Testing is another beast.
I tested V18 much more than any other version since the .fp7 run - and it was phantastic. As Go18 came out, I was surprised because it solved the biggest issue here.
The main reason for that testing was, that I worked a looong day long with V18 without recognizing that - the icon was identical (to 17) on my Mac (I usually have own icons, but due to the fact that I had to upgrade my os’ for 18, I set up a vanilla, new Mac - and did not have the icons on that machine…). After recognizing that I was working with 18 and that was so smooth, I decided to keep on working with 18 - so I tested all ‘my perspectives’…
But: I tested ‘my environment’, just my own habits and needs…
Some of our customers are ISO certified (900x, 27001, etc.) and they must test (one reason that makes it impossible to establish every version of filemaker; one year is way too short, impossible…). The last time, we introduced the new version of fm, user groups were defined to check as much as possible before going live. Some of the groups were late, users couldn’t test as fast as planned.
So, the CEO asked those groups to complete testing until a specific date (it was a short time, just to be ‘on plan’).
All groups finished their testing, sending protocols to dev (I’m the leader of the ‘dev’ there). We had to invoke the new version over a weekend.
Not even printing was working… (but was tested…)
During macOS classic, there was a software called ‘One Click’ by Westcode Software, phenomenal, one could do unbelievable things, interface, scripting, almost whatever…
I was a beta-tester at that time and one westcode-guy was leading all testings, holding us testers straight on a line. We knew every single point and there was an open (for everyone visible) list of issues with their priority.
Filemaker (I’m not a beta-tester for fm anymore) was similar - but not as ‘straight’ - but beta-testing for Westcode took much more time…
At some point, a software company has to publish a ‘v.x01’, knowing that there must be updates. This is normal. What is not ‘that normal’ is the fact that fba testers could not send in any reports (I received a mail telling me that there is no more testing before release)
-> this was changed in the V18 run - we could send in our reports!
What remains the big problem for me is the fact that fmi still has no release notes (for go almost zero, a bit more for desktop version - but far away from ‘full’). Makes it hard to test, to install new versions/patches (I mean, the Japanese-thing doesn’t bother here in any way…)
In short: Today, full-testing became impossible. It has to be a compromise. (nothing new…)
Xojo: I got a professional license (all platform) here. Working on interfaces is much better with filemaker. Overall, filemaker is still the fastest environment that I’m aware of