Foundations / Best Practices
New-ish to FileMaker? Power user? Been at it for years but ready to develop like a pro?
Whether you’re working with a “mature” system or starting something new, this course will teach you how to build clean, scalable FileMaker apps using modern techniques and best practices.
You’ll learn the fundamentals of scripting, data modeling, layout design, and calculation logic — all through the lens of real-world systems and expert guidance. If you’re ready to stop winging it and start building with confidence, this is your path forward.
What you'll learn
Day 1
Designing a Clean Data Entry Layout
Key concepts of design and how to implement them in FileMaker as we begin to learn to use layout objects.
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Fields, Storage, Indexing & Globals​
This segment will provide an understanding of different models, which will pave the way to learn the mechanics of the Relationship Graph in FileMaker.​​
Day 2
Calculations
We will learn the basics of calculations, starting with a handful that you’ll use daily, and see the myriad of places they are useful in FileMaker
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Scripts
As a career developer, you will likely spend more time writing and editing scripts than on any other aspect of FileMaker. This is good! It's the best place for complexity to live. Let’s start with a good foundation and best practices.
Day 3
Essential Layout Tools
Fields, Portals, Button Bars, Tab Panels & Text
We will learn some great ways to use these tools individually and in combination. Popovers, portals, layout calculations and card windows to the rescue!
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Relational Design: Keys, One-to-Many, Entities
We will learn how and why this is different in database relationships. It’s all about entities, attributes and key fields.
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Day 4
Themes & Styles
We will explore cascading style sheets (CSS), how to apply styles to layout objects, and how to manage styles effectively. Why are naming conventions so important here?
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Parameters & Flow
The best and standard method of passing parameters & data is JSON. We will build this skill, starting with passing parameters into a script from a button, then from script to script, then for audit logging.
Day 5
Reporting: Sorts, Sub-summaries & Found Sets
We will investigate the basics of FileMaker’s reporting engine: how sort order and found sets drive summary parts, and how to build your first real report.
Dashboard Basics
Visual, Meaningful, Actionable
We will learn why and how to build a landing page that provides users with useful, visual data when they log in. A good dashboard is personalized and empowers users.
More details
Class starts :: May 12th, 2025
Days :: Mon, Wed, Fri :: 2 hours each day
Times :: 8am - 10am Pacific (11am-1pm Eastern)
Requirements :: Zoom Client with Mic & screen sharing
Current FileMaker Version
Financing and scholarships available​