Dr. Ben Fletcher, Director at DataTherapy was interviewed by TheFileMakers to talk about what he is looking forward to in the FileMaker 14 release. The original article can be found at http://www.thefilemakers.com/features/looking-forward-to-fourteen/

How will the new Script Workspace affect the way you develop solutions with FileMaker 14?

The new Script Workspace is a big move forward. The old script editor, while very familiar to long standing FileMaker developers like myself who had grown with it, could potentially be off-putting to newer developers used to traditional software development environments (that have features like predictive type ahead and syntax code colouring). The new interface for Script Workspace does a great job of balancing the needs of both the seasoned and new developer alike; there are plenty of refinements which make working with scripts much friendlier and more efficient for both.

FileMaker WebDirect is up to 25% faster – will this help to bolster the mobile solutions that you can now offer clients?

It’s always pleasantly surprising and welcome when a software upgrade improves performance. In IT, people have generally got very cynical, as many upgrades frequently add to functionality, but at the cost of performance and speed. It certainly makes mobile development more viable for customers that may have an existing investment of slightly older devices, not to mention catering for the instantaneous response that many mobile users have now come to expect.

How do you think the new FileMaker 14 features and functionality will save time when developing?

I can easily imagine that the host of new features will make most developers more efficient in their general processes – more so when working on solutions which are interface or scripting intensive. When you add these time savings up across a month, or an entire year – it’s passing on major operational savings to technology consultancies that use FileMaker as their primary development platform.

How will FileMaker 14 make your job easier?

Ultimately, as a consultant, FileMaker 14 will make it quicker for me to be able to develop compelling business systems to my customers in less time, and to a higher quality. FileMaker has always been good at building bespoke solutions for niche markets and unusual needs quickly. FileMaker 14 simply builds on this solid foundation, with its new features and functionality making it even quicker to get a new solution up and running. It’s a win-win solution!