FileMaker Pro 11 hits the charts

Stephen Withers
Wednesday, 10 March 2010 11:06

Business IT - Technology

FileMaker Pro 11 is here with some interesting and useful changes, though they are seem less radical than those delivered by its predecessor 14 months ago.

FileMaker Pro 11, the latest version of the flagship product from Apple-subsidiary FileMaker, delivers new features including charting and Snapshot Links.

The addition of charting means pie, bar, area and line charts can be included in new or existing layouts. Charts can also be published via FileMaker Pro Instant Web Publishing.

A product with as many features as FileMaker Pro has an inherent level of complexity, but the company has tried to make things easier for new users with an improved quick start screen and a new invoices starter solution (bringing the list of starter solutions to more than 30).

Both new and experienced users stand to benefit from the new Spotlight-style Quick Find facility that searches all fields within a layout (removing the need to create scripts that search multiple fields for the same value), and the Inspector palette that controls layout objects and properties.

Snapshot Links is intended to assist with collaboration. A Snapshot Link identifies a set of records and their layout, view, and sort order, and can be emailed to a co-worker. Unlike a PDF image, the data in the snapshot remains live - though this means the recipient must have FileMaker Pro 11 and access to the database.

Other members of the FileMaker family have been updated, so please read on.