Yes, we do!
that's it...
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Seriously?
Sometimes you don't want to hide an object but instead show that it's not available (but still visible).
That is an option in most UI environments.
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+1 for try/catch my scripts are all twice as long because I error trap after every step. It's madness.
But @jormond is right, they've already revealed just about everything they're planning on releasing next, so don't get too attached to this list for v19.
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Understood...yet another FMP release to skip. 
Well, we aren’t left with no way to do it. You are simply asking for a new way, I get it. Also, I’m for it.
Because there is another way to do it, it isn’t really moving the platform forward. That’s all I’m trying to get at. There are bigger, far more reaching, features they are working on.
We can't change FileMaker and Claris follows a long term plan, which may not include what you need.
But we can provide solutions currently by developing ourselves, using a plugin or a workaround.
We recently wrote something to test compile calculations.
see
https://www.mbsplugins.de/archive/2019-12-06/Formatting_and_error_checking_
This could probably be extended in a FileMaker database to developer & test custom functions.
Did you see our recent additions?
https://www.mbsplugins.de/archive/2019-11-14/Add_a_search_and_replace_comma
Those script editing features can also work on windows, but need to be triggered by Hotkey.
Added for MacOS by MBS Plugin.
Use conditional formatting. Use e.g. a variable/field for the disabled state.
Don't delete. Mark as deleted and hide. Or copy in a separate table before deletion.
Correct, but provided via several plugins and soon in FM 19 via JavaScript.
Provided via several plugins includng MBS.
Use a data entry table and copy record to real table on commit.
Use JSON.
Reading through the list, I think you look for something else.
Maybe Java, maybe Xojo or some other development tool.
1 Like
I guess you have never actually read any of my postings or even my replies to you. If you had, you'd have read (even in this thread) that I DO have many, many workarounds using non-FMP-ONLY solutions like micro-services. I have never needed plug-ins.
My wish list above was for, again, FMP itself to grow up a bit and include basic programming features commonly found in other environments. I have already worked around the missing features including ones that FMI has yet to think about implementing (like RegEx).
My list above was NOT for workarounds. It was for IN-PRODUCT improvements.
My gripes are that new features generally fall into one of three buckets:
-
Halfhearted, not fully implemented or thought out (or work well). (SQL, for example. Select only.) FMI has a SQL reference manual, ExecuteSQL, JDBC support, yet when push comes to shove, they always say: "FileMaker is not a SQL Database". Uh huh.
-
Barely usable. As just one example, the new "While" is so slow that I would never use it (the Java micro-service equivalent is about 400 times faster).
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Needlessly crippled. The new "file" options don't let you open more than 25 files and are not usable everywhere (see the help for Web Direct). They are also very slow considering micro-service (or, I'm assuming plug-in) alternatives.
I never would use these new features having worked around them long ago, but still. JDBC local is another example where, I'm assuming due to the FMI marketing department running amok, JDBC only works with local FMP databases (or, OF COURSE, FMS). This silly JDBC restriction is easy to work around using a simple design pattern and micro-service, but it's ridiculous in the first place you should need to resort to that.
Plug-ins are never the solution for me or for my clients. Should FMI go out of business (nobody ever thought Visual FoxPro would go "toes up" either) or my clients move off FMP (the ones I have that use it), and some have, I want my code-base to be intact and still have a client. A plug-in is not a good solution. It works with only one product. I'm at the mercy of the plug-in vendor. I have no control over the code, etc. And, writing a simple micro-service method is really not any more difficult than all the boilerplate and setup a plug-in requires.
I know I'm not convincing the die-hards of anything and that was not my goal. Should FMI want my future business, they need to step up and make the product more usable and modern with better performance.
(Note: my list above was shared with FMP marketing over a year ago. Result: "null")
Hope this clarifies.
3 Likes
Thanks for clarification.
But I don't expect Claris Inc. to read here and look on your wish list.
Had you read the very posting you replied to, you would have read that the list was already shared with FMI over a year ago.
Thanks.
well, I just deleted a post I started to describe my relation with Claris PM's and executives over the last years but think it wouldn't be of any help. Looks like Claris took decisions to head in a direction that will leave a great part of their loyal customers and beta-testers like me behind.
For this, I'm more interested in the MBS Roadmap than that of Claris' FileMaker.
One thing I'd add to your list would be a way to get Table Stats.
Manage Databases > Tables shows the number of fields and records, but there's no way to determine the storage space of each table.
2 Likes
we all enter our wishes, e.g. in product idea website.
But still Claris doesn't have the desire to build you the development tool you need. They build the things that support their long term strategy and if you can align your plan to theirs, you may be very happy about the future with Claris!
3 Likes
Christian,
Could MBS add the ability to get a Record Size in Bytes as well as Table Size in Bytes?
More for me then!
We recently made FM.TableStatistics function for this.
please use 10.0pr as I think we fixed something in the last weeks.
This function tells you how big a table is by counting up how much text you have. You could do the same just for one record by summing Container.GetTotalSize for all containers and then 2*Length of all texts from all fields. Maybe add a bit of overhead, e.g. 16 byte per field for management.
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As always, you & MBS rock. Thank you Christian.
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… and for some upcoming problem with the killing of the runtime:
@MonkeybreadSoftware, how good are you with Draco coding?
1 Like
Truly customer-focused, then
We provide add-on for FileMaker, not a replacement.
Sorry for the runtimes. I wrote my ideas on the blog some time ago: End of Live for FileMaker Runtimes