I've been using FileMaker since version 5, and making money on it for the last 25 years. Thus, I'm a litle embarassed to reazlize, I have "no effing clue" WTF is going on with the new stuff.
I read about "Claris Pro" and think I understand it, then I realize "oh, but this does not apply to Claris Server" and realize that CS is something different.
Yes, I've googled this, and many of the FAQs are from 2021 and people speculating on what may come.
Can anyone explain:
what is FileMaker vs. Claris Pro
what is Claris Pro vs. Claris Studio
Where this is all going?
My understanding is poor: Claris and FileMaker are the same, but Claris is online only (requiring ClarisID ?) and lacking many features. Claris Pro uses Mongo instead of Draco but might still be on premises, but but Claris Studio is maybe cloud only?
Claris Pro is FileMaker Pro + it can uses pages (I may have the wrong term) created with Claris Studio
There is also a Claris Server which the equivalent of FileMaker Server
Claris Studio is the tool use to create new apps that use a NoSQL database. This tool works in a browser, the apps work in a browser and are for the moment hoster by Claris. Later on there will be an on premise server
These are short answers to your questions. Mores details are available on other threads here on TheSoup.
When the development of the new Clarris products will be finished, then the FileMaker products will be replaced by Claris products. That will not happen tomorrow !
For the Moment, the FileMaker-Application-palette can be used like before. If You are working 'inside' FM Pro, Server, Go - then it is save to concentrate on these. If You are planning to use the other products (Claris Studio, Claris Connect,), then I would call Your local Claris representant
AFAIK, the Claris (pro, srv) apps need a Claris ID (online usage... etc.) and can better interact with Studio/Connect, has a new extension (.claris, no way back when once converted to that) - but beside of this FM Pro ist (for now) 100% compatible with the Claris Pro, srv
Maybe You can join one of the Claris webinars (don't know the date for a next one) and ask some questions (-:
Many (former) customers of the vendor are (have been) in the same position.
Business customers need facts for making decisions. Marketing grandiose like ‘white-gloved onboard experience’ and chatty webinars are no surrogate for a written and committing product roadmap.
• Are there any advantages now to migrating from FileMaker to Claris? (e.g. performance?)
• Will we be forced to migrate from FileMaker to Claris? If so, will we be forced into the Claris model (of user IDs managed by claris, not locally?)
• On this site (The Soup) as well as on Community.claris.com very few of the posts are about Claris Pro / Claris Server. My interpretation is that "nobody is using it". Am I wrong?
Speaking for myself, I am not using it. Why? The Claris ID requirement is a show-stopper. Claris Studio is not WebDirect and there is no WebDirect equivalent I know of. Studio seems great for input but also seems lacking for output and for any kind of business logic or automation. Last but not least is its lack of off-line capabilities. Like it or not, there is still a need for this.
That said, there are capabilities that only exists in the Claris Platform, such as views and hubs. These intrigue me so I am looking forward to exploring these capabilities.
It is probably fair to say that very few are using the "Claris" platform. Unless you need the features offered in Claris Studio, then there is only a downside to moving from the FileMaker platform to the Claris platform.
I can pretty definitively say that we will never be forced to migrate from FM to Claris. I once thought so, but since few are using the Claris platform, we will in all likelyhood see direct integration between the FM platform itself with Claris Studio so that there is no need at all to migrate.
I, too, am a long time FMP developer (since 1994). I had assumed that I could stay old-skool Filemaker and also get Claris Connect, e.g. in order to use Twilio for texts etc. in my WebDirect solution. Please, someone clarify.
Actually, I just want some of the features that Connect has (but by no means all of them) and would prefer they just be part of Filemaker itself... and I realize that probably won't happen.
In fact, if I had the script(s) for receiving texts (I already have one for sending) and could skip Connect altogether, that would be ideal! If someone could point me to updated send and receive scripts to use with Twilio, that would be awesome. I'd be happy to buy a few hours of your time, too.
Now, I realize there may be something about Connect's Twilio connection that would be better than just copy/paste/modify of scripts. But... maybe not. (I kinda doubt that Claris would ever let on, should that be a "not".)
It’s all about the API. In FMP the magic happens with the Insert from URL script step.
What Connect gives you-and its no small thing-is ease of connectivity. You can replicate all of this yourself in FMP. If you have the time and interest you can create a robust solution for Twilio interactions. Couple it with a web viewer and you are set.
GitHub is a great place to start searching for source code. You may not find FMP code but you will find solutions in lots of other languages. That code could form the wireframe for your own work.
Connect is too expensive IMHO for what you get. Zapier is a much, much better deal. Many more connections, lower cost, and even an FMS connector.
It's also super easy to wire in Twillio using REST services also. Twillio has basically copy and paste code for multiple languages right on their website. With REST, you can use that code with FileMaker and with any other application, too. You can run your REST locally. That's what I do.
Claris released an update to our product strategy and roadmap today -- including deprecation of Claris Pro in favor of Claris FileMaker and plans for a free tier of Claris Studio for customers with current licenses for FileMaker 2023.
Please let me know if you have any more questions after reviewing the update.
Claris finally acknowledges that killing the FileMaker brand was an exceptionally bad and hubristic idea.
Less than 30 days ago Claris published a defiant post titled 'Response to the rumor mill: Is Claris FileMaker obsolete?', after having stoked that very same rumor mill for months. Does this post take people for easily-to-be-swayed ones?
Now Claris publishes an apology for the confusion they have caused and announces a reversal.
That's fine, better late than never.
Focussing solely on the rebranding disaster would be ignoring the full scope of the issue.
I haven't seen anyone taking responsibility for that mess. Everyone's still on vacation?
I just wish they'd stop spending all their time "marketing" and actually add some missing value to FileMaker. You still can't even search your scripts natively (and CFs) in version 20! That omission is utterly ridiculous. No refactoring capability at all.
I've documented about 80 other (should be) embarrassing things missing from the basic product all the way to the "data viewer". I guess nobody can be embarrassed when they're busy creating powerpoints for the latest "marketing branding/strategy"...Most important: what is our product's new name today? I wonder what their tech people do all day? Possibly fixing failed powerpoint installs...(all that product renaming must be exhausting).
The plot is still the same: FileMaker brand was/is to disappear not the technology. The reason behind has been explained, but lots of people got it wrong and started to write anything here and there. In many places if you were to propose FileMaker, the door closed instantly. I will not explain that again.
What will happen is that FileMaker Pro will be called Claris Pro, FileMaker Go will be called Claris Go, and FileMaker Server will be called Claris Server. So easy to understand. That will happen in the future, and the change will take place once Claris FileMaker, Go and Server will be on par with FileMaker Pro, Go and Server.
What we learned today is that the road to the transition will get changed. A Claris ID is needed to connect to Claris Studio, and it was planned that Pro and Go would also need to use Claris ID. Thing is that will not happen, Claris backed up on that. That will make it easier to do (development) the transition to Claris and they will work on the other things to bring Claris and FileMaker on par.
Another thing we learned today is that there will be a Freemium FileMaker Pro - probably called Claris Pro. The exact form is not yet finalized, but they target beginning of 2024 for the release.
NOTE: today's presentation was not slated to be on explaining Licensing, but to update people on the road map for product development and licensing.
I strongly recommend that you watch today's presentation, it has been recorded. Tuesday session will be 100% dedicated to questions/answers.
