FileMaker Go 16 Development Guide
Introducing FileMaker Go
About FileMaker Go
FileMaker Go® runs FileMaker solutions (apps) on iPad and iPhone so you can easily manage and share information with your team anywhere you go. Build solutions using FileMaker Pro, then use FileMaker Go to work with the data on an iOS device.
About this guide
This guide provides information about tailoring solutions for FileMaker Go. To learn how to use FileMaker Go, see FileMaker Go Help. For additional FileMaker documentation, visit Product Documentation.
Setting up solutions for FileMaker Go
Working with data in FileMaker Go
Use one of the following options to work with data in FileMaker Go:
- Connect to a hosted file from an iOS device and work with data interactively. When you change data on the iOS device, the data is updated on the host computer, and vice versa. You can connect to files that are hosted by FileMaker Pro, FileMaker Server, or FileMaker Cloud.
- Transfer a file to an iOS device, then work offline with a local copy of the file on the device. When you transfer a file to your iOS device, you create a copy of the file. When you make data changes to the local file on your iOS device, the original file on your computer is not updated. You must transfer the file back to your computer, then use FileMaker Pro to import and update data. See About file transfers.
To connect to hosted files or to transfer files to or from a device, see FileMaker Go Help. To open files using a URL, see FileMaker Pro Help.
Sharing FileMaker Pro files with FileMaker Go clients
Enabling FileMaker network sharing
Before you connect to a file, make sure the file is enabled for FileMaker Network sharing.
- In FileMaker Pro, open the file.
- Choose File menu > Sharing > Share with FileMaker Clients.
- Set Network Sharing to On.
- Select the file(s) to be hosted from the list of Currently open files.
- For Network access to file, choose All users or Specify users by privilege set.
Note:The privilege set for accounts that FileMaker Go users will sign in with must have the fmapp extended privilege enabled. See FileMaker Pro Help.
Hosting files with FileMaker Server or FileMaker Cloud
Before you share FileMaker Pro files, prepare the files for hosting.
- In FileMaker Pro, edit the accounts and privilege sets that clients will use for shared access (for example, Access via FileMaker Network).
- In FileMaker Pro, upload the files to FileMaker Server (see FileMaker Pro Help) or FileMaker Cloud (see FileMaker Cloud Help).
Note:To set up accounts that authenticate users based on supported OAuth identity providers such as Amazon or Google, see FileMaker Pro Help.
Connecting to solutions
After you share and host a file, you can connect to it as a client in FileMaker Go. See FileMaker Go Help.
About file transfers
For information about transferring files to or from a device, see FileMaker Go Help.
Notes
- Make sure to back up your files before you transfer them.
- Before you replace an existing file on a device, make sure the file is closed or removed. Otherwise, the file may not transfer properly and may become damaged.
Transferring a file with container fields that store data externally
To transfer a file with container fields that store data externally, you must first embed the container field data. In FileMaker Pro, use the Save a Copy As command and choose self-contained copy (single file). Then transfer the copy, not the original file.
Importing to and from a transferred file
You can use the Import Records script step to merge data from a local FileMaker Pro file on a device to another FileMaker Pro file.
Set up the field mapping and import order before you import. You can:
- import from a remote source into a local or remote file
- import from a local source into a local or remote file
Example 1: Importing from a remote source (Remote.fmp12) into a local file (Local.fmp12)
In this example, the Local.fmp12 file needs a script that imports data from a remote source (Remote.fmp12). You need to use FileMaker Pro to create the script in the local file, then transfer the file to FileMaker Go. You can then run the script in FileMaker Go to import the data from the remote file.
- Open Local.fmp12 and Remote.fmp12 in FileMaker Pro.
- Create a script in Local.fmp12. For example:
Import Records [With dialog: Off; "Remote.fmp12"; Update existing; Mac Roman]
and set up a path to the remote source file using your machine IP address. For example:
fmnet:/192.168.10.10/Remote.fmp12
- Specify the import order.
- Close Local.fmp12.
- Transfer Local.fmp12 to FileMaker Go.
- Open Local.fmp12 in FileMaker Go and run the script.
The local file is updated with data from the remote file.
Example 2: Importing from a local source (Local.fmp12) into a remote file (Remote.fmp12)
In this example, the remote file (Remote.fmp12) needs a script that imports data from a local file (Local.fmp12). You need to use FileMaker Pro to create the script in the remote file, then run the script from the remote file to import the data from the local file.
- Transfer Local.fmp12 to FileMaker Go.
- Open Remote.fmp12 in FileMaker Pro.
- Create a script in Remote.fmp12. For example:
Set Variable [$FilePath; Value:Get(DocumentsPath) & "Local.fmp12"]
Import Records[With dialog: Off; "$FilePath"; Add; Mac Roman]
where the path to the source file on the device is
file:$FilePath
-
In the Script Workspace, select the Import Records script step and select Specify import order.
If the source fields do not appear in the Import Field Mapping dialog box, select Specify data source. In the Specify File dialog box, for File Type, select FileMaker Pro files. Then add another path to Local.fmp12 to the path list. For example:
file:$FilePath
file:Local.fmp12
- Run the script from Remote.fmp12.
The remote file is updated with data from the local file.
Differences between FileMaker Go and FileMaker Pro
FileMaker Pro features not supported in FileMaker Go
- creating and modifying database schema such as tables, fields, relationships, data sources, and privileges
- creating and modifying database structure such as layouts, scripts, value lists, and custom menus
- importing records from any formats other than FMP12
- exporting records to FMP12 or XML format
- text baselines
- plug-ins
- hosting files
Script steps not supported in FileMaker Go
FileMaker Go does not support some script steps. To identify the script steps that are not supported, use the FileMaker Pro Script Workspace. See FileMaker Pro Help.
FileMaker Go does not display an alert for unsupported script steps. Unsupported script steps are skipped and return error code 3 ("Command is unavailable"). Use Get(LastError) to check for this error code.
Important:Running unsupported script steps may lead to unintended behavior or data corruption.
Behavior differences
Modes
Layout and Preview modes aren’t supported in FileMaker Go. However, you can preview records by saving records as PDF and viewing the PDF within FileMaker Go.
Date and time selection
You can't select seconds or fractions of seconds in FileMaker Go. To enter seconds, tap on the editing toolbar above the keyboard.
Scripted or calculated times will display seconds on the device.
Custom menus (FileMaker Pro Advanced)
FileMaker Go doesn’t support:
- removal of the Close File menu item
- additional custom menu items that do not map to existing FileMaker Go menu items
- override of the Quick Find menu item by custom menus, though you can override the quick find behavior
Note:FileMaker Go displays menu items that are removed, but they are disabled.
Printing
- The print options that you set for a file in FileMaker Pro have no effect on the print options for the same file in FileMaker Go, and vice versa.
- If you’re printing a layout where exact spacing is important, such as labels or a preprinted form, you should specify page margins.
Fonts and text styles
- Fonts that aren't supported by iOS are converted to supported fonts.
- You can view the following text styles in FileMaker Go: bold, italic, underline, word underline, double underline, title case, uppercase, lowercase, and strikeout. FileMaker Go doesn’t support highlight, condense, extended, small caps, superscript, or subscript.
Data entry
- Only fields are supported in the tab order. You can set up Tab and Return, but not Enter, to go to the next field.
- You can’t insert values into a field from an index on the device, and you can’t select Auto-complete using existing values.
- The Auto-Correction setting will not work in text fields that have script triggers set up to capture keystrokes.
- Asian languages: Sideways text isn’t supported. Input method editors (IMEs) will not work in text fields that have script triggers set up to capture keystrokes.
Exporting
- By default, all manual export operations except those from the XLSX format use UTF-8; XLSX uses UTF-16.
- You must use the Export Records script step to:
- select fields that are not on the current layout
- configure the output file character set
Container fields
- The Inspector Data Formatting options Images and Interactive content do not apply to container fields in FileMaker Go.
- FileMaker Go doesn’t support storing container field data externally for local files.
You can use the Insert From Device script step to enter content into a container field from a music library, photo library, camera, video camera, microphone, or signature; or to enter content into a container field or text field from a bar code source. See FileMaker Pro Help.
Video and audio playback in container fields
You can use the following script steps, functions, and script triggers to work with media in FileMaker Go:
- script steps: AVPlayer Play, AVPlayer Set Options, AVPlayer Set Playback State
- script triggers: OnObjectAVPlayerChange, OnFileAVPlayerChange, OnExternalCommandReceived
- functions: GetAVPlayerAttribute, Get(TriggerExternalEvent)
See FileMaker Pro Help.
Encrypted files (FileMaker Pro Advanced)
You can’t enable or disable file encryption in FileMaker Go. To enable or disable encryption, use the Developer Utilities in FileMaker Pro Advanced. If you transfer an encrypted file to an iOS device, the file remains encrypted on the device.
Zoom level
In FileMaker Go, you can enlarge the image on the screen up to 200%.
Saved local files
By default, the files you save locally appear in the Device tab and are saved in the Documents folder. To save the files in a temporary folder, use the Set Variable script step to create a variable to specify the output file path and filename for the script step.
You can use the following example to create an email with the file as an attachment.
Set Variable [$Output; Value: Get( TemporaryPath ) & "sample.pdf"]
Save Records as PDF [With dialog: Off; "$Output"; Records being browsed]
Send Mail [Send via E-mail Client; With dialog: Off; To: "linda@glolda.com"; Subject: "Invoice" ; Message: "Test"; "$Output"]
External keyboards
Some keystrokes behave differently on external keyboards.
Functionality | Behavior in FileMaker Go |
---|---|
Tab key | Supported for field types that display the onscreen keyboard. Shift-Tab isn't supported. |
Undo, Redo, Cut, Copy, Paste, Select All keys | Supported |
Keystrokes to move between records (for example, Control-Down Arrow) | Not supported |
Modifier keys (for example, Option or Alt) | Not supported |
Eject key | Hides or shows the onscreen keyboard |
Arrow keys | Not supported for value lists or date, time, and timestamp lists |
Scripts and functions behavior
- To abort a currently running script, tap anywhere on the screen, and confirm that you want to abort the script. If you do not make a choice, the script will continue running.
- When you switch to another app, FileMaker Go enters a suspended state unless there is an audio or video file playing. When you return to FileMaker Go, the app and scripts resume from where they left off. For hosted files, if any records in the data set that a script is acting on were modified while FileMaker Go was suspended, the script aborts. If no records were modified, the script continues.
- If you've switched away from FileMaker Go for an extended period and iOS forces the app to quit, FileMaker Go attempts to generate a hibernation file. When you restart FileMaker Go, it uses the hibernation file to reopen files. A hibernation file is not generated when a script with Allow User Abort set to Off was running when you switched away from FileMaker Go.
-
By default, script steps that create output files will not overwrite an existing file. Instead, a number is added to the end of each filename. For example, the first time you run the Save Records as PDF script step for a sample file, the output filename is sample.pdf. The second time you run the script, the filename will be sample 1.pdf.
To replace the output file with the new one instead of keeping multiple copies, add the file path (file:fileName or filemac:fileName) to the script. For example, if you type
file:sample.pdf
orfilemac:sample.pdf
in the Specify Output File dialog box each time you run the script, the sample.pdf file in the Documents folder will be replaced with the new one.
Protecting files in FileMaker Go
Opening files protected with passwords
When users try to open a protected file in FileMaker Go, a dialog box prompts them to specify an account and a password. FileMaker Go checks the following settings in the specified order to determine how to open a protected file. If none of these settings are used, the user needs to enter the account credentials to open the file.
- File Options dialog box to log in automatically
In FileMaker Pro, you can use the File Options dialog box to automatically log in using a specific account and password when you open the file.
- User manual override
In FileMaker Go, users can temporarily bypass the default login information when they open a file by touching and holding a filename in the files list. Tapping Sign In displays a dialog box where users can enter a different account and password.
- Accessing passwords saved in the keychain
To save passwords in the keychain, use the File Options dialog box in FileMaker Pro to allow saving passwords, then make sure the Save Passwords in Keychain option in FileMaker Go is turned on. You can also require Touch ID or an iOS passcode before FileMaker Go can access its keychain. See FileMaker Go Help.
Returning to FileMaker Go
When you press the Home button on your device, FileMaker Go moves to the background and saves the state of the file. When you switch back to FileMaker Go, you return to where you left off.
Files can be configured to require reauthentication after being in the background for a specified period of time. See Using the fmreauthenticate extended privilege.
After FileMaker Go moves to the background, you must reenter your account and password to return to the file, unless:
- you are using the Guest account
- your account name and password match the account name and password set in the File Options dialog box in FileMaker Pro
- you have returned to the file before the time limit specified in the fmreauthenticate extended privilege
- you are using an account that does not have the fmreauthenticate extended privilege
- you saved the password in Keychain Access
Using the fmreauthenticate extended privilege
Use the fmreauthenticate extended privilege to require reauthentication after not using FileMaker Go for the specified number of minutes.
With this extended privilege, when FileMaker Go switches to the foreground, users must reenter the account name and password if the specified time limit has elapsed. Users can attempt to enter their account name and password five times before FileMaker Go closes the files.
New privilege sets created in FileMaker Pro include the keyword fmreauthenticate10
(ten minutes) by default.
Securing your files
For information about securing your files, see FileMaker Security Guide.
SSL certificates
For information about supported certificates, see FileMaker Knowledge Base.