, or discardable email addresses. We were forced to take action and tighten rules, as we were flooded with hundreds of fake addresses. Usually, a business address works well, as long as it is personal and not a generic address (like info@ or tech@, which are considered unsafe). We will then send you the download link or subscribe you to our newsletter, whatever you applied for. Enjoy your benefits.
Dynamic Navigation
How to create a navigation which is fast, is based on a navigation table and can be applied anywhere? Here is a suggestion which works well. It’s simple, expandable, and universally usable.
Where comfort begins
It is so basic to have a navigation in a solution, that it is hardly considered a requirement in any project discussion. Yet, there are vastly different ways to create a working navigation. Over time, we have created multiple variations. This sample file is our simplest version to date. It is fast, works well, is built with a table for maximum comfort and expandability, yet loaded into global fields for universal application.
The real challenge for any software development is the simplicity. Today there are more options available. This is just a single idea. The result is extremely reliable, fast and simple to use.
Beyond the sample files
If you are interested in a starter file for your next project, where the navigation already is included and heavily expanded, check out our products FM Starter and FrankCRM. In those solutions, a 2-level navigation can be collapsable on main entries, is fully multilingual, restricts access to user groups (if defined) and can trigger scripts (if activated).
Download
Download the sample file to see how it works. It is free, well tested and similar versions run in our main applications for years and are in use by many customers. Check it out.
Sample file on how to build a globally available and dynamic navigation.
Created for FileMaker Pro 20 or newer.
Arrow keys in lists
Lists are great, but navigation in lists not so much. Without some scripting, you will need your mouse a lot, as arrow keys are not used to navigate. How to solve this and make it much more intuitive to navigate with your keyboard, check this sample file.
Capturing the keystroke
Any key of your keyboard is recognized by the keyboard and operating system, but not by FileMaker. Thus, capture the keystroke first, then tell FileMaker what to do with it.
Productivity
Oftentimes, simple solutions like these will immediately boost productivity. If you do not need to get your hands off the keyboard, many people can work much smoother and quicker. This is the method to eliminate the mouse for repetitive work: Get the keystroke you want to use, build it into a script and let it run in the background. That last part is using a layout script trigger [OnLayoutKeystroke], which can be setup in the layout settings of any layout.
Keep your hands on the keyboard!
Using arrow keys in FileMaker
Once you captured the keystroke, you can combine this information with going to a previous or next record or anything else. Check the scripts how this is done.
Sample file to show how to enable arrow keys as a navigation help in list views with multiple columns and records.
Requires FileMaker Pro 20 or higher.
Swiss QR Bill Enhanced
Swiss customers usually get an invoice with a payment slip for paying to swiss banks. It comes with a specific QR Code. This add-on creates a complete payment slip for this situation.
The swiss context
Switzerland is not part of the european union (EU) and finds solutions that remain specific for Switzerland. Such is their highly functional payment slip for invoices. You can use this payment slip if the following two are true:
- Customers reside in Switzerland
- Payment is to a swiss bank account.
If both statements are true, it is advised to issue an invoice with a swiss payment slip. This simplifies payments.
Payment slip
This addon for FileMaker creates a complete payment slip for invoicing customers in Switzerland. The payment slip is the drag-and-drop object of this addon, which can be simply dropped onto an invoice layout in FileMaker. To get to that result, the addon organizes 3 things:
- Collect all data
- Turn data into text for the payment slip
- Create a QR code from that data.
All 3 together are displayed on the payment slip the addon provides.
Language and currencies
There are limits to the currencies and languages one can use. The swiss payment slip of this FileMaker addon is in English. That is one of the allowed languages. Allowed currencies are: Swiss Francs (CHF) and Euros (EUR), requiring a swiss bank account in that currency.
Not for high volumes of invoices
This addon works well for low volumes of invoices. It uses a Javascript library to create the QR code. If you need a solution for high volumes of invoices, you might consider a plug-in to create the QR code and save that code as an image in your invoice table.
A combination of this addon with a plugin is also possible. Currently, there is a single workflow implemented, consisting of the three steps: collect data, process data, and create a QR code. Duplicate this workflow, replace the part for QR code with your own solution, and it might give you all the benefits you need.
Email does not work?
We are happy to send out free content, but sometimes require you to provide a valid and personal email address. This excludes free, gibberish, or discardable email addresses. We were forced to take action and tighten rules, as we were flooded with hundreds of fake addresses. Usually, a business address works well, as long as it is personal and not a generic address (like info@ or tech@, which are considered unsafe). We will then send you the download link or subscribe you to our newsletter, whatever you applied for. Enjoy your benefits.
