In this article I want to introduce you the new functions from the MBS FileMaker Plugin in version 11.4.
Dictionary
Let's start with the new features in the Dictionary component. Here you can now filter the keys by their beginning or their end. With the function "Dictionary.KeysWithPrefix" you can now get a list of all keys that have a specific beginning. You may have entries like "person.123.firstname" and "person.123.lastname" and by using Dictionary.KeysWithPrefix you can look for "person.123." to find all keys starting with this prefix. The opposite is the case with the function "Dictionary.KeysWithPostfix". In this case the keys are filtered by their end. So, in the previous example, we could filter by .firstname and get "person.123.firstname". The postfix and prefix keys functions allows you to organize things in the dictionaries with e.g. dot notation.
SQL
With the new function SQL.FieldExists you can check if a given field exists that we want to query. To do this, we specify the command reference number and the name of the field in the parameters. If the field exists, we get 1 as return value.
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We like to explain everyone how to setup TeamViewer on macOS for remote support.
Go to teamviewer.com and download the Teamviewer app, e.g. teamviewer.dmg. As far as I see you can directly click download on the cookie dialog and then close the website, but the webdesign may change. No need to allow cookies!
Once downloaded, you open the disk image.
Please make sure the domain shown in the GateKeeper dialog is only www.teamviewer.com and nothing different.
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A client got a bit xml file from Swiss government with a list of all registered/permitted medications. A huge XML file with thousands of entries. In order to import those easily, we use our
XML.Import function in
MBS FileMaker Plugin.
We copied the XML Import example database included with our plugin to desktop. We copied the xml file to desktop and renamed it test.xml. Then we open the database and run the script. Since we didn't change it, it will simply look for a file named test.xml and import it. Since the XML file is 50 MB, this takes a while, but the
XML.Import function creates 18 new tables with a lot of fields:
The example has "Import2" as prefix for reasons, but you can change that. We got over 130000 records created within a minute.
The client asked how to get the ID from preparations into the other tables like the Pack table. But then we surprised our client with the magic of FileMaker's relationships. We connect the right parent entries to the UUID field of the parent table. Once all tables are moved in place and all connections are made, the graph looks like this:
As you see limitations table got duplicated, so we can connect it both to preparations and packs.
Once this is setup, we create layouts. A layout for a pack can now show fields from preparation to show which preparation it belongs to.
Also via all that relationships, the table for a preparation can show the first pack, substance and price on the same layout.
Let us know if you have questions and enjoy the magic of those functions.
Check out the FMTraining.tv website. Richard Carlton and his team do a daily free live stream about FileMaker to watch. And they have a huge library of FileMaker training material to watch and learn all about the Claris FileMaker product family.
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 talk a bit about what's new in MBS FileMaker Plugin in version 11.4 and answer user questions.
Do you like this video?
Please let Richard know and send him your wishes or ideas for future live broadcast as well as topics for training videos. And check out the FileMaker Training bundles as well as their new book for FileMaker, updated for 2021.
Nickenich, Germany - (September 7th, 2021) -- MonkeyBread Software today is pleased to announce
MBS FileMaker Plugin 11.4 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 11.4 has been updated and now includes over 6600 different functions, and the versatile plugin has gained more new functions:
We updated our
WordFile functions to store the resulting word file into a container instead of a file with the new
WordFile.WriteContainer function. You can substitute any text in the word file with
WordFile.Substitute function or check whether some text is there with
WordFile.Contains function.
In this release we add thread pooling for Windows. This highly benefits some functions using threads like e.g.
CURL.PerformInBackground. We can reuse threads and lower the memory footprint.
If you have to read plist files on macOS, please check our new
PList functions. We return content as JSON and also allow to write back those plist files.
Our
SendMail functions got an upgrade to produce S/MIME signed emails with new
SendMail.Sign function. For this we also added new
PKey.ReadFromContainer function to read in private keys to sign.
For iOS we added
SharingPanel functions to run the sharing dialog for sending text, files, pictures or URLs to other applications or services, e.g. AirDrop.
We got a new function
Container.Screenshot to take snapshots for WebViewer controls. But this function can also be used for all other named controls on a layout to snapshot content like pictures of text fields.
