Recommended books about FileMaker

FileMaker Pro 9: The Missing Manual is the clear, thorough and accessible guide to the latest version of this popular desktop database program. FileMaker Pro lets you do almost anything with the information you give it. You can print corporate reports, plan your retirement, or run a small country -- if you know what you're doing. This book helps non-technical folks like you get in, get your database built, and get the results you need. Pronto. The new edition gives novices and experienced users the scoop on versions 8.5 and 9. It offers complete coverage of timesaving new features such as the Quick Start screen that lets you open or a create a database in a snap, the handy "save to" buttons for making Excel documents or PDFs, the multiple level Undo and Redo commands let you step backwards through your typing tasks, and much more. With FileMaker Pro 9: The Missing Manual, you can: Get your first database running in minutes and perform basic tasks right away. Catalog people, processes and things with streamlined data entry and sorting tools. Learn to use layout tools to organize the appearance of your database. Use your data to generate reports, correspondence and other documents with ease. Create, connect, and manage multiple tables and set up complex relationships that show you just the data you need. Crunch numbers, search text, or pin down dates and times with dozens of built-in formulas. Automate repetitive tasks with FileMaker Pro 9's easy-to-learn scripting language. Protect your database with passwords and set up privileges to determine what others can do once they gain entry. Outfit your database for the Web and import and export data to other formats. Each chapter in the bookcontains "living examples" -- downloadable tutorials that help you learn how to build a database by actually doing it. You also get plenty of sound, objective advice that lets you know which features are really useful, and which ones you'll barely touch. To make the most of FileMaker Pro 9, you need the book that should have been in the box.

Cover to cover, info is completely relevant and exactly what you were hoping to learn.

If you still don't have a clue how to function using FileMaker after reading this book, I'd find a new hobby if I were you.

On my journey to create a relational database I realized the need for a teacher, a resource, and some inspiration. This book is awesome and provided all I needed. My Filemaker knowledge is growing every hour as a result of this book. In addition, my database is becoming more user-friendly, secure, and downright logical.

Thank you, Filemaker Pro 9 Missing Manual, for being there for me in the summer of 2008.

This book does a good job of explaining the features of the product. It's clear and easy to use. Well recommended.

FileMaker Pro 9 is one of the most intuitive and user-friendly database programs available. But, as with all database programs, it is capable of so much that it is practically impossible for the typical user to deduce all of its functionality simply by searching the program's multiple menus.

Enter FileMaker Pro 9: The Missing Manual - another edition of the Missing Manual series designed to enlighten non-technical persons on highly technical subjects.

The main selling point of the series is that it is very simple to read. O'Reilly's writers are also extremely knowledgeable in the subject area. Geoff Coffey, has been a FileMaker Pro trainer and consultant for over 10 years. Susan Prosser is also a FileMaker consultant, as well as a database program creator. Along with the Missing Manual creative team, these authors impart their wealth of knowledge in a way that anyone could understand. And since they aren't part of FileMaker, Inc., they aren't afraid to point out any of the software's problems.

When comparing FileMaker Pro 9: The Missing Manual to the user's guide supplied in the software's box, several differences are notable. The biggest is size: the Missing Manual is wider, taller, and much thicker. So if you just need a quick introduction to the program, this book might not be what you need. Learning a program as extensive as FileMaker Pro takes time, and delving through the Missing Manual is going to take a lot of it. But if you want to get the most out of FileMaker Pro, then the user's guide just isn't enough. The Missing Manual also notably uses less complicated language, has more example images, and presents a intuitive flow of information than the user's guide.

One of the biggest benefits of FileMaker Pro 9: The Missing Manual is the online support. Armed with just the software and user's guide, you have to learn from scratch. The Missing Manual, on the other hand, offers several pre-built databases that it guides you through. This not only gives you an example to work with while learning, but also shows you various ways that your final databases could be built and organized.

The indexing is also much more detailed in the Missing Manual. So if you ever forget how to work a specific function of the program, the answer is a quick look-up away, though there are several instances in which the index reference the wrong section of the book (but the right page number). This is probably due to a late chapter reorganization before publishing.

