Read And Write Excel Files With FileMaker

Do you already know our LibXL functions for FileMaker, with which it is possible to read, create and edit Excel documents although you don't have Excel installed? This part of the plugin requires an additional LibXL license and you need to attach an additional library to your database. I will show you in this blog article how to make the preparations to use the LibXL functions in your solution.

(more)

MBS FileMaker Plugin, version 12.4pr2

New in this prerelease of version 12.4 of the MBS FileMaker Plugin:

• Added flags for JSON.Import and XML.Import functions to skip table and field creation.
• Fixed an issue where you couldn't call basic functions like Version or Register if demo mode ended.
• Improved code to add/remove table occurrence prefixes to skip quoted text.
• Added XML.GetSaveNoEmptyTags and XML.SetSaveNoEmptyTags functions.
• Changed JSON.ToXML to better convert arrays.
• Added json key for PDFKit.GetPDFAttribute function.
• Fixed a problem in DragDrop functions on Windows crashing if used with text dropping.
• Fixed per thread storage to properly cleanup and avoid trace functions leak file handles on server if you use per thread trace files.

Download at monkeybreadsoftware.com/filemaker/files/Prerelease/, in DropBox folder or ask for being added to the DropBox shared folder.

Price Changes for Claris FileMaker products

Claris just announced a price increase for all of their products going effective on 24th September 2022. All prices are said to raise by 10%.

While pricing adjustments are often unavoidable, it brings the opportunity to buy at the old prices until 23rd September 2022. So if you have a license of Claris FileMaker, please consider to order updates for adding additional years to it. You may pay for a license 3 or 5 years in advance. Even if your license expired in 2023 or 2024, you may be able to add more time now.

• save around 10% by buying now.
• save more by ordering multi year licenses.

Also be aware that the around September/October, Claris may be introduce their new pricing for the Claris Studio part of the product. That offer will be more expensive than the existing licenses as the Studio part has an additional cost and you may be able to upgrade.

For MBS Plugin, you can of course also order at current price list and enjoy our multi year offers. Please contact us if you like to order bigger.

Code Folding in Script Workspace for Claris FileMaker

For MBS Plugin 12.4 we implemented a long standing wish from various FileMaker developers: Code Folding.

As you know our plugin highlights matching script lines for If and Loop blocks. So you see what lines belongs to what other line. Now when we detect such a block, we add a little control on the between the line number and the text. You can click that control to hide some lines and later click it again to show them.

When you save the script, FileMaker reloads it or you start dragging a line, all lines show again. Our line hiding is only temporary until something unhides them.

Please try and let us know the if you find issues.

As usual, this feature is macOS only. If you like to see a Windows version, please contact Claris Inc. directly to implement this cross platform in a future version.

MBS FileMaker Plugin, version 12.4pr1

New in this prerelease of version 12.4 of the MBS FileMaker Plugin:

• Changed variable name check to allow % in the variable name.
• Improved XML.ToJSON to handle data type conversion for attributes, too.
• Reverted a fix for our mutex handling, which we broke in 12.3. Fixed in 12.3.0.08 and newer.
• Fixed a problem with List.CSVSplit, Matrix.CSVSplit and QuickList.CSVSplit not parsing properly quoted multi line value.
• Fixed a problem where ErrorLog would show IsError function.
• Fixed a crash with MongoDB where some functions would not check whether you set URI before.
• Added MongoDB.CursorErrorDocument and MongoDB.NewCursorFromCommandReply functions.
• Updated DynaPDF to version 4.0.69.193.
• Added Collapse/Expand All commands to script list in Script Workspace (macOS only).
• Added Find Duplicate Names contextual menu commands for script list in Script Workspace (macOS only).
• Added hide/unhide commands for contextual menus for Script Workspace (macOS only).
• Added code folding for Script Workspace (macOS only).
• Added List.MatchesSubString function.
• Added Matrix.Rotate function.
• Implemented Files.DiskInfo function for iOS.
• Updated SQLite to version 3.39.2.
• Added MongoDB.InsertMany function to insert multiple records in one operation.
• Added MongoDB.FindIndexes and MongoDB.Rename functions.
• Added MongoDB.CloseCollection and MongoDB.CloseDatabase functions.
• Added size parameter for GMImage.Hash function.
• Added DirectoryWatcher.TotalChangeCount function.
• Changed QLPreviewPanel.AddPDF to pass right filename of PDF from container to the preview window.