TWD – Translate with DeepL
TWD is a FileMaker addon that connects your solution with the translation power of DeepL. You only need a (free) API key from DeepL to get started.
Multilingual FileMaker-solutions
In today’s world, multilingual software solutions become increasingly important. This addon for FileMaker solves one question: How can you get access to a high-quality translation? Once you have a translation option, it becomes easier to consider multilingual solutions.
How do you handle multilingual text labels?
This add-on does not solve all you need. While the addon solves the riddle of how to get a translation, you also must manage, edit, and display translations as you wish. That is an entirely different challenge. How you can do that is shown in an example file, which you can download from this website. Look at fmstarter.com under “Free > Examples” for “MTL – multilingual text labels”.
Translations made simple
DeepL is well known for its high-quality translations. At the time this description was made, over a hundred languages were supported, and constantly new languages are being added.
Make your solutions multilingual
With platforms like DeepL, high quality translations are within reach of everyone. This addon should get you going. Enjoy!
Email does not work?
We are happy to send out free content, but sometimes require you to provide a valid and personal email address. This excludes free, gibberish, or discardable email addresses. We were forced to take action and tighten rules, as we were flooded with hundreds of fake addresses. Usually, a business address works well, as long as it is personal and not a generic address (like info@ or tech@, which are considered unsafe). We will then send you the download link or subscribe you to our newsletter, whatever you applied for. Enjoy your benefits.
Multilingual text labels
Most developers work with a single language. Many countries, though, have multiple official languages. In our globalized world, having a multilingual software solution will give you instant advantages and much more flexibility. How do you build multilingual solutions? Here is one way to achieve that.
Two things you need
FileMaker is not multilingual in itself. The software is extremely versatile, yet there is no system to create or display text labels, let alone translate them. You have to build this yourself. Thus, there are two sides to take care of:
- Organizing
You need a system within your software that can switch languages. Along with it, you need to create labels in multiple languages, create a switch to change the language, and edit the entries while making it easy to display each label at a desired location. This article addresses this need. The sample file shows you one systematic approach to solve that issue. - Translating
This is an entirely different thing. Translation can be handled in multiple ways. You start with a label in one language, then translate this by hand or by using a translation engine into any number of other languages. If you are interested in a solution to automate translations, check out our free addon “TWD – Translate With DeepL” on this site.
Start with a table
The example shows a solution for handling multilingual text labels in FileMaker. It is based on a simple table, in which there is a translation field. This field has a number of repetitions. Each repetition represents a language. In a list view, each column is a language. You then take the first field repetition as a base. All other repetitions have the translation of that phrase in the defined language.
Why work with repetition fields?
Repetition fields are not considered to be safe for customer data. I fully agree with that. For the interface, though, repetition fields have many benefits. One of them is that they are represented with a number. Consider, for example, that the first repetition is your base language, and it is English. The second repetition could be Spanish. The third repetition could be Slovenian. The fourth repetition could be Japanese. Numbers are not language-dependent, and therefore work with any language. Choose 1 or 2 or 5 is perfectly fine if you know what is meant by that. A simple value list for languages solves this and makes a selection transparent. See the sample file.
Whatever languages you create, you can refer to them by the repetition number. That is much easier than working with naming language fields. A repetition field in FileMaker can have up to 32’000 repetitions. That should be more than enough to cover all your language needs.
From the table to real-life usage
You now have all your translations in a translation table. From here it is a single step to load that table into a global repetition field (as in the sample file). Other options are possible. Here is the trick to use: You do not load the entire table into a global repetition field, but just the language you need. You select a language, and only that language will be loaded into the global repetition field. It will be a single column of your table, representing only a single language.
The global repetition field then has all text labels, and you can refer to them by using the number of the repetitions of that field. If the table is called “Text” and the global field is called “Textlabel”, you can address a repetition of that field as “Textlabel[52]”, which refers to the 52nd repetition of that field.
In a practical solution, you could select a repetition number and build a merge variable from it, like “<<Text::Textlabel[52]>>”. Put that on your layout, and it will display the text for that repetition in the loaded language. This is what is shown in the sample file.
Avoiding pitfalls
How do you create a reliable repetition number? The order number of the table (1st entry, 2nd entry, 3rd entry, and so on) is not reliable. What if you delete the 2nd entry? The 3rd entry would become the 2nd entry. You cannot adjust your solution for that scenario. You must find a reliable way to always display the correct text.
The simple solution is to create another field in the language table and run that alongside the entries. This field has a serial number, starting at 1 and running up with a single step each time. This will create a unique number in your translation table for each record, independent of the number of entries in that list. Never change that number. Use that number as an indicator for the repetition number of the global repetition field where you load your languages.