While the current Missing Manual is well supported with examples, it does not, as yet, support any new software updates being offered by FileMaker, Inc.. In other words, the book is written for the FileMaker Pro 9 program right out of the box. If the company puts out any updates that alter the software, then you need to do your own research to figure out the changes. Also, when FileMaker Pro 10 becomes available, there is no smaller Missing Manual explaining just those changes - you'll need to pick up a new edition. So if you're not new to the FileMaker Pro software, these manuals might be more than you need.

I found FileMaker Pro 9: The Missing Manual to be perfect for someone just starting to work with database programs. It's step-by-step process will have you building your first personal or professional database in no time!

This is a thorough review of how to set up various database features of the Filemaker system. Like many such manuals I have had in the past, I found myself reading and re-reading instructions feeling there must be clearer, better ways to instruct someone on the various procedures of this fine database software. Nevertheless this reader got over some difficult spots in setting up his database and gives the book a positive review...

Refocused and completely rewritten with the needs of business users and FileMaker Pro developers in mind, FileMaker Pro 9 Bible shows you how to design an industrial-strength database, make it intuitive, and automate it with scripts and programming. From the fundamentals to data modeling to writing no-fail code, you'll find the clear, step-by-step procedures, solid techniques, and detailed explanations you need to master this powerful software and build the right solutions for your needs.

This book goes deep...very deep, and does not take your hand. So there is a lot of info (Bible suggests all). But how do I create a SIMPLE database? Anyway I ordered the Missing Manual and keep this book at hand if I'm ready for it.

Do NOT buy this book unless you are an IT professional or otherwise very familiar already with database programs.
A much better choice for someone needing to set up FileMakerPro for use in their own business or personal life is The Missing Manual for FileMakerPro. It is much more informative, much better written and teaches the reader everything they need to know to create a very powerful FileMakerPro solution in a logical order.

This book is a solid 'lay of the land' type of overview with a few good examples sprinkled in. As someone who's done a fair amount of coding in other scripting applications (actionScript, lingo, php, mysql, lasso etc) and someone who's purchased this book with the hope of finding a decent treatment of FileMaker Pro's scripting capabilities, I found this book less useful than the manual.

I really am enjoying this book a lot. Packed with very deep explanations and very useful tricks and tips. I am only half way through the book, and by now I feel it was an excellent purchase.

I've been in the FileMaker market for 18 years and accomplished many things but I have never taken a FileMaker class or read a book. For me to purchase a book and read it says a lot about the author and his brilliance. Don't buy any other FileMaker book.

Find everything fast...from iCal, Address Book, Apple Mail, even MobileMe and iPhone

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|||| |||| Use Bentofs stunning templates and themes

|||| |||| Master Smart Collections and other advanced features

|||| |||| Keep a nature/garden log

|||| |||| Manage projects

|||| |||| Create storyboards

|||| |||| And more...much more

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Bento is the best way to organize your life.

Your contacts, events, tasks, projects, stuff, everything.

This book makes Bento even better. (And even easier.)

Learn how to use everything thatfs built into Bento...and extend Bento
to do even more.

Quick. Elegant. Smart. And 100% Mac.

Thatfs Bento. And thatfs the Bento Book.

Bento 2 adds new features.

Find out whatfs new and how to use hot relations, export
and import Bento libraries, and use new view features.

Finally a book about the wonderful Bento database. My only complaint is that the text refers to illustrations that are too faint to read. I would certainly not mind paying a few dollars more for color illustrations or more clarity in the black and white print.

I've been trying to migrate from Projects in Entourage to Bento. While I miss some things in Projects, I love a lot of things in Bento. Hoping to power up my usage I bought this book. Chapter 11 on Designing a Projects Library with Related Notes was worth the price of purchase for me. Now, I can have a Notes library that is linked to every other library and enter multiple notes in one place by date. If the note is relevant to a particular project, I can show it in that project's window. GREAT for logging phone calls, ideas, etc. This is far superior to a separate text field for notes in each form.

