Skip to content

About fmIDE Installation and Setup

Jump to bottom
Russell Watson edited this page Apr 22, 2024 · 2 revisions

fmIDE Logo

[A FileMaker Integrated Development Environment]

fmIDE is a FileMaker module to make integration of your FileMaker database into your development processes and analysis tools easier and tighter!

Installing fmIDE

fmIDE needs to be installed into each FileMaker file you want to magically access, but since it needs to be tweaked to your layout naming conventions it pays to first install it to one file of your solution and tweak it before copying it to all files of your solution.

  1. Check the System Requirements
  2. Download
  3. Copy & Paste
    • Open the Script Workspace
    • Copy the fmIDE Module folder
    • Paste the folder into the Script Workspace of your chosen solution file.

That's enough to use 80% of fmIDE functionality! Try this from another file:

Perform Script [ from List “fmIDE“ from file ”YourFile” ; JSONSetElement( "" ; "script_name" ; "YourScript" ; JSONString)]

Perform Script [ “fmIDE“ from file ”YourFile” ; JSONSetElement( "" ; "layout_name" ; "YourScript" ; JSONString)]

  1. Permit fmpurls

    • fmIDE uses fmpurls to let your developer environment speak to your FileMaker files
    • In the file's security grant permission to run scripts via fmp url to your [FullAccess] privelege set
      • Open Security > Advanced > Extended Privileges
      • choose the fmurlscript extended privilege
      • check the [FullAccess] privilige set
      • Select [X] On for the [Full Access] Privilege Set
    • Note: If you are not happy with activating fmp urls, that's ok. It is also possible to use fmIDE with simple script calls … just not so much fun!

  2. Prime:

Installing the fmIDE > Retype Keyboard Buffer Service

fmIDE uses an automater service (typically triggered by the F12 key) to retype the name of the entry you are looking for in a list dialog.

  1. Install the service:
    • Double click the fmIDE > Retype Keyboard Buffer.workflow file.
    • Choose Install to install the Quick Action / Service.
  2. Setup the keyboard shortcut:
    • Open System Settings from the Apple Menu.
    • Choose Keyboard
    • Swap to the Shortcuts tab
    • Select Services
    • Scroll down until you find the fmIDE > Retype Keyboard Buffer service.
    • Click Add Shortcutand press F12 (or whichever key you'd like to use)

Customising fmIDE

fmIDE gets to the (base-)table you desire, by first going to the equivalent base-layout. This assures that the Database Dialog opens in the correct table.

To make this work, you need to

  1. have/create one base-layout for each base-table in the database file
  2. if necessary, customise the fmIDE Callback API script(s) to match base layout to base table
    • Note:
      • Do this step, only if your base layouts are named differently to your PTOs (primary table occurrences)
      • If there is an identically named layout for each table in your solution, you can skip this section entirely
    • Copy & Paste the fmIDE Callback API script folder to your first file
    • Edit the scripts, so they return the data for your DB
    • Change the fmIDE.GetBaseLayoutName script to return the correct layout_name.
      • This is usually just a case of setting the $layout_name_prefix to match the prefix you use
  • The fmIDE.GetBaseLayoutName script is currently not used
    • however, watch this space
  1. Copy & Paste the now customised fmIDE Callback API script folder to each file

Saying Hello to fmIDE

Once you have the fmIDE file open in FileMaker, try opening these urls[^1]:

Run the Hello script in the fmIDE demo file:

fmp://$/fmIDE?script=Hello

=> If that worked, your fmp-url permissions are ok!

Edit the Hello script using the fmIDE 'name that thing' API:

fmp://$/fmIDE?script=fmIDE&$script_name=Hello

=> and, if that worked, congratulations, you are at the start of a very exciting journey!

System Requirements

This section is under construction!

  • Operating System

    • fmIDE has been made on a Mac
    • It is planned to work on Windows (at least in part), but has not yet been tested (please help!)

  • FileMaker Version

    • fmIDE has been made in fm19 and uses While
    • Lower limit needs to be tested

  • Plugins

    • fmIDE uses MBS Plugin profusely.
    • Need to test (& document) if anything works at all with no MBS Plugin, and if yes, then what.

[^1]:Note: fmp-urls are sadly not supported in (freemium) GitHub.

To open the url…

  • If you have fmAutoMate and have installed fmAutoMate Services

    1. Select the url
    2. Right click
    3. Select fmAutoMate > Open URL

    fmAutoMate > Open URL

  • otherwise copy+paste the urls to your browser's address line

  • Maybe later, we can upgrade, or get a project started to create a Chrome extension to add links to fmp urls?

Clone this wiki locally