Introducing the FileMaker 16 platform

- [Instructor] Before we get started with our exercises, I'd like to take a moment to introduce you to all the different products that make up the FileMaker 16 platform. The FileMaker 16 Platform is a set of tools and technologies that will enable you to create, deploy, and manage custom business apps, as well as modify them as your needs change. You can create custom apps that will either run on iPads, iPhones, Mac and Windows desktops, and even in web browsers. First in the platform, is FileMaker Pro, the standard user version of FileMaker that is a desktop software that either runs on Windows or Mac desktops, that allows you to design and build custom apps, and even use the custom apps that are built by others.

And it will allow you to to everything that we're going to be talking about in this title. The next product on the platform is FileMaker Pro Advanced. It has all the functionality of FileMaker Pro, but it also has some additional tools that developers find useful, like script debuggers. It also gives you the ability to create custom menus, and even some additional utilities that developers find useful. It costs a little bit more, but the additional tools in FileMaker Advanced are an essential part of a developer's toolkit, making it a must-have product for those that'll be creating or maintaining their own FileMaker custom apps.

FileMaker's Server is an application that gets installed on a dedicated server machine, or up to two different machines, and it's used to be able to share all different types of files that you create in FileMaker to many different users at the same time. Hosted FileMaker custom apps can be used by hundreds of different people at the same time with data shared securely between the server and the users. FileMaker Server can also access FileMaker custom apps via FileMaker Web Direct, which provides access to the custom apps through a user's web browser. You can even publish your data to the web using technologies like PHP, JavaScript, HTML, or publish your data as raw JSON for access by other non-FileMaker technologies.

You can even be the host of any kind of ODBC connectivity if you'd like. The FileMaker platform also has a very exciting option for sharing your custom apps via any iOS device using the FileMaker Go app. This is an app that can be downloaded for free on the iTunes store and will allow users to access FileMaker custom apps on iOS devices including iPads, iPad mini, iPad Air, iPhones, iPod touch, anything that runs the iOS operating system. The app provides access to hosted, online, or locally stored offline FileMaker custom apps.

You can even connect to databases that are hosted on FileMaker Server, whether you're inside your network, or outside the network using 4G. FileMaker WebDirect introduced in FileMaker Server 15, is a breakthrough web technology that runs custom business apps directly in a web browser either on desktops, laptops, let's say, or even on mobile browsers or phone mobile browsers with no additional web development skills required. It's not actually a separate product per se, but rather a technology for sharing your FileMaker custom apps.

With FileMaker WebDirect, you don't need to use coding tools such as PHP, or JavaScript, or HTML, or CSS to create robust solutions for the web. Instead, you can use your existing FileMaker skills, you can go from creating a custom business app to making it accessible in a web browser with just a few clicks. And since FileMaker WebDirect looks and acts like a desktop application, it gives you familiar functionality such as desktop-style interaction, live updates, and even automated processes. It also allows you to connect it to databases that are hosted on FileMaker Server, whether you're in your local network, or if you're out in the field.

So you can see that we've got a full platform here for the FileMaker front end user, the FileMaker developer, and also different options for deploying your custom app, whether it's just on the network, or deploying it out to the web where you can even be a host of an ODBC connection. Understanding what makes up the entire FileMaker platform can help you plan for your current and future custom app needs, and that way you can use the right products that will work together across iPad, iPhone, Windows and Mac desktops, and even the web to be able to streamline your business.