Maybe you know FileMaker, and you have used it for years, but need a quick reference, immediately accessible while not interrupting your work on screen. This is|the only book on the market expressly focused on describing each calculation formula and how and when to use each! Filled with real-world, concrete examples, this book is an invaluable companion to readers working to develop solutions to their every day software problems. Contains hundreds of calculation functions, script steps, and operations that will appeal to every FileMaker user, new and old.

This book paid for itself in the first hour of reading. I am a FileMaker professional and this book presents the information I need quickly.

This book can serve as a bible for using functions and script commands with it's thorough and easy to find listings.

It could only be better if more examples were provided for us newbies.

With this new version of the software, FileMaker Pro expands the dramatically new and efficient approach to database management that gives users exceptional flexibility. This book explores the features of the product--both new and old--and identifies situ

Learn FileMaker Pro 9 is a great book for the beginner to intermediate user. I actually reviewed this book for a FileMaker newsletter, and I was extremely pleased with the content.

Jonathan has a knack for explaining technical tasks in a conversational tone. If you are just beginning to learn FileMaker his friendly explanations will be a breath of fresh air.

Jonathan also knows when to turn to others for advice on some of the more technical topics and brings in other FileMaker experts to fill in the gaps.

This book will definitely help provide jump start for anyone beginning FileMaker.

Stars quickly introduces the concepts you need to design a truly useful database. Most other books (including the three mentioned at the end of this review) discuss each module of FileMaker separately and in the abstract, similar to the FileMaker User Guide, leaving you wondering how to get started designing your own database. For example, most books defer "related tables" until halfway into the book because relationships are considered a difficult topic, but Stars introduces related tables in a very basic way in chapter 2.

Perhaps the best feature of Stars is that he offers far more practical tips, including pitfalls to avoid, than any other book I've read.

Stars explains how to design a database the way you'd do it in real life. He initially designs an elementary database, then adds more sophisticated features. (One of the beauties of FileMaker is that you don't need to design an all encompassing database in one fell swoop. You can start simple, then add features a little at a time, and adapt existing features to your evolving needs.) He uses many brief examples throughout the book, so there is no problem understanding the examples if you jump in the middle of the book.

I agree with Stars' philosophy that it is hard to learn FileMaker by reading a book cover-to-cover away from your computer. His book is designed to be read while you are near your computer so you can experiment with his examples. FileMaker is well adapted for learning by experimentation. (If you are beyond the neophyte stage, the book is self-explanatory without requiring access to a computer.)

The downside of Stars is that he is not the most articulate writer, so a few explanations are too vague. However, you almost always can understand him by context or by briefly experimenting with his examples.

Stars is much better for beginning-to-intermediate FileMaker users than the FileMaker Bible, FileMaker Missing Manual, or Que Special Edition. Stars has far more practical advice than the first two. The Que book is too difficult for a neophyte and covers only selected topics in depth. Although the Missing Manual is thicker than Stars, it actually conveys less information because it consumes too much space with the mechanics of pressing each button in a series of dialog windows. Stars presents the same info more concisely, yet is even more approachable for a neophyte.

Get the scoop on designing databases for Mac and Windows



Use FileMaker Pro design and scripting to quickly, easily build databases that solve real problems

FileMaker Pro has grown up, and it's better than ever! This easy-to-use guide shows you how to design a great FileMaker application, build a database that works, add the functionality you need, populate your database, and venture into programming with ScriptMaker. You'll find out how to share and protect your database, too.

Discover how to
* Build a layout that works
* Create custom triggers and calculated fields
* Generate reports automatically
* Manage security
* Publish your database on the Web
* Embed pictures, sound, and video

Before I bought this book I could not discover what version of FileMaker Pro it covered. (I have version 7.)

So I bought it anyhow and as soon as it arrived I discovered it assumed you were using version 8. Oh well... close enough! :-)

[...]

Book is littered with technical errors and examples that do not work. Don't waste your money!

in doing my research of filemaker pro, i came upon this book. my experience with the dummies series has always been excellent. his book was easy to understand with a hysterical sense of humor. i use the book continually as a reference. i ended up taking a class on filemaker pro which i highly recommend. sometimes you just need someone in front of you to be able to ask questions.

one note... in the beginning of the book, the author stated, "FileMaker provides full, multiuser support for up to five users without requiring the user to add any additional licenses or patches." that statement is misleading. i understood that statement to mean one license would allow five user. not true! as long as each computer attempting to view the same file has a unique license number, five users can access the same file at the same time. if more than five users at a time are going to be using the file, you'll need to buy filemaker server. that is my only complaint. other than that, fabulous!

