Data-driven iOS Apps for iPad and iPhone with FileMaker Pro, Bento by FileMaker, and FileMaker Go

✍ Scribed by Jesse Feiler

Publisher: Que
Year: 2011
Tongue: English
Leaves: 400
Edition: 1
Category: Library

No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.

✦ Synopsis

Use FileMaker® technologies to create powerful mobile data apps for iPhone®, iPod® touch, and iPad™ Apple’s FileMaker technologies make it easy to create powerful, data-driven apps for iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, and any mobile device’s web browser. In this book, leading FileMaker and iOS expert Jesse Feiler teaches you all the skills and techniques you’ll need, whether you’re a developer, knowledge worker, or manager. Feiler thoroughly reviews each strategy for delivering mobile data using FileMaker Pro, FileMaker Server, FileMaker Go, and Bento. You’ll learn how mobile data-driven apps are different from traditional desktop-driven apps, and how to create highly usable interfaces for them. Step by step, Feiler demonstrates how to extend existing databases to mobile devices and the web, and how to create and optimize brand-new databases for iPad and iPhone. This book brings together core principles, practical development techniques, and proven tips and shortcuts. You’ll discover the best ways to incorporate printing, touch interface elements, and location-based features into your apps; integrate data from multiple FileMaker and non-FileMaker sources; and much more. • Use FileMaker Go apps to access FileMaker databases hosted on FileMaker Server or FileMaker Pro, or databases resident on a mobile device • Move FileMaker Pro databases, scripts, and layouts to mobile environments • Develop easy-to-use interfaces for mobile data apps • Design FileMaker Go solutions for iPhone, iPad, or both • Optimize FileMaker databases for FileMaker Go • Integrate printing and charting features into your mobile database apps • Use Bento to share data and synchronize libraries • Work effectively with Bento records, fields, forms, and tables • Build location-aware database apps for iOS mobile devices • Import/export data from Bento, FileMaker, spreadsheets, and other sources • Move FileMaker databases to the web with IWP, CWP, and FileMaker Server Jesse Feiler is a developer, web designer, trainer, and author. He has worked with Apple mobile devices from Newton through iPad and has worked with FileMaker technologies since 1984. Feiler created ChamplainArts.com’s powerful iPad meeting management app MinutesMachine. His books include Using FileMaker Bento, Sams Teach Yourself Drupal in 24 Hours, The Bento Book, and FileMaker Pro 10 in Depth. quepublishing.comnorthcountryconsulting.com