Download at monkeybreadsoftware.com/filemaker/files/Prerelease/, in DropBox folder or ask for being added to the DropBox shared folder.

MBS @ FMTraining.TV

Check out the FMTraining.tv website. Richard Carlton and his team do a daily free live stream about FileMaker to watch.

A few days ago Christian Schmitz from Monkeybread Software joined a live episode to talk a bit about the MBS FileMaker Plugin. Watch it on YouTube.

We take about the new MBS FileMaker Plugin 12.3 release. See announcement and documentation.

(more)

New MongoDB Example

A cool new thing comes with the MBS FileMaker Plugin 12.3 for us: You can connect in FileMaker to a Mongo DB server and create on this server databases, collections and documents with various functions, search in documents and delete them as needed. The special thing about Mongo DB is that it is not a relational database based on tables and relations, but its data has a JSON like structure. This allows you to make queries that were previously not possible due to the restriction of relationships or table boundaries. So find out who is longer in your company: the carpet in the warehouse or your trainee.

We add a new example file about Mongo DB to our plugin examples. I would like to show you this example here. To use this example you can download the free local community server of Mongo DB and install it on one of your computers. For my Mac, I can just use homebrew with a few Terminal commands. To work with the server we need a URI to locate it. If you also installed the Compass graphics environment when you installed the server, you can simply get it when you open Compass.

(more)

DIGFM: What's New, Monkeybread?

A few days ago Christian Schmitz from Monkeybread Software joined the DIG FM Meeting to talk a bit about the MBS FileMaker Plugin. Watch it on YouTube:

We talked about what is new in MBS Plugin 12.3, showed off some evergreens and answered questions.

(more)

Invitation à la 7e Conférence Québécoise des Développeurs Filemaker®

Just two months until the Claris FileMaker conference in Montreal. If you speak some French, please consider joining this conference:

Le Regroupement FMQC.CA vous convie à son grand rassemblement, les 15 et 16 septembre 2022, à l’Auberge Saint-Gabriel du Vieux-Montréal, afin d’apprendre les astuces enseignées par des intervenants de la scène internationale et de découvrir les nouveautés de la plateforme FileMaker qui nous tient tant à cœur et qui nous passionne.

Un total de 16 sessions et topos seront présentés par des intervenants provenant de la France, des États-Unis, de l’Ontario et du Québec. La CQDF 2022 regroupera près de 100 développeurs de tous les niveaux, qui ensemble, rejoignent un bassin de plus de 5000 utilisateurs FileMaker de tous les coins du Québec ainsi qu’ailleurs dans le monde.

Situé en plein cœur du Vieux-Montréal, l’Auberge Saint-Gabriel est à quelques minutes de marche de la station de métro Place d’Armes (ligne Orange). L’accès internet sans fil sera offert tout au long des conférences.

Monkeybread Software sponsors this event and if possible, I hope to see you there!

Combine PDFs 5.6

Monkeybread Software today is proud to announce Combine PDFs 5.6, an update to their popular PDF merge and split tool for Mac OS. With a focus on ease-of-use, Combine PDFs is a lightweight utility which allows anyone to merge PDF files and images into a single PDF file. The user need only drag & drop files onto the program icon. The main window appears, allowing the user to set the order in which the files are joined.

Changes in Version 5.6:

• Added Apple Silicon support.
• Improved french translation. Thanks Jean-Luc Evrard.
• Bug fixes.

Combine PDFs Website

Requires MacOS 10.10 or newer for 64-bit. Older 32-bit version stays available and still works very well.

This application is made with Xojo 2022r1.

Welcome to MBS Plugin

If you are new to our MBS FileMaker Plugin, please take some time to get familiar with the plugin. Our plugin provides a toolbox of useful functionality to extend your Claris FileMaker solution. Take the time to watch two of those videos to learn what is new in the plugin and how to install it:

MBS FileMaker Plugin Update 2022

Installation macOS

Installation Windows

Once you looked into a few code snippets, blog posts or example databases, you may quickly start copying things to your own solutions.

You can download the plugin here: Download FileMaker Plugin

You find documentation: Online Documentation and User Guides

If you like to meet us, please check the Events & Conferences.

You can start without a license and use the plugin in demo mode. Beside an annoying dialog, you can use the plugin for a few hours and then restart FileMaker. If you do more testing, get a trial license key and try it for about six weeks.