I found this book to be very informative and helpful. It walks you through the steps to setting up a database with tables and layouts and starting script writing. I liked the humor thrown in. Reading and following the examples helped make alot of sense out of what the book was trying to accomplish, which was setting up the database.

When choosing a book of this type, it's important to realize who the target audience is.

The overwhelming majority of FileMaker Pro users are beginners in database design and development. Most of these people have either read the manual or figured out the basics on their own, and can wield FMP as an office productivity tool just fine. (If you are purchasing this book, and have not read the FMP manuals, I suggest that you do so, they are well written, not painfully long, and quite useful to get started.)

This book is aimed at helping people get to the next step; from office productivity user to fledgling developer, and it serves that purpose very well.

If you want to learn more about design and scripting in FMP, then buy this book. After you've mastered this material, go for some of the more advanced texts out there.

Whether you are a FileMaker developer who is new to web publishing, a web developer who is new to FileMaker, or a complete beginner looking to put your data online, this book is for you.

In Part I, you learn the basics of how web publishing works and how to write your own HTML and PHP. In Part II, you learn how to build a FileMaker database and install and configure the FileMaker Server to host the database. In Part III, you learn how to put it all together to create web pages that talk to your database and allow people to view the data and, if you like, modify it. Throughout the book, publishing a FileMaker Product Catalog to the web is used as an example. Each chapter builds on the previous chapter. When you are done, you will have a working website!

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Detailed information on how toc

• Master web publishing
• Read and write basic HTML
• Read and write basic PHP
• Build a FileMaker database
• Install and configure FileMaker Server
• Publish your FileMaker data to the web
• Work with portals and container fields
• Repurpose your FileMaker layouts on the web

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Introduction 1
Part I: Basics of Web Publishing
Chapter 1: How Web Publishing Works 7
Chapter 2: Introduction to HTML 17
Chapter 3: Introduction to PHP 31
Part II: Laying the Groundwork
Chapter 4: Building a Simple FileMaker File 49
Chapter 5: Configuring the Server(s) 67
Part III: Publishing FileMaker Data on the Web
Chapter 6: Viewing FileMaker Data 91
Chapter 7: Altering FileMaker Data 115
Chapter 8: Working with Related Data (Portals) 137
Chapter 9: Working with Images 167
Chapter 10: Repurposing a FileMaker Layout on the Web 189
Part IV: More Information
Appendix A: Performance Tuning 213
Appendix B: Security Concerns 217
Appendix C: Error Handling and Prevention 225
Appendix D: FileMaker PHP API Reference 231
Index 239

I needed a book to get myself jump started using Filemaker's API for PHP when I found Jonathan Starks book. Jonathan brings you through the process from configuration of Filemaker Server to the creation of small Product/Inventory database. The examples are very informative and Jonathan explains the code so its understandable to both the newbie and the more experienced developer. Sample files are available on Jonathans website. Jonathan uses the "Template" method for PHP coding and I found it to be a great way to do development. I highly recommend this book. It will get you off to a great start and give you the basics to get started creating some great sites.

A great introduction to working with Filemaker and PHP for publishing dynamic web pages. Written by brilliant developer extraordinaire Jonathan Stark, this book will break down the basics and give you everything you need to get started quickly.

His method of breaking down code into manageable chunks with inline comments really helps you wrap your head around what would otherwise look like daunting pages of PHP code.

Experienced developers may skip the first few sections about basic Filemaker and HTML and dig right into the heart of the PHP API for filemaker. Good stuff!

Un muy buen libro. Muy diferente al estilo de los libros de "* for dummies", utilizando ejemplos concisos y bien explicados para darse a entender.
El libro es un excelente prefacio a PHP, y Filemaker desde cero, y llega hasta la configuraci¬n de servidores, que pareciera ser un proceso exclusivamente administrativo.