For DynaPDF we got new functions to set printer settings via new
DynaPDF.Print.SetSetting function. You can check whether an input PDF is a tagged one with the new
DynaPDF.GetInIsTaggedPDF function.
For macOS you can now have the plugin prevent closing the database design dialog while relationship tab is selected. See
SyntaxColoring.DontOpenManageDatabaseDialogWithRelations.SetEnabled function to enable it.
We improved errors printed into trace log, got new
SQL.FieldExists and
SystemInfo.isWindows11 functions, allow backslash for escaping paths in
XML.GetPathValue function and added HEAD as verb for
CURL.SetupAWS and
CURL.SetupOAuth functions.
Finally we updated CURL library to version 7.78.0, DynaPDF to 4.0.58.153 and SQLAPI to 5.1.5.
See
release notes for a complete list of changes.
7. September 2021 - Monkeybread Software veröffentlicht heute das
MBS FileMaker Plugin für FileMaker in Version 11.4, mit inzwischen über 6600 Funktionen eines der größten FileMaker Plugins überhaupt. Hier einige der Neuerungen:
Wir haben unsere
WordFile Funktionen aktualisiert, um die resultierende Word-Datei mit der neuen Funktion
WordFile.WriteContainer in einem Container statt in einer Datei zu speichern. Sie können jeden beliebigen Text in der Word-Datei mit der Funktion
WordFile.Substitute ersetzen oder mit der Funktion
WordFile.Contains prüfen, ob ein Text vorhanden ist.
In dieser Version fügen wir Thread-Pooling für Windows hinzu. Dies kommt einigen Funktionen zugute, die Threads verwenden, wie zum Beispiel
CURL.PerformInBackground. Wir können Threads wiederverwenden und den Speicherbedarf verringern.
Wenn Sie Plist-Dateien unter macOS lesen müssen, probieren Sie bitte unsere neuen
PList Funktionen. Wir geben den Inhalt als JSON zurück und wir können auch JSON als Plist-Datei ausgeben.
Unsere
SendMail Funktionen haben ein Upgrade erhalten, um S/MIME-signierte E-Mails mit der neuen Funktion
SendMail.Sign zu erzeugen. Dazu haben wir auch die neue Funktion
PKey.ReadFromContainer hinzugefügt, um private Schlüssel zum Signieren einzulesen.
Für iOS haben wir
SharingPanel Funktionen hinzugefügt, um den Sharing Dialog zum Senden von Text, Dateien, Bildern oder URLs an andere Anwendungen oder Dienste, z.B. AirDrop zu übergeben.
Wir haben eine neue Funktion
Container.Screenshot, um Schnappschüsse für WebViewer-Steuerelemente zu erstellen. Diese Funktion kann aber auch für alle anderen benannten Controls in einem Layout verwendet werden, um Snapshots von Inhalten wie z.B. Bilder von Textfeldern zu erstellen.
Für DynaPDF gibt es neue Funktionen zum Setzen von Druckereinstellungen über die neue Funktion
DynaPDF.Print.SetSetting. Mit der neuen Funktion
DynaPDF.GetInIsTaggedPDF kann überprüft werden, ob ein Eingabe-PDF ein getaggtes ist.
Unter macOS kann das Plugin nun verhindern, dass der Datenbank-Design-Dialog geschlossen wird, wenn die Registerkarte Beziehung ausgewählt ist. Siehe
SyntaxColoring.DontOpenManageDatabaseDialogWithRelations.SetEnabled Funktion, um dies zu aktivieren.
Wir haben die Ausgabe von Fehlern im Trace-Log verbessert, neue Funktionen
SQL.FieldExists und
SystemInfo.isWindows11 eingeführt, Backslash für das Escaping von Pfaden in der Funktion
XML.GetPathValue zugelassen und HEAD als Verb für die Funktionen
CURL.SetupAWS und
CURL.SetupOAuth hinzugefügt.
Schließlich haben wir die CURL-Bibliothek auf Version 7.78.0, DynaPDF auf 4.0.58.153 und SQLAPI auf 5.1.5 aktualisiert.
Alle Änderungen in den
Release Notes.
