FileMaker (http://www.filemaker.com), a wholly owned subsidiary of Apple, has released FileMaker Pro 11, which sports such new features as charting, “on the fly” reporting, a new Quick Find capability, and tools for easier database creation.
Also available today with new features is the entire FileMaker 11 product line, which includes FileMaker Pro 11 Advanced, FileMaker Server 11 and FileMaker Server 11. FileMaker Pro 11 offers a selection of dynamic professional-quality charts (pie, bar, area, and line), empowering users to visualize, evaluate and report on data within a new or existing layout, according to Ryan Rosenberg, vice president, marketing and services, FileMaker.
For example, users can add a pie chart tab within a FileMaker Pro layout to see their sales depicted graphically any way they chose — weekly, monthly, regionally and more. FileMaker Charts can also be published to the web using FileMaker Pro Instant Web Publishing. FileMaker Pro 11 users can now create “on the fly” Quick Reports in a familiar spreadsheet-like format to set up subtotals and totals similar to pivot tables in spreadsheets. A new streamlined Layout/Report Assistant guides users through the process of setting up reports with grouped data.
FileMaker Pro 11 also provides a variety of new tools to help boost productivity and enable users to build and use databases more easily, says Rosenberg. New features include:
° Quick Find with an iTunes style that searches across all fields within a layout;
° The Inspector, a master tool palette that controls layout objects and properties in one place;
° Object Badges to visually identify scripted fields in layouts with color-coded icons;
° A new Invoices Starter Solution, one of more than 30 built-in solutions, designed to track product and customer details and create, manage and print customized invoices for every order;
° An improved Quick Start Screen to help users create new databases, manage favorite files and find helpful resources;
° Text highlighting to emphasize key words or numbers in fields.
For more experienced database developers, FileMaker Pro 11 offers script creation and editing enhancements, portal filtering that specifies related records based on calculations and layout folders that help organize layouts in folders via drag-and-drop .
FileMaker Pro 11 also delivers innovative new ways to collaborate with its Snapshot Link that flags a specific set of records at a point in time, preserving the same layout, view and sort order. Any changes made to the file are automatically updated in the database. The Snapshot Link file can be emailed to anyone who has FileMaker Pro 11 for collaboration. FileMaker Pro 11also introduces Recurring Import, a new feature that allows users to establish an automatic import from Excel, CSV or TAB.
The new FileMaker Pro 11 Advanced, which offers all of the features of FileMaker Pro 11 plus a suite of development and customization tools, provides: a new streamlined, intuitive interface for creating customized menus; the ability to copy, paste and import custom functions into databases without having to re-key information; and an Improved Script Debugger that lets users debug scripts attached to buttons and Custom Menus along with all the scripts on a layout.
New in FileMaker Server 11 is an Enhanced Statistics View that provides detailed visibility into FileMaker Pro clients to help diagnose potential issues. The new Backup File Clone allows administrators to save an empty version of any database to help preserve the schema and architecture of a file while troubleshooting. Also, FileMaker Server 11 Advanced no longer limits the number of users that can simultaneously access files over the network and allows managers to securely assign access privileges to groups of users.
All FileMaker 11 products are immediately available. FileMaker Pro 11 is US$299 /$179 upgrade, and FileMaker Pro 11 Advanced is $499/$299 upgrade. FileMaker Server 11 is $999/$599 upgrade, and FileMaker Server 11 Advanced is $2,999/$1,799 upgrade.
For a limited time, FileMaker extends upgrade pricing to licensed users of FileMaker 8 and 8.5 products. This offer expires Sept. 23, 2010, and details are at http://www.filemaker.com/purchase/store/promos_upgrade.html .