Over the holiday break I had some time to read (a better word might be "consume") Jonathan Stark's book "Web Publishing with PHP and FileMaker 9." In a little more than 250 pages, Jonathan manages to do the impossible: He explains how to put the FileMaker API for PHP to use.

The book is divided into four logical sections. The first section provides background information for those new to the world of Web publishing, including an introduction to HTML and PHP. After reading this section, you won't be an HTML expert, and you certainly won't be a PHP pro. But you will have a good understanding of the technologies involved in Web publishing and development, and how those technologies fit together.

The second section of the book provides a foundation for the examples that are used later on. The section includes a chapter on how to setup a FileMaker database (creating fields, working with the database, performing finds, and so on). I'm sure that the majority of readers will find this section to be unnecessary and might be tempted to skip it. However, the chapter does cover one key topic that you should take a few minutes to check out, and that is an explanation on how to setup a FileMaker account (and grant it the correct privileges) that PHP can use to connect to the database.

The second section also covers installation, deployment, and configuration of FileMaker Server, as well as the new PHP Site Assistant. Jonathan makes a recommendation -- and one that I heartily agree with -- that if you do not absolutely need your own server, then using a server provided by a Web hosting provider is an ideal solution. However, if you do have your own server, you'll find this information to be of great use.

The third section of "Web Publishing with PHP and FileMaker 9" includes what I consider to be the most valuable information in the book. This section covers the FileMaker API for PHP (often referred to as "FileMaker.php") itself, and does so using an example Web application that is developed and expanded throughout the section. The application is one that most readers will be able to associate with -- an online product catalog.

The section includes chapters on how to select, sort, and do finds against a FileMaker database using PHP. Another chapter explains how to alter FileMaker data over the Web, including the creation of new records and updates and deletions of existing records. There are also chapters on how to view, add, edit, and delete related data via PHP (which is accomplished using portals), as well as some very useful information on how to work with images (including images stored in container fields and those stored by reference using URLs).

The last chapter in the third section describes a very interesting concept: Developing a PHP application that automatically updates as the FileMaker layouts that it is built on are updated. For example, if a field is added or removed, the PHP application automatically adds and/or drops the field as well. If you are looking for an easy way to let your FileMaker users "self-manage" a PHP application, then this chapter will prove to be invaluable to you.

"Web Publishing with PHP and FileMaker 9" covers a lot of ground, and does so in a way that makes it a fast and enjoyable journey. Jonathan's writing style and "voice" make it easy to follow along with the material. His expert knowledge of PHP and FileMaker is apparent, and he does a great job of sharing that knowledge in the book.

If you are looking for a good book on PHP and FileMaker integration -- whether you are new to the topic or consider yourself to be a pro -- then I highly recommend picking up a copy of "Web Publishing with PHP and FileMaker 9."

FileMaker and PHP are absolutley the way to go, and this is
THE BEST BOOK to get for Filemaker web publishing.
As a "non-programmer" who has struggled in the past trying to bring a database to the web,
I found the examples in this book easy to follow and understand.
It definately took me to the next level.

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Special Edition Using FileMaker 9

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The only FILEMAKER 9 book you need

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We crafted this book to grow with you, providing the reference material you need as you move toward FileMaker¬ 9 proficiency and the use of more advanced features. If you buy only one book on FileMaker¬ 9, Special Edition Using FileMaker¬ 9 is the only book you need.

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Make the most of FileMaker 9:

|||| |||| Integrate the Web with FileMaker using the new Web Viewer

|||| |||| Use the new external data sources techniques with SQL and ODBC

|||| |||| Discover how to add supplemental fields in FileMaker to external SQL data sources

|||| |||| See how the major changes in script editing and debugging can help you

|||| |||| Learn new layout techniques, including conditional formatting and auto-resizing layout objects

|||| |||| Find out how to use the new FileMaker Server Admin Console to administer databases

|||| |||| Publish FileMaker databases on the Web using Instant Web Publishing, and use Custom Web Publishing with PHP or XML/XSLT

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gThe new FileMaker 9 product line is the most dramatic new offering in years with over 30 ease-of-use breakthroughs; and Special Edition Using FileMaker 9 is an excellent desk reference and companion resource for all FileMaker professionals!h

|Rick Kalman,

Senior Product Manager,

FileMaker, Inc.

