FileMaker Developer
Conference Field Report
Didn't have a chance to attend
the FileMaker Conference 98? Here's a look at the news, the latest
technologies, and helpful tips gleaned at the event.
By Jonathan Stars
I've
worked with FileMaker Pro for more than 12 years, but a solution
that was presented at the FileMaker Developer Conference 98 made
me realize I've spent too much of that time thinking inside the
box. After viewing this solution, I'm now aware there are really
no limits to which you can take FileMaker Pro.
Craig Schlossberg, founder of Image Info,
Inc., led the session called Growing Your Business, and he gave
attendees great business advice. But, far beyond that, Craig
showed an online catalog solution he'd developed for the fashion
industry. His product looked so different from anything I'd ever
seen that, at first, I didn't know he was using FileMaker Pro. I
kept wondering, "Why is he showing us this?" When I finally caught
on, my jaw dropped. When I scanned the room to see other people's
reactions, I saw some sophisticated developers looking on in
amazement.
The reason for this reaction was that the
usual user interface and menus were gone -- probably eradicated by
turning the solution into a runtime version. None of the buttons
looked like anything I'd ever seen. The application seemed to be
something out of science fiction. In 30 seconds, Craig created a
catalog page, complete with text, by dragging and dropping
pictures of models wearing different outfits. He was then able to
instantly reformat the page at will.
Craig's solution made me aware that I
need to start thinking outside the box when it comes to database
development. After seeing Craig's work, I realized FileMaker can
look like almost anything. All I can say is this: You can't go
there if you don't know the potential. Now I know the potential.
The FileMaker Developer Conference was
full of such "aha!" moments for me -- and for many other
developers as well. There are numerous benefits to attending the
event, including the chance to learn from the FileMaker Pro
experts. But possibly one of the most significant benefits is
building relationships -- the age-old "networking" thing. I made
connections with other companies that might need my programming
services. There's just nothing like face-to-face contact to help
other people build confidence in your ability to handle work --
not to mention the fact that attending the conference increases
your stature in the eyes of your customers. It was also great fun
meeting the stars of the FileMaker world; the FSA leaders, product
developers and session hosts -- they were all very accessible.
Keynote presentations
There was a great deal of excitement in the air at the Developer
Conference keynote address by Dominique Goupil, president of
FileMaker Inc. Goupil told the audience that FileMaker Pro is
currently the fastest-growing database for Windows. Windows
revenue has nearly doubled in past two years and now accounts for
51 percent of FileMaker Inc. revenue worldwide. We also learned
that the FileMaker Pro share of worldwide database market (PC and
Mac) is about 30 percent, a strong number two to Microsoft Access.
Goupil added that FileMaker continues to be the market share
leader in the Mac database market with 82 percent of
revenue.
Goupil also added that, when you exclude
database as part of the suite sales, and exclude volume license
sales, FileMaker is number 1. That is, FileMaker owns about 60
percent of the non-suite, retail database market (both platforms).
He said that IS and big corporations are embracing FileMaker Pro
as their workgroup solution. Volume license sales made up 49
percent of total revenue in FY 1998 worldwide. In North America,
volume license sales were more than 60 percent of total revenue,
according to Goupil. We also learned that companies such as NASA,
Harvard IT, Calvin Klein, Pizza Hut, Motorola, 20th Century Fox,
Pillsbury, The Franklin Mint, and Otis Elevator are among the
users of FileMaker Pro.
During the keynote and at other sessions
throughout conference, I got the distinct impression the leaders
of FileMaker, Inc. are listening to us. It felt as if they
consider us a part of the team. They know that if they provide us
with the best overall product, we'll all be a success, and
FileMaker Pro will keep growing.
Information overload
Deciding what sessions to attend was the probably the most
difficult part of attending the event. As the sessions progressed,
I began to realize that all of us have many of the same
problems-whether we're a single developer or a larger company.
Speakers presented a slew of answers as to how to face many
problems. The sessions offered these specifics: how to estimate
projects and how to get paid for the estimate, how to add to a
project, how to keep the customer on target, how to balance the
work with self-promotion, and how to do all that and have a life
outside work!
Jon Rosen, owner of Intellitec, did an
incredible job of telling us how to estimate projects and write
proposals. I'm creating a form that I'll be using for my future
work based on this session. Invaluable!
A session on marketing and managing your
small business by Rich Coulombre and Brian Yoder was worth the
cost of the conference by itself. They spoke about promotion
techniques that worked for them -- and those that didn't. For
example, they told the audience that advertising in the Yellow
Pages and joining the chamber of commerce were just not effective
for their company. These are both things I had seriously
considered. If I had followed through with those two, I'd have
spent more than I did on the whole conference.
Cool stuff
As I reviewed my convention notes in preparation for this
article, I realized I'd already forgotten a bunch of the great
ideas. Thank goodness for notes! Matt Petrowsky's Advanced
Development Techniques and Eric Culver's Advanced Scripting
sessions both presented much improved approaches to documenting
your work as you go. I can't tell you how many times I've come
back to rework a script or a calculation only to scratch my head
trying to figure out what my original intent had been. If I want
to grow my business, this will become pivotal as my company adds
more programmers.
John Mark Osborn's Complex Calculations
session featured a demo of an interesting idea passed on to him by
developer Christiaan Schriks. As you enter information into a
field, other fields (and even buttons that were previously hidden)
become visible. That way you can better control data entry. You can download the file at
http://www.best.com/~jmo. [Editor's Note: This file is no longer available.]
John Mark also showed a looping pause
that I'm now using for one of my customers in which they
absolutely must not end up accidentally entering data on the Find
page. How many times have your clients aborted a Find while they
were still on the Find page, only to enter incorrect data into a
"live" record? I've done this myself!
Quality and value
The FileMaker Developer Conference 98 was a first-class event.
In my former life as an entertainer, I was lucky to perform for
conventions at some of the finest resorts in the country. This
conference was right up there with the best. There was a point
when I began to realize our fee couldn't cover all the food,
facilities, handouts, and training. This convention was a great
value.
The whole event was well organized. My
overall impression was that of being uplifted. My feeling was; if
I'm associated with FileMaker, Inc., I'll be a winner, too. And
they gave me the tools for the job.
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