New in this prerelease of version 11.4 of the MBS FileMaker Plugin:
Download at
monkeybreadsoftware.com/filemaker/files/Prerelease/, in
Dropbox folder or ask for being added to the dropbox shared folder.
New in this prerelease of version 11.4 of the MBS FileMaker Plugin:
Download at
monkeybreadsoftware.com/filemaker/files/Prerelease/, in
Dropbox folder or ask for being added to the dropbox shared folder.
As you may know Claris switched the engine for WebViewer on Windows. Instead of Internet Explorer they now use the WebView2 component from Microsoft for FileMaker 19.3. Sadly we didn't get our plugin to work with this Edge/Chromium engine for FileMaker 19.3.
But we like to let you know that we work on a fix with Claris. With a little help from them, the plugin can actually get the reference to the WebViewer. For a future plugin version we can get our
WebView functions to work with WebView2. But this change on Claris' side requires an update to FileMaker Pro, so this won't work for FileMaker 19.3, but for the next version after this, let's name it 19.4.
We look forward to the fall with a new FileMaker Pro release for Windows to have you all try the new functions.
Be aware that the Chromium/Edge as engine may behave a little bit different, so you need to test all scripts. And we may have a few new functions for WebView2 specific. Since WebView2 component gets regularly updated, you may need to have a recent version installed to use all plugin functions as some require a recent version, e.g. one from 2021 instead of the one from 2020.
If you like to try it soon, you may want to join Claris ETS (external testing service) and get early access to future FileMaker versions. Otherwise wait for the release, probably in fall 2021.
New in this prerelease of version 11.4 of the MBS FileMaker Plugin:
- Added SendMail.Sign function to send S/MIME signed emails.
- Added PKey.Read, PKey.ReadFromContainer and PKey.ReadFromFile functions.
- Changed SendMail functions to cache email source and not render it again each time you query it. And clear it when you change a property of the email.
- Fixed problem with menu functions on Windows not drawing disabled menu entries in gray when using font styles.
- Fixed problem in PDFKit.GetPDFAttribute returning an error when no keywords are available.
- Fixed a problem with menu functions on Windows to better measure space needed.
- Fixed a problem with menu functions on macOS not showing diamond or bullet checkmarks.
- Added error message when tracing script calls and logging errors.
- Added password parameter for PKey.Read function to read encrypted private keys.
Download at
monkeybreadsoftware.com/filemaker/files/Prerelease/, in
Dropbox folder or ask for being added to the dropbox shared folder.
We are happy about any bug report we get, so we can fix it. But since we got asked if we pay bug bounty, let me explain:
In the past we paid bug bounties for valuable information about vulnerabilities on our products or website.
We haven't put up a website like
CURL project here, but we may formalize it more in the future.
To give a few examples for the websites:
- You can read a file you shouldn't see.
- You circumvented the CMS login. Create a new article with your name as proof and contact us.
- You can write a file to our web server, e.g. write a text file with your name and contact us.
- You can execute code own our web server, e.g. run ls -al and show us the output.
- You can run SQL on our database servers.
For our products:
- Have you be able to crash an app with bad input data? Especially if that could lead to stack corruption and thus execute input data as code.
- Have you found a way, where you can do a SQL injection?
- Have you found a way to circumvent a login or security privilege checking?
- Have you found a way to circumvent our license checks?
We may extend this list with new examples.
Please note that not all crashes are a vulnerabilities, some things got reported before, may be caused by code not from us (open source libraries) and not all vulnerabilities can be exploited.
If you have something, please
contact us.
As I am traveling to Calgary in Canada next month, I like to arrange a FileMaker developer meeting.
Let's talk about FileMaker, conferences, plugins and other programming topics.
Please help to decide on the exact day: Calgary Meeting - Edmonton Meeting
As we have FileMaker users in both cities and around them, we may do both events. Please mark your availability in the surveys above. If you could drive to both cities for a meeting, you can put yourself into both surveys. Feel free to contact us if you have questions.
We can reserve a table in a nice restaurant in Calgary and Edmonton and talk an evening about FileMaker. Time probably around 18 to 22 o'clock, so you can come later or leave early.
Once I set a date and pick a place, we'll contact everyone own the list with the details. I hope to see you all there!