If you need to purchase a new license, check the pricing page. In July you can still use our coupon code FileMakerKonferenz to get a little discount on a new license.

MBS FileMaker Plugin 12.3

In this article we want to introduce you the new functions from the MBS FileMaker Plugin in version 12.3.

MongoDB

The coolest feature in new release is the new Mongo DB topic. You can now use FileMaker to access MongoDB databases, read, write and delete data. The special thing about Mongo DB is that it is not a relational database that is limited by relationships and tables, but is based on a JSON-like structure that also allows unusual queries. For example, you can formulate searches to see who has been in your company longer, the carpet in the warehouse or your employee. In relational databases, your carpet wouldn't normally appear in the same table as your employee. So you would have to design a separate table to be able to make this query. In Mongo DB, the records, here called documents, can coexist in a collection and a simple query can be made. If you would like to try Mongo DB, please check out our examples.

(more)

Please update to DynaPDF 4.0.69.193 for use on FileMaker Server

There was an issue with FileMaker Server and DynaPDF crashing.

The reason is that FileMaker Server uses FreeType library.
DynaPDF also uses the FreeType library.

But those are not in the same version or with the same configuration.
So data structures are not in sync.

This is not a big problem on Ubuntu 18, but on Ubuntu 20 this crashes when DynaPDF renders a PDF document.

You can download the 64-bit Linux version from DynaForms directly.

Take the .so file from the archive, rename it if needed and upload to the Linux server.
We include the new libraries of course as part of the upcoming 12.4pr1 version of MBS Plugin.

PS: This is not a problem with our DynaPDF plugin for Xojo since we fixed a similar issue years ago for all our Xojo plugins.

MBS sponsors the EngageU FileMaker conference

We are happy to announce that we sponsor the EngageU conference:

EngageU - FileMaker Conference in Malmö
13th - 15th of November 2022, Malmö, Sweden



A new FileMaker conference for Europe will be held in Malmö at the end of the year. The English-language conference is organized by SquareMoon and ClickWorx, with support from Claris.

The conference will be held in Malmö, Sweden, November 13-15, 2022. The conference language is English. The target audience is FileMaker developers from across Europe and beyond. More information can be found on the website.

Please join the conference to make it the biggest one ever in Europe!
And it's great reason for people from all around the world to do a business trip to see Sweden (and nearby Denmark). If you plan your trip, the international airport to use is Copenhagen in Denmark and from there a 20 minute train to Malmö central station.

MBS FileMaker Plugin 12.3.0.08

We got a problem with out thread locking in our 12.3 release. To fix a problem with one client on a server, the fix should help, but it didn't work out as desired and causes problems otherwise:

• For one user the license check freezes.
• In our tests, releasing DynaPDF tables when DynaPDF.Release is called may freeze, if you did or didn't release the tables yourself before this.
• In parallel scripts on server, functions like CURL may cause trouble if two scripts access the global object list as the same time and one modifies it.

Sadly the problem was not noticed in the last weeks of testing for 12.3.

The problem should be fixed for the newly uploaded 12.3.0.08 version and of course also in the upcoming 12.4pr1 version.

Sorry, if you are affected by the bug. If you are, please check your plugin version and if you got the build 7, please download again to get build 8. Let us know if you still see problems.

PS: There is also a problem with plugin loading taking about 40 seconds for a client on Windows. This happens when FileMaker tries to verify signature of the plugin DLL and Windows wants to update the list of certificates. The download may be blocked via some firewall and takes time to time out. Then FileMaker Pro continues as normal. If there is no internet connection, the problem doesn't happen. To solve, allow the query to that Microsoft server once and then it should work on the next starts.

MBS Plugin 12.3 for Claris FileMaker

Nickenich, Germany - (July 12th, 2022) -- MonkeyBread Software today is pleased to announce MBS FileMaker Plugin 12.3 for Claris FileMaker for macOS, iOS, Linux and Windows, the latest update to their product that is easily the most powerful plugin currently available for Claris FileMaker produce line. As the leading database management solution for Windows, macOS, iOS and the web, the Claris FileMaker Pro Integrated Development Environment supports a plugin architecture that can easily extend the feature set of the application. MBS FileMaker Plugin 12.3 has been updated and now includes over 6800 different functions, and the versatile plugin has gained more new functions:

This release allows you to connect from FileMaker directly to MongoDB. Based on the open source Mongo driver we defined over 50 functions. You can connect, run queries, insert, update and delete records. Since the NoSQL Mongo database stores JSON documents in collections, our functions pass and return JSON. We support transport encryption and compression as well as multiple connections. Free your mind and enjoy a new way to store and retrieve data without a fixed table schema!

