Filemaker Pro 7

Filemaker Pro 7 is a database management system (DBMS) with two notable features. First, it runs on PCs and Macs. Second, it boasts an interface that is friendliness itself to new users.

Some enhancements bring a modicum of pain, though, such as Filemaker's decision to change its file format. Those new to the package won't feel a thing, but the current user base will groan as it takes some effort to upgrade existing databases. A conversion tool is supplied, which, according to Filemaker, should work smoothly with simple databases, but more complex applications will probably need hand-editing before they'll run properly.

There are nine new database templates, bringing the total to 30, for such tasks as managing contacts and expense reports and for creating libraries of books, music, photos or recipes.

The maximum size for a database is now 8TB, and a new field type called Container lets you store files of any type, including pictures, documents, music and Adobe Acrobat pdf files up to 4GB in size. The files can be stored within the database or linked to a Container field.

You can link all your Excel worksheets and/or Powerpoint presentations to a field so they can be managed from within the Filemaker environment.

It is, however, likely that performance will degrade once a database grows to anything near the new upper limit. Unfortunately, Filemaker was unable to quote any performance figures for a database of such a size.

A Filemaker database file can now contain multiple tables, which makes the management and backup of databases far more straightforward.

Also new is a visual tool for managing relationships between tables of data. It gives you a graphical representation of the relationships between tables and allows those relationships to be edited. In previous versions, it hasn't been easy to gain an overview of the relationships within a database, so the Relationship Graph is a great step forward. Nevertheless, Filemaker's approach to relationships differs quite significantly from that of, say, Microsoft Access, which uses relationships as joins between tables to ensure the integrity of data. Filemaker relationships do not have the same rigour and it's quite possible, for instance, to join a number field to a text field. Relationships are more concerned with making it easy for users to query the data than data integrity.

Multiple views of the same database can be seen on screen at once, so results from different queries can be inspected simultaneously, along with reports and other views, each in its own window.

A database can now be made more secure and it's easier to do so. Each user has an account with a unique name and password, and users can be assigned to groups. Both single users and groups can be assigned privileges to determine what they can do within a database.

Privileges are either granted or denied, depending on the needs of each user or group. It's possible to control whether records can be created, edited or even seen. Control can be applied down to the level of individual fields.

Filemaker's Instant Web Publishing (IWP) tool for publishing databases to the web now has an interface consistent with that of Filemaker itself for faster, easier development. Security put in place for a database can be inherited by a web application and 70-plus script steps are supported by IWP.

The Scriptmaker scripting tool which is vital for building sophisticated databases has also been improved, so it's easier to see which script steps are web compatible. Direct editing of script step options is supported, as are steps for applying security measures, while parameters can now be passed to script steps.

Filemaker Pro 7 looks good compared with its competitors, such as Alpha 5 and Intuit Quickbase, or data stored in spreadsheet applications. For home and small office listings and catalogues it's the perfect application.

For more comprehensive databases, or those with the potential to grow, however, its suitability is less obvious, as it lacks the relational rigour, extensive scope and easy upgrade path offered by Access.

Contact: Filemaker 01628 534 158
www.filemaker.com

System requirements:

• Windows 2000 or higher, Mac OSX
• Pentium 300MHz
• G3 or higher for Mac
• 128MB of Ram
• 100MB disk space

See also:

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