fmCheckMate-XSLT Library

[Transforms your FileMaker work]

The fmCheckMate-XSLT Library is a whole bunch of XSL transformations and other functions to transform your FileMaker work … into something very much better!

• It extends the fmCheckMate tool in the fmWorkMate toolbox, giving FileMaker Database Developers the ability to analyse, change and transform their FileMaker code like never before!
• It also has a (not yet very) smart feature to convert pseudo-code to FileMaker code using fmAutoMate
• It contains XSL transformations to be used with FileMaker export & import

Getting started

You are not far away from having the best tools that money can't buy! - It's as easy as ABC:

A: Prerequisites

To get the most out of the fmCheckMate-XSLT Library you will want to be downloading and installing MrWatson's fmWorkMate toolbox:

1. Download fmWorkMate from the fmWorkMate repo - [how?]

   

2. Copy the fmWorkMate folder to your Applications folder (or the Documents folder, or wherever you want)

(and if you are wanting a tighter integration with your Script Workspace, you might also like to download fmAutomate)

B: Installing this fmCheckMate XSLT Library

Simply:

1. Get hold of the latest fmCheckMate XSLT library:
   • either use the copy in the latest fmWorkMate Bundle (from the fmWorkMate downloads page)
   • or download the latest version from the fmCheckMate-XSLT GitHub repository
     • (in which case you need to unpack it and rename the folder simply to fmCheckMate)
2. Copy the fmCheckMate folder to your Documents folder.

That's it!

C: Doing your first transformation with fmCheckMate

Once you have copied some FileMaker objects, just:

1. Start fmWorkMate, open the fmCheckMate tool.

2. Press the [Convert Clipboard FM <-> XML] button

3. Press the [T] button in the XML-Editor view.

   

   • Note: if updating your XSLT libarary, press the [Reimport] button to refresh the XSLT list.

4. Choose an analyse, change or transformation function

   

   • Note: You can press the [View] button to switch between list + tree view

5. Press the [-> FM] Button to convert the XML back to FileMaker objects

Then just paste the changed objects back into FileMaker.

Tip => Always check for pasting errors!

Use one of the following methods to check for errors when pasting objects back into FileMaker!

• When pasting Custom Functions --> use an fmCheckMate XSLT function to check if custom functions have been commented out,

• When pasting Layout Objects --> use an fmCheckMate XSLT function to analyse the layout objects for errors

• When pasting Tables, Fields, Scripts, Steps, etc. --> use [fmLogAnalyser] to check the Import.log

2. Next Steps

1. Try out some of the cool transformations:

   • Copy some scripts and analyse the script calls

   • Copy script steps and change a gaggle of Replace Field Contents steps into a Set Field Loop

   • Copy fields and analyse them, listing their definitions in one line for easy diffing with fmTextDiff

   • or the mega-power function:

     • Copy layout objects and analyse them for errors

2. Try converting Pseudo-Code to FileMaker code using fmAutoMate

3. Learn more

   • Google fmCheckMate -> you may find some videos + further help

   • Keep your eye on FMTraining.tv

   • What's new in this Version?

     • You may find some info in the fmCheckMate_Changes document, but that gets updated so seldom it is more like a grave yard than a newsticker 😂 => so best to keep an eye on the commit history in GitHub - even better star the repo and get notifications!

3. Give and Take

License

The fmCheckMate-XSLT library is released completely freely under the MIT LICENSE, so you are free to do with it what you want.

Contributing

You can help in many ways to make the fmWorkMate toolbox better for us all.

I would heartily welcome any contributions to the project. See my GitHub FAQ for more.

Thanks!

MrWatson