✦ Table of Contents

Contents......Page 5
Introduction......Page 16
Part I: Data to Go......Page 17
Part III: Bento by FileMaker......Page 18
Appendix......Page 19
1 Making Data Mobile......Page 20
Introducing the FileMaker Products for Mobile Computing......Page 21
What Mobile Data Means......Page 22
Introducing the Reservations Example......Page 23
Looking at Reservations on FileMaker Pro......Page 25
Looking at Reservations on FileMaker Go......Page 28
Looking at Reservations on Bento......Page 31
Looking at Reservations on a Mobile Browser......Page 35
Further Steps......Page 37
2 Introducing the FileMaker Architecture......Page 38
Talking Databases......Page 39
Talking FileMaker......Page 40
Working with the Interface Tools......Page 42
How to Standardize Layout Objects......Page 51
How to Use a Script to Automatically Switch to a Mobile Layout......Page 53
Working with the GUI Database Development Tools......Page 57
Putting Together Layouts, Relationships, and Files......Page 62
Creating a Layout......Page 63
How to Create a Layout with the Layout/Report Assistant......Page 64
Structuring Solutions and Sub-Solutions......Page 66
Further Steps......Page 68
Synchronizing, Copying, and Sharing Data......Page 70
Managing FileMaker Pro......Page 73
Managing FileMaker Server......Page 76
How to Manage Databases on FileMaker Server......Page 77
Managing FileMaker Go......Page 81
How to Set Up Synchronization Between a Mac and an iPad or iPhone......Page 87
Further Steps......Page 90
4 Working with Mobile Devices......Page 92
Working with Your Fingers......Page 93
What to Do Without a Keyboard......Page 95
What to Do About Graphics......Page 96
Integrating Without a Visible File System......Page 97
Using Multiple Files in FileMaker Solutions......Page 105
Printing......Page 107
How to Print with a PDF File......Page 108
How to Print to a Printer for FileMaker Web Publishing......Page 110
Further Steps......Page 112
5 Preparing FileMaker for Mobile Use......Page 114
Understanding the Mobile Difference......Page 115
How to Use Autosizing to Change an Object’s Size......Page 118
Data Entry Without Typing......Page 122
Using Conditional Formatting......Page 131
Using Self-Labeling Fields......Page 132
Further Steps......Page 133
About FileMaker Server......Page 134
Installing and Deploying FileMaker Server......Page 140
Running FileMaker Server......Page 148
Using Admin Console......Page 149
Automatically Updating Plug-Ins......Page 159
Further Steps......Page 165
7 Using FileMaker Go......Page 166
About the Examples in This Chapter......Page 167
Hosting Reservations on a Mobile Device......Page 169
Starting Out by Sharing Inventory......Page 170
How to Install a Database on FileMaker Server......Page 173
Opening and Closing Files......Page 177
Reviewing FileMaker Go Settings......Page 180
Working with a FileMaker Go Database......Page 181
Working with Records......Page 189
Adding a Photo to a Database......Page 192
Searching for Data......Page 196
Sorting Data......Page 201
Further Steps......Page 203
Understanding the Relationship Between FileMaker Pro and FileMaker Go......Page 204
Refining Your Database Field Types......Page 207
Reviewing Calculations......Page 208
Working with Preview Mode......Page 211
Using Dynamic Subsummary Reporting on FileMaker Go......Page 213
How to Convert a Preview Mode Layout to a Dynamic Reporting Layout......Page 215
Working with Custom Menus......Page 216
How to Customize a Menu Command for FileMaker Go......Page 220
Managing Script Issues......Page 224
Further Steps......Page 226
9 Designing a FileMaker Go Solution......Page 228
Introducing the Handheld Estimator and the Catalog......Page 229
Building a Handheld Estimator for iPhone......Page 233
How to Set Up the Database......Page 234
How to Create a Basic iPhone Layout......Page 238
How to Implement Customized Security......Page 244
Building a Catalog for iPad......Page 245
How to Create a Common Header Part......Page 248
Further Steps......Page 251
10 Using Printing and Charting with FileMaker Go......Page 252
Adding More Features to Reservations......Page 253
How to Add a Joins Table to Reservations......Page 254
How to Build an Event (or Attendee) List......Page 258
Implementing Printing Features......Page 260
How to Hide Interactive Elements......Page 261
How to Set Moving and Sliding......Page 262
Adding Charting to Your Database......Page 263
Further Steps......Page 264
11 Using Bento and Bento Libraries......Page 266
Working with a Personal Database......Page 267
Talking Bento......Page 270
Working with the Bento Window on Mac......Page 272
Working with Bento on iPhone......Page 273
Working with Bento on iPad......Page 274
Working with Libraries......Page 275
Further Steps......Page 282
Taking Advantage of Bento’s Built-In Tools for Mobility......Page 284
Looking at Fields......Page 285
How to Add a New Field with Bento for iPhone......Page 294
Introducing the View Types on Mac OS X......Page 297
Working with Views on Bento for iPhone......Page 305
Working with Views on Bento for iPad......Page 309
Working with Related Data......Page 312
Further Steps......Page 317
13 Working with Location and Media Fields......Page 318
Introducing Location Fields......Page 319
Looking at Media Fields......Page 326
Further Steps......Page 327
14 Importing and Exporting Bento and FileMaker Data......Page 328
Importing and Exporting Records in Bento and FileMaker......Page 329
How To Import Data into Bento......Page 331
How to Export Data from Bento......Page 334
How To Import Data into FileMaker Pro......Page 335
How to Export Data from FileMaker Pro......Page 337
Importing and Exporting Data with Bento Templates with Bento for Mac......Page 338
Further Steps......Page 339
The IWP Story So Far......Page 340
Enabling and Configuring IWP......Page 342
Designing for IWP Deployment on iPad......Page 349
Using an IWP Solution......Page 359
Further Steps......Page 361
Preparing for Custom Web Publishing (CWP) with PHP......Page 362
Using the PHP Site Assistant......Page 365
Further Steps......Page 373
Pairing and Connecting Bluetooth Devices......Page 374
FileMaker Go External Keyboard Conventions......Page 375
Pairing a Bluetooth Keyboard with an iOS Device......Page 376
Unpairing a Bluetooth Keyboard from a Computer......Page 377
A......Page 378
B......Page 379
C......Page 380
D......Page 382
F......Page 384
I......Page 389
J-K......Page 391
L......Page 392
M......Page 393
P......Page 394
Q-R......Page 395
S......Page 397
T......Page 398
V......Page 399
X-Y-Z......Page 400