On 23/08/2010, at 12:13 PM, Chris Burton wrote:
> Hi Pete > > Thanks so much for you advice Pete that really spells it out for me. Just a > few more questions regarding specifics: > > When I upgrade to version 11 do I then use that to open my present database > and save it as .fp7 on my MBPro, or do I need Version 7 or 8 to do that? There is a prescribed "best practice" approach to convert from .fp6 files. If your existing solution contains just a single file, simply drop its icon onto the Filemaker 11 application icon in the dock (or wherever else you can see it). If your solution relies on multiple files strung together with relationships, select ALL of the files involved and drop them together onto the Filemaker ii icon. It's very important that you select every file in this instance if you want ot avoid headaches down the track. In either case, Filemaker will warn you that the files were created with an earlier version of Filemaker Pro, and save them all as .fp7 files in a location you specify. Filemaker 11 will do all the conversion necessary. You do not need Filemaker 7 or 8. The .fp7 file extension is still the filename extension used for Filemaker 11 files, which is in keeping with all previous major upgrade changes with Filemaker Pro. Bear in mind that while a multi-file solution will be copied faithfully, with all files in their correct location and all relationships honoured, Filemaker Pro has, since Filemaker 7, supported the practice of storing multiple tables within a single file. The ramifications of this approach for the way you think about using Filemaker are far too numerous to go into here, but there are some excellent resources on Filemaker's site which explain it all. > > Then, once I download FM Go to the ipad (is that any model with wireless?) I > have to redo my mobile database using Go, is that right? (rather than > uploading the old version?). > Can this new Go database be appended to the main db on the MBPro? If so that > would be just fantastic. Just as a small example for my own part, I have written a small Filemaker file which keeps track of the various tips, techniques, helpful emails, websites, etc that I come across on a daily basis. I now have several years' worth of information stored in it, but it has, naturally enough, been written for use on my standard Macs, ie, my iMac and my Macbook Pro. I am now using that identical file on my iPhone 4. I get the same layouts, all the scripts work the same, and I have full search on any field I want. It's the same database. All that was necessary was to use iTunes to copy the file to the iPhone. There was nothing else to do. I also have my business solution, which I also wrote in Filemaker, being served on my iMac. Filemaker Go picks this up through the wireless network and it works perfectly. > > If I have multiple ipads (for separate jobs offshore) can I use the one > version of Go and database? The current iteration if Filemaker Pro does not support synchronisation, although that's not to say it might not in the future, and Filemaker aren't saying. For the time being, therefore, if you have multiple copies of the same file in use at once, data management is problem you will have to solve for yourself. Filemaker Go is still so new that most of the FM Developer community is working on the problem, so I think solutions and strategies will emerge over time. Cheers, Peter -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List -- Archives - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/archives.shtml> Guidelines - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml> Unsubscribe - <mailto:wamug-unsubscr...@wamug.org.au>