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Jesse Feiler is a member of the FileMaker Business Alliance. He regularly consults on FileMaker and develops FileMaker solutions for small businesses, non-profits, art, retail point-of-sale, publishing, marketing, and other markets. He has created a number of video training courses, including one on FileMaker 7 and appears regularly on WAMC Northeast Public Radiofs Roundtable and Vox Pop shows.

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ON THE WEB

Download modified FileMaker Starter solutions with added fields, scripts, and layouts to illustrate techniques in the book, along with other materials, from www.quepublishing.com and www.northcountryconsulting.com.

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Category||||||| Database

Covers|||||||||||FileMaker 9

User Level|||| Intermediate|Advanced

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Used by millions worldwide, FileMaker Pro is an award-winning database program for managing people, projects, images, assets, and other information. It's easy to use and totally customizable--so long as you know what you're doing. But FileMaker Pro doesn't come with a printed manual, so FileMaker Pro: The Missing Manual is the authoritative, jargon-free book that should have been in the box.

FileMaker Pro: The Missing Manual approaches FileMaker the way FileMaker approaches you: it's user-friendly and seemingly straightforward enough, but it offers plenty of substance worthy of deeper exploration. Packed with practical information as well as countless expert tips and invaluable guidance, it's an in-depth guide to designing and building useful databases with the powerful and pliable FileMaker Pro.

Covering FileMaker for both Windows and Macintosh, FileMaker Pro: The Missing Manual is ideal for small business users, home users, school teachers, developers--anyone who wants to organize information efficiently and effectively. Whether you want to run a business, publish a shopping cart on the Web, plan a wedding, manage a student information system at your school, or program databases for clients, this book delivers.

Author Geoff Coffey has many years of experience using FileMaker Pro (he was, in fact, an early beta tester for the product). Author Susan Prosser is a FileMaker Certified Developer who trains other developers. Together, Coffey and Prosser show you how to:

• Get FileMaker up and running quickly and smoothly
• Import and organize information with ease
• Design relational databases that are simple to use, yet powerful
• Take advantage of FileMaker Pro calculation capabilities
• Automate processes with scripting
• Customize FileMaker Pro to your needs and preferences
• Share information with other people (coworkers, clients, and customers) and other programs
• Understand and select the best security options

What could easily come across as dry and intimidating--things like relational theory, calculations, and scripting--are presented in a way that is interesting and intuitive to mainstream users. In no time, you'll be working more productively and efficiently using FileMaker Pro.

This manual has everything I ever needed to know about Filemaker in it. Easy to understand and a great tool for those who are new to Filemaker (as well as people who aren't so new, but don't know it all).

I was disappointed by this book, especially considering the high reviews that it has received. I would consider myself an advanced computer user and intermediate in working with programs like FileMaker. (Though database programs I have used before have had less features). This book uses an example of building a database throughout the book that involves customers and invoices, etc. The problem is that in later chapters the ongoing example database begins to interfere with the presentation of the material. If you have the time to work through the example database in detail (for a few hundred pages+) you might have a decent understanding of Filemaker-at least within the context of the example. Or if you have that kind of time, you might just want to take a class. I started with the beginning of the book when I began to build my database (which does not involve customers and invoices). After doing the initial planning/building work, I tried to skip to other parts of the book that were relevent to what I needed to do. Unfortunately, most of the descriptions are based on the original example--this made it difficult to apply the information to my own project. If the functions had been just described clearly at the beginning of each section, without relying on the example it would have been much better. There are a few mistakes as well-small but they cost me a bit of time. E.g., the book states that the "missing fields" problem can be fixed by changing a setting in preferences. This is not necessarily right--in my case it turned out to be a layout issue. I've had better results with trial and error than on relying on most of the book. Also, the language is not as clear as it could be, and precision is important in a book like this, especially for those of us who are not advanced users. Most importantly, I would have preferred a book with more straightforward descriptions and instructions.