DynaPDF can now output PDF/X 5 and 6. We can now set date and time format for fields and change the bounding box for a template. When setting fonts, we now default to unicode code page unless you specify otherwise.

Our Vision.RecognizeText function to extract Live Text on macOS and iOS can now handle PDF documents in addition to images. Use SystemInfo.isVentura function to detect the upcoming macOS version.

We added a new way to handle errors in scripts. Our plugin can collect all plugin made errors in a log and provide the list to you as JSON with ErrorLog function. Add your own entries via AddToErrorLog function. Used in a one-time loop, you can do a try/catch exception handling like in other development tools.

In Audit, we can now handle timestamps as numbers with Audit.SetDateAndTimeAsNumbers function. This avoids problems with users in different locales using conflicting date and time formats. The SQL functions now explicitly allow MariaDB as client. The SerialPort.List function now returns more details on Windows with mode 2.

We added TOTP.Calculate function for time-based one-time-passwords calculated in FileMaker to calculate the second factor for logins. The new FM.VariableLookup and SharedMemory.LookupValue functions help to access global variables and return empty result when they are not defined. We updated our OCR functions to support for tesseract in version 5.1.

For macOS we got a few new features for the Script Workspace. First you can put comments into a comment line. When our plugin sees the URL there, we add a button on the right side of the script to open the URL in the browser. Connect directly to your Wiki, documentation or link to other FileMaker files. Enable this feature via preferences dialog or SyntaxColoring.CommentLinks.SetEnabled function.

The script list on the left in the Script Workspace can now be sorted alphabetically via our contextual menu. Select a few scripts and sort them ascending or descending. We improved syntax highlighting to work with more characters and our variable check can now better recognize Perform Script (on Server) and Install OnTimer Script script step. In the dialog to manage layouts, you can now find duplicates via our contextual menu.

Finally we updated CURL to version 7.84.0, DynaPDF to 4.0.69.188, SQLAPI to 5.2.1, LibXL to 4.0.4 and Xcode to version 13.4.

See release notes for a complete list of changes.

Neues MBS Plugin 12.3 für Claris FileMaker

12. Juli 2022 - Monkeybread Software veröffentlicht heute das MBS FileMaker Plugin für Claris FileMaker in Version 12.3, mit inzwischen über 6800 Funktionen eines der größten FileMaker Plugins überhaupt. Hier einige der Neuerungen:

Diese Version bringt die Möglichkeit von Claris FileMaker eine Verbindung zu MongoDB aufzubauen. Basierend auf dem Open-Source-Mongo-Treiber haben wir über 50 Funktionen definiert. Sie können sich verbinden, Abfragen ausführen, Datensätze einfügen, aktualisieren und löschen. Da die NoSQL-Datenbank Mongo JSON-Dokumente in Collections speichert, übergeben unsere Funktionen JSON und geben es zurück. Wir unterstützen Transportverschlüsselung und -komprimierung sowie Mehrfachverbindungen. Machen Sie Ihren Kopf frei und genießen Sie eine neue Art, Daten zu speichern und abzurufen, ohne ein festes Tabellenschema!

DynaPDF hat kann jetzt auch PDF/X 5 und 6 ausgeben. Wir können jetzt das Datums- und Zeitformat für Felder einstellen und den Begrenzungsrahmen für eine Vorlage ändern. Beim setzen der Schriften nehmen wir jetzt Unicode als Codepage, sofern Sie das nicht explizit anders angeben.

Unsere Funktion Vision.RecognizeText zum Extrahieren von Live-Text unter macOS und iOS kann jetzt neben Bildern auch PDF-Dokumente verarbeiten. Verwenden Sie die Funktion SystemInfo.isVentura, um die kommende macOS-Version zu erkennen.

