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FileMaker History - Recent Years

• July 2010
FileMaker Go for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch released. A brand new product that allows databases created in FileMaker Pro to run on Apple's IOS devices either locally or over a wireless network. Although some features of the desktop product are missing, the list is decreasing as FileMaker releases updates via the iTunes store.

• March 2010
FileMaker Pro 11, Pro 11 Advanced, Server 11 and Server 11 Advanced relased, again with no change to the file format and improved Windows 7 support. The headline features include the introduction of FileMaker Charts, improved reports, quickfind, snapshot links to save data and views, and recurring data import from an Excel or text data source. However, we've found significant productivity improvements from the introduction of the new Inspector, Object Badges (a visual guide as to whether fields and objects have script triggers, conditional formatting or other properties), Layout Folders (at last!), Portal Filtering and enhancements to the use of scripts, script triggers and variables. Improved security is welcomed by the restriction as to which files can be part of a solution and the prevention of older versions of FileMaker opening a database. Last, but not least as far as we are concerned, the introduction of magenta in to the FileMaker icons, which complements the Craft ICT logo!

• January 2009
FileMaker Pro 10, Pro 10 Advanced, Server 10 and Server 10 Advanced released, with the .fp7 file format being retained. Pro and Pro Advanced receive a new user interface, this being the first version of FileMaker to be released without the status area down the left hand side, being replaced with a new status toolbar at the top. Key features include: script triggers are introduced (at last!); saved finds; dynamic reports that can display grouped data without having to use preview, enabling data editing; send data and reports using an SMTP server amongst other enhancements. Server and Server Advanced also get the SMTP capabilities; scheduled data import/export and supports up to 999 concurrent connections.

• July 2007
FileMaker Pro 9, Pro 9 Advanced, Server 9 and Server 9 Advanced all released on the same day. Significantly Pro 9 and Pro 9 Advanced are Vista compatible, with conditional formatting, Microsoft SQL, Oracle and MySQL connectivity, script grouping plus other useful enhancements. Server 9 and Server Advanced 9 get a more radical shake up with a new admin console, secure connections to external SQL data sources, PHP site assistant and server sided scripting amongst other enhancements.

• July 2006
FileMaker Pro v8.5, retaining the same data structure but has universal application support to run natively on Intel based Macs, with subsequent speed increases. A new web viewer can allow web pages to be viewed directly within database records, based on data held within a record (such as a map based upon an address). Databases can also be integrated with web enabled applications. New object functions and scripts and the introduction of the FileMaker Learning Centre round off the major changes.

• September 2005
FileMaker Server 8 and FileMaker Server 8 Advanced released. Supporting all the new features of FileMaker Pro 8 and supports a mix of FileMaker Pro 7 and FileMaker Pro 8 clients. The database engine has been improved providing significant speed increases over FileMaker Server 7. FileMaker Mobile 8 announced.

• August 2005
FileMaker Pro 8 unexpectedly released ahead of schedule and FileMaker Developer is renamed FileMaker Advanced 8. The relational structure from version 7 is retained and many new features for users and developers have been added including: PDF Maker, Excel Maker, tab control, script variables, auto-completion for data entry, calendar drop-downs, enhanced finds, e-mail merge, plus many more. FileMaker Pro 8 Advanced allows developers complete control over the menus available from within their solutions and allows scripts, relationships and fields to be copy and pasted.

• 2004
FileMaker Pro 7, now acknowledged as the most significant upgrade in FileMaker's history. It introduces a new relational structure allowing multiple tables (up to a million) in a single file. FileMaker Unlimited disappears and is replaced by FileMaker 7 Server Advanced. Mac OS X and Windows compatibility continues, but the software will no longer run under Mac OS 9. Enhanced security, data verification and LDAP support are added, plus some exciting new facilities such as the ability to import or link to many file types, use of multiple windows, control type styles dependent on calculations and improved web publishing.