FileMaker 11 added just one new object trigger, and it is a strange little dude: `OnObjectValidate`. This trigger fires after you edit a field, before it is validated. If you thought FileMaker already had enough after-you-change-a-field triggers, you were mistaken. In this article, I explain how the various field triggers fit together and why `OnObjectValidate` ... Read more

We start our return to semi-regular writing with a small-but-awesome custom function: `Pop`. If you grew up in the American mid-west like me you might think I’m talking about [soda|soda pop|coke|soft drinks]. But I’m actually talking about [stacks][pop]. In the computer science world, `pop` means to take something off the top of a list, and ... Read more

Let me start by saying: “Ouch.” It has been far, far, far too long since our last article. Someone much wiser than me once said something like this: “My only comfort is that I tried. My only regret is that I failed.” I’ll leave it at that. In short order, I’ll be posting our first ... Read more

In the last post about the Six Fried Rice methodology I went over the concept of data separation and why we use it.  That is essentially the starting point for how we structure the files of our system.  One file contains all of the UI components and scripts for the system while a second file ... Read more

A funny thing happened while I was stumped over the question of how to allow one of our clients to select and deselect multiple items in a list.  Multiple people would be using the list at the same time.  I was struck by the fact that I’ve been making something more complicated than it needs ... Read more

In an earlier article we explored an [isolation technique][isolate] that was specifically designed to work on ID’s and that’s it. There is a lot more that can be done with the new `Set Field By Name` step and in this article we’ll take a look at a slightly more complex but much more versatile search ... Read more