[News] FileMaker Pro 8 in the pipeline?

by David Workman
Data Mosaic, Inc

In checking the Servoy Magazine visitors log today I noticed a high rate of hits originating from google.com with the search phrase "filemaker 8".

My first thought was to wonder why the sudden interest in Filemaker 8. My logical assumption that a rumor site had posted something on the subject was confirmed with a visit to my first guess: Think Secret.

Following close on the heels of my first thought was the wonderment that Servoy Magazine was getting so many FileMaker 8 related hits. Then I remembered that I payed google off last year to send all those poor brainwashed souls here to get a glimpse of freedom. Or it could be that Google just likes Servoy Magazine.

In case it is the latter, to continue in Google's good graces and stay listed at the top of "filemaker 8" searches (thereby contributing to a better world), I figured I might as well post another entry for search engine indexing and compare the rumored FileMaker 8 features with Servoy.

Please keep in mind that this is all coming out of my brain as an original work of art so if you feel motivated to post a response telling me my art is crapplease do so with the understanding that I didn't cut down any trees in the process.

Rumored FileMaker Pro 8 features	Current Servoy feature?	Comments

create design-simplifying tabbed layouts	yes	About time. I wonder if the graphics engine is getting a complete overhaul with event triggers. If so, all FileMaker programmers can look forward to rewriting all their applications once again. Yea!
create custom menus sans plug-ins	plugin	Useful
save layouts in PDF format	yes	One of Servoy's most used features
save layouts in Excel format	no	Probably just a glorified data export seeing as how it would be nonsensical to convert buttons and FM's version of tab panels into excel format. My guess is that it is in there for the marketing mileage. Or to make up for the lack of charts?
type ahead fields	yes	Another feature pointing to a complete graphics engine overhaul?
will continue to use FileMaker Pro 7's file formats	hell no	It would be suicide to change their file format again. Maybe they will get data corruption issues resolved in the process. But then again, since everything is saved as a file, maybe not.
FileMaker Developer will be renamed FileMaker Pro Advanced	---	zzz...
Pro Advanced version: copy tables within a file	---	This is all accomplished with 3rd party SQL management tools when using Servoy. The whole separation of data and GUI thing you know.
Pro Advanced version: import tables between files	---
Pro Advanced version: increased script debugging capabilities, including being able to view the contents of any field at anytime	yes	How about changing contents of a field at any point? How about a text version of Scriptmaker for easy editing? (Apparently Filemaker developers are only capable of hand coding calculations.) I wonder if they are copying Servoy's debugggercan't get any better than that.

There's my royally one-sided chart for you. To make an attempt at being fair, I think these are all really good improvements for Filemaker. However, I see nothing here that Servoy hasn't had for a year or more. And if Think Secret is correct that this version "is slated for announcement towards the end of the year" Servoy will be sending rockets to Mars by then. Or brewing beernot sure which feature is the highest on the development list.

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