Creating and deploying iPhone and iPad apps using FileMaker Pro and FileMaker Go

Introduction to FileMaker Go

• Purpose, Introduction and Overview
• Transferring files to your iOS device (iPhone or iPad)
• The Go Home Screen
• The Go Application Settings
• Using the File Browser; opening a local file; opening a Hosted File; deleting a local file
• The Go application settings

Operational differences

• Modes supported and not supported in Go/iOS
• Menu Commands missing, in different locations or differently presented
• iOS gestures - tapping to zoom and pinching to zoom
• Avoiding the opening of multiple windows
• Sorting differences
• Other differences

Working with Data

• iOS input styles – using the virtual keyboard
• Typing inside a text field
• How numbers are presented
• How dates are entered
• How images and other file types are inserted into Container fields
• iOS specific benefits for container fields e.g. entering signatures and using the built in camera
• Exporting options under iOS for container fields
• Importing and exporting data and the differences from FileMaker Pro
• Moving from field to field without a Tab key

Security and Background Behaviour

• Security modules supported
• Coping with interruptions – what happens in your Go app when the user presses the iPad or iPhone Home button
• Script suspension
• Restoring the previous state
• Losing connectivity
• Re-authentication options and the fmreauthenticate Extended Privilege

Designing Layouts for Mobile Use

• Introduction and basics
• Using the screen stencils
• Using the Touch themes specifically designed for Go
• Optimisation techniques – removing unnecessary fields e.g. fields for Quick Find, unnecessary calculation fields
• Screen dimensions for iPad and iPhone
• Suitable buttons sizes
• Using FileMaker functions to determine the orientation of the iOS device
• How to use the Autosize feature in Layout mode
• Some differences in the display of value lists

Calculations and Scripting for FileMaker Go

• Helpful Calculation Functions when designing Go solutions
• Scripting with Go in mind – unsupported script steps you need to avoid
• Detecting the Go platform through a script
• Directing Go users to Go-appropriate layouts
• The Allow User Abort script step in Go
• Error Trapping For Unsupported Script Steps; Command is Unknown error; Command is Unavailable error
• Useful features available in Go – dialling phone numbers and sending SMS text messages

Advanced Techniques

• Introduction
• Handing off complex routines
• Transactional Scripting – how to cope with interruptions
• Dealing cleanly with record creation and editing- committing all or zero related records rather than only some
• Passing data between FileMaker Go and other iOS applications

Introduction to Data Synchronisation

• Overview of the issues
• Developing a sync strategy; using a connector file to link the deployed file in Go and the hosted file
• What to do in the deployed FileMaker Go file
• What to do in the connector file
• What to do in the hosted file
• Exchanging data
• Processing changes
• Coping with interrupted connectivity
• Identifying records for synching
• Opening and closing hosted files