I have been trying to use all the resources - bundled manuals, vtc, lynda.com since 2005 to learn filemaker/a database from scratch. I chose filemaker for 2 reasons - ease of use and support for OS X technologies like Applescript. I found it a bit challenging to understand concepts in Database design but with this one book things were more clear than ever before. I have finished this book and am planning to buy the latest version for filemaker 9.

If you are a newbie in database programming and need to get a well explained book to help you through building your own database. Get this book. It is well worth it.

BTW thanks for this book, I have a fully functional database to manage information related to my studies and research.

Why software cannot come with good manuals anymore is a mystery. This is exactly as advertised, the missing manual. Some other books will show you how to build bigger, more sophisticated solutions, but this one covers every aspect of how Filemaker works, which is what a manual should do.

Oh, and by the way, Filemaker is an amazing, underappreciated tool which helps manage a mailing list or build an entire database system. You cannot go wrong with it.

I hesitate to write negative reviews because I always suspect that the errors I find are my own misunderstandings. In this case I felt COMPELLED to write one. I bought this book wanting it to be great and having high expectations based on the reviews I read. I doubt many of the reviewers OR the EDITORS read this book very closely. There are so many mistakes (small and large) and examples which flat out DON'T WORK, that the book has almost driven me mad. I've wasted HOURS trying to get things to work the way the authors described. The errata posted on the oreilly.com site lists maybe 1/4 of the errors. There is ONE posted review on Amazon.com which took notice of this, but all of the others seem to miss it completely. Kudos to Raymond Smith!

Two perfect examples (in case you want to save yourself a few hours of struggle):

1. The Invoice Finder tutorial on page 372 simply doesn't work using the "minimum amount" field as they describe. It will work using the date range criterion, but when you add the minimum amount match, it fails. I built a file following along with the text and thought it was MY file that was broken. Then I tried the files supplied with the Missing Manual "CD". The authors' files don't work either. They SEEM to work with the data already in them, but if you add an invoice, it doesn't work. And if you simply open the "options..." definition of the Total Due field on the "Invoices" table, then OK the dialog box, all the existing data fails as well. It must be some kind of indexing problem, but the fact that it slipped by the editors is almost impossible to believe.

2. The Repeating Fields for Multiple Results on page 417 is totally wrong. The formula they supply will not work at all, and in fact, unless the "Price" field is a repeating field as well (which they don't mention at all), you can't do any calculations using the "Get(CalculationRepetitionNumber)" that will work the way they describe. Not to mention the fact that in the second mention of the calculation they call it "Get(CalculatedRepetitionNumber)" which is wrong and won't even take. The text suggests that you "test this calculation with a few numbers", but I doubt that any editor tried it. AND THIS IS LISTED IN A POWER USERS' CLINIC.

I don't know if this is an author problem or an editor problem, but either way, it is a REAL problem for readers.

What a disappointment and a waste of many hours... Don't listen to the majority of reviews on this book. They have clearly come from people who read it but were not actually trying to learn from the DOING the examples in the text. The book is written in a friendly easy style, but there are too many errors to make it valuable. And it's been out for TOO long for these things not to be listed in an available errata or supplement.

FileMaker Web Publishing offers an unparalleled development strategy for database managers, web designers, and programmers who are interested in getting the most out of FileMaker databases on the web. As the book covers both introductory web publishing and advanced database programming on the web, it is ideal for all skill levels.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Allyson, Stephen and Michael have put together an invaluable resource for putting FileMaker data on the web via PHP. The book is very well written with extremely clear example that are easy to follow. As a bonus, it's also a survey of html and css, too.

If Amazon allowed a 6-star rating, this book would have earned it. Great job, guys!

If you are just starting out using FileMaker with the web it's a must read. It shows several outstanding techniques for setting up pages.

This is a very good book for beginners in FileMaker and PHP. It puts down a good foundation for starting but like so many other books it starts out with several chapters explaining the extreme basics so you are half way through the book before you get to the meat of the topic. Once the books starts getting in to the functions of PHP with FileMaker it stops just short of a little more involved explanation. I don't mean for that to sound like a rip on the book, but would like to see a little more advanced book on this subject.
Like I said I think this was a very well written book and covered the topic well I was just hoping for something a little more advanced.