Update: The date is Tuesday, 14th September 2021 for Calgary.
If you like to join, please contact us to get on the guest list.
We got a recording of the meeting for the
Kentuckiana FileMaker Developers Group from 27th July 2021, where I presented a few examples coming with MBS Plugin.
Watch it on YouTube.
I was very happy to have them schedule their meeting for lunch time, so I could join live at evening time in Austria, right from our little hiking vacation. Enjoy the video and let us know if you have ideas or questions about our plugin.
Recently more people updated to FileMaker versions 19.2 and 19.3. On support calls, we see more complains about plugins no longer calling scripts or doing SQL properly.
If you turn on
Trace logging, you may see for example:
Start Script "DragAction" in file "DragTest" with control Pause
Parameter: 31001
Current file: "DragTest". User "Christian" on host "DESKTOP-CK2F9O6"
Result: 825 (File is not authorized to reference the protected file)
So when you see error 825, then this is a permission issue. With FileMaker version 19.2 Claris introduced the fmplugin extended privilege. Old files don't have this, so script triggering is allowed for the plugin. But if the file is new, it gets a fmplugin extended privilege. And if that one is not checked, the script trigger is forbidden. But you can mark the checkbox to allow all plugins.
Or you add a specific fmpluginMBSP to only allow MBS Plugin. And you may define this for all or some privileges, so some user may use plugin and some not.
If you are interested in limiting functionality of MBS Plugin for users, feel free to limit functions with Plugin.SetFunctions call. Or limit functions to certain scripts/file/privileges, check the Plugin.LimitFunction function. If you like to know what functions you use, check the Plugin.UsedFunctions function and run it after the solution has been used for a day or so.
See also
Tracing MBS Filemaker Plugin,
DbgView for watching trace messages live on FileMaker Server,
Watching for Errors with MBS Plugin and
About controlling plug-in access between files.
Please join the Claris Engage Beyond webinars next week. Starts on August 25th with a Webinar from
Learn, share, and connect online with Claris Engage Beyond 2021, beginning on August 25.
Stay ahead of the curve with Claris Engage Beyond! Get ready for Claris insights, new learning opportunities, and other virtual sessions, brought to you live and on-demand. Whether you’re new to Claris or a long-time community member, Claris Engage Beyond offers the opportunity to choose the sessions you find most valuable.
Please register for the Claris Engage Beyond LIVE kickoff event, featuring Claris CEO, Brad Freitag and VP of Engineering, Peter Nelson, on Wednesday, August 25, 2021. You can also explore and register for other sessions happening after the kickoff.
View the schedule and sign up today!
All sessions are virtual and free of charge.
claris.com/engage
Hope to see you there!
Claris FileMaker is a very versatile tool, but we are curious to learn what direction Claris wants to go with it in the next year. We look forward to an update of the roadmap, maybe some previews of what's coming and in which areas Claris will invest in the products.
We like to hear more about improvements to the admin console for server, additional data centers for the Cloud offering, Android support, the web authoring engine in the browser and maybe some simplified licensing. For Android, I'd still wish Claris would hire a few developers to port over FileMaker Go.
Later on the 25th August, please join
Richard Carlton and his team in the
FMTraining Live Broadcast session "Claris CEO Kickoff - Post Event Review" to recap the high lights and add a bit of context and background information.
See you there!
New in this prerelease of version 11.4 of the MBS FileMaker Plugin:
Download at
monkeybreadsoftware.com/filemaker/files/Prerelease/, in
Dropbox folder or ask for being added to the dropbox shared folder.
New in this prerelease of version 11.4 of the MBS FileMaker Plugin:
Download at
monkeybreadsoftware.com/filemaker/files/Prerelease/, in
Dropbox folder or ask for being added to the dropbox shared folder.
As you may have seen, Claris Inc. released the new version 19.3.2 of FileMaker Server. FileMaker Pro 19.3.2 arrived a few days earlier.
This update fixes plugins for us with Data API on Windows. Also it fixed installation trouble for Linux and macOS.
Please read the release notes for more details on bug fixes and the new AuthenticatedStream setting.
See
Announcement in the community: Claris FileMaker Server 19.3.2 is now available.