Once you load the table into the global repetition field, it will store the information in the repetition represented by the field with the counter. This simple setup always works, even if you delete records from your table. Some repetitions will ultimately not be used, but that doesn’t do any harm. It is much more important that any reference to any repetition number on your layout will stay the same and thus is reliable.
Check the sample file
The sample file introduces you to the concept you step-by-step. Download the file and see how it is done.
Sample file showing how to create multilingual text labels for a universal application within FileMaker solutions.
Attention: This is not about translation, but about how to manage multilingual text labels.
Requires FileMaker Pro 20 or newer.
AddOn Lab FREE
Addons are great to transfer reliable building blocks to multiple FileMaker solutions. However, the documentation is scattered across the internet. What we found is combined in this file.
What are addons?
Addons are files that FileMaker exported into an addon folder. The result is a series of files that together make up the original file and functionality (file types: XML, PNG, JSON). These addon folders can be created to transport a certain functionality to another file easily. Think of addons as building blocks. You first create a reliable and good functioning file with a certain functionality, then export an addon package of that file.
If you create an addon, the exported package is a folder plus an addon file (.fmaddon). Once you created such an addon, you can install the addon as a resource for your FileMaker application. Do so by double-clicking the fmaddon-file. Then restart your FileMaker application and the addon will be accessible as a resource.
Configure Addons
FileMaker has a single script to create an addon from any open file. That is not very precise. Additional options are available by naming layouts and functions. There are rules that apply and provide options like a drag-and-drop object, and dynamic linking to tables.
The configuration of an addon is not done by some settings, but you follow naming conventions to make it happen. This is the kind of information you find in AddOn Lab FREE.
Creating addons
AddOn Lab FREE has a simple function to create an addon out of any open FileMaker file. Just select the file and create the addon.
Open addon folder
On the start page of AddOn Lab FREE you will find a button to open the addon folder on your machine. This will work on Mac and Win. Here you will find your addons.
Email does not work?
We are happy to send out free content, but sometimes require you to provide a valid and personal email address. This excludes free, gibberish, or discardable email addresses. We were forced to take action and tighten rules, as we were flooded with hundreds of fake addresses. Usually, a business address works well, as long as it is personal and not a generic address (like info@ or tech@, which are considered unsafe). We will then send you the download link or subscribe you to our newsletter, whatever you applied for. Enjoy your benefits.
FMA Address
FileMaker allows you to create addons. Addons are like building blocks. You create small building blocks to then use them in larger projects. But what is small and what is too big? What can you use it for? This FMA Address addon explores that notion.
Is it useful to create an address database as a FileMaker addon? Probably not. But this add-on is not about what you should or could, but rather a test case on how to perceive addons. Here is an example: Quite a few advanced addons use JavaScript. Does that mean you have to master JavaScript before you can create addons? Of course not.
Addons are about FileMaker, not about external technologies. Even if you can use JavaScript and other technologies, it is because FileMaker is enabling you to do that. There is no obligation to use those options. You can, but it is optional. So it is for FileMaker addons: You can create addons with whatever FileMaker allows you to use. Addons therefore can be quite simple or complex. It is up to your expertise and ideas.
If you ever tried to turn an entire solution into an addon, you might have noticed that FileMaker froze during the creation of that addon. What you wanted was simply too big a task. If you cautiously wait the add-on will eventually be created, but it is evident that Claris did not intend FileMaker addons to be large solutions. It is all about smaller functionalities.
Many addons out in the wild are highly technical. They allow you to integrate great functionality without having to know the ins and outs of such a solution. Simply add it to your Filemaker solution, configure the settings, and off you go.
But what about simple structures? You can build starter files, of course. However, could you also use addons to quickly transfer basic tables, layouts and scripts to any other file? That is the test for this sample addon.
What else?
This addon shows that it is easy to add tables, layouts, scripts, etc. to an add-on. It is then irresistably simple to add that addon to any other FileMaker solution. But what else? Did you know you can create relationships to tables the add-on does not know anything about? Thus, you can enhance existing tables with additional tables and link them automatically.
To learn more about these features, download our product “Add-on Lab FREE”, which is a simple knowledge base about FileMaker addons. It also has two interesting functions: Locate the Extension folder on Mac or Win by a single click. Create an add-on from any open file.
Addons for FileMaker are fabulous. But how far can you go? What makes sense, and what are the limits? The aim of this address add-on is to explore these questions. While it is highly unlikely you will create an address database as an add-on first, you might have needs to include other “modules” in any solution. This sample file shows that it is easy to do so.
Requirements: FileMaker 19.1 or higher to open any addon. Better: It is suggested to always use the latest version of FileMaker.