Wir haben einen neuen Weg gefunden, um Fehler in Skripten zu behandeln. Unser Plugin kann alle vom Plugin verursachten Fehler in einem Protokoll sammeln und Ihnen die Liste als JSON mit der Funktion ErrorLog zur Verfügung stellen. Fügen Sie Ihre eigenen Einträge über die Funktion AddToErrorLog hinzu. In einer Schleife mit nur einem Durchlauf, können Sie eine Try/Catch-Ausnahmebehandlung implementieren und per Plugin die Fehler sammeln.

In Audit können wir jetzt Zeitstempel mit der Funktion Audit.SetDateAndTimeAsNumbers als Zahlen behandeln. Dadurch werden Probleme mit Benutzern in verschiedenen Sprachumgebungen vermieden, die widersprüchliche Datums- und Zeitformate verwenden. Die SQL-Funktionen erlauben jetzt ausdrücklich MariaDB als Client. Die Funktion SerialPort.List gibt mehr Details unter Windows mit Modus 2 zurück.

Wir haben die Funktion TOTP.Calculate für zeitbasierte Einmal-Passwörter hinzugefügt, die in FileMaker berechnet werden, um den zweiten Faktor für eine Anmeldung zu berechnen. Die neuen Funktionen FM.VariableLookup und SharedMemory.LookupValue helfen beim Zugriff auf globale Variablen und geben ein leeres Ergebnis zurück, wenn sie nicht definiert sind. Wir haben unsere OCR-Funktionen aktualisiert, um Tesseract in Version 5.1 zu unterstützen.

Für macOS gibt es ein paar neue Funktionen für den Skript-Arbeitsbereich. Zunächst können Sie Kommentare in eine Kommentarzeile einfügen. Wenn unser Plugin den URL dort sieht, fügen wir eine Schaltfläche auf der rechten Seite des Scripts hinzu, um den URL im Browser zu öffnen. Stellen Sie eine direkte Verbindung zu Ihrem Wiki, Ihrer Dokumentation oder einem Link zu anderen FileMaker-Dateien her. Aktivieren Sie diese Funktion über den Einstellungsdialog oder die Funktion SyntaxColoring.CommentLinks.SetEnabled.

Die Scriptliste links im Script-Arbeitsbereich kann jetzt über das Kontextmenü alphabetisch sortiert werden. Wählen Sie einige Skripte aus und sortieren Sie sie auf- oder absteigend. Wir haben die Syntaxhervorhebung verbessert, so dass sie mit mehr Zeichen arbeiten kann, und unsere Variablenprüfung erkennt jetzt besser die Scriptschritte Script ausführen (auf Server) und OnTimer Script installieren. Im Dialog zur Verwaltung von Layouts können Sie nun über das Kontextmenü Duplikate finden.

Schließlich haben wir CURL auf Version 7.84.0, DynaPDF auf 4.0.69.188, SQLAPI auf 5.2.1, LibXL auf 4.0.4 und Xcode auf Version 13.4 aktualisiert.

Alle Änderungen in den Release Notes.

MBS FileMaker Plugin, version 12.3pr7

New in this prerelease of version 12.3 of the MBS FileMaker Plugin:

• Updated openssl to version 1.1.1q.

Download at monkeybreadsoftware.com/filemaker/files/Prerelease/, in DropBox folder or ask for being added to the DropBox shared folder.

Variable Levels in FileMaker

You may have seen, that FileMaker provides 3 level of variables. From global file variables with $$ to script variables with one $ and then the local variables within a Let or While statement. For most use cases this is enough, but if you need more, we can help:

Via MBS FileMaker Plugin you can use our Variables functions to have global variables within the FileMaker process. e.g. set in one file and retrieve in another file. This is great for multi file solutions storing global values in memory. While they are not shown in the data viewer, you can use FM.VariableNames to query the list of variables.

The SharedMemory functions goes a step further and lets you store text blocks in RAM outside the FileMaker process. This allows you to store a value, which stays in memory, even if FileMaker Pro is quit. If your solution runs again later, you can pick up the value.

(more)

MBS FileMaker Plugin, version 12.3pr6

New in this prerelease of version 12.3 of the MBS FileMaker Plugin:

• Updated SQLAPI to version 5.2.1.
• Updated tesseract support for OCR functions to work with version 5.1.
• Updated DynaPDF to version 4.0.69.188.
• Added DynaPDF.GetFontSize function.
• Added MongoDB.Keys function.

Download at monkeybreadsoftware.com/filemaker/files/Prerelease/, in DropBox folder or ask for being added to the DropBox shared folder.