FileMaker Server 19.3.2 Release Notes
Enabling plug-ins for FileMaker Data API in FileMaker Server
Downloads
To download the new version, you may use the download page for your licensed software (see your license email for a link) or use the in-product updater next week.
In this article I want to introduce you the new functions from the MBS FileMaker Plugin in version 11.3.
Barcode
First of all, I would like to show you the new features in the Barcodes section. Until now you could only read barcodes in the plugin via the ZXing library. We have now changed this and make the reading of Barcodes with the ZBar library accessible. You can load the ZBar library, which you can also download from our website, with the new function Barcode.LoadLibrary. We specify in the parameters the file path to library. With Barcode.Loaded you can test, if ZBar is loaded. Using Barcode.ZBarVersion you can query the loaded version of the library. With Barcode.Scan you scan a barcode by using ZBar. The result will contain information about the Barcode as JSON text, for example the text of the Barcode. In the parameters of this function the image must be stored as container value or as GraphicsMagick reference. For example, if you want to scan an image from a file, you must first read the image into a variable with Container.ReadImageFile. Here you can see an example with the new barcode functions. The QR code that should be scanned and the ZBar library file are both located on the desktop:
Set Variable [ $Desk ; Value: MBS( "Folders.UserDesktop" ) ]
#Load ZBar Library
Set Variable [ $PathLibrary ; Value: MBS( "Path.AddPathComponent"; $Desk; "libzbar.0.dylib" ) ]
Set Variable [ $r ; Value: MBS( "Barcode.LoadLibrary"; $PathLibrary ) ]
#Is the ZBar library loaded?
Set Variable [ $Loaded ; Value: MBS( "Barcode.Loaded" ) ]
#Version of ZBar
Set Variable [ $Version ; Value: MBS( "Barcode.ZBarVersion" ) ]
# Scan
Set Variable [ $PathBarcode ; Value: MBS( "Path.AddPathComponent"; $Desk; "QRCode.png" ) ]
Set Variable [ $BarcodeImage ; Value: MBS( "Container.ReadImageFile"; $PathBarcode ) ]
Set Variable [ $BarcodeResult ; Value: MBS( "Barcode.Scan"; $BarcodeImage ) ]
#Dialog
Show Custom Dialog [ "QR Code with ZBar" ; "Loaded: " & $Loaded & "¶Version: " & $Version & "¶Barcode Content: " & $BarcodeResult ]
The dialog look like this:
Based on this example picture above.
If you are interested in more details please have a look at our new example Barcode Detection.fmp12 file.
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You may want to have a script to check if MBS Plugin is installed. For example you may have a calculation like this:
"MBS Plugin " & MBS("Version") &
" loaded into " & MBS( "Platform" ) &
" on " & MBS( "SystemInfo.OSName" ) & ". " &
If(MBS("IsRegistered");
"Licensed to " & MBS("Plugin.LicenseeName") & ".";
"No license set.")
This returns e.g. "MBS Plugin 11.3.0.07 loaded into FileMaker Pro Advanced on macOS. Licensed to Christian Schmitz.". Such a calculation can be wrapped into an If to check whether the plugin is installed and also show FileMaker version:
If( GetAsText( MBS("Version")) = "?";
"no MBS Plugin installed, version " & Get(ApplicationVersion);
"MBS Plugin " & MBS("Version") &
" loaded into " & MBS( "Platform" ) &
", version " & Get(ApplicationVersion) &
" on " & MBS( "SystemInfo.OSName" ) & ". " &
If(MBS("IsRegistered");
"Licensed to " & MBS("Plugin.LicenseeName") & ".";
"No license set."))
This can be put in a new script with an exit script to return the version:
Exit Script [ Text Result: "If( GetAsText( MBS(..." ]
Then you can call this script locally or via Perform Script on Server. On client it may return:
MBS Plugin 11.3.0.07 loaded into FileMaker Pro Advanced, version Pro 19.3.2 on macOS. Licensed to Christian Schmitz.
While on server it may return something like this:
MBS Plugin 11.3.0.07 loaded into ServerScripting, version Server 19.3.2 on Windows 2016 Server. No license set.
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