The benefits of upgrading to FileMaker 18 Platform – Usability Enhancements

Ben Fletcher • May 28, 2019

FileMaker 18 Platform has launched with a range of new features that will undoubtedly make developing new custom apps both quicker and more powerful. One area of focus for these new features is ‘Improved usability’ and includes new features as follows:-

  • Ability to move objects with Shift-Arrow keys – Using the Shift-Arrow keys in Layout mode now moves objects in increments 10 times larger than when using the Arrow keys.
  • Ability to Read and write external data files – Create scripts that read, write, and manage external data files—for example, to write log files or export data in a custom file format. This is covered by a range of new file related script steps.
  • Open files with a version-specific URL – You can now use the fmp18 scheme in URLs to open files specifically with FileMaker Pro 18 Advanced or FileMaker Go 18. The FMP URL protocol has existed for many versions now, but Windows users will be familiar with their OS perhaps defaulting to an older installed version of FileMaker for opening apps - adding this new version specific FMP URL gets around this problem quite neatly.
  • Open a custom app upon start – You can now use the personalisation file during a command-line installation to specify a custom app to open when FileMaker Pro Advanced starts.
  • Save files as XML – You can now save a FileMaker Pro Advanced file in an XML format that represents the schema, layouts, scripts, and other parts of the file. You can use the XML file to document changes in your custom app between versions and use standard text-based tools to compare versions.



Need some assistance with how to take advantage of these new features of the FileMaker 18 Platform? Call our team to find out more about the benefits from upgrading for a free, no obligation quotation.


by Ben Fletcher 17 Nov, 2023
New Features in Claris FileMaker 2023 (version 20.3) Release
by Ben Fletcher 08 Sept, 2023
Reflecting on Claris Platform's Roadmap: What's Next in 2023 and Beyond
by Ben Fletcher 06 Jun, 2023
The Claris FileMaker 2023 is the ultimate platform for custom app creation. Given its advanced features and capabilities, it's the platform of choice for those seeking to start fresh building a new custom business app. However, if you're thinking about upgrading from an older Claris FileMaker version, preparation is key, and that's where we come in . . .
by Ben Fletcher 27 Apr, 2023
New Features in Claris FileMaker 2023 Release
by Ben Fletcher 01 Feb, 2023
Free tier access to the Claris Platform is coming!
by Ben Fletcher 01 Dec, 2022
New Features in Claris FileMaker 19.6 Release
by Ben Fletcher 28 Nov, 2022
Claris Server managed private cloud hosting now available from datatherapy.host
by Ben Fletcher 24 Nov, 2022
The new Claris Platform represents the latest evolution of the venerable Claris FileMaker Platform. While the FileMaker Platform is a powerful and flexible toolset, it was originally launched in 1985 and conceived to solve the data problems of that era - predating much of the modern internet staples that we are familiar with today like pervasive broadband, mobile computing and cloud services. While an impressive number of new features have been added to the FileMaker platform to modernise it over the years, there were always going to be some areas where it was not an optimal solution given the need to maintain compatibility with previous releases. The new Claris Platform focuses on offering a new approach to building unified, hybrid apps with a more cloud native approach. Central to this new offering is Claris Studio, a web-based tool for building online web forms, dynamic charts, dashboards and task trackers (see https://www.claris.com/studio/ ). Historically, these are all areas that the FileMaker platform has served poorly out of the box, or has required substantial developer effort utilising 3rd party plugins or integration with other apps and cloud services to work around. The new Claris Platform bundle therefore significantly extents what would be possible with FileMaker alone. I t is well worth looking at these Claris Youtube videos exploring the new platform https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkvKnBkQSCeTE1hT4FJkCJ_foOOq_DBIe However, Claris Studio does not integrate with classic FileMaker Pro and FileMaker Server - instead it works with Claris Pro and Claris Server. In order to get Claris Studio to market and in the hands of developers as quickly as possible, Claris have had to make some compromises and so narrowed their initial platform support and features. This means that while Claris Pro and Claris Server have most of the core features of FileMaker Pro and FileMaker Server there are some important differences - while the new Claris platform is an excellent fit for most new development projects, it is not yet a 'no-brainer' upgrade for existing FileMaker customers that are reliant on some of the older features which are not yet present in the new platform. Two deciding limitations for many existing FileMaker customers are that: 1) Claris Server only currently runs on the Linux platform - there is no support for running on macOS or Windows servers currently. 2) By design the new Claris Platform needs internet access in order to integrate with Claris Studio and so cannot be 'LAN locked' which may be the case for certain FileMaker solutions due to strict security as can be found in healthcare environments or with very high performance solutions such as video environments. If you don't have expertise in deploying Linux servers or moving from a LAN to cloud environment then this can be mitigated as it is perfectly possible to get a 3rd party managed private cloud hosting. This is exactly the service that DataTherapy can provide - see https://datatherapy.host/pricing for more details. Contact our team if you are interested in a demo of the new Claris Platform offering and a FREE initial consultation about how to migrate from from your existing FileMaker based solution in order to take advantage of the new Claris Studio features.
by Ben Fletcher 16 Jun, 2022
New Features in Claris FileMaker 19.5 Release
by Ben Fletcher 17 Dec, 2021
We can confirm that our Platopus platform does not make use of Java and so is unaffected by the Log4j security vulnerability.
More posts
Share by: