Measure Campaign Success on Marketing Cloud Growth Campaigns

You can now add outreach source codes to campaigns to track campaign success more easily using the campaign flow in Marketing Cloud Growth Edition. You are able to use existing source codes or create new ones for your campaigns.

Build Custom Scores to Understand Donor Behavior

Users can now build custom scores for donors to better understand donor behavior, determine their receptivity to particular campaigns or messaging, and develop more targeted and effective outreach. These scores are based on fields that reflect Recency, Frequency, and Monetary values to assign a score to each donor that can be viewed on the donor profile.

Generate Gift Acknowledgements and Receipts

It's now quick and easy to generate gift acknowledgments for individual transactions or end-of-the-year gifts and save them as a PDF. This makes it simple to send constituents a personalized acknowledgment or receipt with a customizable template. Additionally, you can track which transactions have been acknowledged and track no-tax-deductible gift amounts.

Store Multiple Constituent Addresses

Make sure your mailed outreach reaches your constituents at their correct, active address while still storing any inactive addresses (ex. if the constituent has a seasonal address.) Use the new seasonal, standardization, and change address fields by adding the preferred fields to the Contact Point Address layout. Then apply Contact Point Address as a related list to the Person Account page layout in the Lightning App Builder.

Update and Include Commitments with Business Process API

The Business Process API allows users to include more commitments and update donor information for gift commitments with faster and easier integrations with Nonprofit Cloud. You can use the Business Process Connect API endpoints to access the Business Process API tool.

Create Recurring Gifts Using Gift Entry

Users can now streamline the new gift process by creating recurring gifts during the gift entry, saving time and effort. Salesforce will automatically create records for the gift commitment, gift commitment schedule, gift transaction, gift transaction designation, and gift default designation.

Remove Participants From Upcoming Sessions

Users can now easily remove participants from scheduled sessions on one benefit session with a single action, saving time and effort. Previously, users had to remove participants from each benefit session.

Group Program Participants into Cohorts

You can now group your participants into cohorts by adding the new Program Cohort object to the existing Program Management console app. This feature allows you to move the cohort through the program together and compare each individual's progress against the rest of their cohort. You can also compare current cohorts to previous ones for insights into the program's effectiveness.

Comprehensive View of Program Delivery

Add the new Program Management Home Page to the Program Management console app to get a comprehensive view of your programs. This allows you to track your programs and benefits at a glance. You'll also get a snapshot of new inbound referrals and target tracking, as well as the ability to quickly add participants to upcoming sessions.

Capture Interaction Notes Using a Guided Flow

Caseworkers can now easily capture meeting notes using a single guided flow. The flow can be used to write detailed notes, record attendees, record the date and time, add tags, and upload documents. The notes can be shared with other users and published to prevent further edits. This increases efficiency for caseworkers by giving them a single place to manage written and verbal communications.

Launch Complex Grant Applications

It's now simple to configure and launch a complex grant application that guides grant applicants through the process and shows which sections are still incomplete. This makes it easy and convenient for applicants to work on their applications over a period of time.

Measure the Success of Grants with Outcome Management

Users can now easily measure the impact and success of their grants and increase the visibility of your organization's strategy by indicating which funding opportunities or awards you expect to drive outcomes. With Experience Cloud, grant recipients can now outline and report on the impact of the grant they received.

Secure Collaboration on Grantmaking Applications

Grant applicants can now collaborate on applications easily with Compliant Data Sharing (CDS) for Grantmaking Objects.

Add Grantmaking Permission Sets to Permission Set Groups

Ensure your users always have the latest default permissions by creating custom permission sets and including them in a permission set group with the Grantmaking permission. Previously, users had to clone the Grantmaking permission set to customize permissions, so this will save time and streamline the permissions process.

Delete Individual Applications

Previously, users had to set each individual application to inactive status. Now, users can simply click Delete on individual applications that are no longer needed.

From streamlining fundraising efforts to enhancing program management and grantmaking processes, these Summer '24 updates empower nonprofits to make an even greater impact on the communities they serve. Here's to a summer filled with growth, efficiency, and making a difference! If you’d like more information on these Nonprofit Cloud updates or if you want to view past updates, please visit the official Salesforce Summer '24 release notes.

If you have any questions about Salesforce or want to see any of the implementations in your own Salesforce organization, please get in touch with our team at DB Services!

Automate and Migrate User Access with User Access Policies

It's now easier than ever to update user access. Simply go to the User Management Settings and enable User Access Policies. With User Access Policies, you can now automatically assign or revoke a plethora of access features. These access features include permission sets, queues, groups, and more. You can also define the user criteria that need to be met in order for the user access policy to apply, such as the role, profile, title, or email of the user. 

Einstein is becoming a prevalent feature in Salesforce. Its newest feature is an update to Einstein for Formulas. Originally, Einstein for Formulas could be used to provide a readable explanation of formulas used throughout Salesforce. Now, it can help you resolve errors in a formula. The syntax checker for formula fields will tell you when there are errors in a formula. Unfortunately, it does not correct the error on its own. Thankfully, clicking Use Formula Assistant on a formula page will have Einstein provide a fixed formula for you to use instead.

Use Cursors for Expanded SOQL Query Result Support (Beta)

Cursors are a new feature of Apex that allow you to break down the results of a SOQL query into smaller pieces, all within a single transaction. Since cursors break down the results of a SOQL query, you will be able to work with large data sets without returning the entire data set at once. Cursors can be used like batch Apex, but without some of the limitations. For instance, cursors have forward and backward navigation, as well as the ability to be used in a chain of queueable Apex jobs.

In order to create a cursor in Apex, execute a SOQL query inside of Database.getCursor() or Database.getCursorWithBinds() call. You can call Cursor.getNumRecords() to get the total number of rows from the SOQL query. After that, sections of the data set can be retrieved by calling Cursor.fetch(integer position, integer count).

Cursors have the following Governor limits:

• Maximum number of rows per cursor: 50 million (both synchronous and asynchronous)

• Maximum number of fetch calls per transaction: 10 (both synchronous and asynchronous) 

• Maximum number of cursors per day: 10,000 (both synchronous and asynchronous)

• Maximum number of rows per day (aggregate limit): 100 million

Einstein for Developers (Beta)

Einstein for Developers is a Visual Studio Code extension that is sure to improve the productivity of your developers. With it, you can generate Apex code from natural language prompts, inline autocomplete code for Apex and lightning web components, and generate test cases for your Apex code.

Einstein for Developers can be downloaded now, but keep in mind that it is still in beta. It is always wise to review any generated code suggestions before deploying them.

Einstein is bringing its automation to flows as well. When creating a new flow, you can select Let Einstein Help You Build to start working with Einstein in your flows. Write down your instructions for how you want the flow to run, and then Einstein will build the flow for you. 

Remember to always check the accuracy of the drafted flow before activating it. It is also a good idea to debug the flow in order to test its accuracy. The flow page will also include an Einstein window where you can share your feedback with Einstein or choose to start over.

Improve the Performance and Scalability of LWR Sites with Experience Delivery (Pilot)

Experience Delivery is a new infrastructure to improve the performance and security of your Lightning Web Runtime (LWR) sites. Experience Delivery uses server-side rendering (SSR) to render site pages. After rendering the site pages, Experience Delivery caches the page using a content delivery network. This improves performance over the client-side rendering used by existing LWR sites by increasing conversions and lowering bounce rates. Experience Delivery now includes support for enhanced domains as well as custom URLs with path prefixes.

This feature is currently being piloted. To participate in the pilot, contact your Salesforce account executive. After you are approved, Experience Delivery can be enabled by going to the Settings page on an experience site’s Administration workspace.

If your Salesforce org has the Education Cloud license enabled, then your Experience sites just got an upgrade. You can now provide your students with the Intelligent Degree Planner. This dynamic planner allows students to view program requirements, search for eligible courses, and design their degree completion path by sessions, terms, and years. After creating their plans, students can submit the plan to their advisor for review and approval.

Nonprofit: Store and Track Multiple Addresses for Constituents

If you have Fundraising enabled for your Salesforce org, then there are new fields to work with for your constituents’ addresses. A constituent can have multiple addresses, but you may not always know which is active. The new fields added to the Contact Point Address record help ensure that mailed outreaches always reach your constituents at their active addresses. In order to use the new fields, such as season, standardization, and change address fields, you will have to add the fields to the Contact Point Address page layout, and then add the Contact Point Address as a related list for the Account page layout.

If your sales representatives are looking to grab your buyers’ attention, then Einstein Sales Emails enables you to draft and send personalized emails quickly. Using a method called grounding, Einstein utilizes your data to create accurate, relevant emails for your contacts and leads. Sales reps can select email types for Einstein to use, such as introduction emails or follow-up emails, when it builds a draft. Admins can also define custom email types for Einstein to use.

When you open the email composer, click on Draft with Einstein, choose pre-made email instructions, then select an email type. That’s all Einstein needs to start writing emails for you. 

You can also choose to create your own instructions for Einstein to draft your email. Simply describe the email you would like to write, select any record that you want Einstein to utilize, like a product record, and Einstein will take care of the rest. After Einstein builds the email you can always choose to undo or revise the draft.

Service: Insights from Summaries of Survey Responses

Surveys are a great way to get feedback and data, but getting insight from all the responses is not always easy. Luckily, surveys now include Response Summaries. These response summaries use generative AI to provide insights into your survey takers’ perspectives. When making a mapping for response summaries, you can select which questions the summary should be tailored to. You can also specify conditions that the survey responses must meet in order to be included in the summary.

With automated user policies, new Einstein features, and survey response summaries, Salesforce’s Summer ‘24 update aims to do more work so you don’t have to. With a big focus on automation, this update ensures you can kick back, relax, and soak up the summer sun.

If you would like more information on these updates, please visit the official Salesforce Spring '24 release notes. If you have any questions about Salesforce or want to see any of the implementations in your own Salesforce organization, contact DB Services!

• How to use AI responsibly in your organization

• Best practices for using Salesforce's AI tools, including

  • Using Einstein for Nonprofits to analyze your data and build predictions about your donors

  • Using Einstein for Service to create service responses, work summaries, and a knowledge base so you can service your constituents more quickly and accurately

  • Using Einstein for Marketing to recommend campaign optimizations and improve copy

  • Using Einstein on Salesforce Platform to train chatbots, build predictions and recommend next steps, and utilize ChatGPT to automate manual tasks

Register today to secure your spot for Empowering Nonprofits with Salesforce AI: From Data to Action. Don't miss out on this opportunity to transform your nonprofit's future with the power of Salesforce AI!

In order to integrate FileMaker with Stripe, the first thing we'll need to do is to create a free Stripe account by using Stripe's registration page. Once you create your free account, you will automatically be put into "Test mode". However, note that you can continue to activate your account, which will allow you to perform transactions with real money. Just make sure you toggle the "Test mode" switch whenever you want to test.

Products

The first thing we'll set up is our products. We'll want to create the products we're going to be using in our test store. For this particular demonstration, we have set up a test store with colors as placeholders for products. Ideally, the product creation would be handled from FileMaker by integrating the Products API. However, for the sake of brevity, in this case we'll be doing the product creation manually.

The next step in our setup will be to create our customers. In our case, we created just one test customer, "Jason Smith". You can create multiple customers if desired, just be sure to perform the proper setup on FileMaker as well (more details on that later in this article). Once again, this can also be managed from FileMaker if you already have an existing customer base using the Customers API. We'll be doing this manually for this article, but we'll touch on how to do this briefly.

For the purpose of this article, we've created an accompanying file that you can download and follow. The file is a simple application that lets us create orders for our products. We'll be able to select a customer for the order and then generate invoices using Stripe's REST API. There is some setup we'll need to do before we can continue with the solution.

Stripe API Key

First, we'll need to obtain the API key. Go to the "Home" page on your Stripe dashboard. You should see a link named "API keys for developers".

Note: If you proceeded to activate your account make sure you are in "Test mode" before you copy the "secret key". Your key will change depending on which mode you are and it will determine whether you create test data or real data.

Once you have the key, paste it into the FileMaker file vy using the layout dropdown and selecting the "PREFERENCES" layout. There you will find a field where you can enter the key.

Next, we'll need to go to the "PRODUCT" table using the layout dropdown. From here, we can create the products for our store. You'll want the information here to match that of the products you set up in Stripe. It is very important that you copy the "price ID" for each of the products on Stripe to the field "Stripe Price ID" for each product.

To get the price ID of a Stripe product, simply select the product from the product catalog on the Stripe dashboard. Then, scroll down to the "Pricing" section and you will see a column labeled "API ID"

Next, we'll want to set up our customers in the FileMaker application. Using the layout dropdown again, go to the "CUSTOMER" layout. Create customers matching the information of the customers you created in Stripe. Like with the products, we'll need a specific ID from Stripe as well to link the Stripe customer to our FileMaker customer record.

To find the customer ID, simply go to the "Customers" section from your Stripe dashboard and click on the customer. From there look for the "Details" section on the far right and you will see a column of information including the customer ID.

Now that we are done with the setup, we can use the information to create orders. To create orders, simply use the layout dropdown in FileMaker to select the layout "ORDER". Then use the "+" button to create your new orders.

Once the new order record is created, you can select the customer you want using the dropdown. Then select the products you want on the portal.

Once all of that has been completed, click the "Generate Invoice" button. This will create a new invoice in your Stripe dashboard that will have different behavior depending on which API key you are using. The behavior is as follows:

• Test mode - Stripe will generate an invoice entry. You can see the invoice in your Stripe dashboard under Billing -> Invoices. From there you can click on the invoice and click "Send invoice" to email it to the customer.

• Live - FileMaker will generate the invoice and email it to the appropriate customer.

Now that we have seen what the application does, let's take a look at how it is done.

For the "CUSTOMER" and "PRODUCT" tables, the most important part is to have those IDs that you can obtain from Stripe. Without them, the records in FileMaker won't be connected to the records in Stripe. So make sure that those are set correctly.

The most important part of the application is in the script "Stripe - Create & Send Invoice" Let's review it in parts.

In the top section of the script, we are obtaining the key from the field in the preferences table and obtaining the customer ID from the Order record.

If an invoice is not created yet, we want to create a new one using the Stripe API. FileMaker gives us the ability to call REST APIs through the Insert from URL [...] script step.

Here's a closer look at what the cURL options are for this specific request:

FileMaker provides very robust solutions for developing invoicing solutions. Integrating FileMaker with Stripe enables us to build powerful invoicing solutions for the web with a lot of flexibility in managing our products and customers. If you would like to start a Stripe integration in your FileMaker application, contact us and we'll be happy to help you build powerful invoicing solutions.

Each customer survey we receive is an additional donation towards Together Rising. Your feedback will not only help our team at DB Services, but also provide Together Rising with donations to further support people in need, everywhere. Together, we can make a positive impact!

Web viewers in FileMaker serve as a conduit for displaying web content within your FileMaker solution. Leveraging HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, they provide a dynamic interface for interacting with data. Through JSON integration, the web viewer can seamlessly retrieve data from your FileMaker file and incorporate it into the web environment, facilitating data flow between your FileMaker solution and web-based resources. This enables an exchange of information, enriching the user experience and expanding the capabilities of your FileMaker application. For example, the collapsible list will grab all the FileMaker Data in JSON, and then the initialization of the web viewer will fetch the JSON data and create an intractable list that can be easily used.

Setting Up Data For A Collapsible List

To create data that will be used in the collapsible list, we'll need to to parse through the data and set up a JSON array inside of another JSON array. Here is an example from the demo file:

Setting Up For The Web Viewer

Web Viewers require the use of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to connect and display the list. Use the data in the fields of listApp.css, listApp.js, and listVendor.js in the demo file. Then, add a new custom function to construct the HTML leveraging the CSS and JavaScript data.

A web viewer requires initializing via script steps to fetch the FileMaker data and then display it using the JavaScript.

1. Update your web viewer with an identifier name.

2. Set up your JSON Array from earlier as Data Set parameters.

3. Perform the JavaScript with function name in the web viewer for our list using the identifier name.

   • This will update the web viewer to fetch the FileMaker data and post it on the web as a list.

   • Then, it will return as a dynamic list in the web viewer.

After all of that, you will have an intractable collapsible and extendible list, in which you can select the down arrow on a single invoice and see all of the related invoice line items.

Incorporating collapsible lists on a web viewer in your FileMaker application allows for a dynamic way of structuring and displaying hierarchical data. Users can quickly navigate through expanding or collapsing sections as needed to focus on specific information. This enhances the user experience, simplifies data access, and optimizes the layout space. Whether managing intricate project hierarchies, organizing inventory items, or presenting menu selections, collapsible lists enable users to interact with data more intuitively, ultimately enhancing productivity and usability within FileMaker solutions.

Nonprofit Cloud includes the Party Model as a way to document the different types of relationships between accounts and contacts. With the Party Model, you can set contact-to-contact and account-to-account relationships in order to get a better context and understanding of the connections between your accounts and contacts.

The first step is to create a Party Role Relationship record. These records need a role name, like ‘Father to Son’, a related role name, like ‘Son to Father’ to show the relationship, and if the Party Role Relationship applies to contact-to-contact or account-to-account relationships.  You can also choose to have the record automatically create an inverse role Party Role Relationship record that will be applied to the related account or contact when setting the relationship.

A big portion of being a nonprofit organization is fundraising, and Nonprofit Cloud has many apps to assist in the fundraising process. The Fundraising Strategy app gives a big-picture overview of your organization's fundraising data and activities, which can be useful for tracking the progress of your fundraising and planning for future events. The Donor Engagement app helps you manage outreach programs by organizing your engagement data through campaigns, gift commitments, and reports. Philanthropy & Partnerships is used to help solicit from major donors.

You will also have to create a Gift Commitment Schedule record in order for the gift transactions to be generated. Click the Manage button in the Gift Commitment Setup section and then you can select the start date of the commitment, the gift transaction period, the gift transaction interval, and the gift transaction amount.

Click the Manage button in the Gift Commitment Setup section, select any number of Designation records, and then what percentage of the donated funds should go to each designation. Now that you have an understanding of how to record and schedule gifts, you can better track your fundraising program and how each account participates.

Nonprofit Cloud offers a Program Management module that can be used to define, plan, deliver, and track the programs that your organization offers. To use this module, go to the Program & Case Management app. From here, you can manage your organization’s programs, enrollments in these programs, and upcoming sessions.

Next, there are the Benefit records, which are used to show the types of benefits that a program enrollee can receive. Benefit records also require a Benefit Type record, which makes it easier to categorize the many benefits that your organization offers, such as voluntary assistance, meal service deliveries, or counseling.

If you have benefits that get distributed on a consistent basis, you can create Benefit Schedule records to automatically generate Benefit Sessions for program enrollees to attend.

On top of modules to manage your organization’s programs, Nonprofit Cloud also offers a Case Management module to aid your case managers with providing quality assistance to your long-term cases.

The case management workflow generally starts with a Referral record, which captures information about the client. From that, referrals can be used to generate a Case record. Cases are a familiar object for anyone working with Salesforce, but Nonprofit Cloud has added some additional objects to be utilized alongside the case record. Under the Related tab on the case’s record page, you will see some related records to work with.

Next, there is the Case Team. After an assessment is given to the case client, a case manager may assign a person or group to a Case Team. These are the individuals who will work towards resolving the case. When adding individuals or groups to the Case Team, consider what role they should have, as this also determines whether they have read-only or edit access to the case.

Then, there is the Care Plan record. The Care Plan stores the goals and benefits for the case client, as well as the services and actions for the client to resolve their case. The Care Plan also stores assessments of the client as they work towards their goals.

Outcome Management

Outcome Management is a module that can be used to measure the results of your organization’s outcome strategy. In order to help you assess the results of your outcomes, Outcome Management utilizes a collection of new objects.

Outcomes

The Outcome record is used to show the kind of outcome you expect to see for participants in your organization. Such outcomes could be increasing household income, decreasing risky behavior, or maintaining employment. Remember to consider the long-term and short-term outcomes you want to measure for participants in your programs. Use the Outcome Activity record to relate the Outcome record to programs or benefits that your organization provides. Such outcome activities could be participating in a job coaching program or a mental health program.

Indicator Definition records are used to describe the values that your organization measures to determine a participant’s progress toward an outcome. Such indicator definitions could be the percentage of participants with a stable job or the percentage of participants who scored 75% or higher on a confidence assessment. Remember to consider what values your organization wants to track when creating the indicator definitions.

You would then use the Indicator Assignment to relate an indicator definition to a program or outcome. Indicator Assignments should be related to programs when you want to track a participants direct progress within that program, while an Indicator Assignment should be related to an outcome if you want to track a participant’s progress towards an overarching goal for the participant.

Finally, there is the Impact Strategy record. Impact Strategy records are used to pool outcomes in order to represent the overarching strategy used for participants in your organization, be they individuals, the general public, or the environment. The Impact Strategy Assignment records are used to connect your impact strategies to the outcomes that your participants are working towards. Together, these records can help you visualize the impact your organization is having on participants using the Strategy tab on the impact strategy.

The Grantmaking app in Nonprofit Cloud includes tools to help you through the grantmaking process, from tracking the people involved with grants, to managing approvals of grant applications, to delivering assistance to participants in your organization. The Grantmaking app uses some new records to assist with the grantmaking process.

Funding

The Funding Opportunity record is used to represent the pool of money available for a specific program offered by your organization. You can relate the Funding Opportunity to an Application Timeline in order to represent milestone dates in the application process. You can also relate the Funding Opportunity to a Budget record to show the available pool of money, the period of time the budget applies for, what program the budget is for, and how the pool of money should be used.

Individual

The Individual Application record is used to represent a request for funding by an individual or organization. The record includes the funding opportunity, the account or contact making the request, the budget requested, and the purpose of the request. These Individual Application records are usually generated when an applicant submits them through a Grantmaking portal. Grantmaking portals are made with grant-seekers in mind, so consider setting up ways for grant-seekers to apply for funding opportunities, submit budgets, and upload documents.

There is also the Application Review record, which can be utilized to determine the status of applications, who reviewed the applicant, and what kind of recommended action the reviewer suggests.

Nonprofit Cloud comes with many reports that can be utilized to give you insight into the different types of data that your organization is tracking. Even though reports like “Gift Commitments This Calendar Year” or “Donors with Total Contributions” can be immediately usable and useful, you always have the ability to create custom reports to display whatever information you need. On top of that, these reports can then be placed on Dashboards to display relevant information from many reports in one convenient location. When building reports, consider the target information you want to see, as well as any related information that could help you understand the data as a whole.

Salesforce has a tool or feature for just about any of your nonprofit needs. Even so, you are still able to integrate with other third-party platforms. Integrating with third-party platforms can require some work, but it should not be an issue if you have a skilled development team, like DB Services, in your corner.

The AppExchange is a great marketplace for exploring all sorts of third-party platforms. You can find many useful free or paid add-ons for your organization, from add-ons focused on fundraising, to add-ons focused on improving the impact of the programs your organization offers.

Security

Security is an ever-important part of any organization, especially nonprofit organizations. Salesforce offers many ways of controlling the security of your organization, from global access settings all the way down to field-level security.

Sharing settings determine the default access levels for users in your Salesforce org. When setting up sharing settings, consider the default access level you want your records to have, such as private, read-only, or read/edit. Then, you should consider how you want to open up access to your data based on specific criteria, such as if the user accessing the data is an admin, or if a record has data that only a certain team should have access to.

Profiles are assigned to users to determine a plethora of access settings, such as what records they can view, what fields they can update, and what apps the user can access. When creating profiles, consider what objects and fields would be required for all the users of that profile.

Permission Sets, like profiles, are used to determine a plethora of access settings. However, permission sets are applied to specific users rather than a group of users. This is useful in scenarios where there are many users that need access to the same data, but one of these users has additional responsibilities that require additional permissions.

Field Level Security is set on profiles and permission sets, but it is worth mentioning separately. Many different types of users may need access to the same records, but not for the same fields. When setting up access to fields, consider which users need to see that data, and if they need to be able to modify the data as well.

Data Migration

If you already have a Salesforce org and decided to move to Nonprofit Cloud, you will have to consider what data you want to migrate over. The first step to data migration is determining the metadata that you want to maintain, like custom objects, fields, and record types. Next, you will have to add that metadata to your new org. Then, you will need to determine what data you want to migrate.

Consider if you want to export all your records, or if you want to export data that meets a certain criteria. It is also a good idea to check that fields still exist in the Nonprofit Cloud, as new data models can lead to complications when migrating data.

Data Loader is a convenient application to export your data from one org and import it into another. Data Loader exports records based on a SOQL query that you define, which allows you to export only relevant fields or records that meet your specified criteria. Next, you can import the data into your Nonprofit Cloud org. Data Loader generates success logs for the records that import without issue and error logs that show which records failed and why. When exporting data from one org to another, consider creating an external-ID field for the imported data. This can ensure that data integrity is maintained and provide a good reference point for your imported data.

If you are a nonprofit organization that is already using Salesforce, then you are most likely utilizing Salesforce’s Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP). While Nonprofit Cloud and NPSP share many similarities, such as Program Management, there are key differences between the two that will have to be considered when upgrading. For more information, feel free to read our article on how to upgrade to the Nonprofit Cloud.

Conclusion

Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud has plenty of tools to truly enable your nonprofit organization’s fundraising, program management, and outcome management capabilities. Now that you are familiar with the major aspects of the Nonprofit Cloud, you are more than ready to utilize the Nonprofit Cloud for your organization. Contact DB Services if you have any questions or need assistance implementing Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud.

QuickBooks API offers many great benefits. Here are some of the top reasons to consider using QuickBooks API:

• Automation: QuickBooks API allows for the automation of various financial and accounting processes. This can save time and reduce manual data entry errors.

• Real-Time Data: Access real-time financial data directly from QuickBooks. This is particularly beneficial for businesses that require up-to-date information for decision-making.

• Customization: Developers can use the API to build custom solutions tailored to the specific needs of a business. This flexibility allows for the creation of applications that align with unique workflows and requirements.

• Streamlined Workflows: By connecting QuickBooks with other tools and applications, businesses can create streamlined workflows. This can lead to improved efficiency and productivity.

• Enhanced Security: QuickBooks API adheres to secure authentication protocols, ensuring that sensitive financial data is protected during transmission. This helps maintain the security and integrity of financial information.

Credit Card & Account Tokens

A standout feature of the the QuickBooks API is the ability to generate a token representing a credit card or account. This token is then used in future calls, meaning you aren’t sending or exposing any private information. Not only is this great from a security perspective, but it’s also a great start in ensuring your application maintains PCI (Payment Card Industry) compliance.

The process of running a payment is done in two steps. First, you'll need to create the charge by providing all the transaction details. The screenshot below highlights where we pass in the token representing the credit card instead of the actual card info.

Sales Receipts

A sales receipt will be created for each transaction within your QuickBooks account. You can view these by logging into your account and viewing all sales.

Leveraging the QuickBooks API can result in improved efficiency, better data accuracy, and increased functionality for businesses that rely on QuickBooks for their financial management. If you have any questions or wish to discuss integrating QuickBooks API with your application, please contact DB Services.

DB Services' mission is to make organizations more efficient and effective through digital transformations while offering superior service and exceptional expertise. With over 20 years of Claris FileMaker experience, DB Services is dedicated to growing the Claris community. 

Since 2003, DB Services has provided custom applications and workflow solutions to Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, K-12 schools, universities, nonprofit organizations, and more.  DB Services is also Claris Business Alliance Platinum Member, and provides FileMaker Development, FileMaker Support, FileMaker Cloud Hosting, and FileMaker Licensing. With over 25 Certified FileMaker Developers and 7 consecutive Partner of the Year awards, DB Services is honored to be considered one of the top Claris Partners in the nation.

For a complimentary analysis and consultation, contact DB Services or give us a call at 888-488-0191.

Claris Studio is a web-based platform from Claris that makes it easy to gather, analyze, and manage your data online. It comes with custom forms, dashboards, and many other no-code views. We have an article that gives an in-depth explanation of what Claris Studio is and its capabilities. Check it out if you want to learn more.

Using Claris Studio with FileMaker Pro

One of the most exciting features of Claris Studio and FileMaker Pro 20.2+ is the two-way communication between the platforms. This means you can capture web data by using Claris Studio forms and incorporate that data directly into your FileMaker Pro application. Any Claris Studio data modified in FileMaker Pro will be reflected in Claris Studio, and any data modified in Claris Studio will be reflected in FileMaker Pro.

Before you can start working with Claris Studio Data in FileMaker Pro, you'll need a Claris ID, and you'll need to create a Claris Studio team. Once you have those set up, you're ready to start developing in Claris Studio and FileMaker!

Working with Claris Studio Data in FileMaker Pro

There are many ways you can use Claris Studio and FileMaker Pro together, but for this example, I will be creating a "lead" form on Claris Studio that can be used to gather new business leads on the web. Then I will show you how to connect Claris Studio to FileMaker Pro.

Creating Claris Studio Views

The first step for integrating Claris Studio into FileMaker Pro is to create some views in Claris Studio. You can start by creating a spreadsheet view, which serves as the backbone for other views in Claris Studio and is essentially equivalent to a table in FileMaker Pro. Click on the "Add New Views" button under the hub where you want your data to live.

Connecting Claris Studio to FileMaker Pro

Connecting Claris Studio to FileMaker Pro is a fairly straightforward process and should only take you a few minutes to do. There are a couple of necessary steps you must take before you can add Claris Studio data to your application. First, you must be running FileMaker Pro on version 20.2 or later in order to connect to Claris Studio. Next, you'll want to ensure you are signed in on FileMaker Pro using your Claris ID.

Once you complete both steps, you can open your application where you want to use Claris Studio data. Continuing from where we left off with our "lead" example, we will first open the relationship graph in FileMaker Pro. Then, we will add a new table to our graph.

I have also added a named portal (in this example, "PORTAL:ContactMethods") on this layout that is based on my relationship from our Claris Studio table to my "CONTACT_METHOD" table. You may not need this for your specific use case, and typically this is not necessary as we would create our contact methods through a transactional relationship. But since Claris Studio does not support global fields, it is necessary in this case.

Once our layout and relationships are set up, we can create our script for pulling our data from Claris Studio and putting it into FileMaker Pro. The tables, relationships, and scripts that you'll want to use to download your data from Claris Studio into FileMaker Pro are highly dependent on your specific use case.

We have included a sample file that you can download at the bottom of this article that includes a link to the form we have built in Claris Studio, as well as the necessary tables, relationships, and source code for downloading that data into FileMaker Pro. You can use this as a reference for building your own custom integration of Claris Studio and FileMaker Pro.

Conclusion

Claris Studio stands out as a dynamic tool, offering impressive capabilities that can transform your FileMaker Pro application. By seamlessly integrating Claris Studio, not only does data gathering become a breeze, but its intuitive interface and no-code functionalities elevate your business efficiency to new heights. Explore the possibilities of enhancing your FileMaker Pro application with Claris Studio, and if you're looking you guidance or support in this journey, feel free to contact us at DB Services. We're here to turn your vision into a reality!

Einstein is Salesforce’s artificial intelligence for CRM. It is data-ready, so it requires very little setup. As long as there is data in Salesforce, Einstein is ready to work. Einstein is utilized in many facets of Salesforce products, but what's great about Einstein Activity Capture is that the Standard edition is free.

Simply go to the settings page for Einstein Activity Capture. When setting it up, select an email application to sync to (such as Google Suite, Office 365, or Microsoft Exchange.) Then, you can choose if you want users to connect their emails to Salesforce individually or if you want to connect the emails company-wide.

After enabling Einstein Activity Capture, you will have to configure the sync settings for emails, events, and contacts. You can choose which users and profiles to sync in the settings. Events and Contacts can be synced from Salesforce to your application, or the other way around, or in both directions. Then, you can set how far back Einstein should look when syncing your emails and events, up to 180 days. You can also specify what conditions are required for a contact to sync. After that, it's a matter of connecting your application account to your salesforce account so that Einstein Activity Capture can get to work.

Email Activity

Connecting your email to your org will allow you to send emails from within the org, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. Emails that are sent or received will be added to the activity timeline of the record they are related to, such as an account, a contact, or an opportunity. Einstein Activity Capture looks for certain data and dates to determine what records an email is related to. Email attachments are not added to these emails in Salesforce.

For records such as leads, Einstein Activity Capture uses the email field to determine if an email is related - but it will only add that email to the activity timeline if that email occurred before the lead is converted to a contact. After a lead is converted to a contact, Einstein Activity Capture will add activity to that contact’s timeline instead. This activity timeline will ensure you know all relevant interactions regarding the related record.

Email Insights

Not only will you see your emails on the activity timeline, but Einstein will provide insight on these emails. When Einstein scans these emails in the timeline, it will mark its insight with tags. Insights such as a commitment being made, competitors being mentioned, or someone being out of office are some of the standard insights provided by Einstein.

Einstein also allows you to create custom insights for it to detect. All you need is a label, a description, and up to 10 sets of keywords for Einstein to utilize. After that, you can also select a standard insight for Einstein to detect before generating the custom insight. Custom insights are only available in paid versions of Einstein Activity Capture. With all the insights that Einstein provides, you are sure to give the right context to your emails, which will enable your sales team to follow up with appropriate actions for your clients.

Connecting your calendar to Salesforce will have your Salesforce events appear on your application calendar and your application calendar events appear on your Salesforce calendar, depending on the configuration settings. This offers the benefit of only needing to look at one calendar to grasp your schedule for the day. (Note: Attachments won’t be synced between calendars, and syncing may take up to a day if Einstein is trying to match events together.)

On top of that, Einstein Activity Capture will take these events and relate them to relevant opportunities, contracts, and quotes. These events will appear on the activity timeline just like emails. Event Attendees are related to contacts and leads. Attendees are matched based on the email address of contacts and leads, but you cannot always predict which attendee will get used for related records. Records are related based on whether the Allow Users to Relate Multiple Contacts to Tasks and Events option is enabled and if the email matches a user, contact, or lead record.

Connecting your contacts to Salesforce will allow you to generate application contacts from Salesforce contact records, as well as generate Salesforce contact records from your application contacts. When Einstein Activity Capture starts the initial syncing process, it will match contact email addresses between Salesforce and your application. If it cannot find a matching contact, it will create one.

Einstein will also try to match contacts to an account based on the company name of the application contact. If an account cannot be determined, the synced contacts will be added to the Unresolved Items list located on your profile’s settings page. If an account cannot be matched by the time of the next sync, Einstein will remove that company name from the contact. When a synced contact is deleted in Salesforce or your application, it does not automatically delete the contact in the other location. Remember to delete both contacts to prevent Einstein from re-creating the contact.

Since Hyperforce and Amazon Web Services (AWS) are used to store some data, you will face data retention limits. After a certain period of time, retained data will be deleted from your activity timelines. The data retention period only applies to emails and events, not to contacts. This time period depends on the license or environment you are using.

Sales Cloud Einstein, Inbox, Sales Engagement, and Revenue Intelligence are all licenses that default to 24 months of data retention. The retention period can be changed from 3 months to 5 years, but you will have to contact Salesforce Customer Support to make this change. The Sales Cloud license and sandbox environments retain data for up to 6 months.

Note: The retention period begins when an activity occurs, not when the Salesforce record is created. The data retention period does not apply to de-identified data. This data is kept for up to two years to train the AI’s machine learning models and for third-party data enrichment.

Deleting Data

The Einstein AI needs data to learn from, but understandably, not everyone wants their data used this way. Luckily, Salesforce offers an easy way to delete someone’s personal data. The Data Policies section in setup allows you to delete emails and events based on users or email addresses. Deleting this data will not delete any event records or data from your email application, so you will have to delete that data manually. It can also exclude email addresses from being used to train the machine learning model.

Activities Analytics Dashboard

The Activities Analytics dashboard provides a summary of sales activities, from manually added activities to activities generated by Einstein. This dashboard is only available once enabled in the Einstein Activity Capture settings.

Once enabled, the Activities Analytics Dashboard will be generated with charts based on four new reports: Opportunities with Activities this Month, Sales Rep Activities, Accounts with Activities, and Neglected Open Opportunities. These reports show the last 90 days of data for Einstein Activity Capture Standard. If you are using Einstein Activity Capture through Performance or Unlimited edition orgs, the reports will show up to 180 days of data. The Activities Analytics dashboard offers another way for you and your sales team to stay aware of activities regarding your clients.

Salesforce Einstein Activity Capture is a great way to keep your activities accurate in your Salesforce org. From email insights to synced calendars to relating activities to records, Einstein Activity Capture ensures that your sales team is always up-to-date with your clients. Contact DB Services for any questions you have or if you need assistance setting up Einstein Activity Capture for your org.

GEM's top objective when providing disaster relief is to deliver essential humanitarian aid to displaced civilians and evacuees. They partner with local nonprofits worldwide, including Palestine, Iceland, USA, Turkey, and more to ensure the efficient distribution of much-needed resources to affected civilians. To date, 335 disaster missions have been completed in 57 countries with $289,453,560 in aid and supplies distributed.

Each customer survey we receive is an additional donation towards Global Empowerment Mission. Your feedback will not only help our team at DB Services, but also provide GEM with donations to further their important mission. Together, we can make a positive impact!

To simplify this integration, we have created a method to streamline building charts. The demo file linked at the bottom of this article contains a solution that uses a table to allow users to create charts for different data sets. With a simple pop-up menu, the user can change the graph style they want to use to display their data. Users can also create custom CSS stylings for each chart. If you want more of an overview of Google Charts you can reference our other FileMaker Google Charts article.

This integration uses a Google Charts table to store and build the HTML that will be given to the web viewer to render the chart. When you create a new record in the Google Charts table, it will auto-enter the HTML template for the header, footer, draw charts function, and Google Charts package.

On the data entry screen, you can change the chart type, title, height, and width, and change or add data. When you commit your changes, the chart will reevaluate based on what you've entered and the rendered chart will display on the web viewer below the entry fields.

Using Google Charts with Your Data

1. Create a new record in the charts table

2. Choose the Chart Type, Title, Chart Name, Height, Width

3. Place the web viewer on the layout you want the output to display

4. Get a list of x-values, a list of y-values, and a list of headers

5. Paste the values into the corresponding box and the chart will render

Using Google Charts Dynamically

To use the reports dynamically, you can create fields on a preferences layout that correspond to the name of the chart you want to use on that layout. You can enable them as pop-ups using the names of the charts you created in the Google Chart table.

The first step is to grab the chart we want to use from the preferences table.

Additionally, you can add many different CSS stylings to your chart to customize and enhance the way your users see the end result.

In the demo file, on the setup layout underneath the Header Data field, there is a CSS Stylings edit box for you to paste the CSS styles you want to apply to your chart. By default, it will style your chart to have a title and place the chart legend at the bottom of the chart. There are many ways to change the style, so if you want to learn more about all the CSS properties you can change about your graph, visit the Google Bar Chart documentation for configurations.

Google Charts is a powerful graphical visualization tool that you can use to generate dynamic, data-driven charts easily. Our demo file provides an easy-to-set-up method for quickly generating any of the 26 supported chart types by Google's library and provides the flexibility to adapt them to generate charts based on the data that is important to you. If you're interested in adding Google Charts to your FileMaker application or need help implementing them, contact us at DB Services.

With these Spring ‘24 updates, Salesforce has implemented new features to make it easier than ever to create financial plans that help your clients reach their short and long-term financial goals.

View Financial Plans and Goals

It’s now easy to view your client's financial plan and associated goals on the FSCFinancialPlan FlexCard. You’ll be able to easily review and modify the specifics of each goal, including target date, value, priority, and feasibility. If client priorities shift, modify goal details such as target date or value to quickly guide your client in the right direction. In addition, you can give your users access to external planning tools with the Launch Planning Tool button.

View and Select Financial Accounts on Goals

Help your clients focus on the financial goals that are most important to them. You can now view the financial account that is funding a goal with the FinancialAccountGoal FlexCard. This allows you to quickly identify goals that are funded by a financial account with a change in income.

Users also now have the ability to select a financial account that will fund a goal using the FSCFinancialAccountDetails FlexCard. You’ll be able to view the selected financial account, a list of goals funded by that account, and the available balance. If priorities change, you’ll be able to remove financial account associations from certain goals, giving your clients more flexibility.

View and Distribute Funds to Goals

Using the FinancialGoalsFundingHeader FlexCard, users can now view and update the distribution of funds from financial accounts to goals. This allows you and your clients to quickly identify which goals need to be adjusted when a client’s account balance changes and make those adjustments easily.

Data Cloud for Financial Services Cloud

Customer Insights 

With this update, users can achieve a more comprehensive understanding of clients by connecting and integrating their interaction, behavioral, and transactional data across systems with Data Cloud for Financial Services Cloud. This provides financial institutions with a unified profile of each client, allowing for the creation of insights and identification of trends that can help your clients make more informed decisions.

Client Cash Flow Insights

Pinpoint spending trends using the new FSCDataCloudShowIncomeExpenses FlexCard that features a bar graph showing a month-by-month breakdown of income and expenses. You can connect Data Cloud with your FSC org to retrieve data from calculated insights analyzing your client's deposits and expenses over the last 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year. This provides a comprehensive view of financial patterns and helps in understanding client spending behavior.

Gain insight into your client's recent financial behavior by examining their income and expenses over the last 30 days through the FSCDataCloudCashFlowByCategory FlexCard. You can connect Data Cloud with your FSC org to pull data from calculated insights to view your client’s monthly expenses and inflow transactions by category. This provides a clear and detailed overview of your client's cash flow, categorized by expenses and inflow transactions, aiding in a comprehensive understanding of their recent financial habits.

Residential Loan Applications

User Access to Application Records

You’re now able to control user access to Residential Loan Application records and other mortgage objects, independent of their membership in an Account team, by utilizing the Override Mortgage Custom Sharing with Standard Salesforce Sharing setting to limit unnecessary users from accessing sensitive client data. This setting will override the Edit Residential Loan Application for Account Read-Only Users setting. Previously, access to Residential Loan Application records was determined by the associated account record sharing, even if the organization-wide default for Residential Loan Application was set to Private.

Sharing Settings

The organization-wide sharing setting Controlled by Parent has been removed for the following objects: Loan Application Asset, Loan Application Liability, and Residential Loan Application. If Controlled by Parent is in use on these objects, you will need to review your settings to choose a different value.

Sharing Sets for Mortgage Objects

You can now share access to mortgage records with Experience Cloud users using sharing sets. These sharing sets will provide users with access to records associated with an account or contact that aligns with the user's account or contact. To set up a sharing set, go to Setup, click Digital Experiences, and create a sharing set with the objects you want to share.

Einstein Activity Capture for FSC

Events Organized by External Users

Sales reps can now enhance their scheduling efficiency with Einstein Activity Capture for Financial Services Cloud. This tool allows sales reps to sync events not organized by Salesforce users, ensuring up-to-date Salesforce calendars and availability. The system designates a Salesforce user among the event attendees as the owner of the interaction record, utilizing the owner's connected calendar applications to sync event details with Salesforce. Previously, only events organized by Salesforce users were synced between Salesforce and connected accounts.

Streamlined Interaction Participant Creation

Users can now streamline the process of creating interaction participants by automating the creation during an interaction event sync, eliminating the need for manual entry. Previously, users had to manually create interaction participant records. Now, these records are generated automatically for event attendees who are internal Salesforce users and have the Compliant Data Sharing permission set. This enhancement aims to save time and effort in managing interaction participant information.

Integrated Onboarding (Pilot)

Users now have the ability to monitor the status of integration callouts, including processes such as identity verification and anti-money laundering screening. This feature allows users to seamlessly track integrations, devise an integration plan, and execute the plan within a centralized location.

Conclusion

This release promises enhanced efficiency and an elevated user experience, and operational improvements that are as refreshing as a sunny spring day! If you’d like more information on these updates or if you want to view past updates, please visit the official Salesforce Spring '24 release notes. If you have any questions about Salesforce or want to see any of the implementations in your own Salesforce org, please contact DB Services!

3rd-Party Integrations

You now have the ability to quickly and easily integrate 3rd-party applications with Fundraising using Business Process API. This new feature allows for matching and creating donor records, donations, and installments, storing external payment data, linking campaigns, source codes, and designations, adding data to custom fields, and submitting donation data in a single payload.

Split Gift Transaction Amount Attribution

Users can now split the attribution of revenue on gifts between multiple upgraded campaigns, making it easier than ever to measure campaign ROI. Salesforce will attribute a transaction based on the ratio in which each campaign influenced the transaction amount.

Outreach Source Code URLs

Save time by automatically generating unique, shareable URLs based on UTM parameters set by the user. These URLs can be used to attribute an online donation to the outreach source code, allowing digital fundraisers to easily measure the effectiveness of online outreach.

Track Payment Data

Salesforce has implemented improved methods to track payment data like payment method, transaction fees, and metadata. This update allows users to streamline processes like donor support requests, monitor processing fees, resolve accounting errors, and manage integrations.

Program and Case Management for Experience Cloud

The Program and Case Management for Experience Cloud permission set has been updated to include create, read, update, and delete permissions. You can change these permissions in your org by going to the Program and Case Management for Experience Cloud permission set, adding the Program and Case Management for Experience Cloud permission set to a permission group that includes your own permission sets, and assigning the permission set group to your users.

Managed Packages

Find/Fix Duplicates in Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP)

Users with NPSP can now find and merge potential duplicate contacts on the NPSP Contact Merge page. This feature replaces the Potential Duplicates component on the Contact page. 

Security Enhancements for Volunteers for Salesforce

Salesforce has released updates to Volunteers for Salesforce to enhance security.

Conclusion

Spring is on its way, and so is increased functionality and efficiency to your Salesforce org! If you’d like more information on these Nonprofit Cloud updates or if you want to view past updates, please visit the official Salesforce Spring '24 release notes.

If you have any questions about Salesforce or want to see any of the implementations in your own Salesforce organization, please get in touch with our team at DB Services!

It is now easier to add fields from lookup-relationship records in the Lightning App Builder. If the record has a lookup to another record, the Fields tab will display an (>) icon next to the lookup fields to access the cross-object relationship fields. Once clicked, the cross-object fields can be dragged and dropped into your Lightning App Page. The Lightning App Builder will display the top-level record and the trail of accessed lookup records at the top of the Fields tab. This feature will make it easier to display relevant data from across multiple objects on one page. Cross-object relationship fields can be drilled down up to two levels.

Apex has been upgraded with the Null Coalescing (??) operator. The ?? operator returns the left-hand side of the argument if the left-side is not null. Otherwise, if the left-hand side of the is null, the ?? operator will return the right side of the argument. Updating your null checking code and your “x ? y : z” code with the ?? operator will greatly improve the readability of your code. 

There are some restrictions to the null coalescing operator. It cannot be used on the left-hand side of an assignment operator to determine which variable to assign a value to. It also cannot be used in SOQL bind expressions.

Experience: Boost LWR Site Performance and Scalability with Experience Delivery (Pilot)

Experience Delivery is a new infrastructure to improve the performance and security of your Lightning Web Runtime (LWR) sites. Experience Delivery uses server-side rendering (SSR) to render site pages and then caches the page using a content delivery network. This greatly improves performance over the client-side rendering used by existing LWR sites. SSR also improves security by providing DDoS protection, managed firewall rules, and managed rate-limiting rules.

This feature is currently being piloted. To participate in the pilot, contact your Salesforce account executive.

Mobile: Use Dynamic Actions with Standard Objects on Mobile

Lightning record pages have always been great for dynamically displaying fields and tools, but actions have always been limited by the reliance on a page layout. That limitation is now a thing of the past, as individual actions can now be added to record pages using the Lightning App Builder. Simply open the page in the Lightning App Builder, click on the Highlights Panel, and then click the Upgrade Now button for Dynamic Actions. From here, you have the option to bring in all the actions from a page layout, or you can choose to start from scratch and bring in actions one at a time. Finally, you can see the visibility of each action based on field values, the user’s device, the user’s permissions, and many other criteria. This will allow for dynamic pages that offer a personalized experience for each user.

Salesforce has added Summary Filters to reports. Summary filters can be utilized to reveal the most important and actionable data in your reports, such as accounts with multiple high-value opportunities or contacts with the most number of open cases. This feature is still in beta, so you will have to enable it by going to Setup, searching for and clicking on Reports and Dashboard Settings, and then selecting Enable filters on aggregated data such as record counts in reports. After that, you can add summary filters to any reports with at least one group and Detail Rows turned off.

The new Repeater component allows users to duplicate components in your screenflows. For instance, if you created a screenflow to create contacts for an account, the Repeater component will allow the user to duplicate the contact fields to create multiple contacts for that account at once. In the flow itself, a loop has to be added in order to iterate through all the duplicated component data. The Repeater component will allow users to perform multiple actions with one screenflow without multiple action calls and will allow developers to create screenflows that perform multiple action calls without complicated logic.

Einstein Sales Emails enables your sales representatives to quickly draft and send personalized emails that are sure to grab buyers' attention. Using a method called grounding, Einstein uses your real-world data to create accurate, context-aware emails for your contacts and leads. Sales reps can select email types for Einstein to use, such as introduction emails, follow-up emails, or custom email types created by your admins. Simply open the email composer, click on Draft with Einstein, click an email type, and watch as your emails practically write themselves. Furthermore, if the email type allows for product information, Einstein will use that product info when generating the email.

Service: Draft Service Replies with Einstein

Einstein is getting another update in Spring ‘24. When Einstein drafts replies to chat or messaging sessions, it will link the knowledge articles that Einstein utilized when grounding its response. This allows your agents to get a better understanding of the considerations to take for each issue a client may be facing.

Field Service: Service Documents

When you have workers who are out in the field, it is important that they have access to readily shareable information for your customers. Document Builder allows you to easily maintain numerous templates for your documents, such as work orders or service appointments. It also allows you to collect signatures, add images, build translations, and generate PDFs on desktops or mobile apps. To enable Document Builder, go to Setup, search for and click on Field Service Settings, and select Enable Document Builder. After you get an email from Salesforce that Document Builder is enabled, you can access your templates in Setup by searching for and clicking on Document Builder.

Clients have short-term and long-term financial goals, and the Financial Plans feature will help them reach their goals. Add the FSCFinancialPlanDetails FlexCard to a client’s account page, and it will display their financial plans and the details of each of their goals, such as the target value, target date, and feasibility. You can also edit a goal’s details, which allows you to keep your client’s plans accurate when their priorities change.

Nonprofit Cloud: Quickly Build an Integration with Fundraising

Fundraising is an important process for nonprofit organizations as it allows them to finance the many benefits they bring to their communities. The Business Process API can be integrated into third-party vendor applications to connect these vendors to Fundraising. With the integration, vendors can easily create or match donor records, create or match recurring donations, store payment data, and add data to custom fields.

Give your Salesforce org the spring cleaning treatment with Spring ‘24!

From improvements to Lightning App Builder with dynamic actions and cross-object relationships fields to faster performance for LWR sites with server-side rendering to Einstein drafting your emails, Salesforce’s Spring ‘24 Release focuses on giving you more time to stop and smell the roses.

If you would like more information on these updates or to view past updates, please visit the official Salesforce Spring '24 release notes. If you have any questions about Salesforce or want to see any of the implementations in your own Salesforce organization, contact DB Services!

Becoming a Select Partner has several benefits that will allow us to continue to innovate and grow our AWS expertise.

1. Access to AWS Training and Resources

   As a Select Partner, DB Services gains access to additional training resources, allowing our team to stay current with AWS best practices and the latest technologies and leverage that knowledge for clients.

2. Technical Support and Collaboration

   DB Services can now collaborate more closely with the AWS team, ensuring that clients receive the highest level of technical support and access to advanced tools and services.

3. Enhanced Visibility and Credibility

   Achieving Select Partner boosts DB Services' visibility in the AWS ecosystem. Clients can be confident that they are working with a reputable partner partner with a proven track record of success in delivering AWS solutions.

This achievement is a significant milestone for us that highlights the dedication of our team. We are grateful for all their hard work, and we look forward to our continued partnership with AWS as we stand ready to empower our clients with the best-in-class solutions backed by AWS.

If you want to discuss your web development needs, contact DB Services and let's collaborate on a solution that works for you.

With the newest release of Claris FileMaker 20.3, we have been gifted with a new set of command line tools called the FMDeveloperTool, which allows us to access a number of features previously unavailable on Linux systems.

• Enabling and removing file encryption

  • Encrypt your database files to protect them from unauthorized access while they are being stored on disk

• Removing admin access

  • Remove administrative access from all accounts and prevent users from modifying most design or structural elements of your databases

• Saving a copy (compressed, self-contained) or making a clone

  • Rename a set of database files and automatically update the internal links to related files and scripts

• Enabling Kiosk mode

  • Display your database files in Kiosk mode

• Saving a copy as XML

• Recovering a damaged file

• Consistency checking a file

If you are unfamiliar with any of these commands, no problem! Let's go over each of them and how to use them in the new FMDeveloperTool and demonstrate how this will improve your FileMaker Linux server experience. Even if you don’t use a Linux server, this command line tool allows you to write reusable commands to automate deployment processes.

At DB Services, over 75% of our clients host their FileMaker applications on Linux servers, so this new tool will prove to be incredibly useful for a large number of FileMaker users. Thankfully, this comes included with FileMaker Server 20.3.

Suppose you want to make a copy of your FileMaker application with a different name for development purposes. This is a very common practice when adding new features or testing a migration on your application. If your file was hosted on a Linux server, this would be an annoying process, but using the FMDeveloperTool, we can easily perform this action from the command line by running:

--copy <source_filename> <username> <password> [-target_filename | -t <path>] [-encryption_key | -e <key>]

--clone <source_filename> <username> <password> [-target_filename | -t <path>] [-encryption_key | -e <key>]

Then, in the admin console, simply open the new file and begin hosting.

Enabling and removing file encryption

Enabling and removing file encryption can be really useful, especially if the data in your FileMaker application is related to medical records or requires security clearance. FMDeveloperTool allows you to do this very easily from the command line. Simply run the following command, putting in the proper filename, username, and password.

--enableEncryption <source_filename> <username> <password> [-target_filename | -t <path>] [-encryption_key | -e <key>] [-sharedID | -s <ID>] [-passcode | -p <passcode>] [-passcode_hint | -h <hint>] [-keep_open_storage | -o]

To revert this process, simply run the inverse command.

--removeEncryption <source_filename> <username> <password> [-target_filename -t <path>] [-encryption_key -e <key>]

Removing admin access

In FileMaker, there is a default user called “Admin,” which has full access. If this account was compromised, or if you wanted to prevent any malicious changes to your application after launch, you might want to permanently delete this user, which you can do by running the following command:

--removeAdminAccess <source_filename> [-target_filename -t <path>] [-encryption_key -e <key>]

An important thing to be aware of is that if the Admin was the only account with Full Access, certain aspects of your application will be permanently inaccessible, so make sure that you have an available Full Access account before running this command.

Saving a copy as XML

If you’re performing some advanced data-driven development on your application, it might be useful to save a copy as XML. This allows you to drill into certain data points, or, on a more basic level, can be used with a version control system, such as Git, to compare file version history. To do this from the command line, run the following:

--saveAsXML <source_filename> <username> <password> [-target_filename | -t <path>] [-encryption_key | -e <key>]

Consistency checking a file

If a FileMaker file is closed improperly, a consistency check will be performed to determine if the file has been damaged. If you want to manually run this command, possibly on a schedule, you could use the following command:

--checkConsistency  <source_filename> [-encryption_key -e <key>]

Recovering a damaged file

In the unfortunate case that you have damaged your FileMaker file, Claris recommends first saving a “compacted copy." If that doesn’t work, you can try the recover command. This should recreate your file and salvage as much data as it can while also providing you a status report of unrecovered data so you can find out exactly what information was lost in the damage. To create a recovery file, simply run:

--recover <source_filename> [-target_filename -t <path>] [-encryption_key -e <key>] [-generate | -g <rebuild | datablocks | asis>] [-skipSchema | -r] [-skipStructure | -l] [-rebuildIndex | -i <now | later | false>] [-keepCaches | -k] [-bypass | -b] [-username | -u <username>] [-password | -p <password>]

A note about recovered files: they are often larger than the original file. Claris suggests using a backup of your original file and copying the data from your recovered file into this.

Enabling Kiosk mode

Kiosk mode is a way to limit users who might be unfamiliar with FileMaker by removing access to the default window functions. These can be distracting, confusing, or could possibly even cause data loss if used incorrectly. Using the FMDeveloperTool, we can easily lock down access by running the following command

--enableKiosk <source_filename> [-target_filename -t <path>] [-encryption_key -e <key>]

Conveniently, Kiosk mode does not affect Full Access users, so this can be a useful way to limit some users while allowing your power users to continue using all FileMaker functionality. However, Kiosk mode will completely lock down the machine running the application and will prevent accessing other programs. As the name suggests, this is most useful for an application that will be publicly facing, such as at a kiosk. 

Conclusion

The new FMDeveloperTool has a number of useful features for those hosting their FileMaker applications on a Linux server, and we hope this guide has made using this tool that much easier. If you have any questions about the new FMDeveloperTool, please contact DB Services.

• Auto-restart option for persistent cache

• Java garbage collection on secondary machine

• Set Error Logging support for WebDirect and Data API

• Manage admin roles via Admin API

• Batch database operations for admin roles

• Data API entry mode option

This feature will enable your server to jump back to action after an unexpected quit or crash. The persistent cache now contains the Server Auto-Restart option, which causes FileMaker Server to attempt to automatically restart the database server when it quits unexpectedly.

Java Garbage Collection on Secondary Machine

The Java garbage collection has gotten an upgrade for multi-machine deployments. Java garbage collection can now be run for secondary machines on the primary machine. Check the settings on Admin Console > Web Publishing page to enable this feature. Each deployed machine has a "Run Garbage Collection Now" button.

Set Error Logging Support for WebDirect and Data API

Web integrations also got an update that will make tracking errors a much better experience. XML output from Save as XML now includes hashes of layout objects and script steps. To enable this feature, go to Admin Console > Logs pane > Log Settings. Once enabled, you can run the Set Error Logging script step via WebDirect and Data API. When this feature is enabled, script errors on these clients will be written to fmdapiScriptErrors.log or wpeScriptErrors.log, indicating the session identifier "@" where the error occurred.

Manage Admin Roles via Admin API

Administrator roles can now be managed using the FileMaker Admin API. The /server/adminrole endpoint uses the following methods and their options:

• GET

• POST

  • name (required): The name of the newly created admin role

  • password (required): The password (in plain text) for the new admin role

  • homeFolder (required): The main database folder for the new admin role

  • db_pri: privilege for managing privilege

  • sched_pri: privilege for managing schedules

  • sched_backup_pri: When sched_pri is enabled, privilege for managing backup schedules

  • sched_verify_pri: When sched_pri is enabled, privilege for managing verify schedules

  • sched_script_pri: When sched_pri is enabled, privilege for managing script schedules

  • log_pri: privilege for managing and viewing logs

  • xauthgroup: external group

• PATCH

  • name

  • password

  • homeFolder

  • db_pri

  • sched_pri

  • sched_backup_pri

  • sched_verify_pri

  • sched_script_pri

  • log_pri

  • xauthgroup

• DELETE

  • names: a list of admin role names to delete. Each name is a string; specified names are case-insensitive

  • ids: a list of admin role IDs to delete. Each ID is a number

    • Note: Both of these options are supported, but only a single option may be specified per request.

Batch Database Operations for Admin Roles

This update to the Admin Console is a very nice improvement for when you need to update several database files at once. Now, administrators signed in with an administrator role may perform actions on all databases simultaneously instead of only on each individual database.

Data API Entry Mode Option

FileMaker Data API now includes the options["entrymode"] option, which allows you to override the "Allow user to override during data entry" validation option. The possible values include:

• script: allow a field to ignore data validation rules

• user: follow the data validation rules (default behavior)

These are some of the highlights that come with Claris FileMaker Server 20.3. As you can see, this update brings a wide variety of improvements for the server that benefit users of FileMaker Server. If you are looking to upgrade your FileMaker server or FileMaker application or have any questions regarding the release of Claris FileMaker Server 20.3, please contact us for more info to get the most out of Claris FileMaker.

The Loop script step now includes a new Flush option that allows you to dictate when relationships are updated within a loop. The Flush option has three available values:

• Always: Flushes the relationship and join data within the loop

• Minimum: Flushes minimal data when setting a field within a loop

• Defer: Flushes data and relationship data only after exiting the loop

Layout Calculations

Layout calculations receive a boost with the ability to specify the data type for the result in the Specify Calculation dialog, increasing the accuracy of data.

In response to user feedback, references to fields in the current table occurrence within layout calculations now require only the field name, simplifying the development process.

FMDeveloperTool Command-Line Tool

Scripted deployments are now easier than ever with this new tool. This feature is especially useful in Linux deployments of FileMaker Server where a GUI interface is not available. Functions include:

• Enabling and removing file encryption

• Removing admin access

• Saving a copy (either compressed/self-contained or as XML)

• Making a clone

• Recovering a damaged file

• Consistency checking a file

• Enabling Kiosk mode

Secure Connection Tunneling

The option to enable secure connection tunneling over port 443, deviating from the conventional port 5003, is a leap in flexibility and security. This enhancement is applicable to both FileMaker Pro and FileMaker Server for Linux, providing users with more choices for configuring HTTPS tunneling

Other Updates

Get(NetworkProtocol) Function Update

When HTTPS tunneling is enabled, it now returns "HTTPS," providing developers with a quick and efficient way to determine the protocol status.

The database engine now takes a more strategic approach to performance optimization. Relationships are now cached to facilitate the evaluation of dependencies, ensuring smoother and faster operations.

Optimized memory allocation is introduced, specifically tailored for relationship changes, contributing to a more streamlined development experience.

Conclusion

FileMaker Pro 20.3 delivers a robust, feature-rich, and user-friendly platform that we're excited to use. Developers and users alike can benefit from these new features and updates. Let's embrace the future of low-code development with Claris FileMaker Pro 20.3!

What is Cognito?

Among the litany of services that are offered under the AWS umbrella, Cognito is a tool designed to allow for authenticating external users of a hosted app. Unlike IAM (Identity and Access Management, Amazon's web service where you can control and manage user access), Cognito is specifically designed for giving (or preventing) access to a hosted application and not the AWS console itself. Being a native AWS service, Cognito enjoys the benefits of being easy to set up and integrate into any AWS-hosted application, as well as being quite affordable for even a moderate number of users.

What are the native functions of Cognito?

Like many other AWS services, Cognito comes bundled with a variety of native functions that can make it suitable for handling the entirety of backend authentication for many apps. By default, Cognito allows administrators to add users directly via the management console, through an import on the management console, or dynamically via a client-facing self-service registration that can be integrated directly into your hosted application. In the same fashion, the management of users can be handled by the same means, including assigning users to specific groups, roles, and permissions.

To this end, Cognito is a powerful tool that allows administrators to have a variety of means for creating and managing every aspect of user accounts from usernames, email addresses, and email verification, to permissions across individual users and user groups.

An important thing to note: as an added level of security, Cognito does not allow administrators to view or import user passwords or hashes. Passwords can only be set or reset to a temporary password to ensure the only person who has access to a user’s password is the user themselves.

Native Third-Party Authorizers

While natively handling users in Cognito is adequate for a variety of applications, many modern systems opt for allowing users to register and authenticate themselves via a third party. One of the major reasons for this design choice can be a simplification of the registration process to reduce the time external users spend creating an account. In this situation, developers will often be looking for ways to integrate with popular services that already have large user bases. Luckily, Amazon has recognized this need and has laid the foundation for some of the most popular services. Natively, Amazon has designed integrations with Cognito and the following identity providers.

• Facebook

• Google

• Amazon

• Apple

For developers looking to use Cognito with a third-party service not natively handled, fear not! Amazon has also made provisions to utilize Cognito with both SAML and OpenID services. Both methods are mature, time-tested, and secure ways of authenticating, but they vary in scope, use case, and difficulty in implementation.

OpenID Connect (OIDC)

Beginning with the newer and easier to implement option: OpenID Connect. OIDC is a framework built on the OAuth 2.0 protocol that utilizes an additional JSON Web Token (JWT) to handle scope. Since it follows a very standardized protocol, it's quite easy to verify identity across a variety of use cases, including web applications and, notably, cell phone applications.

With Cognito specifically, setting up the integration can be especially easy, as much of the backend process is handled automatically. Configuration can be as simple as entering the Client ID and Client Secret provided by the authenticating party, setting the attribute request method, and entering the OIDC request endpoint in the Issuer URL section.

For added customization, Cognito also offers a section to add identifier domains to redirect groups of users based on the domain of their email, a very helpful feature for apps with user bases that may need to authenticate to different identity providers (IdPs). If necessary, the retrieval endpoints can also be manually configured by selecting the manual input option and manually setting each endpoint for your specific identity provider.

In addition to OIDC, Cognito also has a framework in place to utilize Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) as a method for authenticating users. SAML utilizes a custom XML framework to handle transferring authentication information and is generally only used for authenticating to websites. At a glance, the higher difficulty in configuration and more narrow scope of use may make SAML appear to be an antiquated technology. However, it is precisely this reliance on XML that gives SAML a strong argument for use in enterprise applications.

Due to the increased granularity of control at a central endpoint, SAML is often used to handle authorization in addition to authentication, allowing administrators to control not only who can access resources, but also what resources they can access. In a multi-application environment like a company intranet, handling all of this from a central point prevents administrators from needing to configure access in each individual app for each user or group of users.

Configuring a SAML authentication service in Cognito is, on the surface, quite simple. Examining the configuration page, we see that, aside from mapping SAML attributes to Cognito information fields, it only requires administrators to upload an XML-formatted SAML metadata document (or an endpoint where this document can be obtained). The difficult aspect of the process resides in the creation of this metadata document, a task that can vary wildly in complexity depending on the identity provider. Some IdPs like Auth0 have tools to create these documents automatically, which can be an attractive quality to some when selecting an identity provider source.

Regardless of how it is generated, due to the highly variable nature of these documents, you’ll want to consult your IdPs documentation when creating a SAML metadata document to ensure it is formatted properly.

As security becomes a greater concern in the digital landscape, the means of authenticating users will remain an important consideration when developing any application. If you have questions about authenticating users in your web application or are looking for help keeping your application safe with Amazon’s Cognito service, contact DB Services and we can help you create an affordable and scalable solution for your business.

Tasking, subtasking, and keeping track of either has never been easier. With the upgraded tasking system, you now have the ability to track related tasks and subtasks by parent task, contact, and company.

This updated functionality can be accessed anywhere tasking can be accessed. Simply click into one of the related tasks and view all the information you need.

1. Create a task

2. Add a subtask to the task

3. View all information about the subtasks

Does your business rely on price tiers to determine pricing per product? FM Quickstart 2024 finally has a solution for you! We've added the ability to toggle individual products as having price tiers.

BANT Forecasting and Reporting

If your company prefers to use the BANT forecasting method for leads and opportunities, this update is for you. Now, on any opportunity, you have the ability to quickly set a BANT score of one through ten for the four deterministic qualities in a lead: budget, authority, need, and timeline. From there, a percentage is calculated, letting you know how aligned your lead is with your business.

Whether it be bad data, duplicate contacts for a company, or the passing of torches, contacts and companies are bound to be less than accurate at some point, no matter how vigilant you are. With the new consolidation button, you can take away the worries of redundant or incorrect contact and/or company information.

By pressing the Consolidate button on either module, you can consolidate other records into the selected record. This will reassign any tasks, opportunities, quotes, orders, and so on to the current record and mark the other with the word "CONSOLIDATED". Then, you can do whatever you'd like with the old record.

New Shipment UI

The shipment UI in the Orders module has been updated to better match the rest of the system and to reflect the already existing UI for the receiving section of POs. This allows for selecting the items you want to add to the shipment and the quantity before creating the shipment.

In the spirit of quick and easy quality-of-life changes, we've also incorporated the ability to duplicate work orders. By pressing the Duplicate button, all line items pull over for the work order, which has the new order's status set to pending.

Conclusion

On top of all discussed above, there are a number of other small tweaks and changes that have improved the FM Quickstart experience. DB Services is proud to present FM Quickstart 2024 free and totally unlocked to the Claris FileMaker community. This robust Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) app is great for anyone just beginning their journey into Claris FileMaker or for current Claris FileMaker users looking for an update or new ERP module.

To download FM Quickstart 2024, please visit the official FM Quickstart website here to have it sent directly to your email inbox.

Please don’t hesitate to contact our team with any questions or give us a call at 888-488-0191. DB Services looks forward to the opportunity to help you build your dream Workplace Innovation Platform in Claris FileMaker!

First and foremost, the biggest hurdle is migrating your organization’s data from your previous org. This is no small task, but there are modules and tips that will help with the migration. For starters, it helps to identify the data to migrate. This includes objects, their fields, and other objects that records are dependent on, like how contact records must be related to an account.

After determining what data to migrate, the next step is to add metadata to the new org for these objects, such as the custom fields, record types, and page layouts. It will be prudent to add an external ID field for the records you plan on migrating in order to keep a relationship between the two orgs.

Next, you will have to export the data. Salesforce’s Data Loader is a convenient application that allows you to define the data template as you export the data.

Finally, you can import the data into your new org using Data Loader. Data Loader will also create success logs and error logs to show you what records went through, which ones failed, and why they failed.

Account Models

The new Nonprofit Cloud uses the Person model for its account records. A Person Account combines account and contact fields to represent an individual while still having the functionality of an account. This is different from most account models, where one account can have multiple contacts, like the household account model in Salesforce’s Nonprofit Success Pack.

While it may sound burdensome to rebuild relationships for contacts and accounts, the new Nonprofit Cloud offers the Party Role Relationship object to make this easy. In order to make a Party Role Relationship, you simply have to provide a role name, a related role name, and the types of objects you are trying to relate.

The new Nonprofit Cloud also offers the Program Management module. This module can be utilized to define, plan, deliver, and track your organization's programs. While Program Management is available in Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP), there are some notable differences that will have to be accounted for when upgrading.

The Cohort object, while available for Program Management in NPSP, is not currently available in the new Nonprofit Cloud, although it is on the roadmap. If you are currently using cohorts, consider creating a custom object to group program enrollments in the meantime.

There are also two new objects: The first is Benefit Assignment, which is used to determine how much benefit a particular enrollment is expected to receive from the program. The Benefit Assignment’s equivalent in NPSP is the Service Delivery object, so consider what fields the two objects have in common when mapping the data.

Case Management is another NPSP module you may be familiar with in the new Nonprofit Cloud. The Case Management module is designed to help case managers provide quality service with long-term cases.

Generally speaking, the Case management workflow in NPSP starts with a Referral, which gets processed with intakes, where the person is assigned to programs with Program Engagement, where Assessments are given to the person to help determine their progress, and finally, the person is assigned a Case Plan with goals and scheduled Services Deliveries. The Case Plan also includes Client Notes to track interactions with the individual.

The Case Management object workflow is similar in the new Nonprofit Cloud. It starts with a Referral, which is used to create a Case, which will be the center of the process. Individuals who may be related to the case, like family members, neighbors, or coworkers, will then be connected to the case using the Case Participant object. Next, intakes and assessments are performed to better understand the case individual. After this, individuals in the organization, like the case manager or specialists, can be assigned to a Case Team.

At this point, the case team can assign a Care Plan. Care Plans in the new Nonprofit Cloud are like Case Plans in NPSP. While they still include goals for the individual to work towards, they also include the benefits that the individual is eligible to receive from the organization’s programs. The individual may be assigned to programs with the Program Enrollment object based on these benefits. Furthermore, the Client Notes object has been replaced with the Interaction Summary object, so consider the similarities between the two when mapping your data. One benefit of the Interaction Summary object is its capability to maintain confidentiality in the organization, so don’t sit on it.

Features Not Currently Available

Volunteers for Salesforce

If you are using the Nonprofit Success Pack, you are probably familiar with Volunteers for Salesforce (V4S). V4S is a free app that enables easy management of volunteer programs. It allows your organization to track volunteer shifts, events, and participation, and assign volunteers to shifts based on their skills. Unfortunately, Salesforce does not have a definite answer on whether V4S will work alongside the new Nonprofit Cloud at this time. If you are already using V4S in your org, you will have to weigh the pros and cons of gaining the new Nonprofit Cloud and losing V4S.

Address Management

Another NPSP feature that is not currently available in the new Nonprofit Cloud is Address Management. Address Management is great for maintaining consistency between the addresses of accounts and their contacts since it automatically changes the contact addresses when the account address changes. It also includes seasonal addresses, for contacts that change addresses throughout the year, and address verification to ensure accuracy. This is another feature that is not currently in Nonprofit Cloud, so you will have to weigh the pros and cons of gaining Nonprofit Cloud and losing Address Management.

Conclusion

The new Nonprofit Cloud has a variety of great features, but upgrading to it is no small task. While the main steps to data migration never change much, knowing the features and models of the new Nonprofit Cloud will make it easier to determine how to modify your data for a seamless upgrade. Contact DB Services if you have any questions or need assistance upgrading to the new Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud.

First, you will need to make a WooCommerce account. Navigate to https://woocommerce.com/start/?nuxentrysource=signup_menu#/ to get started. After creating your store, navigate to the Products page and confirm there are some pre-existing mock products in your store. If not, you’ll need to create some.

Integrating with FileMaker

Next, open the demo FileMaker file. You can download the file at the end of this article. Copy and paste the URL from WooCommerce (as shown in the screenshot below) into the corresponding field on the homepage of the demo file.

This integration is an incredibly easy way to migrate your data from FileMaker to WooCommerce for online display. For demo purposed, we’ll need to create some products. Click the “Manage Products” button, then click “New Product”. This will create a product in your FileMaker application. Fill out all of its information and then click “Add Product to WooCommerce.” You should now see that there is a WooCommerceID attached to your product and your product should be viewable in the Products dashboard of WooCommerce.

If you need to change the price or description of a product in FileMaker, you will likely want to also update that information on WooCommerce for your team to see. Change some information on your product in the demo file, and now click “Update Product on WooCommerce.” You should see your changes reflected in the Products dashboard of WooCommerce. Alternatively, you could edit your product in WooCommerce, and then click “Sync Products From WooCommerce,” and it will update all of your products in FileMaker.

Conclusion

WooCommerce allows you to easily manage products, orders, and customers in an easy-to-browse dashboard. Integrating it into your Claris FileMaker system can streamline your process, afford you greater security, and allow you to focus on what matters most. If you’re interested in integrating WooCommerce with FileMaker, contact us at DB Services, and we’d be happy to help.

A Claris Connect Flow is a sequence of actions that will be performed when initiated by the flow trigger. Claris Connect provides numerous options and combinations for triggers and actions to be taken in a Claris Connect Flow, allowing users to connect 3rd party apps such as QuickBooks, Slack, Trello, and many more! 

What's different in Claris FileMaker 20.2?

In previous versions of FileMaker, developers would utilize the “Insert from URL” script step to connect to Claris Connect webhooks and trigger the appropriate flows. This required setting cURL parameters and would not return a result for users to check whether their request was successful or not. Again, if it is important that this webhook be successful before moving on to the next step in your application, we should be able to easily tell if the action was completed successfully or if we should alter course to deal with an error. Because of these factors, the “Insert from URL” script step could be intimidating for users to use and further limit the possibilities for their FileMaker applications.

In Claris FileMaker 20.1, a new script step called “Trigger Claris Connect Flow” was introduced, simplifying the user experience and utilizing more specific parameters directly pertaining to triggering Claris Connect flows. The user could input the webhook URL, any JSON Data they would like passed into the flow, an API key if desired, and the option for a result field or variable to store the action’s completion status.

Trigger Claris Connect Flow Script Step Using Mailchimp

First, we want to ensure that the “fmapp” and “fmrest" privileges are enabled for our FileMaker application user, as these are necessary to connect to Claris Connect through the FileMaker Data API. You can accomplish this by going to the File menu > Manage > Security. In Extended Privileges, add the appropriate privilege set attached to the current user to both “fmapp” and “fmrest”. 

Next, ensure that you are signed into your Claris ID so you can take advantage of the new flow lookup feature. You can sign in by going to the File menu > Sign In to Claris ID. 

Finally, you should create a Mailchimp account and have at least one audience defined before following this tutorial further. Once all these steps are complete, we are ready to move to Claris Connect and create our new flow.

You can either create a new project or select an existing one, then select the “New Flow” button.  Once again, Claris Connect offers plenty of trigger options, but for this example, we will use “HTTP”, which acts as a standard webhook trigger for our flow.

Sign into your Mailchimp account, and continue. Now, you should be on the page depicted below. This page is where we will set what data gets sent to Mailchimp and be added to our audience for future marketing emails. For initial testing purposes, let’s manually input some example data that we will use to try out our new flow. You can see below that I have selected my audience and an example email to test with. 

Note that Mailchimp does not allow you to add an existing email to an audience again, so test with a different email than you used to create your Mailchimp account. After you have inputted your example data, click save and enable the flow by selecting the toggle in the top right corner.

Navigate back to the Mailchimp action where we temporarily inserted example information. You will now be able to use “Step Data”, or data we received from our trigger, in the Mailchimp fields. Based on the data sent from the demo file, it makes sense to set fields based on the picture below. Once you have applied your changes, try adding a new user in the demo file and watch your new user information appear in Mailchimp!

The Trigger Claris Connect Flow Script Step is very convenient and easy to use to expand the possibilities of your FileMaker application and further connect to other 3rd party applications. We recommend the use of API Keys and proper debugging throughout the application and Claris Connect flows, as they can help protect against unwanted actions being performed. The possibilities extend well past adding users to marketing email lists and can pass information both to and from your FileMaker application. Reference this article the next time you think, “I wish my application could talk with this other software,” because it probably can!

If you have any questions about Claris FileMaker 20.2 or the new Trigger Claris Connect Flow Script Step, please contact DB Services and we will be happy to help.

Calculations allow developers to add dynamic aspects and automation to their layouts and databases. In previous versions of FileMaker, a new field on the layout was necessary for developers to make full use of calculation capabilities. In Claris FileMaker 20.2, you can add a Layout Calculation Object to your layout without needing to create a new field! The steps to do so are as simple as they come, and below we show you exactly how to add a Layout Calculation Object to your layout! 

Note: You must be a full-access user in order to use this feature.

1. In “View” click on “Layout Mode,” then navigate to the “Insert” menu and choose “Layout Calculation”

With the new version of Claris FileMaker comes a whole host of improvements to Layout Calculations that will make FileMaker development easier and better than ever! These include:

• Improved calculation refresh

• Data Formatting options are now respected

• No longer need to hold the Option key for greater resizing precision. Simply resize.

• Add Text object, Merge Field, or Layout Calculation by clicking and holding the ‘T’ text item in the Status Toolbar.

• In the case of multiple calculations in the same Layout Calculation Object, you can now just have the cursor positioned in the Layout Calculation Object and it will resolve that to the nearest occurrence for editing - no need to select the whole calculation you wish to edit.

Conclusion

Calculations have long been the backbone of FileMaker, driving its capability to transform data into actionable intelligence. With the introduction of Layout Calculations, FileMaker development takes a giant leap forward, allowing developers to craft aesthetically pleasing layouts and dynamically responsive to user input and data changes. This innovation opens up a world of possibilities, from creating more intuitive user interfaces to automating complex processes seamlessly. The future of Claris FileMaker development is brighter than ever, and Layout Calculations are at its forefront, empowering developers to build smarter, more adaptable, and user-centric database solutions. If you have any questions about Layout Calculations, please contact us at DB Services and we will be happy to help.

Now that we know what objects we are working with, we can work on moving our files to a third-party system.

Step 1: Enable Files Connect

Before we can access external files, we have to enable Salesforce Files Connect. This feature allows users to access, share, and search external systems from Salesforce.

In order to use a third-party system, like Google Drive, as an external data source for Salesforce, you must connect the two platforms using an authentication provider. On the authentication builder for Salesforce, there are a couple of fields to focus on, such as the Name, URL suffix, Consumer Key, Consumer Secret, Authorize Endpoint URL, Token Endpoint URL, and Default Scopes. The name field is simply what you want to call this link and a URL suffix will be generated based on the Name. The other fields will be a little trickier to fill out, since they require keys generated from the third-party system that you want to connect to. Luckily, Salesforce provides some documentation on how to connect to some of these sources, such as how to create an authentication provider for Google Drive.

Now that you have made an authentication provider to a third-party source, you must also define an external data source rule so that salesforce knows how to access the data stored outside of your org. The settings of this external data source will depend on the type of external data source you are using. Yet again, Salesforce provides instructions on how to create new external data sources, such as with Google Drive. Be sure to use the authentication provider you made in the previous step, as this will give the external data source permission to access the external files.

An external object is needed to connect your Salesforce records to the external data source. You can either build your own external object, or you can have Salesforce generate one from the External Data Source in the previous step. To verify that the external object was made, you can go to the ‘External Objects’ tab and look for the name of the item you just made. It is also a good idea to add a field to the external object that stores the ID of the ContentVersion record that an external record is copying, as we can reference that field when Salesforce looks for the external file. Once the external object has been added, you will have to give access through the permission set you made.

We need a way to detect when a file is uploaded to the external drive. To do that, add a new checkbox to the ContentVersion object, with a name like ‘Sent to External Drive,’ which will be used to track when a record is uploaded to the external drive. We also need to add a field that stores the Id of the external object on the ContentVersion. This will make it easier to build new connections to the external object.

Once we have our objects and permissions set up, it's time to export our files. However, it would be too tedious and time-consuming to do it manually, so let's make a serverless function to do this for us. Using a service, such as AWS Lambda or Azure Function, create a function that takes a list of ContentVersion record IDs, uploads the records to the external data source, and then puts a checkmark on the ‘Sent to External Drive’ checkbox on the ContentVersion records in Salesforce. This lets us know which of the files have been copied over to an external storage system, which will be useful when we have to build connections to the external file. After the serverless function has been made, we can choose how to trigger it with Salesforce, such as whenever an opportunity is closed or at the end of the work day. Furthermore, we need to store the date and time that this serverless function runs. When we build the new connections to these external objects, the date and time of this sync can be used to limit the number of external objects returned when querying them. A Custom Setting can be used to store the latest sync time for your code to reference.

Step 7: Updating the ContentVersion Records

Now that the serverless function is moving the files off of Salesforce, we need to start internally referencing the external records by building connections to the external file while removing old connections to the internal file. Since it may be too much of a load on the system to query and move every file at once, we’ll have to make an apex batch job. The sample code of this apex job is available for download at the end of the article. The batch job will need to have the following steps:

1. Take each ContentVersion record that has been sent to an external drive and query the external object that is connected to that record.

2. Create a new ContentVersion record using data from the external object. Since Salesforce always uses the latest ContentVersion of a file, this will ensure that the externally stored object will be used when opening the file.

3. Take the ContentDocument ID from the old ContentVersion record and map it to the ContentDocument ID of the newly created ContentVersion record. This will make it easier for us to replicate the old connections to the file.

4. Use the old ContentDocument ID to find the ContentDocumentLink records, which tells Salesforce who has access to the file, then create new ContentDocumentLink records using the new ID from the newly created ContentVersion record. Since the new ID is pointing to the external file, these new ContentDocumentLink records will also point users to the external files.

After the batch job is finished, we have one final step. We need to run a second batch job that deletes the old ContentVersion records that have been connected to the external drive. Once those old records are deleted, you will have freed up your Salesforce storage, and the Salesforce library will contain files that are stored in an external drive.

Conclusion

Storage limits can be a pain to deal with in Salesforce. There are not many ways around the storage limit, leaving buying more storage space as a convenient but pricey solution. However, with the external storage system and the connections you just made, you no longer have to worry about what to do when your organization reaches its storage limit. Better yet, you can always repeat these steps to build additional external storage systems. Contact DB Services for any questions you have or if you need assistance setting up an external storage system for Salesforce.

What are Custom Connectors?

The strength of Custom Connectors is the ability for users to connect to any third-party platform of their choice using the standardized syntax that Claris has provided, without having to worry about the authentication process. For this demonstration, we will be integrating with Stripe, a popular payment processing platform. Claris Connect allows for the easy and fast creation of these Custom Connectors. Let's take a look at what Custom Connectors look like inside Claris Connect. 

Integrating with Stripe

To get started, you will have to obtain or log in to your Claris Connect account and then navigate to the Custom Connectors tab.

Next are the requiredSettings and then auth_request keys which define the authentication process with a service. Two important notes for authentication are that Custom Connectors currently only service one-way authentication and do not support complicated authentication like OAuth and that the auth_request.token key is only referencing the authFields key string and does not contain an API key in plain text. 

Next are the endpoints and actions, which allow specific requests to be made to the service. The endpoints will contain the method and URL for the HTTP request, and the actions will define which endpoint to use and the information passed to the endpoint. 

Finally, you will need a test connection defining an endpoint for authentication testing. As this connection is for test purposes, it should likely be a GET request that returns a small package.

Claris Connect’s Custom Connectors are a contained in-platform browser tool, so the schema is defined in the text editor for the JSON. This means that when creating or modifying a Custom Connector, you will get messages about errors in the JSON and autocomplete and autofill will be enabled. This also means that authentication and testing all take place in the browser. When copying a Custom Connector, all you have to do is replace one of the sample’s texts with JSON defined. For this example, you can copy and paste the JSON provided in the demo file into the area shown above.

Let's begin verifying and testing your Custom Connector for Stripe now!

Note: Please do not insert any real card information into the Claris Connect testing or the demo application. Stripe currently does not allow card tokens to be made with card information for testing accounts, so we will skip the card token creation process for this demo and use a pre-defined testing token from Stripe.

In this example, the demo file will be initiating communication with Claris Connect, allowing our Custom Connector to generate our API requests, and then return information to the FileMaker client. This process is defined by flows in Claris Connect, a low-code way to define a series of steps for a system to take. 

Begin by creating a flow in a Claris Connect project. Below is an overview of the steps we will take to define the flow for the demo application. You can find even more information in the video at the top of this article.

Important notes for Claris Connect/Flows:

• If you are adding this to a different solution, ensure the user provided to the FileMaker Server action has the “fmrest” extended privilege enabled in FileMaker.

• While testing the flow, you must pass all potential data upfront so other flow steps can view the possible body fields when created.

Initiating and Viewing Claris Connect Information in FileMaker

Let’s inspect how FileMaker is handling this process. As discussed previously, using script triggers of buttons, we can make a call to the FileMaker Server action of the flow. By passing in fields from a layout in FileMaker, we can pass the data needed for the API request to Stripe. For example, we can pass a person’s name to the flow, which is passed into the Custom Connector, processed by Stripe, and returned to FileMaker by calling a specific Filemaker script from the flow action. A detailed view of these scripts can be found in the provided video.

So now all we need are some scripts to handle the sending of data and the retrieval of data, but where does this data go? In the demo file, we have created the CUSTOMER and CHARGE tables, so when a retrieval of data from Claris Connect is triggered, we can add new records and set fields to store important information, like customer data, charge amounts, as well as statuses if the request failed or not. Creating new tables and fields gives us a way to view and parse the information in the future, and using portals is a good way to view this information easily. The demo file uses two portals for each process that show all previous actions taken through requests and important information related to them.

Note: While the flow uses JSON objects throughout its process, be aware that the response from Custom Connectors is currently just plain text status messages, so using JSON to parse these responses will not work as intended.

Conclusion

Claris Connect’s new custom connectors allow for the easy definition of API integrations into FileMaker solutions. Its ability to customize different actions and requests of an API, complete authentication automatically, and the ability to copy and paste from other sources allows for a fast and easy way to retrieve and use online information in new ways. Although Claris Connect is required for this feature, it provides the many benefits described and has the potential to function like a native integration. Feel free to contact us for any questions, need assistance, or to discuss getting help setting up Custom Connectors or API integration with FileMaker.

Users can now use the guided setup to configure Actionable Segmentation more efficiently, allowing them to customize their column preferences, synchronize data with refreshed lists, add members to actionable lists with a quick action, and add object records to existing lists as list members.

Actionable List Members

With Winter ‘24, users can save time by filtering members in the Actionable List Members component, viewing only relevant data. Use the new key performance indicator (KPI) bar to quickly view the engagement status of actionable lists and make more informed decisions. 

List Builder for Data Cloud Segments

Deliver personalized experiences to your prospects by creating actionable lists from Data Cloud segments to segment your audience.

Calculate Customer Insights Using Data Cloud

Use Calculated Insights in Data Cloud to identify client trends by installing the Data Kit. You’ll gain access to client transaction data by linking to your external banking system, allowing you to build actionable insights and calculate metrics on client data in one, connected platform.

Streamline Transaction Dispute Management

Streamline the dispute intake process and eliminate inefficiencies with Transaction Dispute Management and user-friendly dispute intake forms. By using a single platform instead of switching between systems, you can better ensure compliance, reduce operational costs, and integrate with core banking systems. Additionally, you’re able to customize intake forms to best suit your business needs.

Service Process Automation

Service Process Studio

Users can now select relevant fields of any object to store the base data attribute details of a service process. Transaction Dispute templates can be used to quickly and easily create a service process definition for handling transaction disputes.

Self-Service in Client Portal

With Winter ‘24, Salesforce has introduced new self-service capabilities in the Financial Services Client Portal that will give your clients a more convenient way to manage their financial needs and will simplify your internal processes. These new capabilities include creating service requests, scheduling appointments, browsing knowledge articles by topic, and submitting feedback.

Achieve Financial Goals

The Financial Goals object is now available with your FSC license instead of installing a Managed Package, making it easier to help clients reach their financial goals.

This object includes the following exciting new features using OmniStudio:

• Financial Goals FlexCard: Add this to your person account and household page layouts to give users quick access to their client’s goals.

• Goal Members FlexCard: Users can view members of a goal.

• Financial Goals OmniScripts: Guided path for users for creating, editing, and deleting goals and their members

Other Enhancements

Organize Interaction Records with Topics

Salesforce has introduced the ability to enable and configure Topics for the Interaction object, allowing users to add topics to interaction records and organize them in their preferred way.

The new Kanban view for financial deals means your users can view what’s changed at a glance and make faster, more informed decisions. 

Conclusion

With all the new features and updates coming in Winter ‘24, Salesforce promises enhanced efficiency and user experience in Financial Services Cloud. Winter '24 marks a significant step forward in financial services technology, and we can’t wait to see these improvements roll out. If you’d like more information on these updates or if you want to view past updates, please visit the official Salesforce Winter '24 release notes. If you have any questions about Salesforce or want to see any of the implementations in your own Salesforce org, please contact DB Services!

Nonprofit users can now leverage the power of these common industry features in the Winter ‘24 release.

• Actionable List Members

• Actionable Relationship Center (ARC)

• Actionable Segmentation

• Batch Management

• Business Rules Engine

• Data Processing Engine

• Service Process Studio

• Timeline

Fundraising

Use Nonprofit Cloud for Fundraising Apps 

The new Nonprofit Cloud offers several new apps that allow users to perform common nonprofit tasks more efficiently, built on Salesforce’s native platform.

• Fundraising Strategy- Provides a high-level understanding of all fundraising activities

• Donor Engagement- Track and manage your marketing efforts with customizable campaigns

• Philanthropy & Partnerships- Record and evaluate all interactions with donors, grantmakers, and other stakeholders related to high-impact giving

• Fundraising Operations- Respond to donor requests and process routine donations

Log Gifts Singly and in Batches

Users can now log individual gifts or use Gift Batch Templates to enter multiple gifts simultaneously, record gifts against commitments, assign designations, or add soft credits to transactions, making gift logging and reporting easier. 

Create and Manage Campaigns

Users can now create, manage, and track fundraising campaigns and measure their performance. Campaigns can be personalized to your audience to increase engagement, and trends can be quickly and easily monitored with rollups.

Managing Gift Commitments

With Winter ‘24, users can easily manage gift commitments with new flows. Salesforce has added new scheduling capabilities, including creating custom or recurring schedules and the ability to update schedules. Additionally, users can easily pause, resume, or close gift commitments, update the commitment amount or payment method, or associate upcoming gifts with already existing commitments. 

Responding to and Refunding Donors

Users can now respond to donors more quickly in the Donor Support Console, which provides a timeline for a quick review of requests, making it easier than ever to take fast action. Additionally, users can provide full or partial refunds to donors when requested. 

Program Management

360-Degree View of Participant Profiles

Salesforce has introduced the new Participant Profile page, which gives program managers a single place to view all the details about a participant and gain actionable insights from information about benefit disbursements, interaction summaries, complaints and alerts, and more.

Track Additional Details for Benefit Participants with Field Sets

It’s now easier than ever to track and review benefit details by using custom fields in field sets on the Benefit Disbursement object. Users can track past participant attendance and other details.

Benefit Schedule Participants vs. Benefit Session Participants

Program managers, service providers, and volunteers can now use Benefit Schedule Assignment records to distinguish between participants added to a benefit schedule vs. a benefit session, allowing them to better plan for logistics. 

Bulk Removal of Participants from Every Benefit Session on a Benefit Schedule

Save time by eliminating the manual task of individually removing participants from future benefit sessions by using the Remove participants from Schedule API. This will delete the participant’s related Benefit Disbursement records and update the Benefit Schedule Assignment records. 

Share Program-Related Records with Stakeholders

Program and Program Enrollment records can now be shared with selected users with the Share button; another improvement for collaboration in your org. 

Benefit Schedule Assignment for Experience Cloud Site Users

Benefits Schedule Assignments, Program Management, and Case Management objects can now be accessed by external users in an Experience Cloud site, allowing for better visibility and streamlined collaboration across your organization.

Grant Management

Enter Actual Budget Used in Experience Cloud

Users can now enter data about the actual budget spent into their Experience Cloud site, allowing them to complete interim and final reports more efficiently and see real-time updates in their CRM.

Add Budget Component to Custom Experience Cloud Sites

Salesforce has added the ability to add Budget Lightning Web Components if you are setting up an Experience Cloud site without using the Grantmaking template. 

Share Grantmaking Records with Compliant Data Sharing

Users can share records with the peace of mind that data will only be seen by those with the correct permissions. Using Compliant Data Sharing means you can now share budgets, funding awards, and applications while keeping with security best practices.

NPSP Managed Packages

Case Management, Grants Management, Outbound Funds Module, and Volunteers for Salesforce Managed Packages on NPSP have all been updated for improved accessibility with compliant color contrast requirements.

Retiring Products

Elevate

Salesforce is sunsetting Elevate and its family of products. You will not be able to renew subscriptions after October 1, 2023, and the product is predicted to be deactivated by October 1, 2024. This will affect Elevate Advanced, Elevate Power of Us, and all Add-Ons.

foundationConnect

Salesforce is also sunsetting foundationConnect, and you will no longer be able to review subscriptions after January 31, 2025. The product will be deactivated on January 31, 2026. 

Conclusion

Winter is coming, and so is increased functionality and efficiency to your Nonprofit org! If you’d like more information on these Nonprofit Cloud updates or if you want to view past updates, please visit the official Salesforce Winter '24 release notes.

If you have any questions about Salesforce or want to see any of the implementations in your own Salesforce organization, please contact DB Services!

The ability to see at a glance what permissions are enabled in a permission set has been a long-requested feature for many Salesforce users, and Winter '24 delivers! You can now view all enabled object, user, and field permissions in a permission set on the new View Summary page. To get to the page, go to Setup-->Permission Sets-->Select the permission set you want to view-->Click View Summary (Beta). This will be a significant time-saver for admins and others seeking to understand what a particular permission set does.

Dynamic forms have fundamentally changed how fields are laid out on a page, and we're glad to see that this powerful feature set is now generally available on the mobile Salesforce app. Admins and developers can show or hide individual fields on a page with dynamic forms and place fields anywhere on a lightning page layout. They also eliminate the need for record types in some situations, which is a big win as record types have long-term implications that extend beyond the UI.

Flows: Create Custom Error Messages in Record-Triggered Flows

As a flow creator in Summer '23 and prior, if you wanted to display an error to the user in a record-triggered flow, you had to resort to workarounds, such as marking a field that would force a validation rule to fail, or use an apex action that would call the addError( ) function. But now, in Winter '24, you can show an error directly from a record-triggered flow with the new Custom Error element. In this new element, you can select the error message to display, and whether to display the message in a window on the record page or inline next to a field.

Another big win for the Salesforce community: mass quick action buttons on related lists are now generally available. Prior to Winter '24, admins and developers would have to put quick action buttons for related lists at the top of the record page in the actions bar instead of by the related list itself. This was unintuitive for users, and some would not even realize the button was there. With Winter '24, you can now add a create or update mass quick action to a related list on a record page. To add the button, edit the Lightning page and add or select Dynamic Related List - Single. In the properties, select Show list view action bar and then click add action.

LWCs are becoming more and more flexible upon each release. With Winter '24, developers can now dynamically import and create lightning web components, opening the possibility for data-driven or property-driven LWC creation. This dynamicism can help simplify code that would have to list out each possible component to create individually in if, else if branches, among other use cases. To instantiate a component dynamically, use the import( ) function and pass in the name of the component as a string, such as import ("c/" + "myLittleComponent").

Experience Cloud: Apply Custom CSS on Components in Enhanced LWR Sites

LWR sites (aka sites using the lightning web runtime) are the future of Experience Cloud and have become more feature-rich upon each Salesforce release. In Winter '24, admins can apply custom CSS classes to any component in their LWR site by using the new Style tab's CSS class section in the component's properties pane. Giving granular control to the styling of any site component allows customers to brand their site better and make styling consistent.

Field Service: Save Time and Improve Accuracy by Scanning Barcodes (iOS)

Barcodes help speed up data entry and reduce errors, which is especially important for users out in the field who are overwhelmingly using mobile devices. With Winter '24, Field Service technicians can now scan barcodes in the Field Service Mobile app. To enable this, a Field Service developer needs to create a lightning web component using the Barcode Scanner plugin and add it to the Field Service mobile app. This feature currently only works for iOS.

Financial Services: Transaction Dispute Management

Transaction disputes are a reality of the banking industry, and often there is no streamlined process to deal with disputes. However, in Winter '24, Financial Service Cloud has a new Transaction Dispute Management module to help banks more efficiently and effectively deal with disputes. Agents can quickly capture transaction disputes through an intake form, and the form data can be integrated with their core system. The intake form can be customized to better fit business needs. For each intake submitted, a case, dispute, and assessment are created.

Nonprofit Cloud: Nonprofit Cloud for Fundraising

The new Nonprofit Cloud now includes a Nonprofit Cloud for Fundraising app, which contains many fundraising capabilities that nonprofits are used to in the NPSP version, such as batch gift entry; managing campaigns; gift commitments; and transactions, and includes some new functionality specific to the new Nonprofit Cloud. Salesforce has been working tirelessly this year to bring over as much of the NPSP functionality as possible to the new Nonprofit Cloud. They have covered a lot of ground and are closing the gap quickly. We're excited to see what the next few releases of Nonprofit Cloud bring!

Sales Cloud: See Which Contacts Need Attention and Take Action Directly from Contact Home

Salesforce is taking steps to change the user experience of navigating to a tab. In prior versions, navigating to the contacts or leads tab would take the user to a list view, but in Winter '24, users are taken to an Intelligence View that helps them hone in on what contacts need attention and which to take action on directly without needing to dig into list views. This should help make Salesforce a more inviting and useful application out of the box for new implementations and users. And if some users want to go back to the list views, they can do so by pressing the List Views button on the top right of the intelligence view page.

Like the intelligence views for contacts and leads, Salesforce has been redesigning other aspects of the platform to enhance the user experience. Omni-Channel has gotten a makeover with a newly designed UI that shows agents information in a more useful way. Agents are now presented with an inbox-style design instead of console tabs, and they can easily see the status of work items. To enable this, go to Setup-->Omni-Channel Settings-->Enhanced Omni-Channel Routing.

Cozy up by the fire...

...and enjoy all the new functionality coming to your Salesforce org in Winter '24. Whether it's more custom error messages in flows, easier reporting for permissions in permission sets or the new intelligence views, Salesforce finds innovative ways to make solving problems easier and more efficient on the platform.

If you would like more information on these updates or to view past updates, please visit the official Salesforce Winter '24 release notes. If you have any questions about Salesforce or want to see any of the implementations in your own Salesforce organization, contact DB Services!

• Performance and Security: Experience enhanced performance and stronger security with backend infrastructure updates, including OData 4.01, Java 17, Vaadin 8.18, Node.js 18, Open SSL 3.0, and more. 

• Reduced Admin Load: Say goodbye to unnecessary admin hassles. The enhanced script scheduler now comes with filter and sort capabilities, allowing you to save valuable admin time. Additionally, script errors now have a dedicated log, streamlining the debugging process for more efficient app management.

New Features & Enhancements

Functions & Scripts

• ReadQRCode function is now available for us on FileMaker Cloud

• Execute FileMaker Data API script step now supports dateformats parameter

• Scripts that run on FileMaker Cloud now support Set Error Logging script step

• Save Records as PDF script steps is now supported for FileMaker Data API

• Script Events are now saved in the scriptEvent.log file instead of the Event.log file. View and download the scriptEvent.log file using the Logs tab in the Admin Console.

• Added ability to filter and sort the list of script schedules in the Admin Console

For more information about enhancements and bug fixes, check out the official Claris FileMaker Cloud 2023 release notes.

Claris FileMaker Cloud 2023 is compatible with:

• FileMaker Pro 2023, 19.6, 19.5, and 19.4.2

• FileMaker Go 2023, 19.6, 19.5, ad 19.4.2

Upgrading to Compatible Versions

If you are not on any of the above versions, the following upgrade options are available in order to take advantage of Claris FileMaker Cloud 2023:

FileMaker Pro Options

• Download FileMaker Pro 2023 from the Claris Customer Console

• Update to FileMaker Pro 19.6.3 (Help > Check for Updates)

• Access the latest updates from the Claris Updates and release notes page.

FileMaker Go Options

• Download FileMaker Go 2023 from the App Store

• Download FileMaker Go 19.6 from the Apple Store

Additionally, FileMaker Pro 2023 and FileMaker Go 2023 have been certified against FileMaker Cloud 2.19, which means you will experience disruption-free service if you upgrade immediately.

If you have any questions or want to upgrade to Claris FileMaker Cloud 2023, please contact DB Services and we can help you transition smoothly to the new version.

Most of the web applications we work with utilize Amazon DynamoDB, which offers you a built in option to export data. So why even go through the effort of creating a custom export wizard? 

One limitation with the default export option provided in DynamoDB is that you cannot specify what fields you want returned in your export, so your export will include all fields declared in the database. Another limitation is that the only file type supported for export is CSV. With our custom export wizard, you can specify the exact fields you want to export and build it to support different file types, such as XLXS.

Using the export wizard is intuitive and allows the user to easily select the exact fields they need to export. We’ve set up a default export process with a customized user interface that can be tailored to your organization. We’ll start by first selecting a few records to export.

1. Move will move the select fields from the available fields column on the left to the export order column on the right.

2. Move all will select all available fields and move them to the export order column.

3. Clear all will do the opposite and will clear all fields in the export order column. 

Let’s go ahead and move over the selected fields for our export. Now’s the time to organize the data for the export. The fields will appear in the order specified in the export order column.

In order to use the download file, you will need an integrated development environment such as Visual Studio Code. You will also need to have Node.js installed on your computer. Open the download file in your IDE and open a new terminal window in that filepath. Run the command ‘npm install’ to download package dependencies, then run the command ‘npm run serve’ to run the application locally. Click on the localhost link to open the application in your browser. If for some reason you experience any issues trying to run the npm commands, follow the instructions detailed in the terminal.

Conclusion

Save time and be more efficient by grabbing only the necessary data you need without any hassle. If you have any questions or wish to discuss integrating a custom export wizard into your web application, please contact DB Services.

Jotform is a cloud-based tool where you can send and receive multiple submissions for the same form. Also, submission management is simple and intuitive. In this article, we’ll show you how to integrate Jotform with your Claris FileMaker system. 

Our goal is to demonstrate how Jotform can bring a clean, professional experience to your customers while streamlining your internal data collection process. This can ultimately increase satisfaction both within and outside the office.

First, let’s make a Jotform account if you do not already have one. Navigate to https://www.jotform.com to get started with a free account. You can also visit https://www.jotform.com/pricing for more information on pricing if you start to hit the upper limits of the free package.

Next, navigate to “My Forms”. We’ll go ahead and create a new form. We’ll keep it basic by choosing an existing template, and we’ll choose the “New Customer Registration Form”.

Now we’re on the form setup page. Let’s select the “How did you hear about us?” question and select the properties cog to show more options. Click the “options” tab, and let’s change some of the drop-down items. I’ll replace the “Internet” option with “Google Search”, then add a “Referral” option.

In the top left, you’ll see the “Add Form Element” button. Click on that and add a new entry field, specifically for referrals. Drag and drop the “short text” option below the “please specify” question. Let’s select the field, hit the cog icon, and make some quick changes to ensure it looks clean: 

• Update the question to “Referral Name”

• Click the “required” toggle

• Click the “advanced” tab and select the “shrink” toggle to “on”

• Check to make sure the Unique Name for this field is “referralName” 

For simplicity’s sake, we removed the bottom section of the template with the recommendations.

A great feature of Jotform is the ability to show or hide certain fields based on conditional logic. The template we selected already has this built-in, but we’re going to add another for the referral. 

1. Right-click the “Referral Name” field, and click the “conditional logic” option

2. Add a new condition

3. Show the Referral Name field if the option is selected in the previous drop-down

Integration Setup

Let’s go back to the form builder and select the first field. From here, select the field’s properties. Click the “advanced” tab, and click the field details. You can see the unique name for the field. We’ll need to know this information when Jotform sends data to the FileMaker system.

Next, follow this guide on generating an API key. We’ll need this in order to pull information from Jotform.

https://www.jotform.com/help/253-how-to-create-a-jotform-api-key

Copy the key. Let’s open the FileMaker example file so we can add the key. On the setup page, paste the API key. You’ll also need the form ID. You can get this from the form URL itself. For example, my form URL was “https://www.jotform.com/build/231973943636169”, so the form ID is “231973943636169”. Paste this into the example file, then hit the “save” button. This will take you to the contacts screen.

Jotform Submission and Sync

Let’s go back to the Jotform site and hit “preview form”. In the top left, you can open the form and respond to it as if you’re a customer. Once you submit, you’ll receive an email confirming the submission.

Now let’s go back to the example file and click the yellow button to sync the latest submission. This will insert a new contact and fill out the information based on your recent submission.

Once you receive the JSON information from Jotform, you can customize how you receive the information and each field mapping. Please reference the example file or video for more detailed information.

Conclusion

The Jotform platform gives businesses the ability to receive information directly from the customer in a professional manner. Integrating it with your Claris FileMaker system can streamline your process, letting your organization focus on what matters most. If you’re interested in integrating Jotform with FileMaker, contact us at DB Services and we’d be happy to help.

With a plethora of features, Financial Services Cloud makes sure that you spend less time gathering data and more time focusing on your customers. FSC comes with pre-constructed data models that help you track your prospects and clients and allow you to build customized models to better fit your company’s niche. On top of that, FSC promotes automation so that each task is done consistently, effectively, and securely. In this article, we will go over some of the great features that FSC has to offer and how you can make them work for you.

Grouping, or Householding, is useful for gaining insight into a customer’s financial circles, such as their family or the customer’s professional connections. Individuals can be added to multiple groups as either direct members, such as a spouse, or indirect members, such as the family’s lawyer. Once a household has been created, each member’s financial accounts, activities, and goals can be selectively rolled up and summarized for the group. 

When creating households, ask yourself what types of relationships you want to see. Do you want to add your client’s kids? If the client’s spouse is also a client with other relationships, should they have a separate household? Remember to consider the indirect members of a household. Adding the family lawyer, a trust, or even another household can help you get the full picture of the household’s relationships.

Financial accounts are any accounts that are managed by a financial institution. There are a plethora of supported financial accounts, such as checking accounts, savings accounts, insurance policies, and 401(k) accounts. Once a financial account is created, its information can be rolled up to the primary account owner, as well as the primary household they are a part of. 

Think about what types of accounts you want to track. Does your client have a trust fund? Do they have any assets or liabilities? Are any of these accounts held away? Even if the financial account is not managed by you, you can still add it as a ‘Held Away’ financial account. This allows you to see the total financial amount for a customer or household and what percentage of the finances are under your company’s management.

Actionable Relationship Center (ARC) enables you to better understand and navigate relationships between people and businesses. To see the ARC view of a household account, go to the account page and click on the ‘Open Relationship Center’ button. In the ARC view, you can see the root record that you opened the ARC view from, as well as related groups, accounts, and household members. You can also add new relationships from ARC view and perform quick actions when you select a record. Even though each member shows their total financial amount in the ARC view, you can toggle related lists so that you can see the individual financial accounts, opportunities, and liabilities connected to the household or customer. 

You also have the option to customize ARC views. When doing so, consider what data you want to see. Do you want to see related accounts? Should all opportunities and cases be visible, or just the open ones? What sort of actions should users be able to perform on these objects in the ARC view? With the right build, the ARC view can be your one-stop shop for managing your clients.

When you have a lot of customers in your system, it can be challenging to ensure that each task for each client is performed timely and properly. Action plans can improve collaboration and productivity by capturing repeatable tasks, such as onboarding financial accounts and resolving cases, and then automating the task sequence. In order to make an action plan, you first have to make an action plan template. An action template is a record of the repeatable tasks that an action plan must follow. 

When creating an action template, such as for financial goal meetings with customers, it is important to consider what tasks need to be completed before the event, the order in which these tasks need to be completed, which employees have to do the tasks, and what time these tasks should be completed. Having an answer for each of these will help you build an action plan template that guarantees orderly and punctual preparation for the actions your company has to take.  Furthermore, it is important to update an action plan template overtime when the prerequisites to an event are better understood.

In order to better understand the needs of your customers, it is important to utilize the reports and dashboards of Salesforce. Reports show a list of records that meet your filter criteria, such as households with a total financial accounts balance over $100,000 or accounts that have employees. 

Reports

When creating reports, consider why you are making the report, who will be seeing the report, and what information they need from the report.  While more data in a report can help you get a fuller image of your client, too much data can obfuscate the purpose of the report. With these in mind, you can build reports that illuminate trends with your customers.

Dashboards take reports and provide a quick look at their data and trends Another great feature of dashboards are dashboard components. If there is a specific set of data that is used in multiple dashboards, consider turning that data into a dashboard component so that it provides a consistent look that can be conveniently updated everywhere at once, rather than having to update each instance of the data individually. 

Like with reports, consider the purpose of the dashboard that you are making. Who will be using the dashboard? What sort of information will they be looking for? What is the best format to show the data that the dashboard is using? If there is a need for reports or charts to be available on certain pages of your organization, dashboards make that data readily accessible.

Salesforce allows you to integrate with external banking systems using the FSC Integrations API, which enables your org to retrieve real-time financial account information and customer address updates. Salesforce also offers an integration app. Since the app is built based off of the Banking Industry Architecture Network (BIAN) canonical model, integration is quick and easy. The FSC integration app is available for download on MuleSoft. 

However, if you plan on using the FSC Integrations API, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. What data systems can be used to communicate with your API? Will you be using middleware for your API? What format does your data need to be in and what schema will you be using? Do any use limits need to be set? Nevertheless, implementing the FSC Integration API will provide interoperability that allows data, like balances and transactions, to be shared and updated in a heartbeat.

Security

Salesforce provides the Compliant Data Sharing feature, which lets admins and compliance managers create data-sharing rules to improve compliance with security regulations and company policies. Compliant Data Sharing also monitors what data gets shared with whom, which can help identify security issues. Standard objects of this feature include Account Participant and Opportunity Participant, which determine the access level that users have to accounts and opportunities.

For instance, an account manager participant can be given read and edit access to accounts, while an associate participant can be given only read access. Financial Services Cloud also includes additional objects: Interaction Participants, Financial Deal Participants, and Interaction Summary Participants. 

There may be a lot to set up, but there is no need to worry. Salesforce offers a guided setup for Compliant Data Sharing.

For your organization's security, ask yourself the following questions. What type of data do you have in your organization? Who needs access to that data, and what kind of access do they need? What are the company policies and security regulations that have to be followed? If your company has confidential details or data that should be private, rest assured that setting up Compliant Data Sharing will make sure that only the right people have access to that information. 

Interaction Summaries

If you are having trouble keeping track of all the details provided by customers, there is no need to fear. When interacting with a customer, the interaction summary can be used to record a variety of relevant information, such as meeting notes, meeting attendees, accounts, dates, forms of communication, and attached documents. 

When building an interaction summary, think about the purpose of the interaction, the keynotes of that interaction, and what the next steps should be based on the interaction. With these in mind, interaction summaries will be a useful tool for recording customer interactions.

Salesforce offers a variety of products that can expand Financial Services Cloud, such as Experience Cloud and CRM Analytics. Experience Cloud can be used to create sites that provide external users, like customers or partners, with access to Financial Services Cloud. Salesforce provides site templates, but each site is fully customizable, allowing you to build sites based on the needs of your users. Customizations include page variations, permission sets, and self-guided FAQ articles.

Experience Cloud

Before creating an Experience Cloud site, think about what you want the site to accomplish. What does your site need in order to function? Should you select a Salesforce template with immediate functionality, or should you build a custom site specifically for your company’s needs? Who will be on the site? What objects do you have to enable from Salesforce for the site? What restrictions do you have to put on the site? Can pages from your organization be placed on a site page, or would Lightning Web Components be a better choice? There is a lot to consider, but when done right, an Experience Cloud site can improve a customer’s engagement with your organization.

CRM Analytics

CRM Analytics provides a wide range of CRM solutions. On top of using your reports, dashboards, and template apps for Financial Services Cloud, CRM Analytics also uses Einstein Discovery to create automated AI models of any dataset without needing to write any code.

When using CRM Analytics, there are many aspects to plan before creating anything. Once again, consider why you are making an analytics report, dashboard, or app. Who will be using it? What data do they need to get the most use out of what you are building? Good planning reduces the amount of time spent reworking, which means more time focusing on the data and the conclusions that can be drawn from it.

If your business has multiple complicated processes that must be performed often, automation can save time and reduce human error. Flows are a powerful tool that can provide automated, interactive workflows to perform a process or automate an action behind-the-scenes. Financial Services Cloud comes with plenty of pre-constructed flows for common processes, such as issuing and activating new cards, updating the addresses for a financial account, or collecting a borrower’s financial details. Even with the variety of pre-constructed flows, you can still customize them or construct flows specifically tailored to your business’s needs.

Flows

If you are wondering if you should use a flow, ask yourself the following questions: Does the task at hand come up frequently? Do you have to perform a lot of repeatable actions like emailing people or updating fields on multiple records? Is the task complex without requiring Apex code? If you answered yes to any of those questions, then flows are your solution. 

When building the flow itself, there are many aspects to think about. What data should be presented in a screen flow? When a user updates an object, are there other fields or related objects that should also be updated? What criteria should you use to activate a triggered flow? Does this flow need a user to activate it, or is it better to have the flow run on a schedule? With the right planning and implementation, flows will ease many tasks in your organization.

Omnistudio is another automation tool that simplifies the creation of guided user experiences. Another benefit of Omnistudio is that it can create applications and workflows using data from your Financial Service Cloud and external sources. Features like Flex Cards can contextualize data and give links to related processes, and OmniScripts function very similarly to screen flows. While Financial Service Cloud provides some pre-constructed OmniScripts, such as Fee Reversal or Complaint forms, you can still customize them or create your own OmniScripts. 

Since OmniScripts are focused on user experiences, you have to think about what the end user will need to get the most out of it. What data needs to be captured from the customer for your Salesforce org? What data sources, internal or external, do you need to use to better guide a user through an OmniScript process? When you keep those questions in mind, you’ll be able to make things in OmniStudio that gracefully guide your customers through any process that your company offers.

Salesforce Financial Services Cloud offers a wide variety of features to improve your capabilities of supporting your customers. There are many more features that were not discussed, but utilizing the features mentioned above will help you hit the ground running with FSC. Please contact DB Services for any questions you have or if you need assistance setting up your Financial Services Cloud.

One use case for user-defined business logic is to give users a way to specify what information they want to be synced between a local copy of a file and a hosted version of the same file. In a file with a lot of tables, it may not be necessary to sync data between the two for every table. However, as the system grows - either through the addition of new tables or the necessity to sync data from previously excluded tables - it becomes difficult to add logic to scripts to account for such changes.

Application

To demo this functionality, we will use a FileMaker application for entering order information. You can download the demo file (located at the bottom of this article) and follow along. 

This solution uses escape characters to denote items as fields or functions and uses Evaluate to determine the function's value at runtime. To parse the users specified criteria, there is a calculation that builds the JSON data block using a while loop. "[ ]" are used to encapsulate a field name if it has spaces or underscores, "#{ }" is used to wrap a function that needs to be evaluated, "{{New Request}}" is used to perform OR requests. "Omit" marks that section of the query as an omit section.

User-defined logic is a powerful tool that enables end users to adapt quickly to ever-changing markets and rules. This functionality also allows your system to be much more flexible and will lead to less time spent updating scripts to add in new criteria, enabling you to manage and view these settings from one layout. These settings can be used to send sync queries to a hosted app with the data API or, as we demonstrated in this article, to perform dynamic finds.

If you would like to learn more about integrating user-defined logic in your Filemaker application or how adding it into your system can help your business run better, contact our team at DB Services and we'll gladly help you find the right solution for your business.

Using the functionality of OData for FileMaker requires a bit of setup. You’ll need to make sure you do the following in preparation:

1. Your FileMaker file needs to be hosted using FileMaker server.

2. Your FileMaker file needs authorization for OData and Rest to be permitted in security.

3. FileMaker Server must have OData enabled.

Once you've completed those requirements, we're ready to do the OData operations. To do this, we'll utilize Zapier and Tableau.

Tableau for OData

Tableau allows us to display the database of our FileMaker file remotely with OData. For more information, check out our blog about using FileMaker with Tableau.  For testing purposes, use Tableau Public, which can be accessed from public.tableau.com. 

After Tableau is opened, click the "OData" button in the To a Server Section and it will direct you to this page.

After the URL is entered, enter the respective username and password with the OData and Rest enabled. This will redirect you to the data from your FileMaker file and allow you to create a sheet with the fields you wish to display and observe. Tableau allows you to remotely access the records in a FileMaker file hosted with OData.

Transactions and Deletions using Zapier Webhooks

Zapier allows us to create Webhooks to lead to FileMaker and create the CRUD operations through it. For more information, read our blog about setting up Zapier Webhooks for FileMaker using Salesforce.

The GET, PATCH, and DELETE must be custom functions to work with FileMaker and OData and the Header of Content-Type: application/json as shown below.

GET Method

The GET Method allows you to request and view data in the database. To request all records in a table, the URL should be set up like this: https://host/fmi/odata/v4/filename/tablename

You can also search for specific records by appending the primary key of the record you wish to see, like this: https://host/fmi/odata/v4/filename/table('primary key')

POST Method

The POST Method allows the creation of new records and tables in the database. To create a record, the URL will look like this: https://host/fmi/odata/v4/filename/tablename

In the Zapier Webhook, under the action tab, set up the payload type as json and set the new data for your record in the data section. Make sure that all the fields match up to the field in Tableau. 

PATCH Method

The PATCH Method allows the update of records. To update a record, the URL should look like this: https://host/fmi/odata/v4/filename/tablename('primary key') 

Place the data you want to replace in JSON format in the data section of Zapier.

DELETE Method

The DELETE Method deletes a record. The URL should look like this: https://host/fmi/odata/v4/filename/tablename('primary key')

There are several options that can be used to query data when appended to the request URL. Queries allow for an easy and simple way of reducing your record on a request and specifying information from your records.

• $filter - Used to filter through records and only records that evaluate as true in the response. https://host/fmi/odata/v4/filename/tablename?$filter=(expression)

• $orderby - Used to order the records as ascending or descending for a specific field. https://host/fmi/odata/v4/filename/tablename?$orderby=fieldname {asc/desc}

• $count - Used to get the count of matching records. https://host/fmi/odata/v4/filename/tablename$count=true

• $select - Used to select only a limited amount of fields. https://host/fmi/odata/v4/filename/tablename?$select=field 1, field 2

Conclusion

OData enhances so much with FileMaker, adding flexibility and allowing the use of RESTful connections that make creating, updating, searching, and deleting data simpler. You can use OData query options to filter, sort, and paginate data, allowing for efficient and targeted data retrieval. It can change how data in FileMaker is manipulated and open up a robust and scalable way to execute a large number of requests at a time. For any further assistance using OData on your FileMaker Server, contact us at DB Services.

Nonprofit Cloud Features

Nonprofit organizations commonly install additional add-on applications with their installation of NPSP. Add-ons like Program Management Module (PMM) and Nonprofit Cloud Case Management are now offered in Nonprofit Cloud natively, without additional installations.  

Case Management  

With the new innovation in case management, you can more easily track your Accounts, Contacts, and Cases. Dynamic Assessments allow you to build assessments to quickly determine if an individual is eligible for a benefit. Once a participant has been given a benefit or assigned to a benefit session, you can track their attendance by managing benefit schedules and using guided flows. Create and review care plans more efficiently with Care Plan templates, and put volunteers and participant in groups, like households or cohorts, with Party Relationship Groups. 

Program management equips program managers with an array of tools to help see the full picture of the impact of their programs. You can create Action Plans to create a checklist of tasks or requirements needed to approve participation in your programs. The Timeline component gives you a complete chronological view of all your programs and benefits sessions to quickly see participant engagement and adjust schedules. Using "clicks not code", you can customize the prebuilt OmniScript to create a benefit schedule workflow that works for your program managers and integrates into your business.

Grantmaking and Accounting Subledger

Nonprofit Cloud offers you an end-to-end solution to track and manage your grants. With Grantmaking, you can collect the information you need for applications, add details about the products and opportunities offered by your grants, and - once a grant is awarded - track the continued requirements for the grant. Additionally, it provides greater details when looking at budget information, giving insight into specific categories and time periods. Combine that with the Accounting Subledger, which consolidates data between Salesforce and your accounting system, and you can easily track where funds are received, paid, and allocated across all your volunteers, donors, and participants.

Industry Innovations

One of the significant benefits of the new Nonprofit Cloud is its access to industry-cloud tools, specifically Omnistudio. Omnistudio is a suite of tools that makes creating complex, industry-specific automations easier and faster. It is a low-code solution for making engaging and seamless experiences for users. Nonprofit organizations will have access to this game-changing feature and all the other common features used across all Industry Clouds, reshaping how they work with their constituents. 

Another benefit is the number of service-related tools which are available. Your service agents will enjoy guided service processes built with Service Process Studio, communicating virtually with Virtual Calls, getting notifications when a record needs immediate attention with Record Alerts, and engaging more efficiently with prospects through Outreach Lists.

When working with volunteers and participants, it's often necessary to validate an individual's identity before sharing any sensitive information. Identity Verification includes an easy way to create an identification process that supports your business's protocols and regulations. 

There are even more tools and benefits offered in the new Nonprofit Cloud with Industries Cloud Common Features - follow this link for a complete list.

Nonprofit Success Pack 

If your organization is using Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP), Salesforce will maintain support in addition to supporting its new cloud. However, as more features are added and polished over time, organizations may want to consider moving over to the new Nonprofit Cloud and taking advantage of the full set of features it has to offer.

Power of Us Program

Through the Power of Us program, Nonprofits are able to apply for 10 free Salesforce enterprise licenses, and Nonprofit Cloud will be included in that program. If your organization currently has the 10 free licenses, and you wish to move to the new Nonprofit Cloud, you will need to work with your Salesforce account manager to move those licenses. If you purchased Salesforce after April 2023, you will be given the new Nonprofit Cloud licenses. If you do not wish to use the new solution, you will need to contact your Salesforce account manager and apply for the 10 enterprise licenses directly through them. 

Conclusion

The new Nonprofit Cloud solution offers faster, easier data management for nonprofit organizations. It brings together industry features and nonprofit features to streamline workflows and add greater value to outcomes. If you are looking to switch to the new Nonprofit Cloud or would like more information, contact DB Services!

Claris Connect is an integration platform designed to streamline workflows and connect Claris FileMaker to different applications and services. It simplifies the process of automating tasks and exchanging data between software solutions, improving productivity and efficiency. With a user-friendly interface and pre-built connectors, Claris Connect allows businesses to create seamless integrations without extensive coding knowledge. It is scalable, suitable for organizations of all sizes, and offers advanced features for customization. 

How do I get access?

If you are a Claris Partner, you already have access to Claris Connect through your not-for-resale (NFR) Claris platform license.

If you are a Claris FileMaker user, you can follow this link to get access to the Claris Connect free tier. Then link it to your Claris ID and begin using it!

What do I get with the free tier?

The free tier of Claris Connect includes:

• Unlimited active flows

• Up to 500 API requests per month

• Unlimited app connections

Visit the official Claris website for information about additional Claris Connect pricing tiers.

Explore the Limitless Possibilities

Claris Connect's free tier serves as a gateway to the world of automation and integration, empowering you to streamline workflows, enhance productivity, and achieve operational excellence. Embrace the power of automation with Claris Connect's free tier and embark on a journey towards greater efficiency, collaboration, and success! If you have any questions about Claris Connect, please feel free to contact us at DB Services and we will be happy to help.

To demonstrate this functionality, we'll use a small application for the data entry of products. You can download the application from this article (located at the end of the article) and follow along.

When a new record is created, the users can enter any value they want as the key. This value needs to be unique, or else it will change the other value that has the same key. Then enter the values for the different languages. The yellow dot on the left indicates that this record has not been synched into the system yet.

Let's take a look at how this works. This system has three core parts: 

• A global JSON variable generated upon opening the file 

• A custom function to get the labels in the correct language 

• Using button bars as labels to allow us to change their values 

The Global Language JSON

In order to allow access to the values to all layouts, a global JSON object is generated when the file is first opened. Here's a shorter version of the JSON generated.

FileMaker has excellent support for working with JSON data, so creating this JSON object is fairly simple. Here's the script used to generate it.

This custom function is a way to make it more convenient for the developer to use the functionality throughout the system. It is in charge of querying the JSON object for the value of the specified key on the currently selected language.

Using a button bar with a single segment as a label, we can dynamically set the displayed text. In our case, we make a call to our custom function to get the value we want in the correct language.

There are two situations that we want to handle:

1. New values

2. Updated values

One simple way to handle both of these cases is to simply create the JSON Object again when new values are added or updated. To do that, we simply attach the script that creates the JSON to the "Sync" button.

Conclusion 

Localization is very important when your application is used by people speaking different languages . One very important aspect of localization is adding the ability for users to change the language of the application. We demonstrated how to do this by creating a global dictionary with the labels for the application and making a custom function to query values. We also used button bars as labels as they support dynamic labels. 

If you would like to learn more about localization in FileMaker or explore possible ways in which localization can make your business more effective, contact our team at DB Services and we'll gladly help you find the best solution for your business.

• Outreach List - Sales and service agents can now create their own segmentations of customers and prospects for outreach. Actionable lists can be grouped by priority, and prospects can be grouped by their engagement status.

• Actionable Segmentation Enhancements - List creators now have the option to bulk select when creating an actionable list and custom filter logic to filter the records. These lists can be shared with other users.

• Actionable List Members - List creators can now update the engagement status of prospects and perform bulk actions on prospect records.

Marketing Cloud Engagement for FSC

Organizations with Marketing Cloud Engagement for Industries add-on licenses will now have email templates that will aid them in setting up email campaigns to promote services to prospects and clients. Users in Financial Services Cloud can sync data between Financial Services Cloud and Marketing Cloud and send Marketing Cloud emails directly in Financial Services Cloud.

ARC Enhancements

• Zooming Enhancements - Users can now zoom an ARC graph out to 40% and in to 160%. This will make working with large ARC graphs easier to deal with. 

• Hide Card Fields - In a similar vein to the enhanced zoom, users can now hide fields on cards so only the names show,  in effect collapsing cards down to their smallest possible size. Doing this will make large graphs more easily scannable. To hide card fields, slide the Show fields on cards toggle off on the top left of the ARC.

• Identify Child  - To speed up navigating deep hierarchical ARCs, users will now see a hierarchy icon on cards with child cards. Users no longer need to click on each card to see if that card has children.

Users can now clone service process definitions in Service Process Studio. They can also group related data attributes, add lookup data attributes and view all attributes from the Case Details component. Users will need to have the Industry Service Excellence permission set to use this feature.

Discovery Framework Enhancements

Enhanced support is now available for those who have the FSC Starter license. In addition, users can now edit a signature on an assessment form before submitting and access Discovery Framework OmniScripts on Experience Cloud sites.

Scoring Framework for FSC

The Scoring Framework in Financial Services Cloud allows organizations to use AI to predict who will purchase financial products. It can also reduce customer attrition. To use the Scoring Framework, the FSC org needs to have CRM Analytics for FSC, AI Accelerator and Scoring Framework enabled, and users must have the Revenue Intelligence for Financial Services license assigned. Once that setup is complete, users can generate predictions by creating a CRM Analytics template configuration and selecting Prediction Scores (FSC) or Prediction Scores for Accounts or Contacts (FSC) as the template type.

Action Plans for FSC

Users are now able to design more complex business processes with an increased task dependency limit in action plan templates. Action plan templates can now support up to 24 task dependencies in a sequence. 

Record Alerts Enhancements

• Record Alert Access - You can now give your users access to record alerts that are relevant to them in the Record Alert Access settings. 

• Record Alerts Using Business Rules Engine - Record alerts can now be refined using Business Rules Engine. When a record meets specified conditions, an alert will appear to your users.

• Show Alerts from an External System - You can now see alerts from external systems using Data Consumption Framework instead of APEX files.

Branch Management

Quickly access branch management features in the Branch Console app. Now, you can add bankers and assign them directly to a branch and Branch Unit Business Member will be created for you automatically. To do this, check that your Banker record page layout includes these fields: Current Branch Start Date and Current Branch. Then click New on the Bankers tab or the Bankers related list of a Branch Unit record and specify the branch in the Current Branch field.

Updated FSC Objects

Salesforce has updated and added a plethora of new object fields, including new fields on Party Profiles, Group Census Members, and Insurance Policies.

Brighter Days Ahead in Summer '23

The Summer '23 release of Financial Services Cloud has plenty of sunshine for all types of users. If you wish to learn more about these updates or the others included in the release, please check out the official Salesforce Financial Services Cloud Summer '23 release notes. If you have any questions about Salesforce Financial Services Cloud or want to talk about your Salesforce needs, contact DB Services!

New Nonprofit Cloud

In collaboration with community users and partners, Salesforce has released a new Nonprofit Cloud product. It combines the functionality of common nonprofit solutions, like Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP) and Program Management Module (PMM), without the need to add multiple managed packages to your organization. Visit our article, Introducing the New Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud, to learn more. 

Case and program management have two quality-of-life updates on the bulk service deliveries page:

• View only active program engagements and services - Prior to Summer 23, all program engagements and services were shown in the picklists, even inactive ones. Now, Salesforce only shows you active records, making finding the engagement/service easier.

• Find program cohorts, engagements, and services in alphabetical lists - Previously, cohorts, engagements, and services were listed in creation order on the bulk services deliveries page. Now, they are in alphabetical order, allowing you to find what you are looking for much easier in longer lists.

In addition to creating a new Nonprofit Cloud and improving Case and Program Management within PMM, Salesforce offers additional platform solutions called Nonprofit Cloud for Programs, which can be utilized by any organization. 

Case Management

Manage your Accounts, Contacts, and Cases with a new set of features designed to increase your efficiency and decrease setup time.

• Dynamic Assessments -  Create intake assessments to onboard volunteers or create assessments to determine if an individual is eligible for a service or benefit you offer. Then, manage those benefits and track whether the individuals use those benefits and even track their attendance to those benefit sessions you offer.

• Care Plan Templates - Create and preview before publishing them. The preview allows you to see everything in one place and make changes before going live. After the Care Plan is published, you can use the Care Plan Summary to see all the parts of the plan on one page.

• UI Flows - Using the new Groups UI Flow and Merge UI flow, you can group individuals together. For example, you could track a cohort of volunteers or group all members of a household. You can specify member roles within that group and even see related contacts or related groups.

Program Management

Program managers can utilize action plans to create approval requirements or steps needed to offer a benefit to an individual. By setting up field-level security on the Program Management objects, you can secure sensitive data on specific fields, ensuring that the appropriate person can view or edit a client's information. 

The Timeline component helps program managers see the full schedule of all programs and benefits chronologically. They can view how participants interact with a program and see any past or upcoming sessions. Additionally, you can customize the built-in OmniScript to offer a guided experience for program managers to schedule and maintain benefit and program sessions.

Grantmaking

Grantmaking offers an end-to-end solution to track and manage your grants. You can collect information needed for a grant application, add details about the products and opportunities your clients can apply for, and even provide detailed budget information for specific categories and time periods. Once a grant is awarded, you can track the requirements set for that grant. 

Additionally, Grantmaking Experience Cloud gives you an external source for applicants and grant managers to enter details directly into the grant records. 

Accounting Subledger

Within the Nonprofit Cloud for Programs system, you can get a full 360-degree view of your volunteers, donors, and participants regarding what benefits they are using, sessions they have attended, and even funds paid or received. Accounting Subledger consolidates data between Salesforce and your accounting system to track where funds are received, paid, and allocated.  

Elevate

Migrate to Google Analytics 4 before July 1st

Google Analytics 4 is replacing Universal Analytics. To ensure Giving Page performance, source codes, and conversion rates are tracked after July 1st, switch to Google Analytics 4. To make the switch, add your Google Analytics 4 property ID in the Google Analytics Property ID field on the Elevate admin portal.

Faster Payment & Recurring Donation Exports

You can now filter payment and recurring donation records in an export by specifying a date range, and when the export includes more than 10,000 records, Elevate will automatically export them into multiple files to speed up the process. You can export payment and recurring donation records on the Elevate admin portal.

'Seas' the Day with Salesforce Summer '23

The Summer '23 release of Nonprofit Cloud will make life a little easier for all Salesforce users. If you wish to learn more about these updates or the others included in the release, please check out the official Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud Summer '23 Release Notes.

If you have any questions about Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud or want to talk about your Salesforce needs, contact DB Services and we'll be happy to assist you!

Reports and dashboards are a critical part of a good Salesforce implementation - they help surface and visualize your data so you can get meaningful and actionable information out of it at a glance. Summer '23 makes dashboards even more useful by extending the maximum number of filters from 3 to 5. Now, users can slice and dice their dashboards to focus in on the exact information they need.

Commerce: Guests in B2B Stores

B2B stores can now let guests add items to their cart and place payments if the B2B store is built on an LWR template. LWR is the modern way to build experience cloud sites and uses LWCs for better performance and web standard and security compliance. As with all guest access, make sure you review security and only allow them access to exactly what they need.

Customization: Set Field-Level Security on Permission Sets (GA)

You can now set field-level security on permission sets when creating a new field instead of setting them on profiles. Salesforce has been encouraging admins and developers to use permission sets and permission set groups for security over profiles due to permission sets being more flexible. With this change, there are now fewer and fewer reasons to use profiles for security. To enable this change, go to User Management Settings under Setup and enable Field-Level Security for Permission Sets During Field Creation.

Admins and developers now have a way to quickly analyze and visualize system performance with Scale Center. You can diagnose scaling issues and improve the scalability of your implementation. You can analyze apex code, database performance, flow performance, integration performance, and more using this tool. 

*You will need to reach out to your Salesforce AE to determine if you have access to Scale Center.

Field Service: Dashboards on Mobile

Technicians out in the field can now view dashboards in the Field Services Mobile app. Show technicians important KPIs such as CSAT scores or actionable items like service appointments by status and timesheet approvals. To add a dashboard to the mobile app, create a global action using LWC and install the Mobile Dashboard unmanaged package.

Financial Services Cloud: Actionable Segmentation is GA

Actionable segmentation is now generally available in Financial Services Cloud. Sales and service agents can now create their own segmentations of customers and prospects for outreach. And there have been some additional enhancements added in Summer '23 to Actionable Segmentation, including a bulk select option when creating a list and adding custom filter logic.

Nonprofit Cloud: Dynamic Assessment in Case Management with Accounts, Contacts, and Cases

Dynamic Assessments allow organizations to create guided questionnaires that branch based on conditional logic. And now, in Summer '23, organizations can create dynamic assessments for accounts, contacts, and cases. Previously you could only create dynamic assessments from care plans.

Marketing Account Engagement: Trigger an External Action after a Prospect Engagement

Admins can now configure triggering an external action on a completion action. This expands the number of problems that can be solved with completion actions. Admins can do things such as sending a prospect to an external system after they complete a sign-up form or sending a text message to a prospect after they request more information on a website.

Sales Cloud: Split Revenue by Product Mix with Opportunity Product Splits (GA)

Opportunity teams can now allocate revenue by product - instead of just by team member on an opportunity - using opportunity product splits. To set up opportunity product splits, go to Split Types Setup --> edit Split Types and include product splits. To show product splits on an opportunity, add the Opportunity Splits component.

This is sure to make admins and developers happy: email templates can finally be used in send email actions in flows. Previously, you could not use templates in send email actions, causing you to have to duplicate the same email structure across multiple flows.

Channel-Object Linking has been overhauled to be more flexible with Individual-Object Linking flows. Now you can use a flow to search for, link, and then screen-pop the person who submitted a case created through a channel. Previously with Channel-Object Linking, you could only link contacts to channel interactions like web chat, voice, etc. Now you can link any type of object considered an individual (contact, lead, person account, etc.).

...and enjoy all the new functionality coming to your Salesforce org in Summer '23. Whether it's more dashboard filters, easier ways to set up security for permission sets, or reusing email templates across flows, Salesforce finds innovative ways to make solving problems easier and more efficient on the platform.

If you would like more information on these updates or to view past updates, please visit the official Salesforce Summer '23 release notes. If you have any questions about Salesforce or want to see any of the implementations in your own Salesforce organization, contact DB Services!

This is the big one! This new feature will allow you to easily log data changes to a file. To utilize this, you will need to create a script that fires on the new OnWindowTransaction script trigger.

Here is an example of a script that will log the audit to a data file.

FileMaker 2023 brings with it a new script trigger that allows for the data audit logging to be possible. This script trigger is only found in the ‘File Options’ dialog and will execute the corresponding script whenever a transaction is completed.

• FileMaker file name

• Base table name that the transaction occurred on

• Record ID

• Operation (New, Modified, or Deleted)

• Value of the base table’s ‘OnWindowTransaction’ field (optional)

OnWindowTransaction Field

You also have the ability to add additional information to be logged by creating a field named ‘OnWindowTransaction’ in each table where you want to capture additional data. This is an optional parameter and will be logged as an empty value on tables that don’t include it.

This is an example of what the field might look like.

The 'Send Mail' script steps now includes a new authentication method for OAuth 2.0. In order to utilize this feature you will need either a Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace subscription. Below are the steps to set this up for each subscription.

Microsoft 365

• Register an Azure application

• Follow the steps 'Application permission to Microsoft Graph' and add 'Mail.Send' permissions

Google Workspace

• Create a service account

• Enable Gmail API

• Enable 'Domain Wide Delegation'

Perform Script on Server with Callback

You will now be able to specify a script to be performed on the server and specify a callback script all in one script step. The callback script will be run locally on the user's machine after the server script has completed running on the server. 

There are a handful of new functions coming in this update, along with some updates to existing functions.

• BaseTableNames( file )

• Similar to the existing function TableNames( file ), but only returns a list of base table names instead of all instances of a table in the relationships graph

• BaseTableIDs( file )

• Similar to the existing function TableIDs( file ), but only returns a list of base table IDs instead of all instances of a table in the relationships graph

• Get( CacheFilePath )

• Returns the path of the cache file for the currently active file

• Get( CacheFileName )

• Returns the name of the cache file for the currently active file

• GetBaseTableName( field )

• Returns the base table name of the provided field

• Get( LiveText )

• Now supports Japanese, Korean, and Ukrainian locales

• Now supported in a script run on the server

• ReadQRCode( container )

• Now available for Windows on both FileMaker Pro and FileMaker Server

• Now available for Ubuntu on FileMaker Server

Bug Fixes

Also included in this update are a few other bug fixes, which include:

• Summary fields failing from global variable data sources in hosted file

• Commit Transaction script step fails to return an error for invalid date

• Serial value fails to increment on record creation after reverting Transaction

• Reverted transaction deletes remove values from index

• OnRecordCommit not triggering during an open transaction

• No active record after omitting the current record while within a transaction

• PDFs are rendered blurry on Windows

• Save Records as PDF failing to respond when the layout included web content in a web viewer

• Card window can't be displayed if window was previously minimized with Stage Manager enabled

• FileMaker Pro crashing when...

• Moving layout objects with a mouse in Layout mode on Windows 11

• Closing card windows on macOS

• On Windows computers using older hardware

• Using the GetContainerAttribute function on a table with many records

• GetContainerAttribute function returning incorrect date format when performed on the server with Ubuntu
  

• Insert from URL failing to encode provided URLs on Windows

• Get( ModifiedFields ) not returning auto-enter fields

• Get( ModifiedFields ) returning an empty result for fields modified with Replace Field Contents

• Inability to perform JavaScript in web viewers while in Find mode

• Web viewers not registering mouse clicks while in Find mode

• Resizing button bar divider lines

• Text colors in Script Workspace not updating when changing between Dark Mode and Light Mode

Here is a quick overview of the updates and bug fixes coming to FileMaker Server 2023:

• DAPI layout names endpoint now returns the correct table info

• Admin API can now disable additional database/container folders in the same request

• PIN reset now accepts values starting with 0

• Verification codes received from a disabled Apple ID will now be rejected

• Resolved issue causing Admin Server crash when entering an incorrect process name to restart

• Resolved issue not allowing for scroll in WebDirect List View over a portal that has vertical scrolling disabled

• Can now import a license certificate by opening a fmcert license certificate file (.fmcert)

• Protobuf library has been updated to v3.21.12

• 'Execute FileMaker Data API’ script step now supports a dateformats parameter    

• Relationships graph now supports dark mode

“Claris is committed to investing in the success of our developers around the world, now and for the long haul. And today, we are doing just that with the launch of the most scalable version of FileMaker ever delivered. As an Apple company, security comes first in everything we deliver – enhanced even further by FileMaker 2023,” says Claris CEO Brad Freitag.

Claris FileMaker 2023 provides exciting improvements that will bring great value and make development more efficient. Please contact DB Services if you have any questions or needs regarding Claris FileMaker.

Some nonprofits work to benefit whole households or families instead of strictly working with individual people. Nonprofit Success Pack provides a type of account called a Household Account that allows you to create the overall “household” (which can realistically be a family, club, neighborhood, etc.) and then add the individual members to that household. To create these households, all you need to do is create a new contact with nothing entered into the Account field. Once you’ve created the household account, you can use the Manage Household button in the account record to add all members of that household account.

Donations and Gift Management

Nonprofits can use the donation management tools provided by NPSP to easily add and track donations coming in. If a contact has given a donation, all you need to do is select the “New Donation” button on the contact record and then enter the donation information. 

It is also possible to set up recurring and fixed-length donations. You can do this by setting up scheduled donations in the Recurring Donations object. This will allow you to create schedules for donations and assign them to an account. You can also pause or end recurring donations in this same area by simply clicking the Pause button on a recurring donation record or the Close Recurring Donation button and entering a reason for closing.

Grant Tracking

Tracking grants is important to your organization so that you can keep track of everything that needs to be done for you to acquire that grant. Much like donations, you can create grants by creating a new opportunity and selecting the Grant record type. From within the grant record, you can add deliverables through the Deliverables related list. These deliverables can have due dates assigned to them to help keep you on track to know when you need to provide certain information to the grantor. 

Grant records have a stage path that helps you understand where you are in the lifecycle, from prospecting all the way to awarded. Once the grant has been awarded to you, you can create a payment schedule from the Payments related list to see when grant payments will be coming in so you can plan ahead!

Memberships and Levels

Contacts and accounts in Salesforce can be given memberships to certain groups and levels within those groups based on donation amounts. For instance, if you want to incentivize donors to donate more, you may create a group with Tiers 1, 2, and 3. Members in Tier 1 have donated more than Tier 2 or Tier 3 and therefore may be entitled to more benefits from the nonprofit, like free entry to membership events. Memberships to groups can have expiration dates and donation requirements that can all be tracked within the Membership record related to any given contact or account. All membership information related to an account or contact is rolled up and can be displayed on that account or contact screen.

In NPSP, campaigns can be used to keep track of specific initiatives to bring in donors and donations. By creating campaigns and adding campaign members, you can get greater insight into which specific tactics have brought in new leads, new donors, and total donations. Once members have been added to a campaign, you can track their engagement to ensure that people are actually participating in the campaign. If you find that your engagement is high, but you need more fine details, you can even make child campaigns from the parent to track even smaller initiatives within a given campaign.

Engagement Plans

Once you have a donor in the system, it's often very important to make sure that you stay in touch with them to keep them engaged. Salesforce has created Engagement Plans to take care of this! You can create a series of tasks that you know you’ll want to accomplish with every donor as an engagement plan template. These tasks could be as simple as two follow-ups a month apart, or as complicated as sending notes, Christmas cards, follow-ups, surveys, and more. Once you create the engagement plan template, you can either tie these to donor levels so that the tasks are automatically assigned to the contact, or you can apply the template manually from the contacts related Engagement Plan list.

As with any system, it’s important to make sure that sensitive or confidential information remains secure, and the security features within Salesforce provide many ways to customize security settings. You can adjust and control access across your whole organization using tools such as Sharing Settings, Roles, Profiles, Permission Sets, and Field Level Security.

• Sharing Settings - Sharing Rules allow you to give access to users at the record level by defining criteria on what can be shared. You can also simply share records manually within individual records.

• Roles - Roles can be used to define broad record access by position in the company. Using the Role Hierarchy, you can even designate record access based on who reports to specific users.

• Profiles - Profiles can be used to give users access to objects as a whole from the base levels of whether they can even view or edit the object at all.

• Permission Sets - Permission sets can be applied to individual users to give specific access that other users may not have access to.

• Field Level Security - This can be used to completely hide or show users an individual field.

Reporting and Dashboards

NPSP comes with many out-of-the-box reports to help you quickly see general information in a report. However, just like with all of Salesforce, you have the freedom to customize and create just about any report you could possibly need. These reports can be used to create dashboards to provide you with at-a-glance details about broad subjects, such as total donations received this year or number of current donors.

System Integration and Add-Ons

While Salesforce has nearly everything your organization might need, they also provide the ability to integrate with just about any third-party platform if you have a team capable and willing to handle the development. If you don’t have your own in-house development team, you can always connect with a certified Salesforce partner, like us here at DB Services. 

You also may be able to find a connector to many major third-party systems, although these might require some additional customization and typically have an additional cost. Some popular add-ons are Grant Management, which helps grantors manage grants that they are giving; Case Management, which provides more robust case management related specifically to nonprofits; and Program Management, which helps provide a more detailed view of your organization's specific programs.

Conclusion

Nonprofit Success Pack provides a wide variety of tools to help make your organization as effective and efficient as possible. Though there are more topics available than what we’ve discussed in this article, focusing on the topics discussed above will get you on the right path to success within your nonprofit’s Salesforce org. Contact DB Services for any questions you have or if you need assistance using and customizing NPSP!

Most implementations of our custom import wizard utilize Amazon's DynamoDB – it's fast, secure, and can automatically scale with your needs. It is possible to import data into DynamoDB directly from its console, but just like you wouldn't give your customers the keys to your shop, you'll want to keep your users far away from the console. Additionally, our import wizard can handle CSV, XLS, and XLXS, whereas the default DynamoDB console only supports CSV.

We've augmented the default DynamoDB import process with a customized user interface that can be uniquely tailored to your brand and organizational requirements. This import wizard allows you to assign imports to a variety of data points, review data before committing it to DynamoDB, and save your settings to make future imports of the same type even simpler.

In the first step of the process, you'll upload an import file and configure the initial settings, like choosing what type of data the import should become and assigning a name to this import instance - handy for future reference or in the event an import needs to be rolled back.

Our custom import wizard streamlines your DynamoDB import process and keeps your data ducks neatly aligned. It's a great way to simplify your data import process and ensure accuracy. Contact us today to see if this wizard could be a great fit for your needs!

Teamwork provides excellent API resources for diving into their available integration options. We'll focus first on authenticating with the API using the "App Login Flow," which uses the secure standard OAuth2.0 authentication method. The first step is to register the integration/app in the Developer Portal. The recommended approach is to use a dedicated user (who is not a person) with access to everything you want your integration to do (create, update, and delete projects, for example). That way, things don't suddenly come to a halt when Joe Developer leaves.

Once we have the access token, we're ready to integrate. Since Teamwork is a project management platform, it will be important to know what our tasks are. Let's start by getting all the Teamwork tasks for a project so that we can use them in our system.

For that, we'll need to set up a GET request to the Task entity in Teamwork.

Instead of pulling all tasks in Teamwork, we can use the parameter "includeCompletedTasks" to return only active tasks.  Depending on your use case, you may not want this, but it provides a very useful way to demonstrate how request filtering works through the Teamwork API and also prevents us from getting old data.

Our URL for this action will look like this: 

https://[mydomain].teamwork.com/tasks.json?includeCompletedTasks=false

If you'd like to limit your query to just one project, you can filter further with a url that looks like this:

https://[mydomain].teamwork.com/projects/[project id]/tasks.json?includeCompletedTasks=false

The accompanying cURL will look something like this. Note that we've included the response headers command so that we have access to view those in FileMaker for additional logging and debugging.

Updating Tasks

Now that we've retrieved our tasks, we can use that information to update them in Teamwork from FileMaker.

The format for this call will be pretty similar to the one we used for getting the tasks. This time, however, we'll send a PUT request and send a task body to tell Teamwork what we'd like to update.

The main difference in our URL, aside from the API version differences, is the use of the task ID at the end of the call to specify which task we're making the request for. So, for example, your URL for the update task call would look like this:

https://[your domain].teamwork.com/tasks/1234.json

It's important to note that you should always check the documentation when pushing data to an API. The structure, names, and JSON type of each data point will have to match in order to either avoid errors or avoid updating nothing. In particular, Teamwork requests dates to be pushed in a YYYY-MM-DD format as a JSON string ( {"due-date":"2023-03-02"} ), which is different than how some other APIs may request a date.

While we won't cover in detail how to get instant updates from Teamwork, it's important to know that you can. Teamwork offers a robust suite of webhooks for all kinds of actions that take place on the site, and which you can easily tap into to get near-instant updates about data in Teamwork.

At its simplest, you can set up a single webhook in the language and provider of your choice to listen for updates issued by Teamwork, then pass that data to FileMaker to handle whatever custom workflows you require. Teamwork even has logging tools in the webhook setup to help anticipate what is sent and troubleshoot any problems.

This article covers just the beginnings of how you might bring together your current business processes and Teamwork with the help of Claris FileMaker. The important thing is that you can extend the power of your own custom FileMaker solution to leverage pre-made tools with immense value and low cost. It's one more way FileMaker offers a springboard for innovation. 

If you're looking to extend the power of your FileMaker solution by integrating with Teamwork, contact us and let's talk about what we can accomplish together.

ChatGPT can be accessed for free by visiting chat.openai.com/chat. You may need to create an OpenAI account, and during high volume times, there may be some wait time before being permitted to use the site. The layout is a simple interface akin to a large text message. The AI is activated by typing and sending a message, after which the user can halt a response in progress or regenerate a completed response. 

The AI can handle a range of prompts from simple questions like "What is an elephant's lifespan?" to even more subjective things such as "What is Klayton Kershaw's best pitch?" You can even challenge it to a game of tic-tac-toe!

The official ChatGPT API is available for $0.002 for every 1,000 tokens. In this demo, we'll utilize OpenAI's free GPT3 API in conjunction with Postman to generate directions on how to bake a cake. There are three parameters that help determine the AI's response:

1. Model/Engine- Choose between Davinci, Ada, Curie, or Babbage. Each have their own capabilities and speed of parsing text.

2. Tokens- Required to produce text. For example, if your response requires 600 tokens, you must use 600 tokens to see the entire response. If your max is set to 300, you will only see part of the response.

3. Temperature- Determines the overall creativity and detail of the response on a scale from 0 to 1.0.

Below are two responses in Postman from the exact same prompt ("How do I bake a cake?") and model (Davinci), but the temperature has been increased from 0.2 to 0.9. You'll notice the second image has more detailed steps in the instructions. 

1. Temperature = 0.2

Where will AI be in five years? No one really knows, but the emergence of technology like ChatGPT could mean reliable alternatives to search engines, wikis, and code templates. To discuss integrating your FileMaker application with ChatGPT, please contact DB Services for more information.

• List Views

• List views are a new type of view that allow you to work visually with lists of records in groups. Within each group, choose a group name and add records (rows) or fields (columns.) The records in each group are all stored in the same view, and the value of the Group field determines the groups in each record.

• Easily drag records from one group to another by selecting the rows and dragging the handle on the left to another group.

• You can also create a spreadsheet view from the list view to see the data differently. In addition, you can recover an archived group by clicking Add New Group and selecting the archived group.

• Table Names- When creating a view, the default table name is now based on the default view name. For example, instead of starting with "Untitled," the table name will now start with "Form" followed by a number. You can easily rename the table by clicking the table name and selecting Rename Table.

• Starter Views- a package of views that work together to solve a specific problem. For example, a project management starter view includes a planning board, kanban board, epics list, tasks spreadsheet, and milestones spreadsheet.

Hubs

• Public sharing is now easier for team managers with a special hub called Publicly Shared Views. Views you add to this hub are shared with anyone who has the link. 

Charts

• Bubble charts- display values based on a third field as the size of the bubble used for each data point on the x- and y-axis. This chart allows you to visually compare individual data points regarding the magnitude of another value. For example, here, we used age and cost as the x- and y-axis, and the third field was the record count of campers who are that age.

Other Enhancements

• Time/Timestamps- you now have the ability to choose whether to display time and timestamp field values as they were entered or in the current user's timezone

• Rich text field type- allows users to add formatting like bullets, hyperlinks, bolded text, heading levels, and more

• Developer mode- Team managers can now use Developer mode to more easily edit hubs and views and manage users. Turn off Developer mode to work with data in views.

• Comment field- a new, convenient way to capture thoughts on a record in list-detail, spreadsheet kanban, or list views

• Spreadsheet object- allows you to display data in a table along with chart and summary objects

We're excited to work with these updates and features, and we look forward to the creative new solutions we will be able to build with the Claris Platform. If you have questions or would like help building a solution in Claris Studio, Claris Pro, Claris FileMaker, or Claris Go, please contact us today to get started.

The Actionable Relationship Center (ARC) is a key feature in Financial Services Cloud (FSC) that gives users a quick and easy way to view a customer's relationships at a glance. Spring '23 brings with it a handful of enhancements that help administrators and developers customize the ARC to better fit the needs of users:

• Show fields from multiple objects on an ARC node - Users can now see fields from related objects on an ARC node, as long as the relationship is a lookup relationship to a parent object. Prior to Spring '23, users could only see fields from the ARC node's object.

• Tie OmniScripts to ARC node actions - Like Flows, OmniScripts automate a set of steps for a user. In Spring '23, admins can add OmniScripts as actions to an ARC node. This will help extend what users can do on the ARC without needing to leave the page.

• Use FlexCards for ARC nodes - Admins now have the ability to display the details of an ARC node using a FlexCard. FlexCards are a declarative way to display information from multiple data sources and a place for users to perform actions on the data.

• View ARC graphs vertically - By default, hierarchies in an ARC are displayed from left to right, aka horizontally. However, this can be hard to follow with a deep hierarchy. In Spring '23, admins now have the option to display ARC graphs vertically.

Admins now have the ability to enable a user's Microsoft or Google account to automatically sync events as interaction summaries. Previously, users would need to create the events in both their Microsoft/Google calendars and in Salesforce, causing double data entry. 

Assessment Enhancements

The Discovery Framework in Financial Services Cloud gives admins the ability to create digital forms to collect assessments from prospects and clients. In Spring '23, Salesforce added a few enhancements to the discovery framework, including automatically prefilling data from previous assessments, building forms with OmniScript elements, and more. 

Actionable Segmentation (Beta)

Actionable Segmentation is a new set of features in beta that give users the ability to create their own segment of clients for outreach. Users create actionable list definitions to generate actionable lists, and use those lists for marketing initiatives. To be able to use Actionable Segmentation, users need the Industry Sales Excellence Add On with Actionable Segmentation permission set.

Spring Forward to a Brighter Future

The Spring '23 release of Financial Services Cloud provides plenty of reasons to be excited for the future of FSC. If you wish to learn more about these updates or the others included in the release, please check out the official release notes. If you have any questions about Salesforce Financial Services Cloud or want to talk about your Salesforce needs, contact DB Services!

The first thing you'll need to do is create a Dropbox account. From here, you'll need to create an app.

Once you have your Dropbox app set up, it's time to start implementing it into FileMaker. The simplest way to manage the credentials to your Dropbox application in FileMaker is to store them on a Preferences table, where you can update them and it will be accounted for in all areas simultaneously. The fields you should include are: App Key, App Secret, Redirect URI, Access Token, Refresh Token, and the Refresh Timestamp. If multiple users are going to be signing in to Dropbox and using the integration, the Access Token, Refresh Token, and Refresh Timestamp should be stored by user.

With this information added in, users added to the application will be able to sign into Dropbox and get their Access Token. This is done with a web viewer set to a login screen. After the user enters their information, they'll need to accept terms based on the selected scopes. Note that if scopes change for the App, users will need to re-authenticate.

Uploading Documents

One of the main draws of a Dropbox integration is being able to upload documents directly to your Dropbox folders from FileMaker. This has multiple purposes: it can be used to reduce the size of your FileMaker solution, allow you to access files from anywhere, or share the document with others that aren't able to access FileMaker, among many other purposes.

As far as actually developing the process goes, it's actually a multi-step process. The process consists of actually pushing the document to a specified path in Dropbox, then getting a "Share URL" from the host. This Share URL is what allows a user to access the uploaded document directly to work with it. Below is an example of what is returned from a successful upload of a document - providing the document path and other identifying information.

In addition to uploading documents, you're also able to download documents you've uploaded to your device. The process here is much less involved than uploading. Here, all you need is the direct path the file is stored at in Dropbox. You'll then run a cURL to insert the binary file at the specified path into a container as an intermediary, then a standard Export Field Contents to get the item to your local path.

Conclusion

Integrating Dropbox into your FileMaker solution is a great way to save space on your server and allow access to documents on the go. These features bring a level of convenience and security to your documents that you won't achieve with only local storage. If you have any questions or need help integrating Dropbox with your FileMaker solution, contact DB Services and we'll be glad to help!

Meals on Wheels was started in 1954 by a small group of Philadelphia citizens and has grown into one of the largest and most effective social movements in America. To this day, their goal remains the same: to support our senior neighbors to extend their independence and health as they age. Their large network of programs currently serves nearly 2.4 million seniors annually in virtually every community in the country. 

Hunger and poverty are not the only challenges that Meals on Wheels programs aim to address. Isolation is another serious issue plaguing senior citizens, with 58% of meal recipients stating that the person delivering their meal is the only person they will see that day. Home-delivered meals also help keep an estimated 8 out of 10 recipients who have previously fallen from falling again. Many seniors want to continue living independently for as long as they can, and Meals on Wheels runs effective programs to assist them in doing just that. 

Each customer survey we receive is an additional donation towards Meals on Wheels. Your feedback will not only help our team at DB Services, but also provide Meals on Wheels with donations to further their important mission. Together we can help improve the lives of those in our communities who need it the most! 

Salesforce Platform: DevOps Center is here!

The DevOps Center changes the way we think about change sets. In fact, it greatly mitigates the need for change sets at all. It allows for changes to an organization to be tracked via source, currently through Github. This functionality makes it possible for admins and devs to work more closely in an organization. DevOps Center's point-and-click solution makes it easy for anyone to use.

Getting Started with DevOps

The DevOps is generally available to the Lightning Experience in the Developer, Professional, Enterprise, Performance, and Unlimited editions. To get started, enable DevOpsCenter in your org, accept the license agreement and install the managed package. After installation, find and select DevOpsCenter from Setup. To gain access, users will need a Github account and access to their team's repository.

Once the set-up is completed, you may work as normal. All changes and additions you make to your organization are tracked in the source, reviewable through the pipeline, and deployed straight into production or other environments. Without needing to track changes manually, your team has more time to spend focusing on the important things, and that has us dancing for joy.

New to DevOps

• Swap a Refreshed Sandbox - When refreshing a sandbox, DevOps will now prompt you to switch the connection from the old sandbox to the new one. It will also ensure that the new sandbox is loaded with the latest source in the pipeline stage's branch.

• Manage Environments More Easily - You can swap a development or pipeline environment with another that is activated. You can also remove unused dev environments, disconnect expired environments, and change to a different environment for a pipeline stage if the pipeline isn't activated.

• Perform a Validate-Only Deployment - With this feature, you can run your Apex tests prior to deployment. It will validate the tests, but will not save any components, enabling you to check the success of your tests prior to actual deployment. Then, later in your deployment process, you can execute a quick deployment to promote changes without needing to run the tests again.

Automation: HTTP Callout in Salesforce Flows (Beta)

You can now include external data in Flow Builder using HTTP Callout. When you add the details of a web-based service API, Flow Builder creates an external service with invocable actions. These can be used immediately in your Flow Builder and across your Salesforce organization. Integrations can be added without code or without using a service such as Mulesoft.

Analytics: Personalized Report Filters

Salesforce is getting personal with report filters. This update brings the ability to filter reports based on the user. Any filter created on a user field, such as Created By, gives the option to use a relative value. When selecting that option, you can choose to filter by the currently signed-in user, creating custom reports personalized for each member of your team.

Sales Cloud: Dynamic Forms for Leads and Cases

Previously, you could only use Dynamic Forms in Lightning Builder for accounts, contacts, and opportunity record pages. Now, you can enhance your lead and case record pages as well. You can even upgrade your old layouts to use the new Dynamic Forms with the push of a button from within the Record Detail component.

Service Cloud: Monitor Contact Center Health in Omni-Channel Wallboard (Pilot)

Using the Wallboard tab in the Omni-Channel, supervisors have access to charts and metrics to help them manage their service teams. They can monitor agent capacity status, maximum wait times, and current work item status. This feature is currently a pilot, so contact your Salesforce account executive to enroll.

Experience Cloud: Create Component Visibility Rules in Enhanced LWR Sites (Pilot)

Getting moving is about being in the right place at the right time. The same applies to the information in your organization. With the new Visibility Rules, you can show or hide individual components conditionally. From the new Visibility tab, you can define logical AND/OR rules to show components and increase user engagement. This feature is currently a pilot, so contact your Salesforce account executive to enroll.

Sometimes mobile users are in areas of low to no service. Now, you can build offline apps with Lightning Web Components to keep your agents productive even when they're offline. With Lightning Web Components, you can show relevant data and calculated metrics in the dashboard and capture data with dynamic forms. This feature is generally available in the Field Service mobile app for Android and iOS.

Commerce Cloud: Create a B2B Store Built on Lightning Web Runtime

Salesforce has been moving away from Aura components to the faster Lightning Experience, and B2B is the next stop. The B2B Lightning Web Runtime template provides better customization by taking larger components and breaking them into smaller, more manageable blocks.

Industry Clouds

Financial Services Cloud: Show Fields from Multiple Objects on an ARC Node

Previously on an ARC Graph node, you could only show the field from the node object. Now, you can also show the fields from any objects that have a look-up relationship to the node object.

Health Cloud: Contact Center

With the Contact Center, agents can quickly and securely handle members' concerns. They can verify a caller's identity, access health data, check insurance-related information, and even deploy actions set up in the Action Launcher. Agents can receive alerts on changes in record information and conduct quick searches of articles and FAQs within the Contact Center.

Spring is a time to get moving ...

...and this update is focused on moving data quickly and efficiently to get your organization growing. Whether it's moving changes from dev to production using the DevOps center, bringing your external data into Salesforce easily with HTTP Callout, or being more mobile and flexible with offline apps, Salesforce finds innovative ways to keep processes and flows moving. 

If you would like more information on these updates or to view past updates, please visit the official release notes. If you have any questions about Salesforce or want to see any of the implementations in your own Salesforce organization, contact DB Services!

There are two basic rules when appending PDFs in FileMaker:

1. Native FileMaker can only append a PDF if it is currently exporting to an existing PDF.

2. The BaseElements plugin allows you to append existing PDFs together. 

This basic distinction is important to keep in mind. If you are exporting a report PDF that is based on multiple layouts (or a single layout), use native functionality to go to each layout and export/append all the data as you go. However, if you wish to append an existing PDF to another existing PDF, you'll have to use the BaseElements plugin. We'll look at both methods in this article. Regardless of the tool you use, both can be run by FileMaker Server. Let's get started!

Note: In order for server functionality to be demonstrated, you will have to host the demo file (found at the end of this article) on your server. You can run the scripts locally and get the same result, but in the attached video and going forward, I will be demonstrating using a hosted file.

In the demo file, on the right hand side is a field for demonstrating native FileMaker Server. This field will hold the appended PDF once it’s been generated. The data for this PDF is based on layouts, which we will look at in a moment. Click the Append FileMaker Data Using FileMaker Server button. Once the server processes it, the Result PDF field will contain a PDF consisting of a header page and a sample report.

Note: The Save Records as PDF script step is only partially supported by FileMaker Server and was not available until version 16.

For more information regarding the how, when, and security options for appending PDFs, see Claris's support page here. Of particular interest, it specifies that when running on FM Server, you can only append to a PDF generated earlier in the same script. This is important to remember when script planning.

Go back to the Main Screen layout. Now we’ve got our appended PDF in a container field and can utilize it for our business operations.

Append PDFs using BaseElements

Suppose, however, we want to append two existing PDFs together. We can't use native FileMaker functions to append; that only works if we are currently exporting data as a PDF. This is where the BaseElements plugin comes in. On the left hand side of the screen, you’ll see two container fields; one for holding the base PDF and one for the appending PDF.

Click the Append Existing PDF to Base PDF Using BaseElements button. The base PDF now has the existing PDF appended to the bottom. You can click this button multiple times and it will keep appending the existing PDF; the end result is one very long PDF.

Conclusion

Appending PDFs together is an essential tool for data manipulation. When deciding what method to use for implementing appending PDFs in FileMaker, remember the two rules:

1. Native FileMaker can only append a PDF it is currently exporting to an existing PDF.

2. The BaseElements plugin allows you to append existing PDFs together. 

These two rules will help you determine what solution meets your business needs. If you have any questions about manipulating PDFs in FileMaker or would like to discuss how this could help your business, contact us today!

Transactional scripting in FileMaker means that you do not save any changes until all database record modifications have been completed for a given process. For example, let's say you wanted to submit an order in a system and have an invoice automatically created. Part of the process may include other tasks like updating inventory counts, sending emails, updating values in the order line item table, etc. 

Transactional scripting means that if everything goes through without error, you can commit the changes and move on. However, if any one thing fails or has an error, the entire process will be rolled back as if nothing ever happened. Previously, this required time-consuming development to create many relationships with huge scripts and specific developer layouts to allow for things like record deleting.

New & Improved Transactions

Let's introduce the new transaction script steps released in Claris FileMaker 19.6:

• Open Transaction: Starts the transaction process. All record changes are held in the transaction until a commit or revert transaction occurs. Script steps following the open transaction script will be indented in, similar to the Loop script step. This step has two options that are similar to the commit Records/Requests script step where you can state that when the transaction ends and commits, you have the option to skip data entry validation and/or override ESS locking conflicts.

• Revert Transaction: Ends the transaction process and returns all records that were modified to their original state. You must specify the condition that must be true in order for the revert to take place. Similar to an Exit Loop If script step setting the next step as the end loop, it will then set the next script step to the commit transaction step. You may also pass a custom error code (between 5000 and 5499) and a custom error message.

• Commit Transaction: This ends the transaction and commits any changes made, using the settings set in the open transaction script step. This also removes the indent created by the open transaction script step, similar to the End Loop step.

• Vastly speeds up development time. 

• Simplified and more readable code.

• Learning the right way to write transactional scripts is no longer a college-level course.

• Significantly cuts down on the number of TOs needed for an application. 

• Decreases the need to create global fields just for a relationship to create related records transactionally.

• No longer dependent on objects being on a layout in order to delete a record.

• Spend less time debugging relationships and scripts.

• Reduce application size from reduced layouts, TOs, and scripts.

Above is everything you need to know to get started, but here are a few tips and tricks about the specific behavior of the new functionality:

1. Changes are still only tracked within the TO where the change was made. This means if you make changes to a line item table from a line item layout, you will not see those changes on the parent layout through a relationship until the transaction is committed.

2. Finds will always search on record data prior to an open transaction. If you delete a record, and do a find on that record all within one open transaction, that record can be within the found set of records. 

3. Use Get ( LastError ) and Get ( LastErrorDetail ) to get the custom code and message from the Revert Transaction script step.

4. Some script step errors will automatically revert the transaction and set the next script step to the commit transaction step.

5. Every Open Transaction must have the corresponding Commit Transaction within the same script.

6. You can not have an Open Transaction within another Open Transaction. That includes subscripts. 

7. You can not have a Revert Transaction or a Commit Transaction on their own. That includes subscripts.

8. To optimize performance, make sure you have developer layouts for you to navigate to that do not have any slow-performing objects on them (unstored calculations, summary fields, etc).

9. Enter find mode before navigating to a layout to do a find. This will ensure you do not load any record data unnecessarily.

10. Use Get ( TransactionOpenState ) to programmatically determine if you are currently in a transaction or not.

11. The data layer in FileMaker is still king. If you have a process that needs to go through a lot of records or make a lot of CRUD (create, read, update, delete) events across many records/tables, relationship-based scripting will perform better. 

Conclusion

Transactional scriptwriting should be used to ensure the entire process completes with data integrity and trust in the data of your applications when managing inventory or any data that is updated as part of process completion. Your application needs to be prepared to handle when errors occur and roll back the process when they do occur. With the new transaction script steps, that is now faster and easier than ever to do. If you need help updating your system to use transactional scripting, contact our team at DB Services.

Apple ID Sign-In

The highlight of this release! Users can now use their Apple ID to sign in to databases using OAuth. To use this, there are three prerequisites: an Apple Developer account, a valid SSL certificate, and SMTP configured on FileMaker Server to send email notifications. An Authkey must also be configured to properly set up Apple ID Sign-in. Documentation to get started can be found here.  

Additional OAuth Changes

FileMaker Server 19.6 also brings two other changes in OAuth. First, Databases that aren't configured for OAuth will no longer show OAuth sign-in, even if FileMaker Server configurations contain OAuth settings. The second change is that newly created files will now have the "Show sign-in fields when OAuth is enabled" option enabled by default.

Admin Console and Admin API

FileMaker Server 19.6 brought many new additions to the Admin Console and Admin API, including the ability to limit Admin Console access to specified IP Addresses, access to the Admin Console even when the Database Server is stopped or down, and a new Admin command.

CloneOnly

A new Admin Console parameter has been introduced in the newest update, "--cloneonly". This parameter is used with the fmsadmin backup command to create an empty clone rather than a complete backup of the specified file. As an example, the console command using this parameter would look like this:

fmsadmin backup MyFile.fmp12 -d "filemac:/C:/MyClones/" --cloneonly

If the destination parameter "-d" is not specified, the clone will be generated in the folder "FileMaker Server/Data/ClonesOnly/".

This feature is also usable when creating backup schedules. When creating a schedule, the Additional Settings menu now has the option to "Clone Only". When checked, the database will be cloned to the specified folder or the default folder specified above.

Admin Roles

Also introduced in this new release, Admin Roles allow you to administer a subset of databases using a distinct username and password with a chosen set of privileges. These privileges currently include:

• Perform actions on databases

• Perform actions on schedules - Backup databases, Verify databases, Run scripts

• View Logs

Note that currently, Admin roles are limited to Admin Console sign-in and not the CLI or Admin API.

Locking Console Access

In FileMaker Server 19.6, it is now possible to limit access to the Admin Console via the Console or the Admin API.  In the Admin Console, this option can be found under "Administration > Restrict Access". An important thing to note is that IP 127.0.0.1 (localhost) is always allowed and doesn't have to be specified by the user. In the Admin API, users can both get the list of IPs currently allowed or update listed IPs, via the following commands:

Get Restrict Access:

GET https://hostAddress/fmi/admin/api/v2/server/restrictaccess

This needs only the header "Authorization: Bearer {accessToken}"

Update Restrict Access:

PATCH https://hostAddress/fmi/admin/api/v2/server/restrictaccess

Needed headers include "Authorization: Bearer {accessToken}" and "Content-Type: 'application/json'", and needed parameters are "restrictIDEnabled: {boolean}" and "restrictIPList: {comma separated list of IPs}".

Additional Admin Console and API Updates

In addition to the highlights above, this release brought a few more new features and updates to administer your databases:

• The Admin Console is now accessible even when the database server is stopped or down

• The Admin API can now get and set database filtering options

• Admin API login can now be authenticated with a JSON Web Token that can be revoked at any time from FileMaker Server

Data API

You will also see a few Data API in this release, including:

• Data API Database Names endpoint guest control - The Database Names endpoint now requires authentication when the following items are both enabled: The Filter Database in Client Application option and the DenyGuestAndAutoLogin flag that can be set via the CLI.

• The "Get a Single Record by ID", "Get Records", and "Find Records" endpoints now include an optional "dateFormats" parameter which controls the format of date and timestamp returned: 0 for US, 1 for file locale, or 2 for ISO8601.

Additional Features and Changes

Aside from the above, the FileMaker Server 19.6 release is bringing with it many more changes, including:

• The ability to create a CSR with a secondary machine: The Admin Console on secondary machines will now include a button labeled "Create CSR"

• The FileMaker Data Migration Tool is now bundled with the FileMaker Server installation package - the file "FMDataMigration" is located in the same folder as other executable files

• WebDirect updates, including improvements to the list view and better record-lock handling

• The Admin Console now includes an option to "Download All Logs" on the Logs page

• The Admin Console and Admin API now allow for the configuration of a second additional database folder, a second container data folder, and whether to backup the files in a second container data folder

The new Claris FileMaker Server 19.6 release brings a lot of new improvements to the table. The new OAuth options, the ability to create empty clones via the Admin Console, and the various improvements to existing features look to greatly improve your experience in managing your databases and FileMaker solutions. If you are looking to upgrade your FileMaker server or have any questions regarding the release, please contact us for more info to get the most out of Claris FileMaker.

Arguably the largest new feature that 19.6 brings to the table is built-in support for transactions. Transactions are an excellent way to bundle sets of actions together, executing them or reverting them as a whole instead of a several smaller pieces. They are typically used for the mass creation, editing, or deletion of records where you want to ensure the entire set of data is valid, and if it is not, discarding the entire transaction as if the script itself never ran. While Filemaker has had the capability of performing transactions via scripts, in the past it involved manually setting up a transactional environment and database tables dedicated to transactions; to help with performing this extremely useful action, Claris has added three script steps explicitly for use with transactions. These script steps are as follows:

• Open Transaction: This step initiates the start of the transaction. Any changes in database records made after this step will be stored inside the transaction and will not be committed or reverted until the relevant transaction script step is called. If the script ends before reaching the commit step, it will automatically revert the transaction. You can make as many changes to the database as you want inside a single transaction, but keep in mind it will all be reverted unless explicitly committed via the 'Commit Transaction' script step.

• Commit Transaction: Ends the current transaction. Regardless of whether the user chooses to keep or discard the transaction, this script step must be called to close the transaction environment. 

• Revert Transaction: Discards any data changes the transaction made. You can set this script step to only activate based on specific conditions, and you can also optionally have it throw an error code and message in the script if it activates. Once this script step is called, it ignores any other lines of the script between itself and the 'Commit Transaction' script step and runs that step next.

Related to the addition of transactions, the Get (TransactionOpenState) function can be used to check if the script is currently inside a transaction environment or not. It returns 1 (True) if it is, and 0 (false) if not. This can be useful for calling several different transactions in one script, as well as for error handling.

If you would like to read more about transaction scripts, check out our Transaction Scripts article, which includes a download file and demo video. 

Set Dictionary

The new Set Dictionary script step allows users to specify both the dictionary and language for the current instance of the file. This can be useful for systems or layouts used by non-English users, but keep in mind that it does not translate any pre-existing text into the language, but rather checks the spells of text in the system against the language specified. When using the step, it looks something like this:

Set Dictionary [ Spelling Language: UK English; User Dictionary: "User_uk.upr" ]

If you want to use a dictionary other than the default for the language chosen, then it must be provided from a file source--either locally or from a container.

Other New Functions

In addition to the new Dictionary function, several other functions have been added or updated for compatibility with Transactions. They are as follows:

• Get (CurrentTimeUTCMicroseconds) - This new function returns the current time in UTC format to the nearest microsecond.

• Get (LastErrorLocation) - This new function returns the location of the error that gets returned by Get (LastError), and is compatible with transactions. If an error occurs within a transaction, then this will return the location of the 'Commit Transaction' script step.

• The function Get (LastExternalErrorDetail) has been renamed to Get (LastErrorDetail) and now returns error details for a transaction if it is called after exiting one. This function's use--returning the text of an error, including the script name, the script step that caused the error, and the line number of the step--is unchanged from how it has been in prior FileMaker versions.

Other Updates

Disable context menu for interactive containers

Users with full access can disable the context menu for containers that are interactable via the Inspector in layout mode. With this option enabled, non-Admin users will not be able to access the context menu for containers by right-clicking, thus limiting their access to edit the field.

Temp files are typically deleted when the user closes the file, but if you need to remove them from your system sooner, you can manually delete them from the Preferences menu. In "Preferences" > "General", a new option has been added under "Application" to "Delete cached temp files".

Claris FileMaker Pro 19.6 provides more innovative improvements that will make development more efficient. We are excited to use these new updates in Claris FileMaker 19.6 to continue to help you build custom applications. Contact DB Services at any time if you have questions or needs with Claris FileMaker!

To begin, you must first have an account. If you don't have a merchant account, you can easily create a sandbox account to test with. To follow along with this article, it is recommended to create and use a sandbox account. 

Once your account is created and you've logged in, one of the first screens you'll see is a popup. Here, you can change your Authorize.net account to a live version or a test version. For this article, we will switch it to live. No payments will be processed in either mode for a sandbox, but switching it to live allows us to track payments and transactions.

From there, we can get the two pieces of information we need under Account Settings > API Credentials and Keys. We will need the API Login ID and the Transaction Key, which will need to be generated and copied.

One of the quickest and easiest processes in Authorize.net is setting up a customer's profile—simply plug in their information and let the call do the rest of the work. However, if you're familiar with API calls, you'll notice there's something immediately strange about Authorize.net's API calls: the JSON must be ordered in a certain way, or the call won't work.

The Authorize.net API, which is not based on REST, offers JSON support through a translation of JSON elements to XML elements. While JSON does not typically require a set order to the elements in an object, XML requires strict ordering. Developers using the Authorize.net API should force the ordering of elements to match this API Reference.

         Source: https://developer.authorize.net/api/reference

This becomes the hardest part of integrating FileMaker and Authorize.net, as FileMaker automatically sorts the JSON alphabetically, which we don't want. Fortunately, there's always a workaround. By using a custom function called JSONSerialReorder, we can order the JSON how we need it, and the calls are back to being easy. Below is an example of using the serial reorder to make a properly formatted JSON element.

After our customer has been created, as a very basic transaction, we can charge the customer an item they purchase. This can be done in many ways, such as a subscription, charging the card, or charging the customer profile. The API call for charging a customer looks similar, too:

Conclusion

By integrating Authorize.net and FileMaker, processing and recording payments can be faster than ever, and the risk of human error is significantly reduced. There's no limit to what you can do between these two systems; pulling processed payments from Authorize.net into FileMaker is just as easy as charging a card. Combining FileMaker and Authorize.net gives your business more time to do what it does best: focus on the customer. If you would like help integrating Authorize.net with your FileMaker application, don't hesitate to contact us!

User acceptance testing (UAT), also sometimes called end user testing, is the stage in a project where the software is tested by its intended users. The goal of UAT is to make sure the software performs as intended and no features have been overlooked or contain bugs. 

Why is UAT important?

Simply put, developers should build the product; quality assurance (QA) professionals should handle all the initial testing, and the end user should be completing the UAT. By sticking to this distinction, we ensure that the software is doing what it is designed to do in the user’s actual workflow that may have been missed by general QA testing. On top of validating the end-to-end business flow, UAT is also a cornerstone in helping prevent re-work after a release. Fixes that are made after the software has gone live can create an unnecessary burden and typically ends up costing more time and money than it would have if those issues had been caught prior to release. This is where UAT really thrives. 

UAT Process Management

The key to successful UAT is adopting industry standards. Let's go over the steps you can take to successfully implement UAT into a business development schedule.

1. Knowledge Gathering: The first step to successful UAT is gathering the information required to create comprehensive test cases. Here, we are defining the sequence of user action, guidelines for specific tests, and intended results from the user action.

2. Scope: While testing in general is crucial to the success of a business process, there are unique situations where UAT can safely be ignored. Ensuring that UAT is included when defining the scope of a project means that both the development team and end users can be assured that resources are not being wasted on tasks that are non-critical to the overall success of a project.

3. Design and Execution: This is where the success of UAT will really be defined. The best suggestion is to plan time for UAT sessions before crucial milestones when the development team, dedicated testers, and end users can meet to create successful documentation. Once a testing document is created, the users that will be testing can begin work. At the end of this article, there is a downloadable UAT template that can be used during this design and execution phase.

4. Confirmation: Once the testing document has been executed and all defects and bugs have been resolved, it is time to sign off on UAT and then go live.

UAT Document Training

Accurate and thorough documentation on the UAT strategy and general plan is crucial to a successful and efficient outcome. Documentation should feasibly include as much of this list as possible:

• Out-of-scope situations worth testing

• A generalized agreement on standards that dictate a pass or fail on a test step

• How to carry out each step in the testing process

• Expectations for the UAT session as a whole

At the end of this article is a downloadable template that can get your organization started implementing a UAT cycle into your development workflow. 

Starting at the top of the document, you should begin with general information including who will be completing the UAT tests, the project name, and any other information deemed relevant to the project. Just below this header are the columns where the actual test cases will be defined by number. Make sure to always include the date of testing for each test case.

While most of these first columns are self-explanatory, the focus of this article’s training will be in columns C - F, which describe the user actions, expected vs. actual results, and the pass/fail column.

Following this, the users tasked with completing the UAT will fill out the columns for actual results and pass/fail. If the intended result of a step is completed, no real action is necessary and a quick check in the box defines that step has passed UAT. However, if something unintentional happens during a step in the process, this is where the most valuable information will be found. Issues that would be helpful to add here would be inconsistencies in visual elements within the project, defining whether or not the user experience is intuitive and efficient, and any error messages that may get presented.

The scope of the project will dictate whether the bottom tabs of the document are necessary. If the scope is small and the project does not have multiple iterations or releases, then we can easily use one dedicated document to complete all UAT. However, if there are known milestones in the project development cycle, having separate tabs for milestone-specific UAT sessions is beneficial.

A successful UAT cycle can take some time, but the benefit of spending that time upfront will prove invaluable to anyone that’s experienced the hassle and cost of post-release bug fixes. By allocating resources early in the scope of a project for UAT planning and execution, there will be greater security in knowing that a project is truly ready to be released into the wild. While it is great to be skilled in all steps of a project’s lifecycle, one key thing to remember is: developers should develop, internal QA should be done by dedicated QA professionals, and the intended end users should be the last bastion to complete UAT.

If you have any questions regarding this article, the downloadable template, or user acceptance testing as a whole, please feel free to reach out to DB Services and let’s see how we can implement UAT in your organization. 

Get Ready for the Release!

Important Dates for Spring '23

• Pre-Release Org Sign Up: December 15

• Release Notes: December 21

• Sandbox Previews: January 1

• Release Dates: January 13, February 3, February 10 

Pre-release orgs are a great way to test the new release features in a clean, stand-alone environment before they're rolled out into your sandbox and production orgs. We will add the link to sign up here when it becomes available.

If you already had a pre-release org for Winter '23, you can log back into that one to access your Spring '23 pre-release org.

Spring '23 Release Notes

Release notes offer us our first in-depth look into each new feature that will be implemented across Salesforce once the release goes live. You can easily search for the updates that will be made to the products you use!

You can also find updates, ask questions, and discuss your favorite features in the Release Readiness Trailblazer Community Group.

Be sure to sign up for our newsletter so you can stay up-to-date on when the release notes become available!

Spring '23 Sandbox Preview

The Sandbox preview is a great way to test out the new features as they pertain to your unique configurations within your own Salesforce org, without affecting your live environment. Use the Salesforce Sandbox Preview Guide to determine if you want to upgrade your Sandbox or keep it on Winter '23 until Spring '23 officially releases.

Spring '23 Release Dates

The most important thing to do is make sure you're aware of when your Salesforce instance is going to be upgraded to Spring '23. Be sure to test everything before the release goes live to ensure everything works properly and you know how to navigate the new features and upgrades. Be sure to check out the Release Resources page to help prepare for the new updates!

You can find your Salesforce instance by going to company information in Setup within Salesforce. To find your release date, go to Salesforce Trust, select your instance name, and click on the "Maintenance" tab. This will show you the date that your org will be upgraded to Spring '23.

If you have any questions about Salesforce or want to get started on your digital transformation, contact us today!

Sources: Salesforce Admin Blog

Imagine you have just signed into your new Salesforce org for your sales-based business, and you are ready to start building out the platform. You have a checklist of tasks for new accounts that you have been keeping in Excel and want to bring into Salesforce. The tasks could be automatically created as task records for each new account, but your process doesn’t exactly match the native function of task records. Additionally, you have over 100 tasks per account, and you don’t really like the idea of having that many related tasks to keep track of.

You start to think about maybe creating a custom object that houses the task list and keeps track of their status. Then the dilemma sets in. If you use a custom object, are you going against the intended functionality of the system? Would you be missing out on key features that are linked to the standard object?

This is the kind of scenario Salesforce admins face constantly, and the concern is valid.

It does not, however, mean we must remain in FUD about the value of custom objects. By understanding our business processes and breaking down the requirements into digestible and translatable objectives, we can be confident that the solutions we build will meet our needs. And properly deployed custom objects play a crucial role in delivering on that inherent promise of customizability.

What is a Custom Object?

To answer the question, “What is a custom object?” it would first help to know what objects are at all.

Depending on the Salesforce product you are using, a variety of these objects and relationships will come standard on the system. These are called standard objects and some of them are important for system functionality, like the User or Profile objects. But many more of them are intended to represent common business objects like accounts, contacts, leads, etc.

As you may have surmised by now, custom objects are objects that are not standard. These objects can be created by the user or may come as part of a package installed from the AppExchange or somewhere else. And their purpose is to provide a method for users to store data and relationships in ways that would not be fully serviced by a standard object.

Simply put, if you have data that you want to store in Salesforce, but it doesn’t make sense to use a standard object, you could create a custom object. You may be wondering, “This sounds simple; why would anyone be afraid of custom objects?” There are a few very important components to that answer. 

Custom Object Considerations 

1. Relationships, Redundancy, Reports

These 3 R’s represent the structural aspect to consider when determining how objects fit in the data model. It’s all fine and good to have a custom object sitting alone by itself with no relationships to other objects, but the value of this is limited. Relationships add dimensions to your data and allow you to draw deeper insights and find meaningful patterns that you can act on. That is if the relationship is represented accurately.

As an example, consider a business that utilizes the standard Account and Contact objects but has another type of contact that they want to segment from their standard contacts because they serve a different role on the account. To facilitate this, their admin essentially clones the Contact object and calls the new custom object Contact 2. And some of the standard contacts may also be Contact 2’s, so they will have records in each object.

After a while, the admin notices some flaws with the option they chose. Because there are redundant records between objects, some discrepancies in contact data exist due to users not updating both records, and they don’t know which contact information is correct. Also, they now have to run 2 separate reports to see all their contacts and have to manually stitch them together to get the actual report they need. On top of that, there are even more issues to deal with. 

2. Record Sharing

After creating the Contact 2 object, users started noticing that almost everyone had access to all the new Contact 2 records. The standard Contact object had sharing settings established that represented record access by sales division and territory. But the new custom object was created with public read/write access and users who should not have had access to certain records had erroneously modified them.

3. Object Permissions

Additionally, issues with object permissions for the Contact 2 object were not correctly established, causing users not to have visibility of certain fields that they should have, or not able to see any records at all.

4. Features and Automation

Lastly, users reported that features and automated processes built around the standard Contact object could not be readily utilized with the new custom object. They learned that leads may only be converted to a standard Contact record and that a record-triggered flow to send notifications and make field updates would need to be cloned and amended to facilitate the new object.

Clearly, the admin in this example did not fully realize the consequences of this approach. Had they done so, they may have looked for alternative solutions that leveraged the standard functionality of Contact Roles, bypassing the need for a custom object. This cautionary tale only serves to illustrate the value of a thorough comprehension of your business processes related to your requirement. 

Now let’s explore an example where analysis and proper utilization of Salesforce tools produce a satisfactory solution.

What Could Go Right

Company A is a service business that provides inventory management to its accounts. These accounts should be able to see and place orders for inventory held by other accounts that they have an agreement with. Because these relationships changed so frequently, they could not use Groups alone to share required records. Their admin realizes that to be able to meet this need, a representation of a many-to-many relationship between account and account will need to be used. 

The admin evaluates their options and determines that the relationship itself should be a record and that no standard object would be able to be utilized to meet this need. They create the custom object (aka Junction object) and use this as a foundation to build their entire management solution.

Because the relationship between accounts was accurately understood, a mindful evaluation of their needs resulted in a new object with no redundancies. Additionally, because the custom object was used to relate inventory and order data between accounts, they were able to create reports that contained all the information they needed without extra manipulation. 

As a part of deploying their solution, Company A’s admin based their sharing rules on the junction object to ensure each account had access to the records they needed. Finally, because this custom object was a completely novel representation of data in their system, they did not need to worry about granting object permissions to their external users or maintaining access to flows or standard features. 

Though the extra analysis of their requirements cost them some time in the beginning, the value realized through the end product was far greater than if they had mimicked the route taken in the previous example.

When to Use a Custom Object vs. a Standard Object

Now that you have seen examples of both a poorly conceived utilization of custom objects and a skillful one, it may still be tricky to discern when the proper situation is to utilize them over a standard object. There are also some less obvious factors that you should consider depending on your situation. To distill the lessons we learned earlier and add some additional context, here are some questions you can use to help guide your decision.

1. Is there a standard object that mostly represents the type of data I am looking to store? 

Often, if there is a standard object that exists which could serve as the target object with some mismatches (ex. Missing fields, relationships, or segmentation) you may want to consider some ways in which you could use the standard object and make modifications. A combination of fields, record types, page layouts, sharing settings, and other features can go a long way in meeting your needs.

2. Are there features specific to a standard object that cannot be easily replicated with a custom object? 

In addition to the lead conversion example in the scenario above, certain features and rules may be specifically scoped to standard objects. Consider the requirements of your needs and if they intersect to help you decide.

3. Are there fields on a prospective standard object that I don’t need?

Some standard objects have required fields that may not be necessary for your needs. For example, Opportunities require a close date for the record to be saved.

4. Are you planning to utilize the same object for many different apps? 

If many divisions or people will be storing data in the same object and require different record types, page layouts, and security settings, it may make more sense to create a custom object. Depending on the nature of the object, the needs of the business, and the effort of maintenance, a custom object might be better suited to the job.

5. Will creating a custom object require the creation of additional objects?

If you are attempting to recreate a relationship between a parent and child object, you very well may have to create more than one custom object. This may be easily doable depending on the situation but could also cause an undue amount of extra work.

Do Not Object to Custom

At this point in our understanding of custom objects, I sincerely hope you've been assuaged of any residual FUD. The fact is that if you intend to bring your entire business into the platform, it is unlikely that you can get away without needing to create a custom object at some point. But that should not be any reason to raise fear, uncertainty, or doubt about the way you use objects, so long as you employ thoughtful analysis to the particular needs of your process. Custom objects are meant to set your data free (figuratively), not pigeonhole it into some object that was never intended to hold it. 

If you wish to explore the true potential of a thoughtfully designed data model in your Salesforce org, please to contact DB Services for any questions you may have!

Before you start sending documents, you will need to create a SignNow account. For this tutorial, we will use a developer sandbox account. Once you have familiarized yourself with the integration features, you can move on to the production version. Remember the production version is not free. There is a free trial version, but you need to pay based on how many signatures/documents you are sending on a monthly basis.

Once you have created an account, you want to go to the API settings page. To navigate there, go to the bottom-left of the navigation menu and click on API. Then you will appear on the API key settings page below.

Next, open up your FileMaker application and enter the required information. We need the API URL, the basic token, and the login username and password. For this example, we are using the sandbox environment, so the API URL is: https://api-eval.signnow.com, but once you are ready for production, you can use the API URL: https://api.signnow.com.

Create Templates

Instead of storing templates in SignNow, we are adding the ability to store the templates in FileMaker. This will give you more power as a user to customize the templates and save them all in the same location.

Usually, when you want a template, you would have to go to SignNow, add a template, and add the customized smart fields like the signature, date, and more, then pull the template ID from SignNow into FileMaker. This process is fine, but it doesn't give you as much control. Let's dig into why.

Hit the "New Template" Button to go to the template setup page below.

Add all the basic info, then start going down from step 1 to step 4. In step 1, you want to insert the document that you will be using as a template. Hit Insert to insert a PDF or a Word document file. 

In step 2, hit the Upload to SignNow button to upload the template to SignNow. Remember, you need to have already logged in to your SignNow account because this step automatically opens up the webpage URL to the template document for you to add the smart fields. See image below.

The most powerful aspect of this? You can modify them! You can manually add more fields and unique ones that are not on the list like a stamp field, change the dimension, change the page where they would appear, or delete them. A warning, though; if you add a field like on page 10, but there are only 7 pages, or if you add negative dimensions, the system will error out. But as they say, with great power comes great responsibility!

Uploading Documents and Sending

Once we have at least one template set up, we can now upload a document and send it using that particular template. Click on the next step button to go to the final upload and send document layout. To upload, select the template, insert the document to upload to SignNow, and hit upload. This will generate a link where you can see the document uploaded to SignNow. Another warning here; if you choose the wrong document template and document to upload, you will get an error. There is no way to check the document you uploaded is matching the templates, so you have to be diligent with your uploads here!

Integrating SignNow with your FileMaker system can reduce the costs of sending documents while streamlining the process and allowing for automation. SignNow also allows you to easily create templates on the FileMaker side, giving you full control to customize your document signatures and other fields. Contact us today for assistance integrating SignNow with your FileMaker system.

Serverless architecture is a way for you to build applications without having to worry about managing infrastructure. Though the name may suggest it, AWS serverless architecture does not mean there is no infrastructure or that the application is not running on servers. Instead, it means that AWS handles all the server management for you. It allows developers to build applications without having to worry about managing servers. This removes responsibility from the developers and allows them to focus completely on building the application.

Why is serverless architecture useful?

Time-Savings

Building an application using a serverless architecture can be very useful as it frees up a significant amount of time for the developers. Since AWS handles server management, the developers no longer have to worry about spending time setting up or managing servers. Instead, they can use this valuable time to focus solely on building the best possible application. This time saving also helps you get faster time-to-market for your application. 

Flexibility

AWS serverless architecture also provides flexible scaling for your application. AWS allows you to adjust the capacity of your application by toggling units of consumption such as throughput and memory. This simplifies things and allows you to scale your application easily and quickly.

Billing Model

AWS offers a pay-for-use billing model for your serverless applications. This means you are not paying for unused servers, which allows you to optimize your costs and save money.

AWS Tools

AWS provides a set of tools that, when used together, allow you to build a powerful serverless architecture. Below is more information on some of these tools as well as an example diagram of how these tools may be connected when building a serverless architecture.

AWS Amplify

AWS Amplify is a package of tools that allows you to quickly build and scale web and mobile applications. Some of the things included in AWS Amplify are code libraries, ready-to-use components, and a built-in Command Line Interface (CLI). This allows you to quickly put together backend pieces for your application instead of having to do it all by scratch. Using AWS Amplify along with other AWS tools is one of the quickest ways to build your applications from the ground up.

AWS Lambda

AWS Lambda is an event-driven serverless computing platform that allows you to run code without having to manage servers. Lambda will deal with everything that is required to run and scale your code. It also allows you to potentially save money since you only pay for the time you use; you are not charged for the service when your code is not running.

Amazon DynamoDB 

DynamoDB is a flexible and fast NoSQL database service. It is a fully managed, serverless, key-value NoSQL database designed to run high-performance applications at any scale. It offers many features including built-in security, continuous automatic backups, and data import and export tools.  If you want more information on DynamoDB and NoSql databases check out our article that compares NoSQL vs. Relational Databases!

Amazon API Gateway

Amazon API Gateway is a fully managed service that makes it easy for developers to create, publish, maintain, monitor, and secure APIs at any scale. It allows for efficient and flexible API development at any scale. APIs act as the "front door" for applications to access data, business logic, or functionality from your backend services. API Gateway allows developers to create RESTful and WebSocket APIs to enable two-way communication between applications. 

Amazon S3

Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3) is an object storage service offering scalability, data availability, security, and performance. S3 can store data for basically any use case at any size. It offers cost-effective storage classes that allow you to optimize your cost and easy-to-use management features that make it easier to organize and configure your data.

An application built using a serverless architecture can save time for developers, allow for flexibility when scaling your application, and save you money. AWS offers a wide variety of tools that allow you to build out your serverless application. If you are looking for a way to build an application without having to worry about managing or maintaining servers, a serverless architecture through AWS is a great option. 

If you have any questions about serverless architecture or the tools AWS offers, contact DB Services, and let's talk about what we can accomplish together. 

For those unfamiliar with the idea of the Kanban board, it is an organizational tool used to help visualize current tasks related to a project. It makes use of columns and cards to show teams where they stand on their work and what needs doing, all in a clean, easy-to-interpret form.

Getting Started

Creating Columns

Getting a board started in Claris Studio is incredibly simple. On login, you'll find yourself in the "Views" menu. From here, you'll select the "Create New View" drop-down in the upper right and click "Kanban". This will bring you to a blank board where you can get started. Each Kanban has four default columns: Not categorized, To Do, In progress, and Done. These four columns provide a strong base for organization, each representing a category to place project tasks based on status.  

Now, you're not limited to only these four categories. You could break down pending tasks into categories by making new columns for each of them. Say you wanted to have a column for potential tasks for an employee, "Bob". To give them this separate organizational space, you would select the arrow in the top-right of the column you'd like to add this new one next to and select "Add Column After" or "Add Column Before". This will make a new column adjacent to the one this option was selected from, which can be freely named. We'll refer to this example as "Pending for Bob". Now, we can add cards to this column and start organizing our project.

Now that we have a new column, let's add tasks. To create a new task card, we select the + button found at the bottom of the column we want to add it to. This will bring up a window to fill in information related to the work it represents. By default, this window has 5 boxes: "Title", "Subtitle", "Tag", "Image", and "Status". To continue with our previous example, let's say Bob is being assigned a future task and it needs to be put with his other pending tasks. In this case, we'll create a new card titled "Bob's Job", and fill in other information as needed. However, we don't need the default subtitle field, but we do need a description. We can rename the subtitle field to meet our needs by selecting the drop-down to the right of the field name. This will load up another window where you can change information relating to that field, including its name.  This feature is incredibly important, as users might not need only the default fields, or they might not need them at all.  As such, this ability to add custom fields and descriptors to your Kanban cards will be incredibly useful to many users!

Organization and Tracking Tasks

Moving Cards

Continuing with our example regarding Bob, once approval has been given for Bob's Job, we need to move the card over to indicate that the task needs to be done. On the Kanban board, this is extremely simple. We just pick up the card and move it to the next column. In Claris Studio, this is accomplished through click-and-drag. This can be done as needed for each task until the board is up-to-date.

Organizing Your Board

Claris Studio's Kanban offers a variety of features to make finding the tasks you need as easy as can be.  At the top of the board, there is a line of different tools to filter, sort, search for, or regroup your tasks.

The "Filter" option allows you to only display cards based on various criteria input by the user. This includes searching for exact matches in a field or fields that don't have a certain word, among many other filtering options.

The final organizational point on this line is the "Search" feature. This is exactly what it sounds like. You can enter in words and the board will highlight all the cards with text matching that search. This is perfect for when you don't want to filter away all other tasks but still locate a specific card.

Conclusion

The Kanban board is a wonderful method for managing your projects, and Claris Studio brings it to a user-friendly online platform. Claris Studio's Kanban board brings a variety of convenient features you don't get with a physical board and many other online clients. Using this and the other tools introduced in Claris Studio, you'll be able to take project management & organization and bring them to the next level! If you'd like to take advantage of Claris Studio for your organization, contact us at DB Services and we'd be happy to help get you started.

Studio Dashboards are based on Spreadsheets. Before we can begin working with dashboards, we need a Spreadsheet with data in it. We'll start by creating a Spreadsheet with sample data. If you already have a Spreadsheet in Studio you'd like to use, skip ahead to Create a Dashboard. 

Create a Spreadsheet

Sign in to Claris Studio and go to the Views page. Create a new Spreadsheet by clicking the Create New View button and selecting Spreadsheet.

The sample data we are using has the following columns: OrderDate, Region, Rep, Item, Units, Unit Cost, and Total. Click the plus button to add a column. Select the appropriate Field Type for each column: Date for OrderDate; Short Text for Region, Rep, and Item; and Number for Units, Unit Cost, and Total. The empty Spreadsheet should look like this:

Now that we have a Spreadsheet with data, we can create a Dashboard! Click the Create Dashboard button located by Table Actions. A Quick Chart pop up will display. We can use this to create an initial chart for our dashboard. As an example, let's see how much our representatives have sold. Change the Chart Type to Bar and set the X-axis Field to Rep. Set the Y-axis Field to Total, and the Summary Type to Sum. Now we can easily see which representatives have sold the most.

Dashboards employ many of the same controls that the other Views in Studio do. You can rearrange objects on a Dashboard by clicking and dragging. Click the Dashboard title to change it to something more descriptive. To change the header or an object's settings, click the gear icon for that object. To delete an object, click the circle with three dots and select Delete. 

It's important to note that Dashboards are just a window into your data. If you need to add more data or edit existing data, that will have to be done in Claris Pro or the Spreadsheet. However, after you make your edits, your Dashboard will automatically update with the new data (you'll need to refresh the window if you have the Dashboard currently open).

Customize Your Dashboard

Let's customize our Dashboard. Mouse over the chart we just created and click the gear icon in the upper right. You can change the source table, Y and X axis names, and more. Go ahead and change the axis names to something more descriptive. Click out of the settings popup. The chart will refresh and the new names will appear. You can change the chart name by clicking the "Enter Chart Title" text at the top of the chart. Now our chart is easier to read and understand:

Claris Studio Dashboards is a new and exciting way for users to view the information they need to see. Separate Dashboards can be created for each user's unique needs, enabling them to quickly access relevant data. If you have questions regarding Claris Studio Dashboards and how they can help your company, or if you would like to get access to Claris Studio, contact DB Services - we're here to help!

The main components of Claris Studio are Views. Comparable to a pre-built Claris Pro layout, there are a few different types of Views – Spreadsheets, Forms, Dashboards, Kanban, and List-Detail – all of which are easily constructed with Claris Studio's drag & drop, no-code interface. Views feature responsive web-ready design for various screen sizes and even support your browser's Dark Mode. After creating a view, it can be published online and included in a Claris Studio Hub.

Spreadsheet View

The Spreadsheet View allows you to sort, filter, group, and summarize your data in rows and columns. Spreadsheets serve as the backbone of other Views in Claris Studio, allowing you to easily add and configure the fields you need to drive your business. In the Spreadsheet View, you can set a field's type, assign it a default value, and create the options your users will select for fields like Checkboxes.

Claris Studio Forms are highly customizable Views that facilitate easy collection of data in a multi-page web form. The drag & drop interface lets you quickly add and reorganize both fields and entire pages of your Form. 

Dashboard View

Dashboards allow your team to make quick decisions using visual representations of your data. With Dashboards you can create summaries and animated bar, line, and pie charts. Like Form Views, it's easy to drag, drop, and resize these elements as needed. These components are especially customizable, allowing you to compile and filter your data to best answer your business' questions.

List-Detail Views are Claris Studio's version of the classic master-detail screen – quickly search and filter your data, and spend time more effectively on the individual records which need the best attention. 

Track your progress on a project with this task management view. Kanbans are a great way to assign team members to records and make progress on your workflows. Claris Studio makes setting these up a breeze – if you don't have a Status field in your table, adding one from a Kanban View prepopulates its options with common steps for your team to complete. 

Hubs

A Claris Studio Hub is a collection of Views that are shared with selected team members to provide them the data most relevant to their role. A single View can be added to multiple hubs.

Integrating Claris Studio with Claris Pro

One of the most exciting features of Claris Studio is its two-way communication with Claris Pro – any updates or new records made online or from your desktop will immediately be reflected in the other app. It's easy to use your online Claris Studio solutions as data sources in Claris Pro, where you can develop more robust analysis and data manipulation tools.

Claris Studio is the new web-based platform developed by Claris. With Claris Studio, you can easily create a variety of screens called "views" for displaying, entering, and manipulating data. Unlike previous web tools from Claris like FileMaker WebDirect, Claris Studio gives developers an efficient and lightweight platform for creating solutions entirely on the web without needing external software like FileMaker Pro. However, this does not mean that developers using Claris Studio have to completely abandon client-side applications, as Claris also released a companion program called Claris Pro.

What is Claris Pro?

At first glance, Claris Pro seems very similar to FileMaker Pro. While this observation is true in many cases, the two applications do have some differences, most notably the file extensions used for the two apps. As of the time of writing, FileMaker Pro still uses the well-known .fmp12 file format, whereas Claris Pro uses the new file extension .claris. These extensions speak to the core difference between the two programs: namely that FileMaker Pro is meant for solutions that are meant to be hosted on FileMaker Server and utilize the current suite of FileMaker tools, while Claris Pro is designed specifically for creating solutions that integrate data from Claris Studio. 

FileMaker developers who want to take advantage of the tools offered by Claris Pro can convert their existing .fmp12 files to .claris files using Claris Pro; however, it should be noted that this conversion is currently only a one-way conversion and .claris files are not compatible with FileMaker Pro or FileMaker Server. 

Should developers need to share their Claris Pro apps, Claris has included options for peer-to-peer connections as well as a counterpart to FileMaker Server in the form of Claris Server.

How to Use Claris Pro with Claris Studio

As mentioned previously, Claris Pro is designed specifically for creating non-web solutions for Claris Server and Claris Studio. Unlike FileMaker tools like WebDirect where data, database schema, and layouts are all developed in FileMaker and put on the web, Claris Studio and Claris Pro function in reverse. The data, database schema, and views are created and manipulated within Claris Studio using a web browser. Claris Pro then allows non-web solutions to use this data by treating Claris Studio as an external data source. For developers familiar with connecting ODBC/JDBC solutions to FileMaker Pro, the process for connecting and utilizing data from Claris Studio in Claris Pro will feel very similar. 

Adding and Working with Claris Studio Data Sources

When viewing the relationship graph in the Manage Database settings, current FileMaker Developers will feel right at home. The relationship graph functions almost exactly the same, save for a new addition when adding table occurrences. When you add a new table occurrence, you will now be able to select a "Claris Studio Data Source" as the data source for a table occurrence. 

• Short Text

• Long Text

• Drop-Down

• Checkboxes

• Single Choice

• Phone

• Address (Broken Up By Subfield)

Conclusion

Claris Studio offers a new way for developers to create, store, and display data, all from a web-based platform. Claris Pro creates a nice bridge for existing FileMaker developers and future Claris Studio developers to have access to the new tools provided by Claris Studio, without forsaking the client-based solutions provided by the FileMaker Suite. With Claris Pro, developers can convert exiting FileMaker applications or create new solutions that seamlessly tie the new features of Claris Studio with many of the existing capabilities of FileMaker Pro.

If you're interested in utilizing the new Claris Studio or Claris Pro, contact DB Services and we will help you take advantage of all these new platforms have to offer.

There are just a few things that need to be set up in Salesforce before establishing your webhook. You’ll be creating a custom metadata type, a new site, and a custom object that can log any errors thrown from your webhook.

Create a Custom Metadata Type

Using a custom metadata type to store relevant information for your webhook rather than hardcoding this information in Apex allows for an easier way to update the webhook key and optional email. You can name this anything you’d like. For simplicity, we named our’s Google Leads Webhook Settings. This will hold your Google lead form secret, and if you want to send an email notification upon creation of the lead, an email address.

In order to log any errors you may experience when using your webhook, you will want to create a custom object to log those errors. For this example, the error logging object’s name is “Google Lead Webhook Error.” You will create one custom text field that will be used to store the error message received. After creating this object, you are ready to set up your Apex controller.

Now that your org is set up, you’ll need to create an Apex class that will create a lead and, optionally, send an email notification.

Create a class that uses Rest Resource that has a URL map to the Lead object. 

Optional: Send a New Lead Email Notification

If you want to receive an email notification every time a new lead is added from the lead form, you'll need to create an additional method to do so. You'll perform a query on your custom metadata type record to grab your notification email address. From there, you'll populate the necessary information to send an email through Apex using the Messaging class. The Messaging class allows you to set the "Reply to" email address, which allows you to reply directly to the person that submitted the lead form. You can add any necessary information such as the lead's name, phone number, description, etc. into the body of the email. After customizing the email, your work in Apex is finished, and you're ready to create the custom website.

Custom Site

Your custom site will bridge the gap between Google Ads and Salesforce. After labeling and naming your site, set up your site with the settings displayed in the image below.

After saving, select the "Public Access Settings" button. This will take you to the profile that was created for this site. Give this profile access to your Apex class. If you're sending a notification email, give the profile access to send email.

Setting Up A Google Lead Form Extension

In the Ads & Extensions section of Google Ads, go to Extensions. Click the + button to add a new extension and select Lead Form Extension. You can add the extension to your entire account or just a campaign. Select Create New and fill out the desired fields. Note: You will need a URL that links to your company's Privacy Policy to create a lead form extension.

Saving Your Webhook and Key on the Google Lead Form

At the bottom of the lead form you just created, there is a section labeled “Export leads from Google Ads.” Under “Other data integration options” you will insert your Site URL from the site you created in Salesforce into the webhook URL section and insert your key that is saved in your custom metadata type.

Conclusion

Lead Form extensions from Google Ads are a quick and easy way to obtain leads directly from your ad. With a little help from Apex and a webhook, you'll be automating lead creation in no time.

Once your changes are saved, Amplify takes care of the rest; generating tables in DynamoDB, building a GraphQL API schema to access the tables, and adding any Cognito resources needed to apply the authentication rules. In this article’s example, a simple blog post application with email and password authentication was created.

In this rudimentary example, we have a user that can create, read, update, and delete their own set of blog posts. All users have the ability to create and read any blog post. If you’re unfamiliar with Amplify’s GraphQL authorization syntax, Amplify Studio is a good resource for producing the applicable rules. By switching to the GraphQL schema tab, you can see the generated code based on the tables created and selected authorization rules.

In order to generate front-end component code from design assets, Amplify Studio is integrated with Figma, a prototyping and design tool. By linking your application’s Figma file or using Amplify’s sample Figma file, components can be configured and translated to ready-to-use React code. In this example, we’ll use Amplify’s provided file and components to make a simple feed of blog posts.

After the pull is complete, you’ll now have a folder of components created from the provided Figma file with the properties configured through Amplify Studio applied. To use the post component configured earlier, we need to import it from the components folder and bind our data.

AWS customers are charged based on which underlying AWS services are used through Amplify's framework; therefore, it is important to understand the resources Amplify Studio allocates. There are no additional charges for using Amplify's frameworks, including Amplify Studio. However, Amplify hosting charges are based on building and deployment times, and the size of the application hosted. Amplify is also available for the AWS Free Usage Tier, which includes 1,000 build minutes per month, 15 GB served per month, and 5 GB of data storage per month.

Conclusion

Whether it's used to build an entire application or just to generate a data model and GraphQL schema, Amplify Studio is a toolbox that will help accelerate development. By being a control center that spans design to deployment, it's easy to get started turning your idea into a scalable application or increasing the productivity of your current processes. Have an idea for a web application but don't know where to start? Contact us and let's design and develop your idea together!

Claris Studio is a cloud-native development environment that seamlessly integrates with Claris Pro, Claris Go, and Claris Server. With Claris Studio, you can now gain greater visibility across your entire business by bringing all your data together in one place. 

Why should I use Claris Studio?

Bring Your Data Together

Increase your efficiency with one, unified platform that holds all the data across your entire business. Your data will update in real-time across the Claris platform and you can create reports, charts, and dashboards to display your data in the way that best suits you and your business.

Views

Choose which ways you want to visualize and work with your data to increase visibility and efficiency. The following types of views are currently available:

• Forms: Easily collect data in a multi-page web form

• Spreadsheet: Sort, filter, group, chart, and summarize your data in rows and columns

• List-detail: Organize your records into a list and dig into each record to edit or review the record details

• Kanban: Track your progress on a project with this task management view

• Dashboard: View your data at a glance with charts, summaries, and more

Hubs

A hub is an organized collection of views that are shared with selected team members. Views can be added to multiple hubs. 

Team managers can create hubs, add views to them, and add team members. Team managers can see all hubs available in the organization, while team members can only see the hubs that have been shared with them. 

One Platform, One Claris ID

Your Claris ID allows you to navigate between Claris Studio, Claris Pro, and Claris Go with just one login- no need to sign in to multiple accounts!

What else is new?

• Apps created with Claris Pro now use the filename extension .claris

• Claris Server is available to host .claris files. When you install Claris server and open Admin Console for the first time, sign in with your Claris ID account.

You can get access to Claris Studio with the Claris Platform Bundle for $18.75 per user/per month for 12 months. See more pricing on the Claris Store.

Conclusion

We are excited about the new launch of Claris Studio and we look forward to discovering new solutions using the Claris platform. As always, Claris continues to show its dedication to solving critical workplace problems efficiently and effectively. If you are interested in Claris Studio, contact us at DB Services and let's discuss what problems we can solve together.

For all the same reasons your business requires a field service-oriented platform with the flexibility and tools to meet your various needs, there is a significant amount of consideration to make about how your interdependent processes are best translated and configured into the system that touches everything important to an optimized service business. This guide provides you with a comprehensive overview of how to effectively leverage the powerful management tools in Salesforce Field Service.

Does your business currently utilize service territories to schedule and manage field techs? 

Do you plan to automatically create and schedule service appointments? 

How do you prioritize which appointments are scheduled when, and how do you create the optimal appointment schedule for your team? 

Just thinking about some of these questions can cause your head to spin a little, which is why it's so important to create a detailed outline of your current business processes. Even those with an intimate understanding of how their business works may be confronted with questions they have never considered before when implementing Salesforce Field Service. And the answers to some of those questions may affect efficiency or customer satisfaction down the road. Having a well-documented resource to reference when developing solutions will help ensure your org is aligned with your goals.

Here are some of the most important questions to ask yourself when creating this outline:

• Are you moving from an existing field service management platform? What business processes are developed around the existing platform and need to be retained?

• How do you currently organize and manage service techs? What is the mobile platform you use? How many team members do you have? What is the nature of the work they do, and how complex is it? Do you have service crews that work on services together?

• Do you plan to integrate Salesforce Field Service with ERPs or other external systems? Do connectors already exist, and do they meet the needs of the integration? Are there processes that are currently performed in an external system that could better be served by Salesforce (ex. inventory management)?

• What are the biggest pain points with your current process? What are the most important enhancements you are looking to implement? What metrics are most important to track and improve with the implementation? 

2. Territories, Operating Hours, & Shifts

Designed to facilitate the requirements of teams of any size and configuration, Salesforce Field Service allows users to configure territories, operating hours, and shifts that mirror your existing team organization profile.

Together, these three tools enable your business to schedule work whenever you need the right people to perform the job. They also act as the foundation for building your work order management system and schedule optimization.

3. Work Order Management

The term “Work Order Management” represents the interaction behavior and hierarchy of several objects in Salesforce Field Service. 

• Work order – Represents work to be performed on your customer’s products.

• Work order line item (WOLI) – The detailed explanation of a task to be performed by the technician.

• Service appointment – Represents an appointment to complete work for a customer. Service appointments can be child records of Work Orders or WOLIs and will be the record that interacts with the scheduling tools.

• Work type – Templates that save you time and make it easier to standardize your field service work. They represent predefined pieces of information that are unique to a particular service task, such as estimated duration, skill requirements, or product requirements. Work types can be defined on a Work Order or WOLI and those requirements will be inherited by the record.

• Asset – Represents a specific purchased or installed product.

• Maintenance plans – Let you define the maintenance schedule for one or more assets and generate a batch of Work Orders for future maintenance visits. Work types can also be defined on maintenance plans and Work Orders or WOLIs will inherit the work type.

• Statuses – Statuses represent where a Work Order, WOLI, or Service Appointment is in regard to a predefined work process. They are used by a variety of processes and triggers in Salesforce Field Service, and accurate configuration is important to ensuring these processes work with your records as expected.

4. Your Workforce

Service resources and service crews represent your field service team and can be assigned to complete service appointments. After you create these records, you may assign permission sets to members of your team who work as dispatchers or support agents.

If some of your service work requires a team of service resources whose combined skills and experience make them a good fit to work together on appointments, you may create a Service Crew and assign them as a unit. Implementing service crews requires an extra bit of consideration in areas including absences, geolocation tracking, membership requirements, crew size, and more. If this is a feature you intend to utilize, please review Salesforce Field Service documentation to verify your requirements can be met.

5. Your Inventory 

Salesforce Field Service has a robust set of tools to effectively track and manage every item in your inventory. From storage to requests and transfers to consumption, you can make sure your field techs have the right parts to complete their work. 

• Locations – Physical places in the world where inventory is kept, such as a warehouse or service vehicle.

• Product items – A representation of an item in your inventory stored in a location. For products that are stored in more than one location, a product item record should be created for each location.

• Products required – As described earlier in the guide, represent products that are needed to complete a particular Work Order or WOLI.

• Products consumed – Products used during the course of the Work Order that no longer exist in your inventory.

• Product item transactions – Auto-generated records that describe actions performed on the product item (replenished, consumed, or adjusted.)

• Product requests – Orders placed for products (ex. for replenishment when low in stock.)

• Product transfers – Enable you to track product transfers between locations.

• Return order – Enable you to track the return or repair of products.

• Shipments – Represents a shipment of items between inventory locations.

6. Scheduling Optimization

The Schedule Optimization tool offers one the biggest time-savers and opportunities for value extraction in the entire Field Service platform. If you have ever had to construct a weekly appointment schedule, you may be aware of how difficult it can be to coordinate availability, time constraints, technician ability, and scheduling priorities. And then, attempting to find the most efficient configuration and utilization percentages or to navigate a cancellation or schedule change, one might cite this as a reason to find another line of work. 

But with Salesforce Field Service, this is no longer a dreadful task, but rather offers businesses peace of mind that their resources are being utilized as efficiently as possible. 

7. Mobile Configuration & Flows

For a mobile workforce that uses their mobile devices to perform a variety of essential tasks including record updates to accessing knowledge articles and more, an application tailored to their needs can be the difference between a happy and engaged team and a disconnected one. Luckily, the Field Service app (available for iOS and Android) offers an easy-to-navigate user interface with offline access capability and the potential for complex mobile flows.

8. Integrations

As with many businesses who use Salesforce, it may not be the only system that is a part of your service process. Should you require integration with an existing ERP or service platform, there are a number of solutions you can leverage to connect them to Salesforce Field Service. This provides you the ability to share records between systems and perform useful automation, which can help streamline your resolution process and improve customer experience.

Salesforce AppExchange boasts a robust library of premade integration packages that you can easily install in your org. Alternatively, if an out-of-the-box option won't cut it, a consultancy such as DB Services can help you build a bespoke integration solution to fit your needs. 

The possibilities for building a custom field service implementation are nearly endless when considering all the offerings in Salesforce Field Service. And with a comprehensive understanding of your business and service processes, a tailored Field Service implementation can provide incredible value to you and your customers to build relationships that reach beyond the context of customer service. Contact DB Services for any questions you have or if you need assistance building your best service platform in Salesforce Field Service!

Need to access your data on the move? With this year’s release, anyone who signs in using FileMaker Go on an iPad can see screens that feel and function smoothly.

Similar to the iPhone functionality added in FM Quickstart 22, users can view and edit the companies and contacts, as well as many of the other sections.

• Update the information for an order and connect it to companies and contacts.

• Access QuickBooks functionality on the go.

• Check on a shipment and update its information.

• Find all the details about a purchase order.

• Stay up to date on the status of your inventory and purchase orders with the Receiving section.

• Glance through work orders and see their progress.

• Add documents and notes as needed under each section.

Pivot Table

Looking for a dynamic new way to analyze your data without getting things messy? FM Quickstart’s pivot table has your back. Findable from the reports module, the pivot table allows you to see your order summary data with deeper breakdowns.

Not a fan of the table format? No worries. You can change how the data is displayed, as well. Switch between a table, bar chart, heatmap, line chart, and many of your favorite combinations in between. It even allows for easy copying and pasting to an Excel file using the “TSV Export” format.

Your order data has never been more convenient to access than with FM Quickstart’s new pivot table.

Transactional Inventory

Lots of moving data slowing you down? With FM Quickstart’s refurbished inventory system, we’ve utilized one of FileMaker’s secret strengths to better improve your data flow: transactional relationships.

Before this year's release, many of the inventory calculations were unstored. This meant that every time you needed information on an item, everything had to be calculated and re-calculated. Now, with the transactional system, everything is stored and no longer needs re-calculating every time. When making changes to inventory counts, it's now a simple addition or subtraction from the currently-stored stock. 

With transactional relationships, FM Quickstart 2023 removes a lot of redundancy and gets the information where it needs to be when it needs to be there. This sort of functionality gives you a leg-up on competitors by strengthening your internal system, and it’s scalable for a business of any size—especially those with large quantities of data.

Conclusion

DB Services is proud to present FM Quickstart 2023 free and totally unlocked to the Claris FileMaker community. This robust Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) app is great for anyone just beginning their journey into FileMaker, or for current FileMaker users looking for an update or new ERP module.

To download FM Quickstart 2023, please visit the official FM Quickstart website here to have it sent directly to your email inbox.

Please don’t hesitate to contact our team with any questions, or give us a call at 888-488-0191. DB Services looks forward to the opportunity to help you build your dream Workplace Innovation Platform in FileMaker!

Salesforce's Dynamic Forms allow the creation of user-centric page layouts that display the right amount of information, foregoing the necessity for multiple page layouts and separate profiles.

Automation: OmniStudio

OmniStudio provides a modular suite of services, task-based components, data model objects, and other reusable industry-specific solutions. You can create guided interactions and complex processes using data from Salesforce and external sources.

A few key similarities between OmniScripts and Screen Flows are as follows: they both create guided interactions with branching logic, can read/write Salesforce data, can call Apex classes and custom LWCs, may be embedded in 3rd party web pages, are responsive, and more. OmniScripts stands out with custom stylesheet support, dynamic LWC screens, Google Analytics integration, and low code API consumption.

As a rule of thumb, OmniScripts should be used for external personas and industry use cases, while Screen Flows should be used for employee-facing use cases. 

OmniStudio Licenses and Permission Sets

The OmniStudio User user license's standard permission set is now part of the Admin user license, creating one primary OmniStudio user license. 

Standard OmniStudio Runtime

• Activating an OmniStudio component is now faster.

• Already active OmniScript and FlexCard components can run natively in your org or from the installed package.

• If an OmniStudio component wasn't active before Standard OmniStudio Runtime is enabled, activating that component no longer generates LWCs.

• A package-generated OmniScript or FlexCard component can run natively in your org through deactivation and reactivation.

Standard OmniStudio Content

• Out-of-the-box standard OmniStudio components run natively in your org.

• OmniScript and FlexCard standard components are visible in the Lightning and Experience Builders and render out-of-the-box standard OmniStudio content.

• Out-of-the-box standard OmniStudio content and custom OmniStudio content are visible on the OmniStudio product home screen.

• Create a version to modify out-of-the-box standard OmniStudio content. Version 1 remains unmodifiable.
  

OmniStudio Migration Tool

OmniStudio for Vlocity

After migrating custom objects to standard objects, edit the standard object versions of migrated OmniStudio content.

OmniStudio FlexCards

OmniStudio

• Add a standard FlexCard to an LWR Experience site when Standard OmniStudio Runtime is disabled.

• Add the generated FlexCard LWC to the LWR Experience page. 

• View out-of-the-box standard FlexCards in the FlexCard Designer Preview.

• FlexCard standard component is supported on Home pages.

• Add an out-of-the-box standard FlexCard or OmniScript component as a custom LWC by entering the name of the out-of-the-box component in the FlexCard Designer's Custom LWC element.

• Reference a packaged custom label in a standard FlexCard component.

OmniStudio and OmniStudio for Vlocity

• Data and Update Datasource actions support SOQL and SOSL data sources.

• Enable continuation on FlexCards that call a long-running Integration Procedure or Apex class.
  

OmniScripts

OmniStudio

• Add out-of-the-box standard OmniScript components from the Build Panel of the OmniScript Designer in between or on steps.

• Previously unsupported features are now supported in Winter '23 and later releases.

OmniStudio DataRaptors

OmniStudio

Create different versions of a DataRaptor by enabling DataRaptor Versioning and OmniStudio Metadata in OmniStudio Settings.

Sales Cloud: Custom Opportunity Fields in Forecasts

Need to look at a specific attribute and single out the data you want to study? Now your sales team can filter forecasts by numbers, currencies, picklist fields, and custom fields. When you create a forecast type in the setup flow, select standard and custom fields to filter by. You can add up to three conditions and use the AND operator.

Swarm on Customer Issues in Slack

Service organizations are given the tools required to collaborate at scale with experts, solve customer issues, and report on Swarming participation and impact. Agents can involve other experts and seamlessly log collaboration, participation, and ownership, as well as save time and increase customer satisfaction through a more efficient service model. The Service Cloud for Slack app, now generally available, includes some enhancements since the beta release.

Speed Up Your Time-to-Swarm with Guided Swarming Setup

The enhanced setup page is sure to get your team swarming. You can give users access to objects, set up your Service Console, and configure flows. If Slack is your primarily collaboration tool, the setup brings you to the new unified Salesforce for Slack Apps setup.

Add Multiple Users to Your Swarms

Creating a swarm is easy! Save time adding swarm members one by one with the ability to select multiple users by name and add them all at once.

Save Time with Swarm Records That Close Automatically

Keep your teams productive with swarm and swarm member records that close when a related case or incident is closed.

Swarm on a Record Multiple Times with Overridable Swarm Record Names

Override the default swarm record name with a name that is specific to your needs or naming conventions. Your teams can more easily identify the swarm’s purpose from the case or incident list view, especially if a record has multiple ongoing swarms.

Add Swarm Members More Easily with Swarm Member Descriptions

The Swarm Member Name field is now called Swarm Member Description; users will more easily understand that they can include information about the swarm member or swarm and not reenter the user’s name.

Catch Up on Service Cloud for Slack App Features

You can use the Service Cloud for Slack app to swarm on customer issues directly from Slack.

Experience Cloud: Deploy Partial Site Content with Change Sets

Clicks, not code! With partial deployment, you don't simultaneously finalize and deploy all of your updates; rather, each update is moved from the test environment to production at its own pace. Create an outbound change set, add the new component type, select only the updated components, and deploy. 

Analytics: Dashboard Lightning Reports with Direct Report Queries

Using Direct Report Queries, you can access and interact with all your analytics in a single, consistent space:

• Unify Your Analytics - Instead of relying on multiple different tools, you can incorporate tabular, summary, aggregate, and matrix reports in your CRM Analytics dashboard.

• Build New Reports - Report insights can be visualized in different ways by exploring various CRM Analytics functionalities. 

Field Service: Add Flexibility to Work Order Generation

Taking the most recent work order completion date into account, you can now create recurring work orders on a floating schedule; work orders completed ahead or behind schedule generate another work order based on the recurrence cadence. This is in contrast to fixed schedules wherein work orders are scheduled at exact intervals determined by the work order start date.

Commerce Cloud: Order on Behalf of Shopper

Waiting on a shopper to place an order? Service agents can now directly place orders on behalf of shoppers through a streamlined process using a sequence of API endpoints.

Industries: Customer Service with Service Console for Manufacturing

With Service Console Manufacturing, you can empower your customer service representatives to deliver a smooth service experience and increase customer satisfaction. On a single screen, CSRs manage end-to-end service interactions and can verify a customer's identity, view a timeline of interactions with them, and find information about related orders, assets, and cases. They can also search for knowledge articles, receive alerts for record changes, take contextual actions, and capture interaction details.

With the Winter 23' release, Salesforce introduces many new and improved features that showcase a commitment to continuous growth and advancement as well as serve to refine their user experience. If you'd like to learn more about these updates or any of the others included in the release, please check out the official release notes. If you have any questions about Salesforce or want to see any of the implementations in your own Salesforce organization, contact DB Services!

Consider a FileMaker solution where you are presented with a form view of Sales Invoices upon opening it. The system will likely be unsorted, and the only way to see the Sales Invoices for a particular user is to search in Find Mode for that user and then tab through each individual record. It will be a slow, arduous process to view all that data, especially as the size of your data set grows. However, with the addition of a system dashboard, you can now view all of that data from a splash screen. Before, it would have required performing a find search and clicking through each record; now, you can simply scroll through a portal with all the relevant data. A dashboard saves you and your users time, efficiency, and money.

Creating a Dashboard

To create a dashboard for your system, the initial step will be to create a new table; this new table will be used as the ‘mediator’ of sorts for each table you have in your system. This table will be called "SESSION” and will be based on the individual user session at any given time. With this, each user can see their own relevant data from the moment the file loads up for them, increasing efficiency.

These relationships will be based on global fields within the SESSION table—this allows the dashboard to remain the same no matter what record you’re on, allowing each user to keep their dashboard the same for their entire time in the system. Code examples of how to create a filter for the dashboard using these global fields are provided in the sample file, the FM Quickstart dashboard. FM Quickstart is DB Services' free FileMaker ERP template. The full FM Quickstart template can be downloaded for free on our official FM Quickstart website.

Conclusion

Dashboards in FileMaker solutions are an excellent way to increase your app's value and speed up your users' workflow. They remove the need for constantly using found sets to view the data you want and allow you to view the entire system in a quick sweep—right from opening the project. The return on investment for a system dashboard is incredibly high, and we firmly believe that they are a valuable necessity in any new FileMaker project. If you'd like assistance creating a dashboard in your FileMaker solution, DB Services is ready to help. Contact us today and let's talk about what we can accomplish together!

Beginning September 24, 2022, a 10% increase in licensing price will become effective for all new and renewal customers. 

Claris will honor in flight quotes. They will also honor existing quotes through September 23, 2022, so be sure to renew by then to save money on licensing!

Renew Your Licensing Now

Contact us to renew your Claris license before the price increase takes effect on September 24, 2022. You can renew early for up to 5 years to save money on licensing. We also offer FileMaker Development, FileMaker Support, FileMaker Training, and FileMaker Coaching. Contact us today for a free analysis and consultation! 

The Claris Platform Bundle gives your organization access to the full suite of Claris products  - Claris FileMaker, Claris Connect, Claris Studio, and Claris Pro - without having to purchase a site license. You have the freedom to choose the number of users to license and the length of time: 1, 2, or 3 years. You'll. be able to explore Claris' new technologies and prototype, test, and build new solutions. Here's what you need to know:

What's Included

• Claris FileMaker Volume License

• Claris Connect Standard Licensing Plan

• Claris Studio Developer Preview

• Claris Pro Developer Preview

• Claris FileMaker Data API

• Claris Developer Tools

• White-Glove Onboarding

When & How You Can Enroll

The program is open from July 28, 2022 to September 23, 2022.

Contact Claris Sales directly or your Claris Partner. If you do not have a Claris Partner, please contact our team. We are a Claris Platinum Partner and the #1 Claris Partner in the Americas, and we would be happy to help guide you in the right direction to achieve your organization's goals.  

Pricing & Cost

Claris Platform Bundle pricing is determined based on your current or most recent annual contracts and costs 25% more than the price to renew your current Claris annual contract. Education and nonprofit customers are eligible for an additional discount.

Claris listened to customer feedback about the Problem Solvers Circle, and they've implemented a few changes for this quarter's program. Let's review what you need to know about the Problem Solvers Circle.

The Problem Solvers Circle gives your organization access to the entire Claris suite of products  - Claris FileMaker, Claris Connect, Claris Studio, and Claris Pro - for everyone in your organization under one, simple licensing plan. You can choose between 1, 2, or 3-year annual site license terms. 

What's Included

• Claris FileMaker Annual Site License Agreement for all your users

• Claris Connect Standard License

• Claris Studio Developer Preview

• Claris Pro Developer Preview 

• Claris FileMaker Data API

• Claris Developer Tools

• White-Glove Onboarding

• Access for anonymous users

When & How You Can Enroll

The program is open from July 28, 2022 to September 23, 2022.

Contact Claris Sales directly or your Claris Partner. If you do not have a Claris Partner, please contact our team. We are a Claris Platinum Partner and the #1 Claris Partner in the Americas, and we would be happy to help guide you in the right direction to achieve your organization's goals.  

Pricing & Cost

Problem Solvers Circle pricing is determined based on your current or most recent annual contracts and costs 45% more than the price to renew your current Claris annual contract. Education and nonprofit customers are eligible for an additional discount.

Winter '23 Pre-Release Org

Winter '23 Pre-Release Orgs are live as of August 11. Pre-release orgs are a great way to test the new release features in a stand-alone environment before they're rolled out into your sandbox and production orgs. If you already had a pre-release org for Spring '22, you can log back into that one to access your Winter '23 pre-release org.

Winter '23 Release Notes

The official release notes are probably the most highly anticipated date of the each release. These offer us our first in-depth look into each new feature that will be implemented across Salesforce once the release goes live. They became available on August 17 at Salesforce Help.

Be sure to check out DB Services' Salesforce Winter '23 Release Highlights!

You can also find updates, ask questions, and discuss your favorite features in the Release Readiness Trailblazer Community Group.

Winter '23 Sandbox Preview

The Sandbox preview is a great way to test out the new features as they pertain to your unique configurations within your own Salesforce org, without affecting your live environment. Use the Salesforce Sandbox Preview Guide to determine if you want to upgrade your Sandbox or keep it on Summer '22 until Winter '23 officially releases.

Most Sandboxes will be updated August 26.

Salesforce Winter '23 Release Dates

The most important thing to do is make sure you're aware of when your Salesforce instance is going to be upgraded to Winter '23. Be sure to test everything before the release goes live to ensure everything still works properly and you know how to navigate the new features and upgrades. Be sure to check out the Release Resources page to help prepare for the new updates!

The three main release weekends for Winter '23 are:

• September 9, 2022

• October 7, 2022

• October 14, 2022

You can find your Salesforce instance by going to company information in Setup within Salesforce. To find your release date, go to Salesforce Trust, select your instance name, and click on the "Maintenance" tab. This will show you the date that your org will be upgraded to Winter '23. 

Sources: SalesforceBen, Salesforce Admins

Before getting started, you will need to first have a Message Media account. There is a free trial version offered that will allow for 25 messages to test functionality before committing to purchasing. After signing up, you will be granted an access key and secret, which can be considered your login information in order to use the services. You'll want to keep this information secret and store it in a secure location.

Sending A Text Message

One of the main features of Message Media is the ability to send text messages. To do this, all you need is an access key and secret, a valid phone number to send the message to, and the message itself. You can send multiple messages at once and to different people all in one request which makes it very easy to reach a large customer base.

Here is an example of how simple the request can be:

Conclusion

Keeping in contact with your customers not only allows for a better relationship, but also provides an opportunity to create new ones. With the ability to easily integrate Message Media with your FileMaker application, you can even set up automation to reach out to customers you haven't heard from in a while or to follow up to seal the deal with a prospecting customer. If you have any questions or wish to discuss integrating Message Media with your FileMaker system, please contact DB Services.

Let's take a look at some quick examples of what you can do with these new functions. Feel free to follow along with the sample file provided at the end of this article. 

Upon start-up, you should see the intro page with a tab for each new function. Stay on the CopyLiveText tab for now. Insert a photo of your choice that contains text in it. Please be aware that as of FileMaker 19.5, CopyLiveText only works on image files, not PDFs or other file types allowed within containers.

• "en-US"

• "fr-FR"

• "it-IT"

• "de-DE"

• "es-ES"

• "pt-BR"

• "zh-Hans"

ReadQRCode

Once you are satisfied with the CopyLiveText function, choose the second tab in the demo file. The ‘ReadQRCode’ tab should look similar, but it is quite different in function. Insert a QR image of your choice into the container. For the purposes of this demo, we have opted to showcase the potential for QR codes that lead to website URLs, but in practice, you could utilize any variation of QR codes that you so choose.

Conclusion

As your FileMaker application evolves, so too will your needs and the use cases for the application. With these new features added in FileMaker 19.5, Claris opens the proverbial door for new ways to utilize containers in a way that best suits your application. Whether it’s to appeal to users with new accessibility features, to add new value to your search engine with image tagging, or to streamline the process of using QR codes by now using them directly in the application, these new features have the potential for endless value for any FileMaker application. 

If you are interested in implementing the new CopyLiveText and ReadQRCode functions into your Claris FileMaker solution, contact DB Services and we'd be happy to help.

Traditionally, FileMaker has used a linear, one-by-one approach to perform backups. Now, with parallel backups, the server can backup multiple files at once, greatly speeding up the process. To assign a definition to the process, a parallel backup is the backing up of multiple files simultaneously across multiple processors or CPU threads.

Parallel backups are an example of Task Parallelism, in which a task is broken down into easier-to-handle subtasks to be executed. These tasks are then handled concurrently by the server machine's processor. To use a tangible example, think that a single cashier at a store has a long line of customers that they have to check out one at a time. This would take that one person a considerable amount of time. Now a second cashier comes in and is also able to check customers out.  The first cashier's line sees this new cashier and half of them go to the second's line. These two cashiers are now both handling a customer, meaning two customers are being checked out at a time as opposed to one, saving both cashiers a large amount of time. Applying this to backups, our two threads, or "cashiers", can process one file each, greatly reducing the time and improving the overall efficiency of the backup process.

FileMaker Parallel Backups

To perform a backup in Parallel, FileMaker Server 19.5 makes use of transaction data from FileMaker Pro 19.5 and FileMaker WebDirect to separate related backup files into groups. Each of these groups is then backed up in its own thread during the backup. In progressive backup, the pause and resume steps for each thread are processed in parallel.

Compared to backing up files sequentially, you'll see definite performance improvements. These performance improvements can be even more notable when:

• Backups are processed on hard drives optimized for parallel write requests

• Backups are processed while one or more files are in use

Working With Parallel Backups

You can enable Parallel backups on your server by navigating to Backups from the top navigation and selecting "Backup Settings".  There you'll find a toggle for Parallel Backup, this can be enabled and disabled as desired.

• View: fmsadmin get serverprefs ParallelBackupEnabled

• Enable: fmsadmin set serverprefs ParallelBackupEnabled=true

• Disable: fmsadmin set serverprefs ParallelBackupEnabled=false

The FileMaker Admin API also supports these functionalities with the URL https://host/fmi/admin/api/v2/server/config/parallelbackup

Enabling and disabling Parallel Backups is done using the PATCH method and a boolean value used to toggle the feature, returning a JSON to designate if the change was accepted, as seen below.

To check if Parallel Backups are enabled, the PATCH method is used, and returns a JSON object designating whether the feature is enabled or disabled.

Log Messages

When backups are processed in parallel, a new event log message is created that includes the fileset, a numeric ID for a group of databases backed up together. Below are a few examples of log messages you'll see when performing parallel backups.

• Start of backup fileset 0, total files 1

• Starting to back up database DBName1, current status: Normal(fileset: 0)

• Backup of DBName1 completed, current status: Normal(fileset: 0)

• End of backup fileset 0, total files 1

You will have strings of messages following these patterns for each file and fileset being backed up, as well as messages indicating any problems that may occur during the backup process.

Conclusion

Parallel Backups are a powerful tool to increase the efficiency of protecting and storing your organization's important data. The ability to backup multiple files at a time is a huge evolutionary step in the world of data protection and recovery, greatly reducing the time needed to ensure the safety of information across multiple databases. If you have any questions about Parallel Backups, please contact DB Services and we'll be glad to help!

Scripting Engine Cache Increase

The first major change coming to FileMaker Server 19.5 is an upgrade to the FileMaker Script Engine. The new FMSE will be shipped with a new cache size of 256MB – a fourfold increase from the previous cache size of 64MB. The FMSE is in charge of executing server plugins, performing scripts via PSOS script steps, or performing server-side schedules. Thus, the increase in cache size will increase performance from scripts, as well as decrease the likelihood of scripts failing due to a lack of resources. To measure the performance impact of these changes, we ran a script that created 25 records and sorted them using calculations on both a 19.5 Server and a 19.2 FileMaker Server. As displayed in the screenshots below, top call statistics showed the sort performed almost three times as fast on the 19.5 Server. In addition, the scripts' overall performance improved by 22% when run on the 19.5 FileMaker Server.

Original Benchmarks

Also included in this release are two updates to backup processes in FileMaker Server: the Parallel Backup Command and the Cancel Backup Command. 

1. With Parallel Backup enabled, FileMaker will now use file groups to organize related files and process them using multithreading so that full and progressive backups can be run simultaneously. By default, Parallel Backups are disabled, so you will need to access the admin console to enable this new feature. If you want to learn more about Parallel Backups in FileMaker, check out our article.

2. The new Cancel Backup functionality allows you to terminate the currently running backup initiated by Schedule, On-Demand, or Auto-backup. Please note that using the Cancel Backup command during a parallel backup will not end the other processes. Backups can be canceled in one of three ways:

               1.   Command Line: "fmsadmin CANCEL BACKUP"

               2.   FileMaker Admin API URL:https://host/fmi/admin/api/v2/server/cancelbackup

               3.   Admin Console

The final script update we will cover is the ‘Save a Copy as XML’ script step that is now available to use on server. Similar to the DDR, this command allows you to save a copy of your database’s architecture with the added ability to compare it to a prior XML for changes made.

Linux

New to the Linux side of things will be an update for Ubuntu 20.04. Web server support will be switching from Apache to a faster and more efficient Nginx platform.

Web Direct

Lastly, local accounts can now be hidden on WebDirect for OAuth. To improve user experience, Claris also provides JavaScript files to automate the OAuth sign-in process so WebDirect users can bypass the login screen. If you wish to still sign in without OAuth, you can enable the "Show sign-in fields even when OAuth or AD FS is enabled" option under the File Options menu.

The new Claris FileMaker Server 19.5 includes many more upgrades and fixes to previous versions. These new features promise to bring more speed and efficiency to Claris FileMaker applications. If you are looking to improve your application or upgrade to the new 19.5 Claris FileMaker Server, contact us for more info and get the most out of your Claris FileMaker solution. 

Furthering Claris’ development of JSON handling, FileMaker 19.5 includes a new JSON function: JSONGetElementType. JSONGetElementType is used to return the type of JSON data of a parameter. This parameter can be in the form of an object name, array, or path. The most notable use for this function is for validating a string as valid JSON data using the following syntax:

(JSONGetElementType ( {text parameter}, “”) = JSONObject)

This validation provides increased efficiency in validation when passing JSON objects as parameters or when receiving API responses.

Preserve Empty Tab Order for Copied Objects

Copied and pasted layout objects will no longer automatically receive the next serial tab order value. Now when an object is pasted, if it has no tab order associated, it will have an empty tab order value on the pasted object as well.

Originally released in FMP 12, the data migration tool has been a powerful command-line tool for moving data from one file to another. The migration tool gave developers the benefits of moving all data at once, automatic data mapping between target and source tables, and the ability to migrate data like user accounts and value lists, which were not previously available through the data import process found in FileMaker Pro. The data migration tool has been updated in 19.5 to allow for the changing of locale for the target file. The list of localization regions is as follows:

FileMaker Pro 12 added the ability to access files and scripts through URLs. Users are able to access FileMaker files by opening a web browser and entering a web address in the format:

fmp://{{account:password@}hostAddress/}filename

After running this, an instance of FileMaker Pro would be opened on the user's machine for the file using the host and credentials (if provided). This feature still exists; however, unrecognized hosts will now be prompted that the host is not recognized and will be asked to confirm they do want the host to be able to open the file. This dialogue box will also have the option to always permit fmp URLs from this host to prevent the dialogue box from appearing in the future. This change also applies to scripts run through fmp URLs.

Summary

Claris FileMaker Pro 19.5 provides security and convenience updates that make development both safer and easier. We are excited to use these new updates in Claris FileMaker 19.5 to continue to help you build custom applications. Contact DB Services at any time if you have questions or needs with Claris FileMaker!

Choosing between a NoSQL database like Amazon DynamoDB and a relational database will have lasting impacts on your project. Performance, ease of use, scalability, and more will all be impacted by the type of database you choose to use. It is an important decision when starting a new project. But what exactly are the differences between the two types, and how do you decide which one will suit your project best? 

Flexibility

NoSQL allows you to be much more flexible with the structure of the database. A relational database requires a static structure and schema that must be defined at the start of the project. This can be nice when you need a structured schema, but becomes a problem if you need to make changes to the structure as it can be time-consuming and expensive. With NoSQL, you don't have these problems. Since there is no defined schema, it allows for more dynamic schemas. This makes it ideal for more complex projects that have constantly changing data structures.

Scalability

NoSQL is designed to scale horizontally whereas relational databases are designed to scale vertically. Vertical scaling means that in order to scale up, you have to upgrade the machine/server that hosts the database. This can be nice and easy, but if you are constantly scaling up, it can get very expensive. Horizontal scaling, on the other hand, involves adding more machines/servers to the resource pool. This is more cost-efficient since you can continue to add cheaper servers. This also allows for rapid growth with minimal downtime.

Querying

Relational databases query using the SQL language. Since SQL has been around for many years, it is well supported and documented. SQL is great when needing complex queries that require joins. NoSQL data can be queried quickly, but queries are more limited.

ACID vs. BASE

According to the CAP theorem, it is impossible to achieve both consistency and availability in a partition tolerant distributed system. ACID and BASE are database models that attempt to deal with the limitations of the CAP theorem in different ways. Relational databases use the ACID database model to have a consistent system. NoSQL databases use the BASE database model that focuses on high availability.

ACID (used by Relational databases)

• Atomicity: Database transactions can be made in multiple statements and atomicity guarantees that each statement will either succeed or fail. If any statements in the transaction fail, it fails the whole transaction and doesn't change the database. This makes sure that the database has only valid and complete data.

• Consistency: Ensures that any data being written to the database is valid and complies with all defined rules of the database.

• Isolation: Since transactions are sometimes run concurrently, isolation ensures that each transaction will not affect any other transactions being executed.

• Durability: Guarantees that once a transaction has successfully completed, it will stay that way even in the instance of something like a power failure.

BASE (used by NoSQL databases)

• Basically Available: Instead of needing immediate consistency, BASE will ensure that data is available by replicating across the nodes in the database.

• Soft State: Since there isn't immediate consistency in a BASE system, data values may change over time. BASE delegates the responsibility of consistency to the developers.

• Eventually Consistent: BASE doesn't enforce data consistency, but it still can achieve it. It also allows for data reads even when it hasn't achieved consistency. 

When To Use NoSQL vs. Relational

So when exactly does it makes sense to use a NoSQL or a Relational database? These days it makes sense to use NoSQL databases in many cases. But there are still plenty of use cases when a relational database is the way to go. 

If you have large amounts of data or data types and need a flexible schema, you'll want to use a NoSQL database like Amazon DynamoDB as it allows for this flexibility. If you anticipate you'll need to scale your project up quickly and inexpensively, then a NoSQL database is the best option. 

If you need to use complex queries to get and format your data, consider using a relational database. You'll also want to use one if you're working with smaller amounts of data and don't expect that to change. SQL and relational databases are much more structured and using NoSQL in this instance would be overkill. You will also want to take into account that since relational databases and SQL have been around for many years, they are more supported and stable, and there are larger communities for support and help.

If you have questions about the differences between NoSQL and Relational databases or you want to know which one to use for your project, contact DB Services and let's talk about what we can accomplish together. 

What are the benefits?

This program gives you complete freedom to explore, build, prototype, test, and refine solutions over time that will continue to improve and evolve your business. Here are just a few of the benefits of the Problem Solvers Circle:

• Opportunity to burn through your backlog

• Streamlined licensing for all Claris products

• Advanced developer access to Claris Studio

• Unrestricted access for additional anonymous users

• Build connections between all the apps you use for your business

• Get expert advice to identify improvement opportunities

Who is eligible?

To be eligible for the Claris Problem Solvers Circle, you must be a Claris Volume License or Site License customer Customers with expiration dates beyond two years or an already expired contract are also eligible. If you're not sure if you are eligible for the Problem Solvers Circle, contact our team at DB Services and we can help you determine your eligibility.

Conclusion

We are excited to see what innovative ideas the Claris Problem Solvers Circle brings! For any other questions about Problem Solvers circle, visit their FAQ page or contact us and we'd be happy to help. If you would like to enroll in the Problem Solvers Circle, contact us now to secure your spot. 

Business Hours and Holidays

Before we dive into the Apex code, we have a few things to set up within Sales Cloud. To start, we need to set up our business hours and holidays. Business Hours is a standard object on the Salesforce platform that stores your company's business hours and holidays. Setting up your business hours allows for Salesforce to automatically determine what is a business day or not. Salesforce does not account for observable holidays, though, which means you will have to build out your own code in Apex to work around that.

Business Day Object

To store your business day records, you will need to create a custom object. Ours is called "Business Day". Our object has one custom field, which holds the date. This object will be used to record each individual business day in a given year.

In order to create records in our Business Day object, we will need to leverage the isWithin standard Apex function on the Business Hours object. This function takes in the ID of your business hours and a Datetime variable as parameters and returns whether the given Datetime is within your business hours. In the example below, we use the ID of the default business hours and instantiate two Datetime variables, startDateTime and endDateTime.

Once we have the list of Business Day records for this year, we can use them in Analytics Studio as a data set. In order to use our data set in Analytics Studio, we have to create a dataflow that inputs our Business Day records. This dataflow has only two steps. In the first step, we are pulling in the date field from our custom Business Day object.

Conclusion

Creating a business days data set in Tableau CRM is a useful tool that can serve many purposes. You can create dashboards and limit SAQL queries to tailor your reports around your company's business days, making a unique experience specific to your company. If you need help customizing your Tableau CRM Analytics Studio and Sales Cloud experience, contact DB Services today!

In this article, we will be covering two highly useful actions: address validation and tracking. We will demonstrate how you can integrate these actions into your current FileMaker system.

To start, you will need to set up a UPS account. After setting up your account, you will need to generate an API access key. An access key is what the API uses to authenticate your access and allows entry to their software. Your access key is essentially an extra password and should be treated as such. You should keep this secret and store it in a secure location.

With address validation, you can compare city/state/zip combinations and ensure that the info provided is valid. If the address combination is not valid, a list of possible cities/states/zips will be returned. This functionality is limited to addresses in the 50 United States and Puerto Rico. To find more detailed information, read the Address Validation documentation.

Below is an example of what our request looks like. The only required information is the country code and zip code, along with your login credentials and access key which are passed in via the headers of the request.

The tracking functionality allows customers to track their shipments and view specific details about the shipment status. By utilizing tracking, you can view your package’s journey from start to finish and see every location the package has been to along with the time of arrival. To be able to use this feature, you will first need a reference/order number. UPS provides some order numbers to test with, and that is what we will be using in this demonstration.

Below is an example of a successful response from our tracking request. 

Shipping is critical for many companies; if your business is doing a large volume of shipping, it can be a hassle. Save yourself time and frustration by integrating your FileMaker system with UPS to easily manage all your shipping needs in one consolidated package. If you have any questions or wish to discuss integrating UPS with your FileMaker system, please contact DB Services.

Custom Address Fields (Beta)

This feature, while currently in Beta, allows for improvement of data accuracy and user experience. With a custom address field, users will be able to populate a custom address field manually or using a Google lookup. After the address has been input, it can then be accessed as a structured compound data type, or as individual address components. 

Customize and Filter Related Lists in the Lightning App Builder

Tired of going into page layout editor to adjust your Related Lists? Now you can customize your Related Lists directly within the Lightning App Builder by using the new Dynamic Related List-Single component. This new component allows you to customize the Related List by:

• Giving the list a descriptive name

• Choosing the list's fields and sorting the order

• Applying filters to the list

Below, we use 2 dynamic related list-singles in Lightning App Builder. One displays Opportunities that were created in the last 30 days, and the other displays Opportunities that have an amount higher than 500,000.

Do you want to better your app's performance and send and receive data more efficiently, but don't want to use REST APIs? Look no further than GraphQL API for Salesforce. You can query all of the data you want in a single request, and receive only the data you need. This API can be used to aggregate records, request explicit fields, introspect the schema, and more.

Automation: Flow Tests (Beta)

Is debugging your record-triggered flow your least favorite part of its development? This feature is still in Beta, but you can test your flow to test its results, and identify run-time failures. Automated testing will save you time, and helps improve your flow's reliability. Creating, saving, and running tests will all be done within Flow Builder, before activating your flow. There are some limitations to flow tests, though. You can only test a flow path that runs immediately, and flow tests do not support flows that run on record delete. 

Below is a flow test that tests a simple flow that updates a custom checkbox, Opportunity is Closed Won, whenever an Opportunity's stage is changed to Closed Won. The first test asserts that the checkbox was updated to true, and the second asserts that the checkbox was not updated. The first assertion passes, while the second fails.

Save time on selecting report types by utilizing the new enhanced report type selector. The enhanced report type selector allows for quick access to recently used report types, and allows the user to view the fields and objects included in the report type. This enhancement allows you to see if the report type is standard or custom, and hides report types you don't need, leading to a cleaner, and more efficient user experience. 

Clouds

Sales Cloud: Manage Associations Between Automatically Captured Emails and Related Records

Looking to override automatic associations that happen with Einstein Activity Capture? With this release, you now can. You have the choice of removing some or all of the associations between an email and related records, and you can also add new associations. This gives you the flexibility to associate information with more relevant records.

Service Cloud: Add Flexibility and Power with Messaging for In-App and Web

This update allows Enterprise Service Cloud users to start conversations with customers on their app or website. It enhances the pre-chat support by gathering the customer's needs and accesses records before the agent connects in the Service Console. It also provides a more modernized experience by utilizing mobile push notifications and custom branding. 

Experience Cloud: Create Records More Efficiently for High-Volume Sites

Want your high-volume Aura site to maintain efficiency? With this update, you can enable your site to generate five times as many records simultaneously without slowing down. Utilize this update to keep your site moving during heavy traffic spikes. 

Commerce Cloud: Sell Globally in B2C Stores

Want to sell globally in your B2C store? You can specify currency and language for a B2C store. To sell globally, select the country that you want to allow purchases from, and choose whether taxes are included or not in the store prices. There are also new, configurable properties to translate store labels and inform users whether prices displayed include taxes or not. 

Field Service: Make Appointment Status Changes Easier

Obtain accurate activity insight without interrupting your mobile workers by setting up your Field Service mobile app to update appointment statuses. This update includes a manual, timed, or automatic mode for Automatic Status Change and allows your mobile workers to stay focused on their job, while automatically giving your back-office workers the activity insights they need.

Pardot: Automate Better with Completion Action Enhancements

Your automations in Pardot just got better. You can now apply completion actions to prospects that meet certain conditions you define. These conditional completion actions are grouped based on prospect conditions. You also can combine standard and conditional completion actions on a single asset, making it fully customizable.

Industries: Invoke Decision Matrices from Flows

Flows created by using Salesforce Flow can now invoke a decision matrix action element. A decision matrix is an exact-match-based lookup table, which means that it will match your input to a row in the table and return the row's output. In this case, it returns the output to the flow. To utilize this in a flow, you will add an Action element to the canvas, select the decision matrices category, search for your desired matrix, and then enter values into the parameters that are defined in the matrix. 

Get Customizing and Automating

With this release comes even more customization and flexibility within your Salesforce organizations. Though these are only a few highlights of the '22 Summer release, it's clear that Salesforce is committed to their user experience and building unique, customizable organizations. If you'd like to learn more about these updates, or any of the many other updates, read up on the official release notes. If you have any questions about Salesforce or would like to see these updates implemented into your Salesforce organization, contact DB Services!

Claris Studio: The Future of the Claris Platform

Claris announced the official name of their new product, Claris Studio. Claris Studio is a web-based developer environment that promises to be fast, flexible, powerful, and easy to use, in addition to working seamlessly with current Claris products. What we know today as Claris Connect will be automatically included in Claris Studio. Existing Claris products will be rebranded as Claris Pro, Claris Go, and Claris Server.

One Platform, One License For Everything

As Claris continues to look toward the future and modernize their product line, they shared several exciting updates about licensing. This new licensing model will more easily allow developers to create and test freely until they are ready to share their solutions.

Freemium Access

Claris Pro will be available to download for free for single users. You are able to create and test solutions for as long as you like without time pressure. Binaries and tools are completely free, and you will only be charged when you deploy a solution into production and share it with others. Here are their main focuses when it comes to the new licensing model:

• No friction for new adopters

• Free access to Claris Studio

• Freemium version of Claris Pro

• Honor the power of our developer

One of their first steps toward empowering developers is making three helpful developer tools available to all:

1. iOS App SDK: Create and deploy native iOS apps through mobile device management. Users can access your app on their iOS device without installing FileMaker Go.

2. Data Migration Tool: Migrate data and user accounts from a source file to a target file. You are able to move data into development, test, and production environments on Windows, macOS, or Ubuntu Linux.

3. Custom App Upgrade Tool: Quickly add fields, tables, and new scripts with this developer preview command-line tool. This tool is helpful if you want to upgrade your app but don't want to lose (or can't migrate) your data, schema, or layout customizations.

Unified Platform

In addition to making Claris products more available, they are also focusing on creating a more cohesive, connected platform. In Studio, users and organizations can be managed in one location, and you can easily add other users to your organization to share your solutions. All your data will be available across the Claris platform. 

Problem Solvers Circle

Claris' new program for existing customers and developers is called the Problem Solvers Circle. This program is a two-year agreement that grants you access to every available product from Claris, including preview access to Claris Studio. You will have two years to build, test, and deploy solutions that will prove Claris' value within your business. This will be available on May 3 to the first eligible 500 customers at a 30% increase from your current licensing price. 

Conclusion

We are looking forward to all the upcoming changes to the Claris platform. As always, Claris continues to show its dedication to solving critical workplace problems efficiently and effectively. If you are interested in taking advantage of any of these new and exciting updates to the Claris platform, contact us at DB Services and let's discuss what problems we can solve together.

Let's see what a customer call notification could look like.

Twilio Account - If you already have an existing account, you can log in to your console. If not, you can sign up for a trial account here.

Twilio Console ​- On the console, you can activate a trial phone number. Once you have an active number, you can navigate to the active number settings by clicking on the active number to configure Twilio to contact your webhook.

FileMaker Solution - You will then need to set up a web log table to store data from incoming calls passed by Twilio, as well as a listener table. The webhook data will contain which phone number was called and that's how you will know which user to notify in your solution.​​

How It Works

1. When a user logs into the FileMaker solution, the startup script finds the user in the user table and creates a listener record for them. FileMaker then opens a hidden window on the listener layout which has an OnRecordLoad script trigger on it.

2. When a user receives a call from Twilio, Twilio passes the call to the webhook file.

3. The webhook file runs a script in the FileMaker solution to create a new record in the web log table and transfers the call data into this record.

4. After the web log record is created, the webhook will find the user's listener record and delete it, causing our OnRecordLoad script to trigger.

5. The OnRecordLoad script then performs the screen pop by opening a new window and showing the call's information in front of the user.

With a webhook, you can integrate your FileMaker solution with Twilio to provide screen pops, showing call and messaging data and much more. Contact us today if you would like help integrating your FileMaker solution with Twilio!​

Let's suppose your company sells electronics, and you want to provide an optional support package for your customers. Because the amount of work involved varies based on the amount of hardware they purchase, you decide to price the support package as a percentage of the total cost of the purchased hardware. This works well for larger accounts, but you decide it's not worthwhile to maintain smaller accounts that might only pay, say, $50 a month. To avoid this, you add a minimum amount of $200 to the support price calculation, and your shiny new "Hardware Support Package" is configured something like this:

The Solution

According to the official documentation, "Salesforce CPQ doesn’t support the Percent of Total Constraint field on amendment quotes." Rather than letting unaware users face bizarre or inconsistent results when attempting to amend a quote, CPQ simply ignores any such POT fields. Thus, to get the calculation to function properly, we first have to override this default behavior; then, we can implement our own solution.

CPQ's default behavior works roughly as follows: if a quote item on an amended quote uses Percent of Total pricing and that item has either a minimum or maximum price constraint, then CPQ automatically sets the unit price of that item to zero. Thus, one way to circumvent this behavior is to get rid of the price constraint of a POT item whenever it appears on an amended quote. (Astute readers may note that this sounds like a bad idea, given that our whole goal is to preserve the price constraint; this will be accounted for in our next step.)

Step 1: The Price Rule

One of the easiest ways to automatically adjust price calculations is to create a price rule, so let's try that. The entry conditions for our new rule should essentially mimic CPQ's default behavior outlined above; we want our conditions to apply only to quote lines on an amended quote which have constrained POT pricing.  Setting the calculator evaluation event to "On Initialization;Before Calculate" allows our rule to run before this particular bit of CPQ default behavior, and adding two new Price Actions to the rule allows us to zero out the pricing constraints:    

Now that we have circumvented CPQ's default behavior, we are free to create our own solution. Salesforce CPQ allows users to extend its functionality through custom scripts, and for our situation, we want to create a Quote Calculator Plugin.  As the name suggests, this plugin will run every time a quote is (re)calculated, which allows us to define the logic for calculating our amended POT price. 

In order for our plugin to calculate the price correctly, it needs data from three different types of records: Quote, Quote Line, and Subscription. These objects all have fields that reference the "original quote," which allow us to directly compare the new quote data against the data from the quote being amended.

With this information in hand, we can calculate the desired price for our item and set the list price accordingly. The code snippet included below is excerpted from our Quote Calculator Plugin:

The Conclusion

Salesforce CPQ provides great tools for businesses to tailor their pricing practices to best suit their own needs. If you need to further customize your process to add Percent of Total Calculations on Amended Quotes reach out to us at DB Services and we'd be happy to help!

More than 3.4 million people have fled Ukraine in response to Russia's invasion in February 2022. Millions more are displaced within the country, making this the fastest-growing refugee crisis in Europe. Eight years of armed conflict in eastern Ukraine had already created a humanitarian crisis, and GlobalGiving’s local partners had been on the ground long before the news cameras arrived. Donations and grants provided by the Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund will support ongoing local recovery efforts and help make their communities more resilient to future disasters.  

Each customer survey we receive is an additional donation towards GlobalGiving's Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund. Your feedback for DB Services will not only help our team, but support the mission of GlobalGiving in the process! Simply fill out our surveys with your feedback, and together we can make a positive impact. 

Summer '22 Pre-Release Org

Pre-release orgs are a great way to test the new release features in a stand-alone environment before they're rolled out into your sandbox and production orgs.  These became available on April 21.

Summer '22 Release Notes

The official release notes are probably the most highly anticipated date of the each release. These offer us our first in-depth look into each new feature that will be implemented across Salesforce once the release goes live. They became available on April 27 at Salesforce Help.

Summer '22 Sandbox Preview

The Sandbox preview is a great way to test out the new features as they pertain to your unique configurations within your own Salesforce org, without affecting your live environment. Use the Salesforce Sandbox Preview Guide to determine if you want to upgrade your Sandbox or keep it on Spring '22 until Summer '22 officially arrives. 

Sandbox previews begin on May 6.

Salesforce Summer '22 Release Dates

The most important thing to do is make sure you're aware of when your Salesforce instance is going to be upgraded to Summer '22. Be sure to test everything before the release goes live to ensure everything still works properly and you know how to navigate the new features and upgrades. Be sure to check out the Release Resources page to help prepare for the new updates!

The three main release weekends for Summer '22 are:

• May 21, 2022

• June 4, 2022

• June 11, 2022

You can find your Salesforce instance by going to company information in Setup within Salesforce. To find your release date, go to Salesforce Trust, select your instance name, and click on the "Maintenance" tab. This will show you the date that your org will be upgraded to Summer '22. 

Sources: SalesforceBen, Salesforce Admins

To begin, you will want to download the minified version of the library, and review its API documentation. After that, you will begin loading the library into your Salesforce org.

You will want to add the minified version of pdf-lib.js as a static resource in Salesforce. Our sample code assumes that the static resource is named PDFLIB. Then, in the Javascript class that you plan to use the library in, import the library by using the following import: 

To begin PDF generation, you will need pdf templates that are then stored inside of Salesforce. You will grab the PDF as binary data from an Apex controller and then pass that to a load function in the library. 

In the above example, we are using FieldType to specify the form field's type so that we can accurately extract data from the field later on. For example, to pull a value from a text field using PDFLib, you will use the getText() function. To pull a value from a checkbox, you will use the .isChecked() function. (Note: checkboxes return boolean results. If you want to grab the value from the checkbox, you will have to hardcode the value into the field name.) 

To accurately relate the data that we are parsing to the right asset, we've put a placeholder for AssetId. We then use PDFLib to alter the names of the fillable fields so that we can replace our placeholder with the correct asset ID.

There are times that you might need to add more pages to a document because you are inspecting more than one asset on the job. PDFLib allows you to do this by using the copyPages function:

Now that your tech has finished filling out all of their reports, they need to load them back into Salesforce. For the example below, we've used Salesforce's lightning:fileUpload component. This component passes back a list of content version IDs and content document IDs.

Sub-Assets

Often, you will have several sub-assets relating back to a primary asset. These will take a similar approach as regular assets. We relate the sub-asset back to its parent asset and location. The naming convention will be like the one that we set up for regular assets: Name_of_Salesforce_Object-Name_of_Objects_Field-Asset_Type-AssetId-FieldType-FieldValueIfCheckbox. We loop through the sub-assets and create records in the respective custom object in Salesforce.

Error Handling

Technicians may be uploading several reports throughout the day, so adding a little bit of error trapping can help ease the process for them. We suggest adding a hidden field to each PDF called workOrderId. While generating the document, we can replace that field with the actual work order ID of the current work order. When someone uploads that PDF later on, it will check to make sure they are uploading to the right work order. If they aren't, it throws an error with the work order ID they should be uploading to.

PDFLib is a powerful tool for any organization using Salesforce Field Service. The ability to automate the generation and parsing of your service reports will eliminate user error during data entry and it will give your users more time during their day to focus on other important tasks. If you need help generating fillable PDFs in Salesforce Field Service, please contact DB Services and let's discuss what we can accomplish together.

Companies that use both FileMaker and ShipStation often find themselves doing double data entry from one system to the next. In this article, we will demonstrate how you can eliminate the hassle of manually creating orders and shipping labels, updating product and customer data, and retrieving shipping rates by integrating your FileMaker solution with ShipStation.

First, you will need to set up a  ShipStation account. Once you have your account, you will need to generate your API key and API Secret. The API Key and API Key Secret are essentially software-level credentials that allow a program to access your account without the need for providing your actual username and password to the software. These values can be used to access all of your account data and should be treated the same as a username and password. Don't share your API Key and API Secret.

I saved five required parameters in variable and named it $data: 

Double data entry can be a thing of the past by integrating ShipStation with your FileMaker solution. You can manage orders and shipments, create shipping labels, and retrieve shipping rates through the ShipStation API. Automate your orders and shipments while eliminating double data entry to avoid human blunders and saving time.. Please contact us if you need further assistance or would like to discuss getting your FileMaker Solution integrated with ShipStation.

Before we can get started, you will need an ActiveCampaign account. For the purposes of this demo, you can use a trial account to gain access to the basic features ActiveCampaign has to offer, including the API. Once you have an account made, go to your settings to get your API URL and API Key. Both of these pieces of information will be needed to establish a link from FileMaker to ActiveCampaign. 

Integrating ActiveCampaign with FileMaker

Using the "Insert From URL" script step alongside some cURL, you can perform a call to the ActiveCampaign API with the credentials you got from the previous step. Please note, however, that the URL of the API request differs from account to account, so your API request must be prefixed with the API URL you got earlier (shown below). 

By integrating ActiveCampaign with your FileMaker system, you can leverage ActiveCampaign's vast collection of automation tools to perform a wide variety of tasks. Regularly reaching out to clients, patients, or colleagues can change from a time-consuming chore to a completely automated process that requires minimal to no input -- while also minimizing the need for double data entry and lowering human error to boot. If you would like assistance integrating ActiveCampaign with your FileMaker solution, please contact DB Services and we can help you get started. 

Using an identity provider is a great way to manage and secure your application.  

Let's start by preparing the Salesforce organization. Every identity provider will require configuration. We will need information from this process when configuring the FileMaker Server Custom IdP settings. 

Identity Provider

In your Salesforce setup, search for "Identity Provider." This page allows you to enable Salesforce as a single sign-on provider. Once enabled, it will prompt you to choose the certificate used when communicating. For the purpose of this article, we will use the default self-signed certificate.  

Save your certificate and document your Issuer on the following screen. For example, in my test org, it is https://dbservices-b-dev-ed.my.salesforce.com, which we will use to configure our FileMaker Server below. 

After your Identity Provider is enabled, you will need to create a Connected Application. At the bottom, you will find the Service Providers section. Click the link to create a new Connected App: "Service Providers are now created via Connected Apps. Click here."

• App Name

• API Name- Default to the app name.

• A contact email

• Logo URLs- You can use their default logos or upload your own.

Next, check the box to Enable OAuth Settings.

• Callback URL - This is the URL the app will call when a sign-on is successful. It is the same for every FileMaker server, just replace YourFMServerDomain, with the public address of your FileMaker Server.

• OAuth scopes - You will need to include two scopes in order for the app to authenticate properly. 

• Access the identity URL service (id, profile, email, address, phone)

• Access unique identifiers (OpenID)

Save your changes, the confirmation screen will have additional information we need to document for the implementation.

Confirmation Page

Before leaving this page, be sure to copy and document both the Consumer Key and the Consumer Secret. Keep this information in a safe place; we will use it later.

Next, we will configure our FileMaker Server. This is where all the information we've collected will be put to use. Along with the information we collected, we will also need the endpoints our OAuth provider uses to make the necessary calls. The required endpoints are for the authorization code, authorization token, and authorization profile. The paths for Salesforce all begin with the Issuer path we documented above in our case, https://dbservices-b-dev-ed.my.salesforce.com. The endpoints for our server would be: 

• Authorization Code → https://dbservices-b-dev-ed.my.salesforce.com/services/oauth2/authorize

• Authorization Token → https://dbservices-b-dev-ed.my.salesforce.com/services/oauth2/token

• Authorization Profile → https://dbservices-b-dev-ed.my.salesforce.com/services/oauth2/userinfo

After logging into your FileMaker Server Admin Console, navigate to the Administration tab and then to the External Authentication area on the sidebar. Now, we'll expand the Custom IdP Authentication Settings.

Schema: email

Scopes: OpenID, profile, email 

These let FileMaker identify the user account information when logging into the server. Finally, choose the authentication type you are using and save your settings - in our case, that is OAuth 2.0. 

FileMaker provides a way to verify your settings, and we recommend you test your settings and confirm you can authenticate correctly before moving on to configuring your FileMaker files.

As the last step, add your users under FileMaker Security. You will find a Custom OAuth from the list of configured providers. Add any authorized users and choose a privilege set for them. 

This custom configuration with Salesforce is a great way to manage and secure your FileMaker application. If you have any questions or need help using Salesforce as an authentication source for FileMaker, contact our team at DB Services and we will be happy to assist you. 

Since becoming a Salesforce partner, our team has worked to provide our customers with superior service and exceptional expertise in all things Salesforce.  With a 4.9/5 star rating on the Salesforce AppEchange and 25 active certifications (and counting), we have only scratched the surface of what we can accomplish with Salesforce and we look forward to what is in store for us in 2022 and beyond! 

If you want to discuss your Salesforce needs, contact DB Services and let’s find a solution that works for you!

DB Services is a certified Claris FileMaker, Salesforce, and AWS partner focused on software consulting and development and dedicated to helping organizations with their digital transformation initiatives. Its mission is to make organizations more efficient and effective through digital transformations while offering superior service and exceptional expertise. Since 2003, they have worked with hundreds of clients large and small to provide custom solutions. They have also worked with agencies such as NASA, USAF, and NOAA providing software licenses and development services.

For more information regarding DB Services’ GSA Schedule offerings, please request our GSA Schedule online using our contact form.

Coming out of beta and with some additional functionality, the Flow Orchestrator gives admins greater ability to build and coordinate complex processes that involve multiple people over multiple stages with multiple flows.

• Orchestrate Multiuser Processes - Without using any code, you can now combine new and existing processes into a single interface. Steps allow you to define which flows to add and where, including the assignment of users to each step and where the flow appears for them. Stages allow you to group steps together and can utilize decision elements for more complex logic.

• Customize Entry and Exit Conditions with Evaluation Flows - Evaluation Flows allow you to define custom criteria for stage exit conditions and step entry and exit conditions.

• Assign Interactive Steps to Groups or Queues - Instead of assigning an interactive step to an individual, you can assign it to a group of users and avoid process bottlenecks.

• Process Background Steps Asynchronously - Background steps enable users to call autolaunched flows and run without user interaction. Now, when an autolaunched flow is called in the background and contains external callouts, you can mark that step to be processed asynchronously to prevent orchestration errors.

Sales: Collaborative Forecast Enhancements 

Released in 2018, collaborative forecasts have enabled users to plan their end-to-end sales cycle and achieve more realistic sales expectations throughout their organization. Some enhancements for this tool found in the release:

• More Efficient Collaborative Forecasts Setup - Setup has never been easier with an improved user interface including a new look and configuration items brought together on a single page.

• Quick Insights from Core Forecasting KPIs - Add new columns to your forecasting grid to calculate Gap to Quota and Pipeline Coverage and avoid time-eating metric calculations.

• See Recent Changes in Forecast Categories - With the ability to see week-over-week forecast changes, you can now be more aware of when to adjust your forecasting strategies.

Service: Workforce Engagement

This new offering for call centers features a suite of tools aimed at improving scheduling forecasts and agent happiness. Here are some key takeaways:

• Long-Term Forecasts - Workforce analysts have been using intelligent forecasts to plan staffing needs around anticipated workload volumes on a 12-week horizon. Now they can project out to 52 weeks.

• Long-Term Capacity Plans - Budget and hiring capacity plans enable call centers to meet customer SLAs through predictions made by Omni-Channel plans. Similarly to the forecast update, this extends the capacity plan horizon from 12 to 52 weeks.

• Historical Adherence Metrics - Build better schedules by comparing anticipated schedule adherence versus actual adherence. Planners now have access to the Historical Adherence Dashboard and see statistics for schedule adherence, conformance, Omni-Channel status, and scheduled versus presence time.

• Mass Shift Update - This tool allows planners to update shifts in bulk, defining criteria to select a batch of shifts and assign agents, update shift statuses, or both.

• Limit Non-Standard Shifts - Agent work-life balance is important and not all shifts are desirable. Scheduling rules that limit inconvenient shifts assigned to each agent enable planners to employ more equitable shift scheduling.

Pardot: Enhanced Landing Page Experience

In the Winter '22 release, Enhanced Landing Pages for Pardot gave users some really useful features to create landing pages including Drag-and-drop builder, responsive design, Salesforce CMS images, and Salesforce reporting. 

• Customize Pardot Form Styles - Dial in the look of your Pardot forms with the added ability to apply colors, fonts, margins, and more.

• Set a Redirect for Unpublished Landing Pages - Users now have the ability to define a custom redirect URL when a Pardot landing page is removed from the internet.

• Add Scripts - Enhanced landing pages now support script code in the header or footer of an individual landing page using <link>, <script>, and <style> tags.

• New Page Layouts and Breadcrumbs - With new prebuilt layouts and breadcrumbs for row editing, creating an Enhanced Landing Page can be lightning fast.

Experience: Archive Experience Cloud Sites & Maintenance

Retiring a website can be a bittersweet experience. You’re happy with the look of your shiny new site, but you may want to keep the old one around for reference, in which case, you could archive it... unless it was a Salesforce Experience Cloud site. Until now!

Salesforce has added a new Archive button to the detail page of your site, which makes the URL unavailable to all users and instead displays a site under maintenance page. If you ever decide to bring it back, you can simply unarchive it. Users can archive up to 100 sites and they do not count against the 100 active site limit.

Commerce: B2B Promotions

Several new types of commerce promotions have been created for B2B stores, allowing you to offer your customer coupons, fixed discounts, and more promotions per cart.

Additional updates include creating multiple product discounts for the same promotion, the ability to view all promotions applied to an order, and Commerce Promotions API access through Apex. 

Analytics: Edit Multiple Fields Inline on the Report Run Page

For anyone who has ever wished they could make inline edits to multiple fields and clean data from within a Salesforce report without rerunning it every time, your wish has been answered. A welcome enhancement to the Inline Edits on Reports from the Summer '21 release, the added functionality allows you to make edits to a field with related fields on the same record. When you do this, the related fields are marked as Pending and are updated with the new value upon saving the edits. Multiple-field inline editing for reports has entered Beta testing and will be available to most users in the Spring '22 release. 

A small but important enhancement here, the ability to bundle short appointments at nearby locations allows you to assign a service tech to the bundle to complete them in succession. Additionally, you can automate the creation of bundles and save time on assigning multiple service appointments.

CPQ: Browser Performance Improvements

Anyone who has dealt with a complex CPQ implementation knows how slow it can be to run certain operations. By utilizing new Web Components V1 tech, Salesforce has made the program far less browser-hungry. This update was first made available in the Summer '21 release and will be enforced in Spring '22.

Industries: Net Zero Cloud

Sustainability Cloud is now Net Zero Cloud and has become a core Salesforce App. It promises to help collect, categorize, and analyze energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions data throughout your organization’s business activities. This allows you to gain accurate insights into your carbon footprint and identify areas of improvement.

Conclusion: Resolve to Work Smarter

With all these awesome enhancements and much more, the Spring '22 release should provide plenty of motivation to kickstart your year with a renewed commitment to continuous improvement. If you wish to learn more about these updates or the others included in the release, please check out the official release notes. If you have any questions about Salesforce or want to talk about your Salesforce needs, contact DB Services!

Worldwide, 300,000 children are diagnosed with cancer each year, and in the U.S., more children die of childhood cancer than any other disease. Driven by a mission to ensure kids survive and thrive after cancer, St. Baldrick's has been a part of virtually every advancement in the field over the past 20 years. St. Baldrick's volunteers and donors have funded more than $312 miliion in lifesaving childhood cancer research, and their rigorous scientific review process ensures that every possible dollar goes to the most promising research. Visit StBaldricks.org to learn more, donate, or volunteer to help conquer kids' cancer.

Getting your API key is free and easy, and the first step is to create a project in the Google Developers Console if you don't already have one.

A FileMaker record needs to be created for each polygon drawn on the map. This allows the polygon to be recreated when the map is refreshed or used on a different layout in the FileMaker solution. To achieve this, we take the properties of the polygon object and send them to FileMaker using the FileMaker.PerformScript() function. This logic is contained in a listener function that runs when the user has completed drawing a polygon on the map.

Using Google Maps polygons in conjunction with your FileMaker solutions enables you to display useful and dynamic geographical information with simple FileMaker scripts and a few lines of code. If you have any questions or want to discuss a Google Maps integration in your FileMaker solution, please contact DB Services.

First, you will need to set up a Mailchimp account. Once you have your account, you will need to generate your API key. This key will be used to authenticate with the API so Mailchimp knows who you are. Make sure to generate an API key, not a client key for mobile apps.

Now that you have your API keys, we will need to grab the Audience ID of your default audience. This ID will be used to tell the API where to push your contacts. Free accounts are only allowed one audience (list), Essentials allows up to 3, Standard up to 5, and Premium allows unlimited. Navigate to all contacts, click on the Settings dropdown, and select "Audience name and defaults." From here, you can copy the Audience ID to the right.

Integrating With the Mailchimp Marketing API

The Mailchimp "add members to list" API call requires parameters outside of the URL encoded parameters shown below. This API call requires an email and status to be passed in the request body. The two required and any additional parameters will need to be JSON-encoded text, passed as a parameter using the cURL variable.

The API will return a response if an incorrect request was made. For example, if a contact unsubscribes to the list, the API is not allowed to resubscribe them. If this happens, Mailchimp will return an error along with the contact's subscription status, which you can parse out using the native JSONGetElement () function.

Conclusion

Double data entry can be a thing of the past by integrating Intuit's Mailchimp with your FileMaker solution. You can manage lists, activities, events, and much more through the Mailchimp API. Automate your surveys, email campaigns, and marketing processes while eliminating double data entry to avoid human blunders. Please contact us if you need further assistance or would like to discuss getting your FileMaker Solution integrated with Mailchimp.

DB Services' mission is to make organizations more efficient and effective through digital transformations while offering superior service and exceptional expertise. With over 19 years of Claris FileMaker experience, DB Services is dedicated to advocating and growing the FileMaker community. 

Since 2003, DB Services has provided custom applications and workflow solutions to Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, K-12, Universities, nonprofit organizations, and more.  DB Services is also Claris Business Alliance Platinum Member, and provides FileMaker Development, FileMaker Support, FileMaker Training, FileMaker Cloud Hosting and FileMaker Licensing. With over 20 Certified FileMaker Developers and 5 consecutive Partner of the Year awards, DB Services is considered one of the top Claris Partners in the country.

For a complimentary analysis and consultation, contact DB Services or give us a call at 888-488-0191.

The latest release of FileMaker Pro allows us to install it on both the latest operating systems offered including Windows 11 and macOS 12 Monterey. Claris has you covered! 

Monterey Shortcuts To Streamline Your Everyday Tasks!

By default, FileMaker Server displays the username configured under the Preferences for FileMaker Pro and Go, while WebDirect uses a seemingly random alphanumeric string. FileMaker 19.4 now has the ability to set an identifier for the current user. This identifier will be carried over to the server when running things server-side or while using FileMaker WebDirect. 

Set Session Identifier ( ) 
Conversely, a new function that has been added will allow you to get the name you specified in any calculation context for use at a later time.   

Get( SessionIdentifier )

Customizable OAuth Providers

FileMaker Server has been able to use Amazon, Google, and Microsoft as an identity provider for the last two versions. While a great addition to the platform, it did limit your choices for OAuth identity providers. The latest version of Claris FileMaker extends this to include all OAuth2 or OpenID protocols providers, such as Ping, OneLogin, Auth0, and Okta. This is achieved using a simple form within the Admin Console. 

The Claris team continues to improve the FileMaker platform by creating innovative improvements and leveraging the new macOS Monterey features. We're excited to automate your day-to-day tasks using Shortcuts. 

We look forward to helping you build custom applications using the new functionality available in Claris FileMaker 19.4. Contact DB Services at any time if you have questions or needs with Claris FileMaker!

So, you find yourself here after making the great decision to use Salesforce to fulfill your business needs and extract the greatest value from your data and processes. But the out-of-the-box configuration will rarely serve all of your unique requirements. A Salesforce implementation will get you and your users started using a platform that is tailored to your business. And the difference a well-planned implementation can make is well worth the resources you put toward its design. 

We've put together a comprehensive, downloadable 9-step checklist that will help guide you down the right path with your Salesforce implementation. Whether you choose to hire a consultancy like DB Services or go it alone, these steps will help to ensure you have a successful implementation.

After completing all the steps, building, testing, training, deployment, and beyond, you can certainly feel great that your Salesforce org was incepted with the utmost care and consideration. It will provide a steady and scalable framework that will provide the greatest value for your business for years to come. 

If you are interested in crafting your best Salesforce implementation or if you have any other Salesforce needs, contact us at DB Services and let's discuss what we can accomplish together!

To use the Google Drive APIs, you’ll need to create a project space in the Google Developer’s Console by going here and following these instructions:

From the dashboard, create a project. Once you’ve named and saved it, you’ll need to enable the APIs and Services that you need. There’s an aptly named button for that. Use the search field in the center of the screen, and then select the Google Drive API from the results. Enable it.

At this point, you should now be on the overview screen. You’re going to need to set up all the specifics of your connection, so click the button for “Create Credentials”. There are five steps to this that you’ll need to complete:

1. Make sure you have the Google Drive API selected, and that you select “User data” as the type of data you will be accessing, then click “NEXT”.

2. For “Your Credentials”, enter an app name (might I suggest “FileMaker”?) and your email address in the two appropriate fields, before saving and continuing.

3. “Scopes” can be very important, but this is just a demo. Save and continue.

4. Your OAuth Client ID. This one is important. FileMaker will use HTTP requests to connect to Google Drive, so for this one, select “Web Application”. Give your application a name. Then, add an authorized redirect URI, and paste in this address "https://dbservices.com/Authentication/FileMaker%20Google%20Drive%20Integration/Pull-Code" before hitting “Create”.

5. You now have a client ID. Hit done.

You’ve just created your OAuth 2.0 Client ID. It contains several pieces of information that you need to gather and give to FileMaker, but more on that in a minute.

On the navigation list to the left, click on "OAuth consent screen".  Right now, your integration is locked in an internal testing mode.  You've got two choices on how to proceed:

1. Click the button to "Publish App".

2. Click the button to "Add Users" under Test users, and add your email address.

Once you've made your choice, move back to the Credentials screen and then click the pencil icon in the Actions column. In the top right corner of the screen, you should see your Client ID and your Client Secret. FileMaker is going to need both of these values to connect to Google. 

Finally, we get to FileMaker!

Open our demo file and confirm that you’ve followed all the steps necessary to set up your Google project. Check off the steps as you go. For the final step, plug in the values for Client ID and Client Secret before clicking the Go To Example button.

Begin by clicking button 1 and requesting an access code from Google. FileMaker will use the Open URL script step to reach out to the Google API and request access to your account. Thankfully, Google is not a trusting sort, though. A browser window should open and Google will first ask you to verify who you are, and then make sure that you trust FileMaker to do your bidding. If you say yes, Google will send you back an access code.

You can now click on button 2. Using the information that we’ve collected so far, we’ll reach out to Google again to request back two new codes: a limited-time access token for making additional requests, and a refresh token. As our time limit runs out, the refresh token will make it easier to get a new access token without going through all the steps we did to get our first one. 

So now we reach the whole point of the demo. Click on the Upload File button and see the magic. A few seconds go by and…nothing happens. Unless you looked at the “Results Returned By Google” field in Behind the Curtain. Google has given us back a JSON result, describing the file that it received. For the skeptics among us, log into your Google Drive and confirm that the Test PDF file is now there.

But like any good magic trick, it’s not just about making something go someplace else. You have to bring it back. So for our final step, click on the Download File button and watch as the file reappears. 

Conclusion

And with that, we conclude our simple demonstration of integrating FileMaker and Google Drive. If you are like me, you are probably getting ready to take apart our completely unlockedsample file and break it down for yourselves. That's okay. We welcome it.

At DB services, we love FileMaker, and we love helping our customers get the most out of it!  Connecting FileMaker to Google Drive is just one of the ways that we can assist you.  Please feel free to contact us if you need further assistance, or if you would like to talk about how we can help you be even more successful with FileMaker.

Team Rubicon is made up of military veterans who are dedicated to continuing their service by assisting the most vulnerable communities worldwide before, during, and after disasters and humanitarian crises. Veterans work alongside first responders, medical professionals, and civilian volunteers, utilizing technology solutions and hard work to make the greatest impact possible. From preparation to recovery, the team leverages their skills and experience to support those hardest hit in communities across the US. For veterans, this continued service also provides them with three things they often miss after leaving the military: a purpose, gained through disaster relief; community, built by serving with others; and identity, from recognizing the impact one individual can make. 

Team Rubicon is currently supporting Afghan family resettlement in all phases of the process. They are currently supporting the management of donated goods and setting up the logistics at each donation point for collections and distribution, setting up housing units as families transition into communities, and providing translators where requested. Visit their website to donate, sign up to volunteer, or find Amazon wishlists tailored to the specific needs of each base. 

Each customer survey we receive is an additional donation towards the Team Rubicon. Your feedback for DB Services will not only help our team, but provide Team Rubicon with donations in the process! Simply fill out our surveys with your feedback, and together we can make a positive impact.  

Salesforce's Maps Territory Planning functionality has enabled companies to align their territory-based sales processes with the platform's flexible and powerful territory distribution mapping tool. Winter '22 provides even more customizability to territory planning that allows you to configure territories to better meet the needs of your business and your customers. Now, users have the ability to design territories to include both contiguous and noncontiguous areas, limit assignments to ensure even distribution of opportunities to sales reps, and control the assignment of containers or units to an area with regard to others within the focus. Each of these enhancements elevates the existing territory management tool's ability to serve the complex needs of territory-based sales.

The new Incident Management feature aims to reduce the number of your customer's red-alarm emergencies when incidents occur. New tools allow you to track, diagnose, and avert service interruptions before they happen. Escalation teams can track disruptions and dynamically route tasks to agents to meet customer expectations. Once the root cause is identified, it can be logged, and the change manager can then determine the steps required to prevent the incident from occurring again. These new tools can help your business retain its reputation and focus on providing value to your customers.

Marketing: Datorama Reports for Marketing Cloud – Advanced

As an upgrade to Datorama Reports, the new Advanced features increase the usefulness of existing reporting and analytics tools for Marketing Cloud.  Users now have the ability to create dashboards for end-users, define key performance indicators, and leverage Datorama's numerous functions to create even more fields and attributes than was previously possible. Showcase your data and improve your marketing analytics with these impressive new features.

Experience Cloud: Microsites

Microsites are an exciting new feature that enables users to quickly build attractive and customizable web pages with an assortment of templates and capture user data to create leads. All of this is made possible using Salesforce's Lightning Web Runtime, and you can do it without the expense of developing a complete site. Designed to meet the pace of a rapidly developing digital presence, Microsites can be archived once they have met their need and free up space for more sites. With drag and drop components, CMS integration, and content delivery network enhancements, quickly building a dynamic and high-performance site has become a reality.

Platform: Salesforce Functions

As described by the company itself, Salesforce Functions allows you to "innovate fast and meet customer demands anywhere." Through the power of elastic computing and the flexibility of open language, Salesforce has given you the ability to scale digital experiences by extending your already existing data and workflows. By reducing your own infrastructure's responsibility and giving you the power to integrate FaaS apps with your org, you can raise developer productivity and scale elastically.

Analytics: Tableau CRM Output Connectors

With this update, Salesforce introduces two new Output Connectors for Tableau CRM. If you have ever wanted to share Tableau CRM's powerfully curated data with Tableau Online or aggregate data from multiple sources to write metrics to Salesforce, now you can. After transforming and cleaning your data in Tableau CRM, push it to Tableau Online and utilize its tools to optimize deals and identify trends. Leverage more tools across more platforms to get the most out of your data.

Industries: Digital Process Automation for Financial Services Cloud + Industries CPQ Enhancements

Powered by the OmniStudio Platform, Digital Process Automation for Financial Services Cloud enables an automated and connected end-to-end work environment. With Decision Tables, Calculation Matrices & Procedures, and Intelligent Document Automation, you can improve your customer and employee experience.

Some welcome enhancements brought to Industries CPQ help to simplify bulk asset change scenarios while improving ordering and processing capabilities. Service agents can now complete changes more quickly and accurately and endure less manual entry.

Nonprofit: Marketing Cloud for Nonprofits

Marketing Cloud for Nonprofits brings many of the Salesforce marketing capabilities you know and love to the Nonprofit side. Personalized emails with custom nonprofit tailored templates, audience segmentation, and automated email campaigns make fundraising and outreach easy. No matter the size of your constituency, you will have the tools to communicate and engage with them all effectively.

Commence the Configuration

So there you have it: an impressive list of changes that underscores Salesforce's continuing commitment to incorporating more dynamic and potent solutions to the platform. Though these highlights represent a subset of the Winter '22 Release, it is easy to see the potential to improve many processes currently residing in a variety of orgs. If you wish to learn more about these updates or the others included in the release, please check out the official release notes. If you have any questions about Salesforce or want to talk about your Salesforce needs, contact DB Services!

Claris still has the same minimum hardware requirements as the other operating systems: dual-core CPU with 8GB of memory (as of version 19.3). Not all server specs are equal, either. Older hardware, even with the same specs, will likely be significantly slower. To get the best experience, we recommend getting as close to the most recent generation of hardware as possible.

Ubuntu FileMaker Server Setup

First, you'll need access to an Ubuntu server running version 19. Then log in. We'll use our scripts to both update the server and install FMS, so we will import them. We will be using vim, but feel free to use your text editor of choice.

First, we'll create the file using the command "sudo vim script_update.sh".

Installing FileMaker Server

Now we can run our two scripts. First, run the update by typing "./script_update.sh". This will update the server. If it's brand-new, it will also install programs necessary for us to install FileMaker Server.

Next, let's take a look at the script that downloads and installs FileMaker Server. The link used in this script varies depending on the version. To make sure you have the correct link, you'll need to visit your licensing page. You can then right-click the download link for the Ubuntu server and click "copy link address". This will be the most up-to-date version, so if it differs from the information in the attached script, you'll want to update it before running.

At this point, the installation is complete! However, at this stage your server is still running on a trial license, so we'll want to load in your license.

Log into your server using your external IP address. The general format is "https://<external-ip>:16000". We recommend using an SSL certificate, so be sure to load it in. As with normal FMS, you'll need to restart the FileMaker Server service before the license will start functioning as expected. 

Lastly, navigate to the "Administration" tab in the admin console and import the license certificate.

Limitations

• WebD worker machine deployment is not currently supported. Users will not be able to install the worker machine deployment method of FileMaker Server on Linux.

• Custom web publishing using PHP and XML will not be supported. FileMaker Data API is supported and can be used on the Linux version of FileMaker Server.

• System scripts cannot be run with the standard fmserver user. You must specify a user account on Linux to run system scripts by adding the user to the ect/sudoers file. See example below: 

With a bit of know-how, it can be surprisingly easy to install FileMaker Server on a machine running Ubuntu. This can keep your costs low while still running on an operating system that’s trusted by developers. It’s also one of the earliest Linux distributions to adopt regular security updates and release cycles. For the FileMaker community, this has been a welcomed change, and we look forward to seeing more people utilize FileMaker Server on Linux. 

If you would like help installing your Linux FileMaker Server for Ubuntu or have questions, contact DB Services to speak with FileMaker certified developers and get help running your system on the newest FileMaker Server release.

Managing your sales pipeline has never been easier with our new leads and opportunities modules. The leads module gives you a place to assign incoming leads to staff before beginning the qualification process. Assigned leads will populate the prospecting dashboard, ensuring nothing is missed. Users can create tasks for leads, allowing you to set follow-ups for staff. Once a lead has been qualified, it automatically creates a matching company, location, contact, and opportunity record. This will allow you to separate your unqualified leads from your company and contact database, keeping it clean.

The opportunity module then allows you to generate quotes pertaining to the opportunity. Companies can have multiple active opportunities with different contacts as needed. Open opportunities will populate the assigned user's dashboard, ensuring that nothing slips through the cracks. Users can create tasks for opportunities, allowing you to set follow-ups for staff. Once a related quote is sold, the opportunity is automatically completed.

We have expanded FM Quickstart into a full purchasing and sales application by adding several purchasing modules. Users can now return items relating to received POs and submit work orders to generate inventory.

The purchasing returns module gives you the ability to send back items that may have been damaged or incorrect, allowing you to maintain accurate inventory counts. The work order module will allow users to generate new inventory through production, allowing you to add inventory quantity as needed. Open purchase orders, work orders, and receiving records will populate the purchasing dashboard based on the assigned user.

In addition, we have now separated the purchasing and sales sides of FM Quickstart into two divisions. Users that have access to both divisions will be able to toggle which top tier navigation they want to see, and users with only one division will only see the respective top tier. This will allow you to delegate specific roles to staff while keeping their application clean and precise.

FM Quickstart now comes with a fully-featured QuickBooks Online integration, allowing for seamless transfer of data from the app to your QBO accounting software. Using the simple setup wizard, users will be able to quickly connect the app to their QBO account and instantly save time by eliminating double data entry between systems.

The new integration supports syncing data for all major modules including orders, returns, purchase orders, and PO returns. Payments recorded in FM Quickstart for any of these entities are also automatically synced. A user can instantly sync an item right from the data entry screen, and a status indicator will let them see at a glance if the information has been pushed to QBO.

The update also includes a Sync Dashboard that allows authorized users to view any outstanding items that are waiting to be synced across the system and push them all at once in a single batch. A fully-fledged logging system records every sync attempt and provides user-friendly error messages directly from QBO in the event of an issue. All integration details are also stored for simplified troubleshooting if necessary.

*Paid technical support is required for troubleshooting integration implementations.

With this year's release of FM Quickstart, we have built an iPhone system that allows users to access data anytime, anywhere. When a user signs in using FileMaker Go, they will automatically be directed to the mobile user interface.

Users will be able to view and edit contacts and tasks directly from their iOS device. The contact module offers easy-to-use tap to dial and email buttons for contact methods, as well as a create task button to quickly schedule follow-ups or assign tasks relating to the contact.

The task module allows users to easily view their own as well as other users' tasks, allowing them to review or take notes while out in the field.

Conclusion

DB Services is proud to present FM Quickstart 22 free and totally unlocked to the FileMaker community. This robust ERP app is great for anyone just beginning their journey into FileMaker, or for current FileMaker users looking for an update or new ERP module.

To download FM Quickstart 22, please visit the official FM Quickstart website here to have it sent directly to your email inbox.

Don’t hesitate to contact our team with any questions, or give us a call at 888-488-0191. DB Services looks forward to the opportunity to help you build your dream Workplace Innovation Platform in FileMaker!

Cases are the primary tools that service agents will use to interact with your customers. Consequently, ensuring that they have been appropriately configured will provide a solid foundation on which to build your implementation. Additionally, cases and case management practices directly influence customer satisfaction.

• Case teams – Allows groups of people to work together to solve cases

• Queues – Queues can be used to hold inbound cases without an owner so that team members who share workloads can take ownership and process them as they are created.

• Assignment rules – Allow cases to be routed to users or queues specified by attribute criteria

• Auto-response rules – For inbound emails, a criteria-dependent auto-response can be sent before a service agent’s follow-up.

• Escalation rules – Rules may be defined to escalate certain cases based on criteria such as priority, case type, or response time.

Service-Level Agreements

In order to best serve your clientele, a standard of service is often utilized to ensure adequate attention is provided to each case that is created. Service-level agreements allow you to define a commitment of service you have made to your customer, implicitly or explicitly. Through service contracts, entitlements, milestones, and assets, you will find a comprehensive approach to managing SLAs.

Productivity Tools

Once a service process and case layout have been defined, you may become aware of repetitive tasks or opportunities for automation that your service agents would love to implement when it comes to interacting with cases. Service Cloud contains a multitude of time-saving tools to address these issues. Here are a few of the most helpful ones:

• Quick Text – As simple as it sounds, quick text is a predefined message or phrase that a user can insert into emails, chats, and other mediums.

• Macros – Macros allow you to define a set of instructions to tell the system how to process a certain task. For repetitive tasks that require the same method of execution, such as answering a customer inquiry, a macro can select an email template, send an email, and update the case status with one mouse click.

• Mass Quick Actions – Users may use mass quick actions to edit or update up to 100 records from any list view.

• Split View – This allows users to open a collapsible list view while also viewing record details.

• Email Templates – A template allows for standardization of responses that can utilize case-specific details such as contact name or case subject. You can either define emails to be sent automatically or customize the email before it is sent. 

Omni-Channel Routing

One of Service Cloud’s most valuable features is the Omni-Channel, a tool that enables you to configure routing rules to assign work to agents based on availability and skillset. It can serve as a communication hub for multiple channels of interaction and ensure that your service team is working at an optimal level.

Additionally, it allows managers to easily monitor the number of work items assigned to agents and the status of cases routed by the Omni-Channel. Chat and voice transcripts are updated in real-time, and managers can use them to provide support to agents through messages or respond to requests from agents when assistance is required.

Service Cloud is capable of capturing interactions with your customers across a wide variety of channels including email, phone, webchat, social networks, community portals, and more. Case creation automation tools, such as screen flows for phone calls and email-to-case, make it easy to update, interact, and manage service requests so that agents can spend more time solving issues and less time clicking through screens.

After all, the value proposition of a CRM service solution is to provide the best service through flexibility to communicate with your customers and easily gather all the important information from every interaction.

Salesforce Knowledge

Salesforce Knowledge gives you a repository to store and share knowledge articles with visitors to your website, customers, partners, or service agents. Knowledge articles are documents that may contain any variety of useful information you would want to share, such as an FAQ or a step-by-step walkthrough. In addition to knowledge articles, Chat Answers allow your service agents to use the Knowledge Base to answer customer inquiries and embed articles right in the chat session. With the use of Data Categories, articles can be organized and grouped by defined criteria and allow for controlled access so that only the right people are able to view certain documents.

Einstein for Service

One of the most exciting features of Service Cloud is Einstein for Service, a collection of tools that utilizes AI and intuitive recommendations to aid customers and service agents.

• Einstein Bots – Bots are a great way to reduce the number of low complexity requests to your service agents. They can be configured to handle routine inquiries from your customers and can escalate more complex issues to a service agent if needed.

• Einstein Classification Apps – This incredibly useful tool can be utilized to automatically fill certain case fields based on historical case data, recommending or selecting values so that your agents can focus their attention on the conversation. For chat sessions, agents are shown recommended or selected values based on chat interactions with Einstein Case Wrap-Up.

• Einstein Article Recommendations – Agents may be given article recommendations based on chat communications to quickly and sufficiently answer cases.

• Einstein Reply Recommendations – Easily craft replies to customer chat messages that allow for standardization of messaging to customer and free up agent resolution time.

Ensuring that sensitive or confidential information remains secure is incredibly important and the security features within Salesforce allow for custom access for each user. With Sharing Settings, Roles, Profiles, Permission Sets, and Field Level Security, you have the ability to control access from the highest to the lowest levels of your organization's data structure. 

• Sharing Settings - With Sharing Rules you can automatically open up access to users at the record level by defining which records get shared with certain users based on record criteria. Manual sharing enables users to ad hoc share records with users that may not have read or edit access through other permissions.

• Roles - By utilizing roles and a role hierarchy, you can open up access to record-level data based on your own organization's hierarchy. For example, you can allow managers to have access to records owned by their subordinates.

• Profiles - Profiles determine what permissions a user has to view or interact with data at the object level, such as create, read, edit, and delete.

• Permission Sets - Permission sets allow you to grant additional object-level access to a definable subset of users that may or may not share the same profile.

• Field Level Security - At the most granular level of object-level security, field-level access enables you to give profiles or permission sets access to individual fields within an object.

Reporting and Dashboards

Service Cloud support reports and dashboards give supervisors a comprehensive picture of their service team's output and can highlight opportunities for process improvement. Reports can track statistics such as the number of cases created, case comments, emails, case owners, contact roles, response time, and any other important case data. Dashboards allow you to visualize report data and can give you an at-a-glance service health check.

If you require an import of existing case or service data into your implementation, Salesforce features a couple of data migration options to suit your needs. The Import Wizard is ideal when loading less than 50,000 records at a time and allows you to avoid duplicate record creation. The Data Loader is capable of loading up to 5,000,000 records at once and offers a command-line interface for performing automated operations. 

System Integrations

As with many businesses who use Salesforce, it may not be the only system that is a part of your service process. Should you require integration with an existing ERP or service platform, there are a number of solutions you can leverage to connect them to Salesforce Service Cloud. This provides you the ability to share records between systems and perform useful automation, which can help streamline your resolution process and improve customer experience.

 Salesforce AppExchange boasts a robust library of premade integration packages that you can easily install to your org. Alternatively, if an out-of-the-box option won't cut it, a company such as DB Services can help you build a bespoke integration solution to fit your needs. 

Time to Build Your Best Service Platform

The possibilities for building a custom service implementation are nearly endless when considering all the offerings in Salesforce Service Cloud. And with a comprehensive understanding of your business and service processes, a tailored Service Cloud can provide incredible value to you and your customers to build relationships that reach beyond the context of customer service. Contact DB Services for any questions you have or if you need assistance building your best service platform in Service Cloud!

The major Salesforce objects you’ll likely be working with are Accounts, Contacts, Leads, Opportunities, and Tasks. Each object will give you the ability to add, update, and delete records with just a few clicks. While all standard Salesforce objects come with out-of-the-box fields that organizations commonly need to track- such as names, contact information, status, etc.- custom fields can be added to let you track additional information. Opportunities, Accounts, and Tasks tend to be the most customized objects in our experience, but almost any object can be updated to track the details you require. The additional fields can range from simple data entry to complex calculations and will ensure that your sales team has the information they need to make their job efficient and effective.

Standard Salesforce objects can be customized to fit your needs, but sometimes you need more than just additional fields. Fortunately, you can also create full custom Objects. If, for example, you were an accounting firm keeping track of a contact’s dependents, it would make sense to make a custom object called Dependent. You could then use a lookup field to tie that Dependent record to the contact and track information such as the relationship (Son, Daughter, etc.) and potential tax credits associated with the dependent. The custom object will allow you to organize and keep track of information without cluttering the contact record with an infinite amount of additional fields.

Stage Tracking

Every business is different in the way that it tracks a sale from the beginning stages of being a lead to the closing stages of an opportunity. It is important to identify what stages need to be covered when qualifying, disqualifying, and converting a lead to an actual opportunity. Once the lead has been converted, it’s important to track what stages are between the qualification and the actual winning or losing of that sale. We have found that this is one thing that seems to always be customized in a Salesforce implementation, so it is worth considering early on. 

Opportunity Products

Out of the box, opportunities can have products or you can simply enter an opportunity amount directly on an opportunity. If you don’t need line item reporting, we suggest just tracking the opportunity by the amount. However, if you need reports based on product category or family, you’ll want to take advantage of the products and price book features and will want to populate your product catalog in Salesforce. Salesforce does have quoting, but it’s relatively basic. If your quoting needs just require a list of items and prices, the basic functionality may work well for you. Otherwise, you may need to look into quoting tools such as Salesforce CPQ.

Salesforce is a great tool for reporting. You can create both simple and complex reports with relative ease once you have decided on the KPIs and information you want to track within your Salesforce system. In our experience, the most common reports an organization will want are for sales pipeline management, sales forecasting, and activity tracking, but the possibilities are pretty much endless.

Once the reports have been created, dashboards can be built to show users relevant information at a glance in list views, charts, and diagrams. These dashboards can be put on a user's landing screen so they get important information as soon as they log in. They can also be placed throughout the system to make sure that a user always sees the information they need at the time that is most useful to them. With dashboards, users will be able to increase their efficiency and effectiveness by not having to dig through records to pull up and summarize relevant information.

Your Salesforce users are more than likely speaking with many contacts throughout the day. The best way to keep track of who they’ve contacted, what they talked about, and what the next steps will be is through activity tracking. Users can log their calls, set up tasks, and more by using the functionality within the Activity section that comes out of the box on most standard objects. If you want to automate some of the tracking, your Salesforce admin can turn on Einstein Activity Capture and allow users to keep their Gmail or Outlook account synced and pull in events, emails, and contacts automatically. 

NOTE: If your organization uses Einstein Activity Capture, the emails that are synced do not create records in Salesforce, so you will not be able to run reports off of those emails. There are third-party products on the AppExchange to automatically sync emails and be able to report off of them.

Campaigns/Marketing

One of the most common uses of Salesforce is to use the data to drive marketing initiatives. Your organization will need to determine whether to use the standard Salesforce campaigns to track which marketing efforts led to won opportunities. Some organizations like to do all marketing directly from Salesforce, while some prefer to use a separate platform, and some like to use a combination. If you are using a separate marketing platform today, you’ll need to decide if you want to sync information to and from Salesforce. 

Automation and Integration with a Third-Party System/ERP

Salesforce has an extensive array of automation for business processes and to eliminate redundancy. Are there parts of your sales process that will be important to automate? If so, you can often do the automation with Salesforce native features. If your implementation needs integration with an ERP, there can be a lot of complexity surrounding that process. If in-house developer resources are low, it may be best to reach out to a Salesforce partner, like us here at DB Services. However, Salesforce is a very popular platform and normally has a connector to other popular platforms. It’s important to note that these will cover a lot of the requirements that most organizations need, but often not all of the requirements, so additional customization may be necessary.

When your needs are met within Salesforce and all testing has been completed, you can either start data entry from a clean slate or you can import data from a previous platform. Data frequently needs to be formatted and cleaned to be able to be imported into Salesforce. It's important to plan this part out towards the beginning of the implementation so there is enough time to clean the data before deployment. This data can be imported into many of the standard Salesforce objects using the Data Import Wizard if you have fewer than 50,000 records to import. The Import Wizard can also use Salesforce’s duplication rules to prevent duplicate entries into accounts, contacts, or leads. If duplicates are not an immediate issue or you have more than 50,000 records you want to import in a single action, you’ll need to use the Data Loader. 

Security

Salesforce has an extensive set of security options that you can utilize to implement whatever security structure you need. For example, you can set up your organization's role hierarchy and restrict record access based on that role hierarchy. Users can be limited to simply viewing specific records or be given the ability to edit, delete, and modify records. You can also utilize user profiles and permission sets to create a nearly endless combination of access privileges for users throughout the system. Deciding who should be allowed to do what will make your information safer and keep people accountable within the system.

When setting up your Salesforce system, you will need to determine who will take on the role of Salesforce Administrator. Whether you are outsourcing this role or handling it internally within your organization, it is important to make sure someone will be overseeing adding and removing users, customizations, deploying updates, and much more. Salesforce offers great training resources with their Trailhead program for companies who want to name an internal administrator. Additionally, we at DB Services offer training as a service for anyone who would like to learn to be an administrator, or we can be your outsourced administrators using our Managed Services.

Human Element

Finally, it is important to consider your users when developing your Salesforce system. The most important thing for your success with Salesforce is user adoption and organizational buy-in. If your Salesforce solution resolves a pain point for your users' day-to-day workflows, you will be much more likely to see a return on your investment with Salesforce, as you'll have an easier time with adoption.

Conclusion

There are clearly many things to take into consideration when developing and deploying a Salesforce implementation. When implemented correctly,  Salesforce can take your business to the next level. From customizing your system to fit your unique needs, to choosing your Salesforce administrator, to reporting and forecasting with real data, there is a lot that needs to be considered for a successful implementation. We believe that these considerations will set you on the right path to success with Salesforce. Contact DB Services at any time if you have questions or need help with implementing Salesforce in your organization!

Each survey we receive is an additional donation towards the Society of St. Vincent de Paul-Indianapolis. Your feedback for DB Services will not only help our team, but provide St. Vincent de Paul with donations in the process! Simply fill out our surveys with your feedback, and together we can make a positive impact.

This release of FileMaker Pro comes with an important compatibility update for Apple Silicon users and a highly requested change to web viewers on the Windows platform.

Goodbye Internet Explorer, Hello Edge! (Windows Only)

One common thing we have heard from developers over the years is the challenge Internet Explorer causes when using a web viewer. We are happy to say the latest version of FileMaker now leverages the latest Microsoft Edge browser, which uses the popular Chromium open-source project. This should make for a more pleasant cross-platform development experience all around. 

This release includes native support for Mac’s newest chipset, using low-code Universal macOS binaries. This will ensure an optimized experience and performance on all future Apple machines. Not to fret; Intel-based Macs are still being supported and are just as great as ever.

Claris continues to maintain a solid server product line. This version adds many more under-the-hood tweaks to boost performance, flexibility, stability, and security.  

Log Viewer!

The last time the log viewer made an appearance was FileMaker Server 16! We are extremely happy to have it back in the Admin Console. Being able to quickly view, filter, and sort the log is a great time saver. This new incarnation of the log viewer has an Interactive View allowing one to choose multiple logs to view at once. 

Being able to run FileMaker Server on Linux has been a welcome addition. Now, Claris has made it even more future-proof by supporting Ubuntu. Linux is known for its enterprise-grade support, reliability, and performance. Ubuntu is one of the most affordable distros available. 

Claris Cloud will also benefit from additional feature parity, gaining not only the log viewer, but a schedule manager as well!

Schedule Manager

Up until now, if you wanted to create a schedule on Claris Cloud, you needed a 3rd-party tool, such as our free FileMaker Cloud Schedule Manager. Now, these can be scheduled directly within the cloud console itself. This welcome change brings the Claris FileMaker Cloud product in line with the dedicated Claris FileMaker Server. 

The Claris FileMaker platform continues to solidify its position as a leader in creating innovative workplace custom apps that work seamlessly across desktop, mobile, and web. FileMaker Pro 19.3 is a great release with features both developers and end-users can benefit from. 

We look forward to helping you build custom applications using the new functionality available in 19.3. Contact DB Services at any time if you have questions or needs with Claris FileMaker!

The most challenging part of saving the journey history data is actually getting to it. There is not a documented endpoint for grabbing journey history data, but that doesn't mean it can't be done.

The endpoint to grab the data from is "interaction/v1/interactions/journeyHistory/." This returns an array of the data in the journey history, just like you'd expect from other SSJS queries or REST API calls.

Example Call:

Example Response:

Many organizations using Marketing Cloud have at least one business unit other than their primary one. Depending on how your organization separates data, you may want to separate out the saved journey history for each business unit. At the least, you'll want to save the journey history for all your business units.

To switch which organization you want to retrieve data for, it's as simple as getting a new access token from that business unit. Since authentication requires the MID, you can simply pass each one in turn to get that business unit's data.

Avoiding Timeouts

Depending on how much your organization uses journeys and how active your contacts are, you may end up with a lot of data to retrieve and store. Since you won't want to replicate your SSJS several times for each org, that means all the data needs to be recorded within the thirty-minute timeout window.

Second, you'll want to record your data in bulk. Writing data takes time, so bundling the returned records into a large array and using the SSJS Rows.Add() function to add up to 2,500 (again, we recommend 1,000 as that seems to perform more reliably) records at a time, which will help keep your automation running efficiently.

Conclusion

The data integration and reporting available in Marketing Cloud is what makes it such a powerful marketing tool. While saving all your journey history requires some work, the result is significantly more data that users can analyze to create more useful customer journeys. For help gaining additional insight into the success and trends in your journeys, please contact us.

With Salesforce’s new Pipeline Inspection feature, managers and sales reps can quickly and easily keep tabs on important sales information. This feature provides an overall dashboard view to let users know exactly how many sales have been won, lost, and what can be expected in the future. Using visual indicators such as arrows and colors, users can see whether deals are moving forward, lost, or stuck in limbo. These new features will empower users to make decisions quickly and maintain a healthy pipeline.

Service Cloud: Workforce Engagement

Workforce Engagement is a new tool to help ensure that the most qualified and available agents are assigned to the work that best fits their skill set. With the help of historical Salesforce data, this new feature can ensure that your company has enough staffing with the right skills to handle your forecasted workload. Based on the forecasted workload, your employees' skills, and your employees' preferences, you can adjust schedules and make sure that the appropriate people are working at the times when you need them most. This will help keep the employer, the employee, and the customer satisfied. 

Commerce Cloud: Headless Commerce Enhancements

Managing a storefront on the web is now easier than ever with a number of Headless Commerce Enhancements. Using the Commerce PWA Kit and Managed Runtime, your users will have a fast, smooth, and secure experience across all of their devices. Your developers will appreciate the power and flexibility that comes with easy deployment, secure logins, and inventory management provided by the Omnichannel Inventory enhancements.

Platform: Einstein Search

In under a minute, you can now activate Einstein Search to provide your Salesforce Org with powerful search functions. The three features included are Personalization, Actionable Instant Results, and Natural Language Search. Personalization will cater searches to each user's personal preferences — learning as you use it. Actionable Instant Results, which is still in Beta, gives you suggested searches and allows you to perform tasks during a search.  Natural Language Search, also still in Beta, allows you to use common words to make quick filters with simple sentences such as “Contacts in Indianapolis.”

Datorama Reports will help you by offering powerful insights into your analytics from your email and journeys. The feature must be turned on and takes about 48 hours to fully deploy, but once it’s available, it is incredibly useful. Salesforce automatically creates easy-to-use dashboards to show how your emails have been interacted with and how they have performed for your campaign. You can then create powerful Pivot Tables and reports to inspect your data on even deeper levels.

Integration: MuleSoft Composer Connectors

Salesforce has added more connectors to the Mulesoft Composer, including Tableau, Slack, and Google Sheets. With these connectors, you can make integrations quickly and easily by selecting the connector you want to use and creating flows with the functionality provided. This will allow just about anyone to make simple or complex integrations with little experience!

Non-Profit: Experience Cloud for Nonprofits

With Experience Cloud for nonprofits, Salesforce has made it easy to create a place online for users to donate to your organization. By providing a centralized location, you can allow your donors to see their donation history and continue to donate by simply logging in to your page.

Financial Services Cloud, Manufacturing Cloud, Consumer Goods Cloud, and More: Rebate Management Integration with CPQ

The Rebate Management Integration allows you to apply rebate types to many standard and custom object pages. You can make whatever rebate type you like, apply custom eligibility conditions, and offer those rebates through orders, opportunities, and more. 

Media Cloud, Energy & Utilities Cloud, Public Sector, and Sustainability: Intelligent Document Automation for Public Sector

Intelligent Document Automation is a very powerful application that will allow public agencies to parse and evaluate applications for things such as permits and licenses. After mapping data fields to a given form or template, the filled-out form simply needs to be uploaded. The form is then saved and parsed by Salesforce using Amazon Textract. This process saves time and money by doing the data entry for you and allowing you to simply verify correctness.

Conclusion

As always, the features provided in this release give Salesforce users even more flexibility and power to improve their organization. We mentioned quite a few of the Summer ’21 updates in this article, but there are plenty more that we didn’t. Be sure to check out Salesforce’s official release notes page if you’d like to learn even more about this latest Salesforce release. Contact DB Services at any time if you have questions or needs with Salesforce!

The Formstack Form is, expectedly, a cornerstone of the platform, and it's easy to see why. Beyond its robust and elegantly simple drag-n-drop, no-code interface, Forms allow you to automate complex tasks with a few clicks. Log in or create a Formstack account - you can try out everything in this article with a 14-day Forms trial period. Once logged in, create your first form.

To communicate with the FileMaker app, Formstack utilizes webhooks to post data across the web. If you haven't downloaded the sample files, do so now. Upload the sample FileMaker file, then open it from your FileMaker Server. The file opens on a Setup page to keep track of the process. Check off and fill out the first few steps - we're already almost halfway done!

All that's left is to attach your webhook to your Formstack Form! Navigate the Form's settings, and locate the Emails and Actions Advanced Settings section, where you can add a webhook. The URL to use is the full URL of submitFormstack.php on your web server - e.g. https://abc.yourwebserver.xyz/submitFormstack.php. No need to adjust any of the other settings - just click Save and start collecting! 

Building With Purpose

Formstack's Forms are a powerful and flexible way to reimagine data collection, and still only a third of the Formstack Platform. With powerful document automation and multi-platform eSignature capture, Formstack is a perfect augmentation to your FileMaker app.

Want to talk through your Formstack integration? Let us know how we can help you make the most of it! Contact our team at DB Services if you need help or have any questions regarding your FileMaker Formstack Integration. 

Claris® Academy is a perfect place to start your FileMaker journey. They offer personalized learning plans to build your skills and help you reach your goals, no matter your skill level. Through a combination of written instruction, videos, and interactive activities, you'll be well on your way to building your first app. 

On Claris Marketplace, you can explore products created by FileMaker experts, like apps, templates, and training materials. Pre-built apps and templates make it easy to get FileMaker up and running quickly- use them as a starting point and add build-ons for your custom app. 

Join the Claris Community to learn from FileMaker experts and enthusiasts from all over the world. Ask questions, find answers, or just read up on popular topics you're interested in. You can also join groups based on your interest or skill level, like the New to FileMaker group, to ask questions about building your first app or using FileMaker for the first time. 

4. Claris® Support

Knowledge Base
Claris has an extensive Knowledge Base with all the resources you need and answers to any question you can think of. You can filter your search by product, version, or date posted. 

Product Documentation Center
Claris also provides a Product Documentation Center, a one-stop-shop where you can view all product documentation for different FileMaker products. This includes release notes, installation and setup guides, help guides, security guides, and more. If you don't find what you're looking for, Claris is always accepting feedback to improve customer satisfaction. 

5. DIY Custom App eBook

Download Claris' free ebook to learn the essentials for building a custom app. It covers three essential principles:

1. Planning- Evaluate what is unique about your business, and the book will walk you through some guidelines that will help define your app in terms of your business needs. 

2. Creating- Learn the essential tools of FileMaker to bring your ideas to life

3. Deploying- Assess your business needs and deploy on-premise or in the cloud

6. Templates

If you need some help and don't know where to start building, Claris' Templates can be a great place to begin. This is a great resource because many of the templates and sample files were created by FileMaker experts and Claris partners, and some are completely free. Just download the templates and sample files that best fit your needs.

Find inspiration for your custom web app with Claris Events. They offer meetups, workshops, conferences, training, and even on-demand webinars. Filter by location or event type to find the event that's perfect for your needs. 

Conclusion

We hope these FileMaker beginner resources provide a solid foundation for you to build upon to create your first custom app with FileMaker! Contact our FileMaker experts at DB Services if you have any questions or need help developing your custom app.

Empower Non-Developers

In many organizations, admins and other employees are dependent on developer or IT resources to complete their requests for change or innovation within Salesforce. MuleSoft Composer eliminates part of this setback, enabling non-developers to build and integrate directly in Salesforce. There’s no need to learn a new system- the integration tool is built right into the admin console for easy use. Both teams are able to work together to innovate better and faster, delivering on high-priority projects more quickly and efficiently. 

MuleSoft Composer provides a guided, click-through experience that makes it easy to connect apps and data to Salesforce. Just follow the onscreen instructions- no code required! For quick, automated integrations, utilize the library of pre-built connectors and templates to get your project up and running fast. Preview as you build and design with real data, and monitor errors with automatic alerts. 

Some of their pre-built connectors include:

• NetSuite

• Slack

• Workday

• Tableau

• Google Sheets

Creating a New Composer Flow

When creating a new Composer flow, you will first have to connect with the system in which you want the flow to start and choose the event that triggers the flow. You can also choose to schedule when the flow will run instead of triggering it with an event. Your Composer flow can start in any system that has a connector. 

Now, you can add additional steps to take actions in any system you are connected to, including the system where the trigger happened. Choose the system where the action takes place, and add other basic flow actions like if/else or loops.

Conclusion

MuleSoft Composer is the perfect no-code tool for non-developers to connect data to Salesforce. Empowering your Salesforce admins has never been easier- you'll get the tools you need to quickly unlock data, connect apps, and automate integrations. Contact DB Services today for assistance with MuleSoft Composer for Salesforce. 

Before you start sending documents, you will need to create a PandaDoc account. You can visit their webpage to create an account. Once logged in, PandaDoc will have templates you can use or you can create your own custom templates. 

Now that you have your keys you can pull your PandaDoc templates and create records for them in FileMaker. You will use PandaDoc's API documentation as a reference. To list templates, you will use a GET call to the following address: https://api.pandadoc.com/public/v1/templates. You need to include your authorization in the cURL. 

Creating Documents

Now that you have template and role information in FIleMaker you can use that to create documents from your templates. PandaDoc makes this easy. All you need to do is make a POST call to https://api.pandadoc.com/public/v1/documents. Your cURL will be similar but you need to pass parameters. You will need the template name and uuid you got from PandaDoc when you listed your templates. You will also need to send a recipient's object with the first name, last name, and email for each role.

Now that you have created documents in PandaDoc you can list your documents by making a GET call to https://api.pandadoc.com/public/v1/documents. Your cURL will be the same as when you listed your templates.

Sending Documents

You can also send documents with the PandaDoc API. You can use a POST call to https://api.pandadoc.com/public/v1/documents/id/send where "id" is the id of the document you want to send. That's it! The document will be sent to the email addresses you assigned to the role(s) for that document.

Conclusion

Integrating PandaDoc with your FileMaker system can reduce the costs of sending documents while also streamlining the process and allowing for automation. PandaDoc also allows you to use information you may already have in FileMaker to fill document tokens and create unique documents quickly. Sending documents virtually makes the process faster and easier for all parties. Being able to integrate that process with FileMaker makes creating and sending the documents even easier. Contact us today for assistance integrating PandaDoc with your FileMaker system.

Apex and Visualforce Pages

Before beginning, it’s important to know what Apex and Visualforce pages are. Apex is a server-side programming language used by Salesforce to run custom code on the Salesforce platform. Apex allows organizations to extend Salesforce beyond what is possible with the built-in low code tools. In this case, you’ll use Apex to connect to Marketing Cloud's REST API to get the HTML of the email that was sent.

Visualforce pages are one of the tools Salesforce provides to build custom user interfaces and web pages on the Salesforce platform. Visualforce pages have the ability to display HTML and to run Apex. For this article, you’ll leverage these features to allow users to view the email sent to a contact.

What to Implement to Set Up Full Resolution Emails

Getting the Email Content from Marketing Cloud

The first step is connecting directly to Marketing Cloud from Sales or Service Cloud with Apex. To do so, you’ll use the Marketing Cloud REST API.

When setting up authentication to any system in Apex, it is a best practice to use Named Credentials. Authenticating with the Marketing Cloud API is no exception. Named Credentials allow you to securely store authentication information that your Apex code can reference. In addition, they also handle token refreshes automatically, so you don't need to account for expired tokens when building the Apex code.

Once you have the custom OAuth process in place, Setting up Named Credentials is relatively simple. You'll set the URL to the Marketing Cloud REST API for your organization. Your identity type should be Named Principal with an authentication type of OAuth 2.0.

The Visualforce page setup looks very much like HTML but has additional tags you'll use to call the preview email Apex class and display it.

The end goal is to display the HTML email on the individual email results page layout, so you'll also need to make sure the Visualforce page is set up for in-line implementation. To make a Visualforce page in-line, you'll add in a few attributes to your apex:page tags. The standard controller lets the page know what object it's related to. The extension is the Apex class that is executed to display the HTML of the email you'd like to display.

Conclusion

Marketing Cloud Connect is a powerful tool for any organization using Marketing Cloud and Sales or Service Cloud. The default features bring basic visibility back to Sales and Service Cloud, but with some additional setup, you can extend that power to keep Sales and Service Cloud users informed about exactly what communication is being sent to their contacts. Viewing full resolution emails from Marketing Cloud is just one more way Marketing Cloud Connect brings more information to users. If you need help setting up full resolution emails in Sales and Service Cloud, contact us. 

We've included a sample FileMaker file at the end of the article to get you going, but before we get ahead of ourselves, let's get a Slack workspace ready to display the messages we send from FileMaker. The workspace is the primary element of an organization’s Slack structure. If you don’t already have a workspace, setting one up is fast and free – Slack’s guides recommend that even administrators of existing Slack workspace should use a new workspace as a sandbox to practice new features like this. For this article, we set up a workspace for the very illustrious (and very real) stegosaurus engineering firm, Stego Tech. Your workspace comes with some sample channels to divide your team's communication, and more can be added whenever the need arises.

Slack's API allows apps to expand the platform’s functionality past simple peer-to-peer messaging by integrating with popular services like BitBucket and Zoom. Slack apps can get pretty complex, but their various APIs make integrating a dream. In order for messages sent from FileMaker to show up in your Slack workspace, check out Slack's excellent guide on creating a new Slack app. For Stego Tech's workspace, I made StegoBot, a lizard automaton that will use webhook URLs to relay Stego Tech's FileMaker messages to Slack.

The included FileMaker sample file lets you quickly test your app’s messaging capability. Just paste in your Slack webhooks, select a channel, and send messages with a click! You can modify our script to suit all of your FileMaker needs – like automatically warning the #random channel to evacuate if your warp core's containment field reaches critical levels – or whatever else your stegosaurus engineering firm runs into. Make your API call using FileMaker's 'Insert from URL' script step. This will use cURL and JSON to send a message to one of the Slack webhooks you set up earlier. Here's the general format:

JSON

{"channel":"#random","text":"!! WARNING !!\rWarp core breach\rContainment field at 12%","username":"StegoBot"}

cURL 

-X POST  --header "Content-Type: application/JSON"  --data @$json

After you fire off your call, Slack's API will return a message describing the result – i.e. whether or not your call was successful. Failing calls have extensive documentation on Slack to help you get back on your feet. Successful calls are apparent not only by their message appearing in your workspace, but are rewarded with a coveted and esteemed API message:

ok

Congratulations!

Augmenting FileMaker with Slack makes it easy to keep your team up to speed on the most critical events in your business as they happen, but that's just the start. With Slack's powerful API, your FileMaker app can take advantage of whatever your organization uses Slack for most. If you'd like help integrating Slack into your FileMaker workflows, contact DB Services!

Flows now have enough functionality to replace almost all use cases of Process Builder! Along with the name change, Salesforce has also updated flows to allow you to check for changes to a record with the $Record__Prior global variable once the flow has been triggered. You can also now schedule part of a flow to occur at some point in the future while still running another part of the flow immediately after being triggered. Be sure to check out the release notes for all the other flow updates that weren't mentioned here!

Einstein lead scoring is now available to all users. Previously, an organization needed 1000 new leads and 120 lead conversions in the last six months to be able to take advantage of this feature. Now, the Einstein Readiness Assessor (found in Setup) allows smaller organizations to use data that has been anonymously gathered from other organizations to score leads until the organization has enough internal data to score the leads based on the single-customer model. 

Service Cloud: Einstein Recommendation Builder

With advanced AI, Salesforce now uses data within your organization to come up with relevant recommendations for your users and your customers. Using the Einstein Recommendation Builder, you can decide which object gets recommendations about other objects and how to store the data from the user's interactions. You can even filter the recommendations only to be displayed to specific segments within Salesforce. As users interact with these recommendations, the recommendations will get better and better!

Integration: MuleSoft Composer

With MuleSoft composer, users can integrate with other systems to unlock data with clicks instead of code! Salesforce organizations will no longer need a dedicated developer to create complex integrations. Using the MuleSoft Composer right in Salesforce, users can set a triggering event, determine criteria that must be met, and select the action that should happen after the trigger by using simple drop-down boxes to choose the relevant triggers, criteria, and actions. In real-time, users will also see output sample data to ensure the actions will give them the results they want. MuleSoft will be able to connect to many data sources such as Google Sheets, Tableau, and Stripe, with many more connections to come.

Marketing Cloud: Real-Time Segment Triggers for Journey Builder

With the interaction studio, Salesforce users can now automatically create segments based on users' interaction with the mobile app or with Salesforce emails. These segments can be added to a Journey with just a few clicks by assigning the segment to sync with the Journey in the Journey Builder. Whenever a user is assigned to that segment, they will instantly be included in the journey!

Commerce: Salesforce Payments 

Salesforce Payments now make it easier than ever to set up secure checkouts with just a few clicks. By simply creating a Stripe account through Salesforce or using your existing account ID, users will now be able to select from a number of payment methods such as all major credit cards and Apple Pay. This makes it easy to add intuitive payment buttons to their storefront for users to finish the purchases and decide from the chosen methods of payment. Since the payments are all handled with Stripe, Salesforce users can feel confident that the payments are PCI compliant and secure!

Industries: Manufacturing Cloud - Rebates and Batch Jobs

In a new pilot program that requires an application for nomination through Salesforce, organizations can now create rebates. Users can easily define the eligibility rules and the benefits provided with these rebates, as well as process the rebate payments. Once enrolled in this pilot program, organizations will also get a first look at the new Batch Job feature, which will allow processes to be performed in batches of over 250,000 records at a time. These batch jobs will also have the ability to be scheduled using the Batch Job category of a scheduled flow.

Analytics: Dashboard Components

Using the Tableau CRM, users can now create new components that can be used across multiple dashboards. Once created, these components can be selected and quickly added to any dashboard to save you time!

Conclusion

Once again, Salesforce has provided some great new updates that will empower users and developers to create impactful solutions and make the most out of their data. We mentioned quite a few of the Spring ’21 updates in this article, but there are plenty more that we didn’t. Be sure to check out Salesforce’s official release notes page if you’d like to learn even more about this latest Salesforce release. Contact DB Services at any time if you have questions or needs with Salesforce!

Like all connections in Marketing Cloud Connect, you need to use the Sales or Service Cloud IDs to update information from Marketing Cloud. As we discussed in our last article, making sure you have cleaned Marketing Cloud of duplicate contacts with a subscriber key migration will make it much easier to pass the correct information to the correct contact in Sales or Service Cloud.

To actually pass data back to Sales or Service Cloud, you’ll need to use Marketing Cloud’s native scripting language: Ampscript. Ampscript was designed as a coding language that average users could use to include dynamic, personalized information into emails. This means Ampscript is relatively easy to learn and, in fact, updating data in a Sales or Service Cloud object is a single built-in function: UpdateSingleSalesforceObject().

Tips and Tricks

Automations will halt if the Ampscript encounters an uncaught error (just like SSJS), even though the Ampscript is being called through a content block. To make sure you can control when the automation stops and what it does with errors, you need to leverage the use of SSJS try-catch blocks to capture errors. Since content blocks allow you to incorporate both SSJS and Ampscript together, you can accomplish this by wrapping Ampscript in SSJS.

Conclusion

Syncing data back to Sales or Service Cloud from Marketing Cloud is a hugely powerful feature of Marketing Cloud Connect. The ability to pass custom data back, in addition to the built-in tracking data, makes it all the more useful. Our last article in this series will touch on one last way to expand the base functionality in Marketing Cloud Connect: previewing a full-resolution email from a Marketing Cloud send in Sales or Service Cloud. For help setting up Marketing Cloud Connect to sync custom data to your Sales or Service Cloud, please contact us. 

Since the Intacct API is a paid service for subscribers, you will need to have already signed up for Sage Intacct before moving forward. API trials are not granted for demo accounts. Once you have your account set up, reach out to your account manager to sign up for the XML SOAP API. You will then be provided with a senderID and sender password for your account. These credentials remain the same for both sandbox and production environments.

Making Requests and Parsing the Response

Once you have your API information, you can immediately begin building your integration. For any questions regarding how requests should be built, please reference the Intacct API Documentation. Sage also provides a Postman collection to download from their Tools and Libraries page. 

The Sage Intacct API uses a single endpoint URL: 

https://api.intacct.com/ia/xml/xmlgw.phtml

Every Sage Intacct API request requires parameters to be passed in XML URL encoded format. For example, the Create Customer request in a POST request requires three parameters and supports many other optional data points. Since XML can be troublesome to format in FileMaker, we recommend copying the XML from a text editor into an "Insert Text" script step. This XML will be passed as a parameter using cURL in FileMaker's "Insert from URL" script step.

Once a request has been received, Intacct will return an XML encoded response. You will then need to parse the XML to determine if the request was successful. There are three levels of error trapping you need to set up for your requests; the sender status, authentication status, and body status. If any of these responses do not return "Success", then your request was not successful. In our demo file, we use a custom function to parse the XML response.

If you need to extract further data from the response, you will simply parse out the required data from the same XML response.

Authenticating with Sage Intacct

The Intacct API uses session-based authentication for all requests. This means you will need to make two API calls for every request; one to create the session and one to push/pull your data. It is possible to skip this and authenticate with each request; however, this is not recommended as it makes error trapping more difficult, forces more authentications from your admin user, and is only compatible with your top-level location.

To create a session, you will need to pass the following parameters: sender ID, sender password, Intacct admin user ID, Intacct admin user password, Intacct company ID, Intacct location ID, and a timestamp. The Intacct user must be a master admin account. If you'd prefer to have a dedicated API master account, contact your account manager. Every Intacct account is given one by default.

Once the session is created, Intacct will pass back your session ID, which you will then use to authenticate your next set of requests.

Sandbox Intacct Company

Once you signup for Intacct, you will be given a sandbox company for testing. This allows you to test your integration without fear of deleting or modifying anything in your live company. Keep in mind your sender ID and password will be the same for sandbox and production, but the Intacct Admin User will not.

Sage Intacct: Things to Keep In Mind

There are a couple of important items to remember when working with the Sage Intacct API. Here are a few points to look out for when integrating your FileMaker solution with Sage Intacct:

• Although you can authenticate with each API call instead of creating a session, it is not recommended.

• Make sure to download the Postman collection for reference.

• Some API requests are labeled as legacy in the documentation; however, all are still supported.

• Be mindful of password changes on the main account; too many failed API authentications will cause the account to be locked for security purposes.

• If you'd like a dedicated API user, reach out to your Intacct account manager.

Conclusion

Double data entry can be a thing of the past by integrating Sage Intacct with your FileMaker solution! FileMaker can create, update, query, or delete just about any Intacct object you would like. Automate your accounting processes, eliminate double data entry, and avoid human blunders. Please contact us if you need further assistance or would like to discuss getting your Sage Intacct system integrated with FileMaker.

FileMaker Server 19.2

• FileMaker Server 16 or higher can be upgraded directly to 19.2

• Admin API includes more tools to administer your server platform

• HTTP/2 can be enabled on Server 19.2 to provide greater speed and performance for web publishing

• Auto-Detect Java for Web Publishing can automatically identify the computer's default Java and use that for Server.

• Java 11 is supported

• Updated process for canceling find requests in hosted files

• PHP is no longer installed with Server installations

FileMaker Pro 19.2

• Big Sur compatibility for macOS

• Cross-file plugin validation with the extended privilege “fmplugin”

FileMaker Cloud 2.19.2

• Create and preview new apps from a web browser — no FileMaker Pro required.

• New API for uploading large files

• Free performance upgrades for cloud instances

This release of the server platform delivers many functional enhancements that developers and administrators can be excited about. Here at DB Services, our clients always ask us if they should upgrade when a new release is out and we're happy to report, you should! Included in 19.2 are new installation tools, speed enhancements, and compatibility packages that make a strong use case for upgrading.

Upgrade from Server Versions 16 – 19.1

Users can now upgrade from more server versions with the redesigned setup wizard. FileMaker Server 19.2 supports upgrades from versions 16, 17, 18, and 19.1 without having to uninstall previous versions. This functionality will be a great time-saver and ensure your settings and configuration remain intact and ready to use!

Admin API Enhancements

This release includes more functional commands in the Admin API. Users can now perform the following actions:

• Get metadata for FileMaker Server

• Configure additional folders

• Import an SSL certificate

• Import a license certificate

• Plugin management

HTTP/2 Support

FileMaker Server 19.2 now supports HTTP/2 to provide faster web performance for web publishing, including Claris FileMaker WebDirect®, FileMaker Data API, and XML. HTTP/2 is enabled by default on Windows & Linux but must be enabled manually for macOS. MacOS support is limited to Catalina or higher and can be enabled using the Enable_HTTP2.sh script.

Cancel Find Requests

In a hosted file, a canceled find request by a client is now quickly halted. Previously, canceled finds continued to run on the host. This new functionality will definitely improve user experience.

PHP Installation Change

PHP is no longer installed on a Windows installation of FileMaker Server 19.2. The folder \FileMaker Server\Web Publishing\publishing-engine\php\ is not created as part of the installation. For users upgrading to Server version 19.2 with an existing PHP installation, you will need to back up the PHP folder and restore it after the upgrade is complete.

This release of FileMaker Pro comes with an important compatibility update for macOS users and a useful cross-file privilege set for plugins.

Big Sur Compatibility (Mac Only)

This release includes the compatibility for Mac’s newest operating system, Big Sur, macOS 11. So if you need to run out and grab that new MacBook Pro or even update your existing Mac, FileMaker Pro 19.2 has you covered.

Validate Cross-File Plug-in Access

Newly created files will have the new extended privilege “Validate cross-file plug-in access (fmplugin). For older files, this privilege can be added. When this extended privilege is enabled, it will enable plugins for all related files to the current file if a matching extended privilege is found. If a violation occurs, a user will be prompted to link the two files.

App Creation in the Cloud (Preview)

Team managers can now get a preview of creating custom apps directly in FileMaker Cloud without using FileMaker Pro. By clicking “Create New” in the Claris Customer Console, a new file is created, allowing users to build FileMaker apps faster than ever.

API Call to Upload Files Faster

A new API call appendmp has been added to assist users in uploading large files to FileMaker Cloud. 

Performance Boost with a Free Upgrade

Who doesn't like free things, right? With this release of Cloud 2.19.2, customer instances are immediately upgraded at no charge. This upgrade will boost computing power to provide a better experience for using cloud-hosted apps.

The Claris FileMaker platform continues to solidify its position as a leader in creating innovative workplace custom apps that work seamlessly across desktop, mobile, and web. FileMaker Pro 19.2 is a great release with features both developers and end-users can benefit from. 

We look forward to helping you build custom applications using the new functionality available in 19.2. Contact DB Services at any time if you have questions or needs with Claris FileMaker!

Users with Unlimited Edition can now see changes to deals from the Opportunities list view. Increases to amounts will now display in green with an upward-pointing arrow, while decreases will display in red. Similarly, dates changed to an earlier date appear in green while dates that have been pushed back appear in red. This gives you the ability to quickly monitor updates with just a glance. 

Service Cloud: Omni Supervisor Enhancements

With the new Omni-Channel Skills-Based routing. conversations can now be routed to the most qualified agent based on data pulled directly from chats and messages. Additionally, the agent can now transfer the conversation to another agent which was previously not possible with any chat that was not queue-routed.

Another enhancement now allows admins to limit supervisors to only view their team of agents using the Supervisor Configurations in Setup. On top of all that, supervisors are now able to monitor voice call transcripts in real time. This will equip Supervisors with necessary tools to help train their staff. 

Platform: Dynamic Experiences Enhancements

With the new dynamic experiences enhancements, you are now able to create dynamic page layouts to show only relevant information as it is needed. Using field visibility settings, you can hide and show fields based on whatever criteria you need. This allows specified fields to only display for specific user profiles, when a specific value is entered into a field, or whatever other rules that you decide.

Dynamic pages also will now allow you to drag and drop fields directly into your components, making it incredibly quick and easy to build a new page layout on the fly!

Note: Dynamic forms currently only work for Custom Objects, but will likely be available for standard objects in future releases.

Customer 360 Audiences gives you a better analytical understanding of your customer by tracking and combining their profile, transactional, and behavioral information from multiple data sources. The data, which can come from many sources such as Market Cloud, Sales & Service Cloud, and Amazon S3, can be segmented into groups to easily identify customers based on data such as engagement or spending habits or geographical location. This allows you to target specific groups to have better success in marketing.

Commerce Cloud: B2B Commerce on Lightning Experience Enhancements

With the new B2B Commerce on Lightning Experience Enhancements, store owners can quickly make bulk changes to price books and price book entries with new filters and functionality in the new pricing workspace. 

Additionally, with the new pilot program for guest browsing, customers will no longer need to log in to your website to view your merchandise. More importantly, this allows your webpage to be seen by search engines such as Google, resulting in more potential traffic to your page.

\tFinally, another new pilot program that Salesforce is offering allows store owners to include variations for their products on their website. With just a couple clicks, a product can add variations, such as color, to their item without requiring the store owner to create an entirely separate product.

Note: You must request to be nominated for the pilot programs with your Success Manager.

Health Cloud: Intelligent Document Automation

Using the new Intelligent Form Reader, users can extract data directly from forms that have been uploaded into Salesforce. Fields are immediately identified using OCR technology to reduce the need for manual data entry. Having the forms stored in one location, linked to the related lead, allows the user to verify any data entered into Salesforce with the original uploaded form. 

Salesforce.org: Salesforce.org Elevate

Salesforce.org Elevate allows you to quickly and easily create a Giving Page with your organizations specific branding to allow donations. After connecting Salesforce to your payment processing service, you can customize one-time and monthly donation amounts for fundraising from supporters. You can then easily track the payments in your Salesforce CRM.

Einstein Discovery: Fast Start Templates

Using the new Fast Start Templates, all you need to do to put yourself on track for winning sales is create a story in the Einstein Analytics Studio. The new story templates in this release are specifically for maximizing win rate and minimizing time to close, while more are expected to be added in future updates. By selecting either of those templates and allowing the system to verify that it has all the information it needs from you, Salesforce will analyze your data and give you important insights on how to move forward to greater success.

Salesforce is always improving and making sure that it provides its users with the tools they need to succeed in their business. While we covered a few specific changes in this article, we merely scratched the surface. If you’d like to learn even more about this latest Salesforce release, be sure to check out Salesforce’s official Winter '21 release notes page. Contact DB Services at any time if you have questions or needs with Salesforce!

To make the FM Draw add-on available to your file, you’ll need to do the following:

1. Completely close FileMaker Pro. Make sure you're using 19.1.3 or above.

2. Unzip the custom add-on.

3. Move the custom add-on folder into your AddonModules folder. On Mac, you may need to press “Command+Shift+Dot” to view one of the hidden folders in this file path.
    •       Mac: /Users/username/Library/Application Support/FileMaker/Extensions/AddonModules
    •       Windows: Users\username\AppData\Local\FileMaker\Extensions\AddonModules

4. Open up the FileMaker file that needs the add-on. If you want to sketch on a specific field, make sure to navigate to a layout with a context based on that field's table.

5. Enter layout mode and open the "Add-ons" tab. Click the "+" button at the bottom of the panel.

6. In here, you should see the add-on in the "JavaScript" section. Select the add-on and click "Choose". This step should import FM Draw into your system.

7. Click and drag the add-on onto your layout. This will add FM Draw to the layout. Feel free to resize the web viewer to whatever size you need. You can also drag the add-on onto the layout multiple times for multiple drawing windows.

If you are using FM Draw on FileMaker Go, make sure your layout's dimensions aren't larger than your device's dimensions. If this happens, you may accidentally drag the window around instead of drawing on the canvas.

Once you’ve installed the add-on, you can configure your FM Draw window in the settings panel by clicking the gear icon.

• Input Container Field: This allows you to select a container field. Any image (jpg, png, gif, tiff) in that field will be placed in the canvas. The dropdown options will be pulled from the layout context your web viewer was placed on.

• Save Image Method: This allows you to change how your image is saved. You can either chose to save your canvas to a file path or into another container field.

• Output Container Field: This allows you to select a container field. When you click the save button, your canvas will be placed into this field. The dropdown options will be pulled from the layout context your web viewer was placed on.

When updating to a new version of FM Draw, you'll want to do the following:

1. Uninstall FM Draw from your FileMaker system using the "Add-On" panel in layout mode. FileMaker doesn't always remove all of the web viewers if they're placed on multiple layouts, so you may have to delete some of those manually.

2. Completely close FileMaker Pro.

3. Find the Add-On folder on your operating system (listed above). Delete the existing FM Draw folder.

4. Unzip the FM Draw .zip file for the new version. Place the unzipped folder into the Add-On folder.

5. Reopen your FileMaker system and install FM Draw.

Any existing settings in your file will be removed, so you will have to set those back up again.

Version 1.1.0

December 16th, 2020

• Added the ability to create text boxes.
  

• Added the ability to create plain lines.

• Added white as a selectable color.

• Removed the empty corner on the toolbar to make more room for tools.

• Fixed issue where drag tool wasn't working after certain tools were selected.

• Fixed issue where users weren't able to manipulate multiple objects at once.

Version 1.1.1

July 22nd, 2021

• Improved performance of FM Draw Add-on when used on larger FileMaker systems.

Conclusion

In just a few minutes, you can integrate your FileMaker solution with FM Draw! You can markup images inside of your database or start from scratch. Save time by drawing directly in FileMaker with no 3rd party program required. Please contact us if you need further assistance or to discuss getting FM Draw into your FileMaker solution.

Migrating subscriber keys allows us to remove duplicate subscribers while minimizing data loss. Most importantly, this method allows us to retain the subscription preferences for your subscribers. This is especially critical for organizations needing to comply with regulations like GDPR, but also ensures clients who have opted out or have custom email preferences don't receive emails they shouldn't.

Salesforce offers a service to migrate the data from Sales Cloud for you, but the process is expensive. If your organization plans to add or update contacts in both Sales and Marketing Cloud in the future, it makes sense to build this process and ensure your data is kept clean over time.

Implementing the Solution

Add Synchronized Data Sources

After configuring Marketing Cloud Connect, you’ll want to set up the synchronized data extensions needed to get the information from Sales or Service Cloud into Marketing Cloud.

To do this, navigate to Contact Builder and go to Synchronized under Data Sources.

To begin building the deduplication process, set up a new automation in Automation Studio. The first step will be an SQL query into a custom DE. Importing into a custom DE enables us to further filter out contacts we don't want to import into the All Subscriber List.

You may find multiple Sales or Service Cloud contacts sharing the same email address. In this case, a leader should be selected whose ID will represent the group in Marketing Cloud. This allows us to keep subscription preferences associated with an email address (because there is no practical way to separate out preferences for a contact without a separate email address).

Once we have our contacts in the custom DE, we will then add/update to the All Subscribers list as the second set of steps in the automation.

The fourth automation step is an SSJS script. Deleting a subscriber will delete them from any sendable data extension they match with. For any sendable data extensions where that subscriber could have data you want to retain, you need to update it with the new subscriber key from Sales Cloud. The SSJS will loop over each duplicate contact and begin updating the subscriber key in those data extensions from the previous key to the new Sales Cloud ID.

Once this is done, make sure to update the subscriber status in the surviving subscriber record (note that you cannot mark a subscriber as Held or Bounced). Finally, use the Rest API to delete the duplicate subscriber.

If you are attempting to delete many contacts and update information for them across a larger number of sendable extensions, you may experience timeouts that would prevent all duplicates from being removed. Running the SSJS again manually may be necessary during the initial rollout or during a large influx of duplicates.

Eliminate the Email Address Assumption

Once the deduplication process is built, you also need to consider the fact that existing automations may rely on the assumption that the subscriber key will be an email address. Any places where this is true need to be updated to accommodate the fact that Sales and Service Cloud contacts will have Sales or Service Cloud IDs, not email addresses.

It is also important to make sure that all sendable data extensions that relied on that same assumption connect correctly to All Subscribers. This means linking each sendable data extension to All Subscribers with the subscriber key instead of email address. The subscriber key field in the DE will also need to be populated if it is not already.

Ultimately, migrating subscriber keys allows organizations to use Marketing Cloud Connect the way it was intended to be used. Duplicates are eliminated, preference data is retained, and data can flow between Sales or Service Cloud and Marketing Cloud. We'll discuss flowing that data back to Sales or Service cloud in our next article in this series. Contact us for help migrating your subscriber keys with a certified team of Marketing Cloud Developers and Consultants.

• FileMaker Server for Linux is officially released!

• FileMaker Server now includes many performance optimizations such as parallel indexed finds and sorting on server, resulting in 98% faster adds, finds and deletes on average compared to 19.0.

• Startup restoration has been removed from the product and replaced with a more stable shared lock mechanism.

• Upgrading FileMaker Server will now preserve most settings to help speed up the upgrade process.

• FileMaker Developer Subscription (FDS) is free through December 31, 2020.

• We anticipate 3 releases per year of the FileMaker platform.

This version of FileMaker Server will prove to be a milestone release with the official go-live of FileMaker Server for Linux, faster upgrades, and the scalability improvements in FileMaker Server.

Upgrading FileMaker Server will now preserve most settings, significantly reducing the time it takes to perform the upgrade process. In this case FileMaker Server 19.1 will preserve most settings if upgrading from 18 or 19.0 to 19.1, and future versions of FileMaker Server will preserve settings in a similar fashion. This is a very welcome change to the product and will be a critical feature to help keep customers current on the latest version of FileMaker Server.

Performance Enhancements

FileMaker Server 19.1 brings a whole host of performance enhancements that will help the FileMaker platform scale and to increase performance over the WAN. Central to these enhancements is a low-level optimization for file access wherein FileMaker Server is able to use a sharing lock for read access to the database to allow for multiple threads to read a file at the same time. In other words, multiple users can read the same data at the same time without waiting in line.

The enhancements include:

• Parallel indexed finds. Indexed finds on the same data can now be run in parallel thanks to the sharing lock. Of all the server enhancements, this one is the most important in regards to the FileMaker platform scaling, and is the reason Startup Restoration was removed as it makes Startup Restoration obsolete.

• Sorting on server. FileMaker Server will now sort records on server unless its CPU usage is above a certain threshold, significantly increasing performance of sorting over the WAN. Note that this will only work if paired with FileMaker Pro, Go or WebDirect 19.1 or later. 

• Increased stability with progressive backups and full backups. Improvements in how backup operations handle flushing pages will help prevent live locks and dead locks, preventing very slow backups or backups not running.

FileMaker Server 19.1 is a great first agile release of the product and has some features that are going to be critical for the growth of the Claris platform. We look forward to the ease of upgrading, the scalability enhancements and the ability to install FileMaker Server on Linux. Contact DB Services at any time if you have questions or needs with Claris FileMaker Server!

The installation process for Linux is similar to standard Windows and Mac deployments with one major difference: the installation is performed via command line in an SSH session. In this article we'll cover some of the basics, but for full system requirements and installation instructions see the FileMaker Server Deployment Guide For Linux webpage. Once CentOS is installed and the required ports are open, to install FileMaker Server:

• First install required Linux packages

     the default downloads folder: /Users/[user]/Downloads # 

     where [user] is the name of the user with administrative privileges

• Download and unzip the FileMaker Server for Linux installer package using the link to the software download page you received in an email message after purchasing your FileMaker license:

• Unzip the FileMaker Server for Linux installer package file. Enter the command:

• Install FileMaker Server

1. Identify the name of the FileMaker Server for Linux installer. Enter the command:

3. To verify the installation, check that FileMaker Server processes and the Apache server are running. Enter the commands: 

Advantages

CentOS 7.7 is capable of running without a UI, letting the FileMaker server processes consume more of the server's resources. The Linux version of FileMaker Server does still allow users to manage the server via an Admin Console accessible through the web. The only noticeable difference between the Linux version of the Admin Console and the Mac or Windows version is the Linux file path format for database directories. 

• WebD worker machine deployment is not currently supported. Users will not be able to install the worker machine deployment method of FileMaker Server on Linux.

• Custom web publishing using PHP and XML will not be supported. FileMaker Data API is supported and can be used on the Linux version of FileMaker Server.

• System scripts cannot be run with the standard fmserver user. You must specify a user account on Linux to run system scripts by adding the user to the ect/sudoers file. See example below: 

For many on prem deployments Linux installations of FileMaker Server will be the best choice. If you would like help installing your FileMaker Server for Linux or have question contact DB Services to speak with FileMaker and AWS certified developers and get help running your system on the newest FileMaker Server release.

• FileMaker Pro now comes with 9 new add-ons including calendar, Kanban board, and photo gallery. There is also a preview version of the new layout design experience available to FileMaker Pro users on Mac.

• Add-ons are now available on the Claris Marketplace!

• FileMaker Developer Subscription (FDS) is free through December 31, 2020.

• We anticipate 3 releases per year of the FileMaker platform.

The FileMaker platform's desktop client and development environment comes with a handful of new add-ons, the ability to create your own add-ons and a preview of the new layout design experience.

Javascript Add-Ons

There are a new set of Javascript add-ons that you can drag and drop into your custom FileMaker app. These add-ons run in a web viewer and take advantage of 19's tighter JavaScript integration:

• Calendar

• Kanban Board

• Photo Gallery

• Rich Text Editor

• Activity Timeline

• Barcode Creator

• Calendar Heat Map

• Simple Chart

• Timer

Creating FileMaker add-ons is now officially released! With this ability, developers can package a set of features together and distribute them to other FileMaker apps. Using the Save a Copy as Add-On Package" script step, developers can create .fmaddon files that they can send to others, including submitting to the Claris Marketplace to distribute to the community at large.

Developers can now distribute their add-ons on the Claris Marketplace! To submit a new add-on to the Marketplace, developers should follow the Product Submission & Marketplace Listing Guide published by Claris. Requirements include links to documentation about the add-on and a video walkthrough.

New Layout Design Experience (Preview, Mac Only)

Claris is developing a new layout design experience and has included a preview version of this experience for FileMaker Pro users on Mac. To test the preview, create a new blank file using FileMaker Pro on Mac. This experience will help make building apps even easier in the Claris FileMaker platform.

The Claris FileMaker platform continues to solidify its position as a leader in creating innovative workplace custom apps that work seamlessly across desktop, mobile and web. FileMaker Pro 19.1 is a great first release of the more frequent release cycle and has features both developers and end users can benefit from. We look forward to helping you build custom applications using the new functionality available in 19.1. Contact DB Services at any time if you have questions or needs with Claris FileMaker!

In order to begin connecting your FileMaker database to work with AWS Textract, you will first need to have an active AWS account and set up an IAM user. Amazon has a great walkthrough on setting up these profiles, and be sure to capture the Secret Key and Access Key for your user.

Uploading your Document

Once you have the information from your AWS, choose a document that you want to process and store it in a container field in your FileMaker database. You will want to use an image or a PDF, and I would suggest starting with something such as a simple table or form to get an understanding of how data is processed and returned by Textract.

In order to process your document, you want to store it in the S3 bucket we created previously.

Running the Textract Analysis

Now that your document has been uploaded and stored in an S3 bucket, the next step is simply telling AWS to trigger the Textract Document Analysis job. This is again done by delivering a cURL request including your user signature to the AWS host, but this time specifying the Textract service and pointing to the document that you want it to process. Once the job has been successfully initiated, AWS will return a Job ID that you want to store as a reference to the Textract process you just started and the data it will produce. Depending on the size and complexity of the document you uploading, the analysis process can take anywhere from a second or two to well over a minute.

Processing your Block Data

The Textract process will generally return information about your document in three different types; raw text, table content, and form data (also known as key-value pairs). The best way to turn this into something we can use in FileMaker is by looping through the significant volume of JSON text and creating a record in a separate BLOCK table for each element. Here you can store the content, type, location, and relationship information about each element, and then we can use simple relationships to link together parent and child elements. This will provide a much more useful way to either present to a user the analyzed information, or to parse the data we care about into the relevant FileMaker fields.

Integrating Amazon's Textract service with FileMaker can be an excellent, low cost option for going beyond 3rd party OCR options and pulling the relevant information from images or PDFs directly into your solution. With all the processing done automatically, you can eliminate double data entry and provide useful reports and analysis much more quickly. Contact us if you would like help integrating Amazon Textract into your FileMaker application!

Synchronized Data

First, and most immediately useful, Marketing Cloud Connect allows Marketing Cloud users access to near real-time data from Sales or Service Cloud. With synchronized data extensions, users don't have to manually export data from Sales or Service Cloud into Marketing Cloud in order to send to those contacts.

Marketing Cloud Connect also allows users to send Marketing Cloud emails and text messages directly from Sales or Service Cloud. This allows Sales and Service Cloud users to send on-brand, personalized emails with data in Sales or Service Cloud.

It also allows Sales or Service Cloud users to view the near real-time tracking and engagement information on those sends.

Marketing Cloud Connect allows users to automatically add Sales and Service Cloud contacts into a Marketing Cloud Journey.

Subscriber Key Migration

Marketing Cloud Connect requires that a subscriber use their Sales Cloud Contact or Lead ID as their Subscriber Key in Marketing Cloud. If a contact is already in Marketing Cloud with the subscriber key as their email address, you will end up with duplicate subscribers. There are multiple solutions to address this problem. We will discuss one solution - automatically removing duplicates in Marketing Cloud - in more detail in part two of this series.

Syncing Additional Data Back to Sales and Service Cloud

Marketing Cloud Connect excels at getting data from Sales and Service Cloud into Marketing Cloud, but is more limited in what it automatically syncs back. In part three of this series, we will show you how to use Ampscript and SSJS in an Automation to sync additional data back to Sales and Service Cloud.

View Full-Resolution of a Sent Email in Sales and Service Cloud

Marketing Cloud Connect allows Sales and Service Cloud to display a thumbnail of emails sent to a Lead or Contact. In some cases, these may be too small to show users any useful detail. In the final article of this series, we'll cover how to set up an in-line Visualforce page to display a full-resolution Marketing Cloud email in Sales and Service Cloud.

Conclusion

Marketing Cloud Connect allows administrators to connect their clouds with clicks not code. What users end up with is a stronger platform that helps organizations innovate faster and connect more deeply with their customers. Contact DB Services if you would like help implementing and extending Marketing Cloud Connect to fit your organization's needs.

Creating and assigning tasks to your team is easier than ever with our new Task List module. Simply create a task for any date or time range, and select the user you wish to assign it to. From there, you can tie a task to a particular prospect, customer, or account. The task will then show up under the Tasks dashboard as well as under the specified contact, and on the Calendar screen.

Calendar

The long awaited FM Quickstart Calendar is finally here! Manage your calendar within your CRM with our new Calendar module. Create and modify tasks on the Task List and they will automatically appear on your Calendar screen.

We have updated FM Quickstart to include sidebar navigation. This allows for easier browsing of records and navigation within the app.

Just like previous versions of FM Quickstart, FM Quickstart 19 features a Sales dashboard to view Open Quotes and Prospects, and a Production dashboard to view Unpaid Orders and Pending Shipments.

You can also use our top tier navigation to access the different modules in FM Quickstart. These include Companies, Locations, Contacts, Quotes, Orders, Shipments, and Reports.

Additionally, you can access further modules by clicking the Setup gear icon in the top-tier navigation. This will take you to the Setup screen, which contains your Preferences, Products list, Purchase Orders, Receiving, Returns, and User setup.

For further information on these features, watch the tutorial video embedded at the top of this article.

Conclusion

DB Services is proud to present FM Quickstart 19 free and totally unlocked to the FileMaker community. This robust CRM app is great for anyone just beginning their journey into FileMaker, or for current FileMaker users looking for an update or new CRM module.

To download FM Quickstart 19, please visit the official FM Quickstart website here to have it sent directly to your email inbox.

Don’t hesitate to contact our team with any questions, or give us a call at 888-488-0191. DB Services looks forward to the opportunity to help you build your dream Workplace Innovation Platform in FileMaker!

Another stand out feature of Claris Connect is how easily it integrates with FileMaker, so in the video example, we’ll send an approval request from a form built in FileMaker. You won’t need to set up fmp urls, webhooks, or anything fancier than Insert from URL and a few JSON functions. Claris Connect handles the call and response functions, while users interact solely through their email client. If you’re not yet comfortable using FileMaker’s JSON functions, check out our article on FileMaker JSON functions. To see another Approvals Utility example that integrates with Formstack, check out our Claris Connect Overview article.

The New approval action is the first option in the Utilities menu. As with all new flows in Claris Connect, you’ll need to configure a trigger before you have access to the action steps. To set up a new approval, you’ll need:

• Title: this appears in the subject line of your email

• Description: this is the main body part of the email, where you make the case for your request

• Approver email: recipient

• Requester name: sender

• Due date: if the request has not been approved or rejected by this date, it will be marked as expired

Adding An Attachment

You can also send an approval with an attachment, as long as the attachment can be specified as a url. This can be an attachment address that is open to the public, such as a document hosted on your website. This could also be a url obtained from a previous trigger or action in your Claris Connect flow. For example, you can use the Get Attachment by id flow step from Microsoft Office to get a url for an existing email attachment.

Responding To Approvals

The approver will receive an email that looks something like this:

To invite users, click “Sharing” on the left side of your project, then enter their email. Note that these users will need to create a FileMaker ID, they will full have access to modify any flow in your project, and they will be able to see your Claris Connect subscription usage. Only Microsoft Outlook users need access to the project in order to respond to approvals.

Once the recipient has approved or rejected a request, use additional flow actions to take next steps, such as updating a record in FileMaker, sending a message using Slack, or creating a purchase order in Quickbooks. Additionally, Claris Connect provides a centralized management center for your entire Approvals history. You can search for approvals by status, requester name, or approver, and update pending approvals from this page.

Claris Connect opens up a world of options for automation and connecting your business services. The Approvals Utility takes this even further, giving you the tools to initiate and manage approval requests right “out of the box,” so to speak. And as you can see, it’s very simple! When you link this tool to other services, including FileMaker, you have a powerful way to document decisions and keeping things moving within your organization, while minimizing errors and keeping track of stale requests. Contact us for help integrating Claris Connect into your business.

In addition to owning a BackBlaze account, you will need to create a Bucket on your account page. A Bucket is a location where files can be stored, and you can upload files to the Bucket of your choosing. Following this, you will need to generate an application key with access to this Bucket to perform API calls. Please note that the information will only display once so please make sure to document it.

Authentication

You will need your application key and associated info you received on the BackBlaze account page to authenticate with the BackBlaze B2 Cloud Storage API. Authenticating successfully gives you an Authentication Token, an API Url, and a Download Url. These credentials are only valid for 24 hours, and after that they must be refreshed. Here is an example of a result:

Using the API Url from the authentication process and its associated credentials, you now need to generate an Upload Url. This Url is used to upload files onto your BackBlaze account. Much like the authentication process, this Url is only valid for 24 hours.

With the Upload Url in hand, you can now push container files from FileMaker into BackBlaze’s cloud storage. Your curl request should look something like this:

Additionally, successful uploads should display on your BackBlaze account.

Downloading Files

Using the Download Url from authentication in tandem with the fileID from your upload request, you can perform an API call to request a download of a specific file.  In the headers from the response you have access to BackBlaze’s SHA1 checksum as well, so you can compare it against what you have to see if there is any corruption.

Displaying Files In FileMaker

One thing you’ll want to keep in mind when working with the API is that you’ll need to store a representation of all the files as records in your FileMaker solution. In the sample file, we have a file table to store the document names, BackBlaze fileID, size, etc.

BackBlaze’s B2 Cloud Storage API allows you offload large amounts of file data from your FileMaker application to the cloud. With all your files stored on the cloud, you can keep your data size low, while also being able to easily access your files on the web. Contact us if you would like help integrating your BackBlaze account with your FileMaker application!

In this example will we be initiating our sync from FileMaker and transmitting new or updated Customer and Invoice data to our QuickBooks Online account. Claris Connect also offers the ability to begin a sync process based on actions taken in QuickBooks Online and we invite you to explore those further on your own. For this walkthrough, the first thing you want to do is create a new flow in your Claris Connect project and select the trigger as FileMaker. You can use either Cloud on On-Prem servers as an option and the configuration is very similar; here, we will be connecting with an on-prem server. Simply enter your server URL, user credentials, and filename (do not include the “.fmp12” extension) and click continue.

Note: The user you provide must have the “fmrest” extended privilege enabled in FileMaker or you will get an error here.

Any time you initiate a sync from FileMaker you want to be sure you are delivering all the data that you might need throughout the entire flow up front. Create a sync script in FileMaker which contains a JSON payload being delivered to Claris Connect and contains all customer data such as name, address, email, phone, and existing QuickBooks ID as well as invoice information such as amount, line item description, and line item service/product category. Once you have your file connected and your “initiate sync” script created, enable your flow and run the script for an example invoice so that your trigger step will now contain all the potential data points you may need to set through your flow.

Note: In order to test syncing to QuickBooks Online you will need an active QBO company account to connect to. At this time Claris Connect does not allow you to authenticate with Intuit Developer Sandbox companies, however you can create a 30 day free trial account with QBO and connect to that for testing purposes.

Workflow For Syncing Customers

Any time we sync an invoice to QuickBooks Online we must provide the Customer’s internal QuickBooks ID number (QBID) to tie them together, which means we must verify the customer exists already in our QuickBooks account. Here you will want to go through some steps in your flow to confirm the existing customer, find a matching customer, or create a new one if necessary to acquire the customer QBID we need. First, use a “Set Variable” flow step (one of the standard utility actions) to create a new variable called customerQBID and set it to the value of the customer’s QBID you delivered in your trigger payload from FileMaker. It is entirely possible that this will be blank if it’s a customer you have never synced with Quickbooks before. Next use an “If / Then” flow step to check if your variable is empty, and if it is then you want to perform a “Get customer by query” flow step to check for a matching customer in QuickBooks using the name sent from FileMaker similar to this:

Next use another “If/ Then” flow step to see if your query returned a CustomerID. If it did, then that means we have a name match already existing in QuickBooks so you can set your customerID variable to that value and we are ready to move on. If not, use the “Create Customer” flow step to generate a new customer in QuickBooks first and then capture the customerID returned from that step into your variable. Lastly, run a “Get customer by ID” flow step using your customerID variable and confirm that it returns a result, which verifies for us that the ID we are using matches an existing customer in QuickBooks and you are good to go. If you want, you can also run an “Update Customer” flow step here to make sure that all the customer data in QuickBooks is synced and matches the information you delivered from FileMaker.

It is highly recommended that you use On Error flow steps to capture any failures that may have occurred when executing QuickBooks functions, and then delivering those errors back to FileMaker using “Execute Script” and “Stop Flow” steps to prevent unwanted changes and return issue details back to your database. You can also use the History tab in your flow to view all the request and response messages for every single step, which can be extremely beneficial when troubleshooting errors.

Note: In the screenshot above I only show a single On Error trap as an example to save space, but you will want to ensure you error trap all QuickBooks flow steps to capture any issues.

Creating A New Invoice

Creating invoices via Claris Connect is still somewhat limited in the amount of custom data you can deliver to QuickBooks, but if the goal is reducing double entry you can definitely automate this process. Continue your previous flow from the customer steps above by adding a new step for “Create Invoice”. You will notice that the only options here are to enter the Customer ID, which is your customerQBID variable from before, and information for invoice line items. QuickBooks will automatically populate customer data on the invoice based on the Customer provided, but the line items can be a bit trickier particularly if you might have a dynamic number of potential lines all using various product/service categories. You can perform a simple sync by previously combining the amounts of all your line items into one total and providing a generic description from FileMaker such as “Products and Services”. Doing so allows you to add those values passed in from your trigger to the Line Item options here and create a simple invoice with the proper amount.

Note: QuickBooks requires the QBID of an Item (product/service category) for any invoice lines, but unfortunately Claris Connect does not yet provide the option to query for accounts/items by name. In order to provide this information, you may need to use Intuit’s API Explorer or another method to retrieve the QBID’s of items you wish to use and store those in FileMaker so you can deliver them in your trigger.

Currently Claris Connect does not support a dynamic number of invoice line items, so if you have more than one you will need to hardcode them in your flow step. You can still make this work by pre-populating variables for a set number of line items in your JSON package and then using “If/Then” flow steps to create invoices with various numbers of line items based on a count of the total. This can get somewhat messy though, so if possible you are better off combining invoice details into a single line item at this time.

Be sure to end your flow by calling a script in your FileMaker database to return pertinent information such as the customerQBID and invoiceQBID. You will want to be sure and store these values on their related records in FileMaker for use on any subsequent syncs so as not to create duplicate data in QuickBooks.

Conclusion

It can be extremely rewarding to integrate your FileMaker solution with QuickBooks Online using the Claris Connect platform due to the speed and minimal coding requirements necessary. Although the flexibility may not be as complete as a native integration, for setting up a quick sync to automate tasks, eliminate double date entry, and reduce user error you could hardly ask for a more simple solution. Feel free to contact us if for any additional assistance or to discuss getting your QuickBooks system integrated with FileMaker using Claris Connect.

• FileMaker Pro (no longer called Advanced) now includes Javascript Web Viewer Integration, Add-On Interface, Creating Your Own FileMaker Add-Ons, Claris Marketplace, Configure Machine Learning Models, Printing Page Counts, Dark Mode Support, and Layout Switching Shortcuts.

• FileMaker Go now includes Configure Machine Learning Models, NFC Scanning, Siri Shortcuts, HEIF image support.

• FileMaker Server includes FileMaker Card Window support in WebDirect, support for Windows Server 2019, Startup Restoration OFF by default, and improved reliability and performance.

• FileMaker Developer License (FDS) will be revamped to include Claris Connect.

• FileMaker Solution Upgrade Tool as Preview software. This is not intended to replace the FileMaker Data Migration Tool.

• Claris Connect launched in March 2020.

• FileMaker Marketplace launched in November 2019.

• FileMaker Cloud launched in October 2019. The EU rollout will come later this year.

FileMaker Pro is no longer called FileMaker Pro Advanced and this marks the last annual release of Claris FileMaker Pro. Claris will adopt an Agile Development methodology that includes more rapid release schedules.  Eventually, we expect Claris will name the product based on the year, i.e. Claris FileMaker 2021 next year.

Perform JavaScript in Web Viewer

You can now perform Javascript in a Web Viewer and have FileMaker scripts communicate directly.  Each can call the other and pass in parameters. This means you can use your own or third party JavaScript libraries to add advanced user interface elements into your apps.  See the new FileMaker JavaScript Web Viewer Integration in action as Devin Drake presents to you this powerful technology.

Note: On Windows, the Web Viewer uses Internet Explorer 11 which has limitations and may require additional complexity to in order to support IE 11.  Claris plans to move to Edge down the road.

FileMaker Add-Ons

FileMaker Add-Ons have been in the product since version 17 when inserting a Portal. Now, they are much more visible in Layout Mode on the left Objects Pane. The Add-Ons present are the same 11, (Action Items, Addresses, Attachments, Companies, Email Addresses, General Info, Inventory Transactions, Notes, People, Phone Numbers, and Topics), but now, you can create your own Add-On with the script step “Save a Copy as Add-on Package”. You can create your own Add-Ons and utilize the new Javascript Web Viewers to really take your Workplace Innovation Platform to the next level. Learn about Creating Your Own FileMaker Add-Ons as Isaac Harris provides a video walk-through and sample Add-On file for download.

Claris plans to release Add-Ons down the road in the product and in the Marketplace.

Claris Marketplace

The new Claris Marketplace launched in November 2019, replacing Made for FileMaker (MFF). FileMaker 19 now displays a link to the Marketplace in the Create screen.

You can expect to find in the future Add-Ons in the Marketplace to add to your applications later this year. We are expecting to see Kanban Boards, Calendars, Charting, Rich Text Editors, and more. All are features that are difficult to achieve in the native FileMaker client which leverages existing Javascript libraries via Web Viewers.

There are great solutions for all needs in the Claris Community and Marketplace. The number of free and paid products is increasing each day in the Claris Marketplace, and we are excited to see what solutions these products can offer to FileMaker users of all experience levels.

Configure Machine Learning

You can now load a Core ML (Machine Learning) model and prepare it for use using the new Configure Machine Learning Model script step. You can create your own model you have trained yourself, or find one for free online. You can also purchase a Core ML model.  Just drop it into a container, give a model name, pass parameters, and return the result.  We expect a lot of innovation in customer applications in image recognition and more.

See in action FileMaker Machine Learning Using CoreML as Aaron Kaiser demos how to set up a model.  Check out Core ML models on GitHub too.

Print Page Numbers

If you would like to show the total page count on reports, this is now easier than ever.  You can print Page X of XX by using the new PageCount symbol to print page numbers with the total page count.

Claris FileMaker Pro 19 Technical Specifications

FileMaker Pro 19 is supported on Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise (64-bit only), macOS Catalina 10.15, and macOS Mojave 10.15. Note: there is no longer support for Windows 7.

FileMaker Developer Subscription

If you want early access to FileMaker versions, purchase a FileMaker Developer Subscription for $99/per year. The subscription gives you access to the pre-release version, the FileMaker Data Migration Tool, the FileMaker iOS SDK, and more. Once purchased, you can download the tools from your Claris Community account.

NOTE: The FileMaker Developer Subscription is planned to be updated to a new program that includes Claris Connect, and current subscribers will automatically convert to the new plan.

FileMaker Solution Upgrade Tool

You can now patch a FileMaker application using the FileMaker Solution Upgrade Tool. The new tool is Preview software for the community that expands on the Save As XML feature released in FileMaker 18.  See how the FileMaker Solution Upgrade Tool works as Sarah walks you through how to use it. This is strictly a command line tool that leverages XML files for critical fixes to your solution. In most situations, you will still want to use the FileMaker Data Migration Tool when upgrading.

FileMaker Go for the iPad and iPhone has all the features provided in FileMaker Pro, plus specific iOS features. You will need FileMaker Pro on the desktop to customize your application in FileMaker Go. The new version of FileMaker Go 19 is available in the App Store as a free download.

NFC Readings

You can now scan or stop scanning Near Field Communication (NFC) tags using FileMaker Go.  Learn how NFC Tag Reading works in FileMaker Go as Devon Mason walks you through this exciting new feature.

Siri Shortcuts

In FileMaker Go 19, you can now create FileMaker scripts in the Shortcuts app allowing you to run Shortcuts or Siri voice commands. See how to set up FileMaker Siri Shortcuts with Andy Bowerman.

High Efficiency Image File Format

Inserting HEIF images on layouts and in container fields that can be viewed in macOS and iOS is now available. At times, iOS users have HEIF images turned on their iPad and iPhone when inserting images. This is now compatible.

FileMaker Go 19 Technical Specifications

FileMaker Go 19 is supported on iPads and iPhones running iOS 13.2.

FileMaker Server is known for its ease-of-use and ability to run smoothly. The newest version focuses on WebDirect Window Card support, along with performance improvements and security updates.

WebDirect FileMaker Card Windows

With this release, you now have one of the most powerful and popular user experience tools available in FileMaker WebDirect.  See how FileMaker Card Windows work by looking back at FileMaker version 16.

Startup Restoration

The new Startup Restoration feature is now turned off by default and enhancements are planned for the future.

FileMaker Server 19 Technical Specifications

FileMaker Server 19 is compatible with Windows Server 2019 Standard Edition, Windows Server 2016 Standard Edition, macOS Catalina 10.15, and macOS Mojave 10.14. If you’re on Windows Server 2012, it’s a good time to consider moving to FileMaker Cloud.

WebDirect desktop browser support includes Safari, Microsoft Edge, Edge Chromium, Chrome, and mobile browser support includes Safari on iOS and Chrome on Android.

Note: Supported clients include FileMaker Pro 18, FileMaker Pro 19, FileMaker Go 18, and FileMaker Go 19.

FileMaker Cloud

The new product called FileMaker Cloud was launched in September 2019 and can be purchased from your favorite FileMaker Reseller or direct from Claris. In addition, FileMaker Cloud Essentials was released in January 2020 for 5-10 users. FileMaker Cloud and Cloud Essentials are considered a new license type, to which our DB Services Licensing Specialists can help you transition. This is a great option versus deploying On-Premise for many customers–especially if you are new to the platform, need to replace your current server hardware, or are expanding to a more mobile or remote workforce! FileMaker Cloud plans to expand to the EU later this year.

At this time, FileMaker Cloud doesn’t offer a native Schedule Manager like what is available for On-Premise.  You can download our free FileMaker Cloud Schedule Manager to add this capability. Contact us if you would like help with setup, or for us to manage FileMaker Cloud Hosting for you.

Note: FileMaker Cloud does require a separate user license for any consultant or developer you may work with.

FileMaker Cloud for AWS was released in September 2016 and is now End of Life. Version 1.18 is the last supported version and can only be purchased till the end of 2020.  Product support ends in January 2022.

The Claris FileMaker platform continues to be the leader in creating innovative, powerful custom applications for organizations all around the world and works seamlessly across Windows, Mac, iOS, and the Web. The release of the FileMaker 19 platform further solidifies FileMaker as the Workplace Innovation Platform leader with more frequent releases ahead.

FileMaker Go gives the platform a competitive edge and this version continues to build off its strong foundation. Organizations can create innovative and rapid custom applications for iOS with great return on investment (ROI), and creating prototype applications on the iPad and iPhone is a matter of hours not months.

FileMaker 19 is a great release and has features everyone can benefit from. We look forward to helping you build innovative custom applications using these new tools for desktop, mobile, and web. Contact DB Services at any time with any questions or needs with Claris FileMaker!

The ability to perform FileMaker scripts from JavaScript is fairly simple but does have some caveats. The function itself is

• The JavaScript will not wait for the FileMaker script to complete.

• The function will not be available until the web page has finished loading.

• Web viewers now have a setting that needs to be enabled. That setting being “Allow JavaScript to perform FileMaker scripts” found in the Web Viewer Setup dialog.

• This function follows the Same Domain Policy, meaning this function will only work if the database and web app are hosted under the same domain. If they are not the browser will block the code.

To perform JavaScript from FileMaker, call the new Perform JavaScript in Web Viewer script step.

• Object Name: The defined name we give the web viewer.

• Function Name: The name of the JavaScript function we want to run.

• Parameter: Any parameters we want to pass into our Javascript function.

Some considerations:

• The JavaScript function’s return value is ignored.

• The script step will wait for the JavaScript function to return, if the JavaScript function enters an infinite loop the whole FileMaker solution will come to a halt.

• When executing the script step, there will be no way for a user to cancel the operation or perform any other operations.

• If the web viewer object is not visible the script step will not be executed.

• Once the script step is called and the JavaScript function runs, error handling will be done through the web browser. Any errors that occur in the FileMaker solution will be handled in the same way we do error handling now.

Conclusion

Web viewers are an incredible tool in FileMaker’s arsenal giving solutions ways of gathering and displaying information not native to FileMaker itself. The JavaScript integration now allows implementation of web viewers to be even easier by updating how to develop communication between the web app and FileMaker. Contact us if you need assistance with web viewers in your custom FileMaker application!

A predictive machine learning algorithm relies on a model—a set of black box functions that generate an expected output set based on an unknown input set. The model is created using a collection of training data with known inputs and outputs.

For example, to create a model that identifies different types of dog breeds, you would train the model using a collection of photos for each dog breed. Once created, giving the model an image of any type of dog breed that was included in the training data would produce an output identifying the image’s breed.

The first step in using machine learning in your FileMaker system is to either create or use an existing model. Apple provides a handful of CoreML models for image and text recognition. CoreML is Apple’s library that optimizes performance of on-device machine learning processes. Executing machine learning tasks on-device, as opposed to integrating with an online API, improves responsiveness and privacy.

Models, No Assembly Required

The Create ML tool can be started by opening Xcode and then selecting Xcode>Open Developer Tool>Create ML from the menu bar. Select New Document from the dialogue and then you’ll be asked to choose a template. For this demo, we’re choosing to work with an image classifier, but Create ML provides options for sound, motion, text, and data analysis as well.

After selecting Image Classifier, give a name to your new project and click Next. Choose a location to save your project and once the project window is open, you’re ready to begin training your model.

If You Give A Model An Image

With Create ML open, we select the 101_ObjectCategories folder for the Training Data section. This folder contains subfolders that each have a set of images to train the model. To begin the training, click the Begin Training button at the top of the screen. Once the training is complete, Create ML will produce a .mlmodel file that can be used in FileMaker.

Loading The Model In FileMaker

In usual FileMaker fashion, incorporating the model into your system is effortless—just drop it into a container field. Since this demo is using an image classification model, there’s also a container to hold the image to classify. Putting the model to use requires only a couple of script steps. The first script step sets the stage for loading the model into memory.

Compute The Model

After the model is loaded, the next step is to use the ComputeModel function. This returns a result from processing the given input. There is a slight variation in this function based on which type of model is being used.

Vision:

General models are similar but require the parameter name of the model as defined by the creator. They do not include the confidenceLowerLimit or returnAtLeastOne parameters. Multiple parameter-value pairs can be specified as needed.

Unload The Model

After using the model, it’s important to free the memory resources required to compute the output. The Configure Machine Learning Model script step supplied with the name of the model to unload is used.

Conclusion

Leveraging FileMaker’s machine learning capabilities will speed up time consuming tasks such as classifying images and transcribing speech; moreover, it can help with data analysis by providing predictive insights based on your existing data. Contact us today for assisting in adding machine learning to your FileMaker system!

To make a FileMaker script available as a Shortcut, you’ll donate it from your Script Manager by right clicking on the script and selecting Enable Shortcuts Donation.

Simplify With Shortcuts

With your FileMaker scripts donated, launch the Shortcuts app to construct a new tap or voice shortcut. Here, FileMaker’s powerful scripting engine is augmented by external commands and can be integrated into the workflows of any other Shortcut-enabled iOS app.

Command And Control

From Shortcuts, search for ‘FileMaker’ in the top left, then add your FileMaker solution and pick from any of the scripts you’ve enabled for donation. Your new Shortcut is now accessible as a voice command or an icon that can be added to your Home screen!

Conclusion

Siri Shortcuts expand FileMaker Go’s functionality by bringing scripts out of your app and into your life, letting you reimagine FileMaker Go development and workflows. Bring iOS advances to FileMaker and your business with Siri Shortcuts in FileMaker 19 Go! If you’d like assistance setting up Siri Shortcuts for your FileMaker Go app, please contact us!

NFC can share information between two active devices, such as two smartphones sharing contact details, or between an active device and a passive device, such as a smartphone reading a NFC tag embedded in a poster. NFC tags are tiny, inexpensive chips that contain a small amount of memory, a radio chip, and an antenna. They can be visible or hidden in almost any object, thus allowing common household items to turn into “smart objects” easily. 

Although technology already exists that lets us share data using radio waves, NFC is specifically designed to share information securely and faster than earlier methods (Bluetooth, RFID, QR codes, etc). As cited by the NFC Forum, there are over 2 billion NFC-enabled devices worldwide. From making mobile payments at the grocery store to scanning boarding passes at the airport, NFC has rapidly become a mainstream technology in our everyday lives. The video below demonstrates how FileMaker Go makes it easy to incorporate NFC by introducing a new script step to read these tags.  

To set up a test case for NFC, I acquired a pack of NFC tags that worked at a frequency of 13.56MHz. I programmed mine using a free app called NFC Tools which I downloaded from the App Store. It took less than a minute to associate a serial number with my specific NFC tag, and I was able to easily reconfigure the tag to associate other test data.  My iPhone XR acted as an active device and through the use of FileMaker Go 19, my serial number was scanned, passed as a parameter, and set in a field when my iPhone was placed no more than 4 inches away from the tag. Currently, iPhones XS, XS Max, XR, and newer models equipped with the latest iOS software can read and encode NFC tags natively. iPhones 7 and 8 are limited to reading NFC Tags with the help of an additional scanning app. Note that this capability will not work on iPads.

Introducing “Configure NFC Reading” Script Step

Be sure to download the file at the end of this article to follow along with the demonstration. FileMaker Go 19 added the script step “Configure NFC Reading” to read NFC tags.

Supported Formats

Because NFC tags can be programmed in several ways, FileMaker Go will support four of the most common formats: 

1. Plain Text

2. URL

3. XV Card

4. “Smart Posters” which are like QR Codes– a combination of text and URL.

Example Script

To start my script, I checked to see if the user was in the correct platform, as this script step is only compatible with iOS systems.

Conclusion

NFC allows businesses to talk to customers in innovative ways. Every endpoint acts like a personalized channel to engage potential customers and create relationships. It essentially allows any manufactured product, from potato chip bags to NFL jerseys, to become smart products that can share information with customers by simply hovering smartphones near a product. FileMaker Go is simplifying the process of using NFC technology by enabling your business to create personalized channels and ultimately grow your customer base. Contact us today to find out how NFC can expand your business!

Let’s take a look at how to create your own add-on.

Before we begin making our add-on, please note

• The file we use to create the add-on needs to have a unique file ID. Creating a new file generates a unique file ID, so we recommend creating a new file for each new add-on.

• The name of the file will be the name of the add-on. You can change the name afterwards, but it’s simpler to have the file be the correct add-on name.

• Add-ons will ignore security features but will retain any sample data in the file.

• Once the add-on is installed in the application it will be available to everyone using the app.

Creating An Add-On File

As stated above, we recommend creating a new FileMaker file to ensure you have a unique file ID and to property name the add-on. Once you have created and named your file create a layout based on a table occurrence that you want to import into the new file. Name the layout __FMAddonTemplateDirectives_en (“en” can be replaced with any ISO 639.1 language code). The layout will act as place to create the add-on content, but the layout itself will not be part of the add-on.

Almost everything in the FileMaker file will be included in the add-on when the package is created, including all scripts, layouts, tables, table occurrences, etc. in the file, meaning that you don’t need to put everything on the __FMAddonTemplateDirectives_en layout. But there are special steps to tell FileMaker what layout objects you want added to the layout that a developer drag and drops your add-on onto.

On the __FMAddonTemplateDirectives_en layout, add all layout objects that you want created when the add-on is drag and dropped. Once you have all of the layout objects positioned, anchored, and styled properly group them all in one single group. This should be the only group you make on this layout. Do not name the group. The add-on will include any objects in this group when the add-on is dragged onto the layout. Anything outside of the group will NOT be included in the add-on. (Creating add-ons that automatically create a relationship to the target file’s current table require more advanced setup.)

Packaging The Add-On

Now that the add-on is ready to be packaged for deployment, we need to run the “Save a Copy as Add-on Package” script step with the following settings and parameter

Running this script will create the add-on. It will include all valid parts of this file into the package and save it in the AddonModules folder, which will open up.

Distribution

To make this add-on available for FileMaker for your development, simply quit FileMaker. Then start it back up. This add-on will be available in the Add-on Tab of layout mode. To make this add-on available for another developer, simply go to the AddonModules folder, zip your custom add-on folder, send the zip to them, and ask them to place the unzipped folder in the AddonModules folder on their computer. The AddonModules folder is at:

• Mac: /Users/username/Library/Application Support/FileMaker/Extensions/AddonModules

• PC: Users\username\AppData\Local\FileMaker\Extensions\AddonModules

Installing Add-Ons

To install an add-on in your FileMaker solution ensure you have the folder of your custom add-on in your AddonModules folder and that you’ve restarted FileMaker Pro after adding the folder. Next, navigate to the layout in your FileMaker solution in which you want the add-on to appear. Enter layout mode and expand the left menu layout object panel. Click on the “add-ons” tab. Click +, select an add-on, and click Choose. The add-on will appear in the add-ons list and is available to place on any layout. Simply drag the add-on from the list onto the layout.

Using add-ons makes installing features in your custom FileMaker solution faster and easier than ever before. You can install pre-made add-ons, or create your own, saving time and effort. Check out our popular Google Calendar Integration demo file that we packaged as an add-on for this article’s sample file, and contact us if you would like help creating your own add-on.

In the video below I will walk you through the process of upgrading your FileMaker custom app to the newest version using the new FileMaker Solution Upgrade Command Line Tool.

A new extended privilege has been created for this process. In order to run the patch file the user must have a full access account or at least have the fmupgrade privilege.

What The Tool Transfers Over

It’s important to know that this tool transfers over everything except for your FileMaker data. You will still need to use the data migration tool if you’re planning on doing that. You can find the article including the download for our FileMaker Data Migration Companion here.

Creating The Command

Once you’ve downloaded the command line tool, you’re ready to start creating the command. The first step you want to take in creating your command is generating the GUIDs for versions 01 and 02 of your applications, which will look something like this:

Once you’ve generated the GUIDs, you will then save the newly generated copies of the files as XML. It is important that you use a diff tool when creating your patch file. In my video I show you which tool I use online for comparing my XML files.

For reference, the skeleton of the patch file should look like this:

After you’ve created the patch file, you will run a set of commands that look similar to this:

Best practice is to test the patch file on a copy of your original FileMaker solution to ensure that the upgrade will work. Once you’re confident in your patch file, you as the developer can run the command to upgrade the first version of the customer’s app or you can wrap the tool and the patch file into a batch script and distribute this to the customer.

Conclusion

The release of the FileMaker Solution Upgrade Tool is a welcome addition for both developers and clients. Now, upgrade your FileMaker app takes minutes and applying any code changes is an automated process.
Contact us if you need assistance with upgrading your custom FileMaker application!

The DB Services family is impacted by this disease personally, and for that reason, the charity we are partnering with for Q2 is The Glioblastoma Foundation. Glioblastoma is one of the most aggressive and deadly forms of brain cancer, and The Glioblastoma Foundation seeks to transform care and treatment for the disease. We are proud to support The Glioblastoma Foundation's mission to fight this disease with further research and better care for Glioblastoma patients.

We are donating $10 for every survey that our clients fill out to The Glioblastoma Foundation, and our goal for Q2 is to get at least 100 surveys back so that we can donate $1,000 in total. Our donations would not be possible without the help of our amazing partnerships and for that, we thank you! Each survey we receive is an additional donation towards The Glioblastoma Foundation. Your feedback now can positively impact others. You can help by simply filling out our surveys and together we can help others!

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out our overview of Claris Connect. In this article, we’re looking at Claris Connect Utilities. Think of utilities as powerful connector elements for your flows. You can use them to re-format the data you get from apps, add business rules, or just make your flow easier to manage as you build complexity. In this article, we’ll tour the utilities offerings and demonstrate two flows: one to call an API for current exchange rates and post an alert when rates are favorable, and another to read the text of a PDF email attachment and determine if the document should be forwarded to another party.

Currently, Claris Connect offers 13 utilities, shown below. Within each utility is a selection of actions, and in some cases, triggers. We'll go through each one to highlight how to they can be used in a flow.

I'll go a little out of order here, starting with Variables, then highlight some special Utilities at the end:

• Variables

• Calculations

• Cryptography

• Dates

• Documents

• Images

• Text

• Lists

• FTP & SFTP

• Approvals

• Schedules

• Webhooks

Variables

Variables may be the most familiar tool to developers. There are some significant differences between how variables are handled in Claris Connect compared to FileMaker. For starters, you don't have to store results of previous action steps in a variable. When selecting inputs for a new Action, If-Then, or Repeat step, you can expand any previous step to view and select its results, and even use the search feature to find what you are looking for:

However, you may still find it useful to store certain results in a variable. Previously defined variables are always at the top of your selection options— not in chronological order with the flow steps— making them even easier to find. And you can redefine the value of a variable as you progress through the flow, just as you would in a FileMaker script.

Variables have an important additional trait: this is the only utility that lets you concatenate text.

Always be sure to test your flow steps as you go, even the very simple ones. Without test result data, you won't have access to that step's output as you craft your flow.

Calculations

This is your calculator and then some. The actions Add numbers and Subtract numbers can be performed on two numbers only, whereas Multiply and Average are performed on a comma-separated list.

With Return random number, the result is a whole number between (and including) the two values you specify. This differs dramatically from FileMaker's Random function, which returns a decimal value between 0 and 1.

For most of your calculations, you'll want to use Calculate expression. This lets you construct a mathematical expression using parentheses, operators like +, *, and ^, and other functions like floor, sqrt, abs, and PI. The syntax is based on Java Math, but always test your results. Not all methods are available in Claris Connect.

Cryptography

This utility has 3 actions. Hash generates a hash for a text string, which is useful for checking whether stings are identical, and, as the utility name implies, encrypting! HMAC creates a hash-based message authentication code using a key. Both functions require a hash algorithm (MD5, SHA1, or SHA256) and an encoding parameter (Base64 or Hex). Finally, the UUID action generates a universally unique identifier.

Dates

This is actually more like a “Dates and Times” utility, because many of the options work with timestamp data, instead of simple dates. Get current date returns the current timestamp in YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS format. You can use Add date or Subtract date to offset a timestamp in increments of years, months, days, weeks, hours, minutes, and/or seconds.

Note that Days between dates returns a whole number of days, so choosing parameters that are different times on the same day will return 0 days:

Format date currently offers 16 date formatting options, including ISO and human-friendly text strings, to easily send date and time information to any app you've connected to Claris Connect using that app's date formatting requirements.

Documents

Documents has two main kinds of actions: Extract text actions and Convert actions. Extract text actions pull text from .pdf, .doc, .docx, .png, .jpeg, or .rtf files, while Convert actions transform JSON to XML to CSV in each direction.

Images

This utility pulls metadata from an image, which you specify as a url. Get image location returns GPS data if available. Get image size returns the megapixels, height and width, and file size. Get image file information returns the file name, type, and extension, as well as the MIMEType and compression. Finally, if the information is available, Get camera settings returns a wealth of information about the camera settings, including the make and model of the camera, shutter speed, flash, and more.

Text

This offers some expected formatting choices like Lowercase and Title case, but a lot more, too. Use the Text Utility to:

• generate random passwords based a set of requirements (length, necessary capital letters, special characters, etc)

• generate a random hexidecimal by specifying the byte length

• encode/decode Base64

• isolate the domain in a url or email

• use a Regular Expression to parse text

• Replace pattern, just like the FileMaker Substitute function

• and more

Remember that you don’t use the Text Utility to combine existing text, but rather to manipulate text you already have from previous flow actions, or generate random strings.

Lists

Most actions in the List Utility can be performed on a comma-separated list or on an array. Use the List Utility to:

• merge or reverse lists

• return the maximum or minimum value in a list that contains only numerical items

• get element by a zero-based index

• remove duplicates

• convert a list to text (and vice versa) by specifying a separator

• get the number of elements in a list

• add, remove, or replace a value in a list, specifying position as a zero-based index

FTP and SFTP

These utilities have the similar action options, such as uploading or downloading a file, getting directory contents, and deleting a file or folder. You connect your account much in the same way you do when you first connect an app to Claris Connect. Once you set it up, your credentials are saved for future use across flows within the same project:

Approvals

Claris Connect is especially unique in its Approvals offering, which is built right into the platform. The overview of Claris Connect highlights this feature in the demo video. Without configuring any email settings or other account information, you can create an approval workflow simply from the New approval action. Once your approval requests are out in the world, you can manage them from the Approvals area of Claris Connect, separate from the flows that created them:

Schedules

The Schedules Utility can be used as a flow trigger, not just an action. You can think of this like a FileMaker server scheduled script. A scheduled flow can run every hour, day, week, or month. You can also create a custom schedule using a cron expression. Schedules also has two action options: Wait for a period of time, and Wait until a specified time. You can use these actions to pause your flow for up to one week.

Webhooks

Webhooks let you extend Claris Connect even more. Like the Schedules Utility, you can use a Webhook as a trigger to start a flow. You can also use this utility inside a flow to reply to the initial trigger with JSON data, and to make HTTP Get, Post, Put, and Patch requests. In the video, we show a scheduled flow that queries an exchange rate API, uses the Calculation Utility to calculate the new price of a foreign product, and alerts a Slack channel if prices are favorable.

In Conclusion

Claris Connect comes with a broad toolkit of both Apps and Utilities. Together, these features allow you to extend the services you already use, in real time, to automate your workflows and make your organization more efficient and effective. Contact us to see if Claris Connect is a good fit for you, and how you can make the most of what it has to offer.

DB Services is currently taking all CDC and State of Indiana recommended precautions to protect our employees. At this time, all DB Services employees are working remotely from home in order to do our part to stop the spread of coronavirus.

However, this does not change our dedication to helping our customers succeed with their custom software. All DB Services developers and employees have access to their phone and computer systems and video for meetings in order to assist our customers during this time, and our work hours have not changed.

With this in mind, please do not hesitate to reach out if you are in need of any services regarding FileMaker or Salesforce. We are looking forward to new, exciting projects related to COVID-19 and to provide services as needed to our current clients. Whether you are using this “downtime” to begin new internal projects or if you’re just looking for some help to set up a work-from-home station, we are here to help.

DB Services is here for you during this increasingly difficult and confusing time. Please give us a call at 888-488-0191 or fill out our contact form if we can assist you in any way!

In the following video, we create an advanced Flow that is integrated with FileMaker, FormStack, and Google Calendar (Coming Soon!) all in under 15 minutes.​

Claris has been busy adding services to Claris Connect, and the number of services continues to grow. Connecting to all these services is usually as easy as logging in and authorizing access to the app. Claris Connect handles the rest. Below is a list of what what was available on day one:

For a current list of available applications and the functions available for each app, check out the Claris Connect App Directory.

Get in the Flow

Claris Connect works by building Flows. Flows are a way to create a common business process that might involve multiple different actions from separate services. Out of the box Claris Connect includes some prebuilt Flows to help get you started, or you can build your own. Some of the prebuilt Flows include adding attendees to a Mailchimp mailing list when they sign up for an event through EventBrite, or creating a new Zendesk ticket from a Typeform submission. Flows have access to the data of all previous actions making it easy to pass data from one step to the next.

FileMaker

We are extremely excited by how easy it is to integrate Claris Connect with FileMaker. You can trigger a Flow via a FileMaker script step, by using insert from URL. Claris Connect also has a host of actions it can perform on a FileMaker file such as creating a record, editing a record, getting a record by id, deleting a record, performing a search, and executing a FileMaker script. Behind the scenes, Claris Connect is using the FileMaker Data API to do all this, so you need to make sure that you've enabled the fmrest extended privilege set in your FileMaker file.

Utilities

Often times when you are building out your flows, you'll need to format the data differently between services. For instance, FileMaker likes its dates to be formatted as MM/DD/YYYY, while most web-based services want dates formatted YYYY-MM-DD. Utilities allow you to format and manipulate data and other special use cases to help you accomplish your goals. Below is a brief overview of some of the utilities available to you.

Calculations Utility

The Calculation Utility allows you to do simple math on any previous data. You can add, subtract, multiply, average, return a random number, or build out complex expressions that perform multiple calculations.

Dates Utility

The Dates Utility lets you add time to a date, subtract time, get the number of days between two dates, grab the current date, or format a date.

Documents Utility

The Documents Utility is more powerful than one might originally think. It allows you to extract text from a .pdf, .doc, .docx, .png, .jpg. It also allows you to translate data between the following formats; JSON to XML, JSON to CSV, XML to JSON and CSV to JSON.

Text Utility

The Text Utility is especially powerful. It allows you to format your data any way you want, and can help you extract info like URLs or email addresses, though you might need to learn a bit of Regular Expression to access the full power of this utility.

Pricing

Conclusion

Although Claris Connect and FileMaker are different products, it is easy to see why Claris acquired Stamplay: both share the goal of helping problem solvers transform workplaces by making them more efficient and effective. Claris Connect allows one to quickly and easily create business process workflows across multiple apps and services, without extensive time or coding knowledge.

Our consultants are ready to help you make the most of Claris Connect. Contact us today for assistance with Claris Connect!

Shopify uses basic authentication, making it incredibly simple to make API calls. The only information you need is the API Key, the API password for your private app, your store's name (with hyphens instead of spaces), and the specific endpoint for the call that you are trying to make.

To retrieve your API Key and password, you simply create a new private app on your Shopify dashboard. The key and password will be automatically generated.

Once you have the key and password, using Shopify’s Rest API couldn’t be easier to use. As an example, the call to pull orders would look like this:

{API Key}:{API Password}@{Store-Name}.myshopify.com/admin/api/2020-01/orders.json

Capabilities

The included demo file specifically covers pulling orders from Shopify, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. Shopify’s API has endpoints for pretty much any type of call you would ever want to make. From creating or updating customers, to creating products, to pulling order information from a given date range, integrating with Shopify can handle just about any action you’d want to take straight from FileMaker.

The API documentation will tell you everything you need to know for each call you are trying to make. It even shows you any query parameters that can be added to your call to receive more specific information. For instance, you can append the created_at_min query parameter to show all orders created at or after a specific time. Shopify measures time by UTC, so be sure to include your UTC offset at the end of the call so that the time that you're attempting to query is relevant to you. Ours is -5:00.

{API Key}:{API Password}@{Store-Name}.myshopify.com/admin/api/2020-01/orders.json?created_at_min=2020-02-05T15:00:-5:00

Shopify's API will also give great examples of the response information that you will receive from a successful call.

With the JSON that you receive from your request to Shopify, you can store the data into a field or variable and then use FileMaker's JSONGetElement function to pull JSON values using the JSON keys.

Conclusion

Integrating FileMaker with Shopify is not only incredibly simple, but incredibly powerful. With basic calls you will be creating products, updating orders, and keeping track of billing, all from your FileMaker system in no time. Contact us if you would like help integrating your FileMaker application with Shopify!

In order to use the FileMaker Admin API--and therefore the FileMaker Cloud Schedule Manager-with FileMaker Cloud or FileMaker Cloud Essentials, you must have a FileMaker ID. This update is excluded from FileMaker Cloud for AWS, as Claris will discontinue support for this product in 2021.

We have updated our Cloud Schedule Manager to now be compatible with FileMaker Cloud, FileMaker Cloud Essentials, AND FileMaker Cloud for AWS. Let's take a look at the updated FileMaker Cloud Schedule Manager!

** As of Claris FileMaker Cloud 19.3, you do not need a 3rd-party tool to create a schedule. Now, these can be scheduled directly within the cloud console itself.

• An instance of FileMaker Cloud Standard, FileMaker Cloud Essentials, or FileMaker Cloud for AWS.

• FileMaker ID. This is not needed if your custom apps are hosted on FileMaker Cloud for AWS, as this product does not have the FileMaker ID update.

• Amazon's Javascript SDK, FileMaker IDs are provided by Amazon's AWS Cognito and FileMaker recommends using Amazon's SDK.

  • To make this easier we've created an AWS Lambda function, Lambda being a way to run code without needing a backend, so you don't have to worry about having a dedicated Node server just to authenticate with. Download the sample file to get the AWS Lambda deployment package so you can set up your own Lambda.

If you feel overwhelmed by the technical terms and steps to set up the FileMaker Cloud Schedule Manager, contact us for assistance.

Using the API

The FileMaker Cloud Admin API uses a standard FileMaker REST API which allows you to gather info and interact with your server and the files on the server. Some of the things you can do with the API are listed below.

• Create, edit, delete server side schedules

• Get a list of schedules

• List all databases

• Open, Close, Pause, or Resume a database

• Disconnect clients

• Send a message to clients

More info on how to interact with API can be found in the FileMaker Cloud 18 Admin API Guide.

Authenticating

The latest update to the Schedule Manager is the ability to authenticate with FileMaker Cloud using your FileMaker ID. We have added a new section within Server Setup for server type. Selecting the option of FileMaker Cloud will require further setup to allow authentication. The required fields for FileMaker Cloud authentication are:

• AWS Lambda Base URL

• FileMaker ID Username

• FileMaker ID Password

After adding this information you will be able to test the setup to confirm that the id tokens are being generated properly.

Creating Schedules

Most of the functions in the API are already available from the FileMaker Cloud Admin Console, but at the moment the only way to create schedules is through the Admin API. This can be a frustrating process as there are many different flags and types that must be set by number and all the validation required to create them correctly. All of this is handled for you in the FileMaker Cloud Schedule Manager.

Security

Please ensure that you encrypt this file before use as it does store username and password information needed to access the admin console and FileMaker files. At the moment there is no good way to exclude this information, and the Admin API returns file credentials in the schedules' rest calls. Also make sure to add a full access account with a strong password and disable the default admin account.

Conclusion

The FileMaker Cloud Schedule Manager allows you to easily manage multiple Cloud server schedules from one user-friendly interface. If you want a private server with easier setup and management, excellent network speeds, automated security updates, and much more, then FileMaker Cloud is a great way to go. We're excited about the direction of FileMaker Cloud and believe that this is the future of hosting FileMaker applications.

Have questions about the new FileMaker Cloud or Cloud Essentials, or need help setting up the FileMaker Cloud Schedule Manager? Give us a call at 888-488-0191 or fill out a contact form here for more information.

Is FileMaker Cloud Essentials right for me?

Your organization may be a perfect fit for FileMaker Cloud Essentials based on the following criteria:

1. Your organization will have 5-10 FileMaker users.

2. Your organization will have no more than 3 FileMaker applications to be hosted.

3. Your organization is new to FileMaker and/or a custom Workplace Innovation Platform.

4. Your organization does not have the time or resources to manage a server.

5. Your organization will not need more server space than a t2.large AWS Cloud server can provide.

The Basics

The FileMaker Cloud Essentials product is the perfect opportunity for small-to-medium sized businesses to create their own Workplace Innovation Platform to be hosted on the Cloud.

FileMaker Cloud Essentials allows for 5-10 users and up to 3 single-file database applications with an annual license. Additionally, 2 GB of storage is allowed per user, 24 GB of Data API transfer per user per year, and the solutions are hosted on an Amazon Web Services (AWS) t2.large Cloud instance.

Included with your annual Cloud Essential license is access to all three FileMaker platforms: FileMaker Pro Advanced, FileMaker WebDirect, and the mobile platform FileMaker Go. Your system will also be secure due to end-to-end encryption, and you can rest easy knowing that your Cloud server is monitored around-the-clock by Claris.

24/7 dedicated support is also included free for the first year with your Cloud Essentials license.

Pricing

DB Services is a Certified Reseller of the FileMaker Cloud Essentials product. FileMaker Cloud Essentials is priced competitively to allow smaller organizations to join the digital transformation to Cloud-based software.

FileMaker Cloud Essentials starts at $223 per seat annually through DB Services, with a minimum of 5 seats required and maximum of 10 seats. Because this product includes hosting through the Cloud, your licensing and hosting costs are bundled together for one simple, annual price. This will also position you to be able to use Claris Connect when released later in Q1 2020.

Multi-year discounts are also available for the FileMaker Cloud Essentials product.

What if I need more?

If you are in need of more users, Cloud server space, or have more than 3 applications you would like to host, FileMaker Cloud Standard may be a good fit. The FileMaker Cloud Standard product allows for 5+ users, 125 applications, larger AWS Cloud server instances, and more storage per user. Claris and DB Services are currently offering discounts through September 25th, 2020 for existing FileMaker users to migrate to FileMaker Cloud Standard.

On-premises server FileMaker licensing is also available. Claris and DB Services are also providing discounts for existing FileMaker users to migrate to annual, on-prem licensing.

Learn More

DB Services has two in-house Licensing Specialists available to help you find the best licensing for your organization. Our Specialists work directly with Claris to get the best pricing possible on FileMaker licensing of all kinds, and will be happy to evaluate your use cases for FileMaker and provide suggestions on licenses for your organization.

Give us a call at 888-488-0191 or fill out our Contact Form here to talk with one of our Specialists and get a FileMaker Licensing quote today!

As an end user, you do not have access to the server to host your own web files. Everything that Squarespace hosts is managed by Squarespace. Because of that, it can be a bit challenging adding dynamic content to your site. However, there are a couple different ways you can display data from your FileMaker database on your Squarespace website.

Code Block Element

• Requires separate hosted web page on another server.

• Access to the data via the FileMaker Data API.

• Slower performance.

• Poor SEO.

Squarespace Developer Mode

• Turning on Developer Mode gives you access to your Squarespace template files directly.

• Allows you to put your own content on your site via SFTP.

• SEO friendly.

• Custom pages are not editable from Squarespace drag and drop templating tool.

• Template will no longer receive updates from Squarespace.

• Turning off developer mode removes custom content from site.

Enabling Developer Mode

The first thing you will need to do is enable developer mode. With an admin account in Squarespace, go to the configuration page of your website and go to Settings->Advanced->Developer Mode.

From there you will need to toggle on Developer Mode. Once Developer Mode is turned on, you will also want to take note of the username, hostname and port under the Connectivity Details section as we will need that information later. Please note that Developer Mode is only available with a Business or Commerce Squarespace plan.

Squarespace Template Static Page

In order to display content generated from FileMaker, we will be using the Static Page feature for a template. Each static page created also needs an accompanying configuration file that provides basic information for Squarespace for the page (more on this to follow). Once a Static and Conf Page are created, it will show up as a page on the Pages menu inside the Squarespace editor. Static pages will also pull in your header and footer, so all CSS will also come through. Keep in mind that a static page is exactly what it sounds like, a page that Squarespace can not change and can not be updated from the normal Squarespace updater.

Pushing Updates from FileMaker

To push updates to Squarespace, you will need to SFTP files to Squarespace. Before you begin, as of FileMaker 18, you can't natively make SFTP requests, so a plugin is needed. We suggest using the BaseElements Plugin as it is a free and powerful plugin. To upload the Page and Conf files, you will need to first create a .page and .conf file using FileMaker's Data script steps, then pull the file reference into FileMaker to be sent.

Request:

Create Data File [ "$filePath" ; Create folders: On ]
Open Data File [ "$filePath" ; Target: $dataFile ]
Write to Data File [ File ID: $dataFile ; Data source: $htmlOrConfigurationText ; Write as: UTF-8 ]
Close Data File [ File ID: $dataFile ]
Set Variable [ $file ; Value: BE_FileImport ( filePathFMToBE ( $pageFilePath ) ) ]
Set Variable [ $url ; Value: "sftp://dev.squarespace.com:2030/dbservices/pages/db-static.page" ]
Set Variable [ $result ; Value: BE_FTP_Upload ( $url ; $file ; $user ; $pass ]

We strongly suggest taking a look at our accompanying demo file as it contains a quick way to get started and a few useful custom functions.

Conclusion

Integrating your FileMaker app with your Squarespace website will ensure your website has up-to-date information and by using the Static Page method, your SEO will stay strong. Feel free to contact us if you need further assistance or to discuss getting your Squarespace website integrated with FileMaker.

To integrate with Twilio, you'll need to first sign up for an account. Twilio offers a free trial which gives you a $15 budget to play with. You are only charged 1.5 cents per text sent and can upgrade to a full account when your original $15 credit runs out.

Once your account is set up, you will need to buy a phone number to send the texts from. You can do that by navigating to the Phone Numbers section and selecting "Buy A Number".

Once you've found a number you like, you can typically purchase it for one or two dollars per month.

The information you'll need to successfully authenticate your account appears on the Twilio Console Dashboard. You'll just need to know your Account ID and the Auth Token.

Authentication

Twilio uses HTTP Basic authentication to authenticate your account. All you need to do to ensure your account is usable is insert the Account ID and Auth Token in place of the {accountID} and {authToken} in the following url. In FileMaker, use an "Insert from URL" script step to make the call and save the result in a variable .

https://{accountID}:{authToken}@api.twilio.com/2010-04-01/Accounts/{accountID}

The call will return some XML that includes the attribute tag <Status> which will either display "404" if the account is not found, "401" if the account is found but the Auth Token is incorrect, or "active" if the account is able to be authenticated.

Sending a Text

To send a text in FileMaker, you need to use an "Insert from URL" script step to make the following call

https://{accountID}:{authToken}@api.twilio.com/2010-04-01/Accounts/{accountID}/Messages.json

as well as the appropriate cURL options. To set up the cURL options, you need the number you're sending your text from, the number you're sending the text to, and the body of the text.

With these three components, you should store the cURL information in a variable by replacing each part of the following cURL options with your relevant information. Use this variable as the "cURL Options" of your "Insert from URL" step.

curl -X POST {url}<br>
--data-urlencode "Body={body}"<br>
--data-urlencode "From={fromNumber}"<br>
--data-urlencode \"To={toNumber}"

When the "Insert from URL" step is called, the text will immediately be sent to the recipient.

Conclusion

With Twilio, you can easily send texts to customers stored in your FileMaker database. With these texts, you can keep your customers informed, up-to-date, and in constant communication with your organization. Contact us if you would like help integrating Twilio and FileMaker.

Let's take at look at how to achieve this.

• RingCentral Developer account.

• RingCentral Production ready app (With Read Accounts, Call Control, and Webhook Subscriptions permissions active).

• A webhook file.

• Your FileMaker solution hosted on a FileMaker Server.

How To Setup

RingCentral Developer account - If you already have a RingCentral account, you can log into the developer portal. If not, you can sign up for free developer account.

RingCentral Production ready app - From the developer portal create a new app. You can create as many apps as you'd like, and as long as the app is not in production, you can edit them as much as you like from the app's settings. When creating an app you will also need to specify several items, these being; app name, app description, application type, platform type, and permissions. And to use screen pop notifications add the following permissions: Read Accounts, Call Control, and Webhook Subscriptions.

Now that your app has been created, you will need to get it approved for production, which you can track on the app's dashboard. Each app will have graduation requirements before you are able to apply for production. These requirements are:

• 5+ API calls per each used endpoint

• <5% of 400 errors

• Exercise all requested permissions

To meet these requirements you can use your sandbox credentials in your FileMaker solutions to make the API calls or you can use RingCentral's API Reference.

Webhook file - This web script, such as a PHP or node script, is what connects RingCentral to FileMaker. When a user gets a call in RingCentral, RingCentral's API will pass that call's information to the webhook file, and the webhook file will in turn pass the information to your FileMaker solution using the Data API. The webhook file must be hosted on a web server and must be accessible over the web to RingCentral's API.

FileMaker Solution - In our FileMaker solution we will create a subscription to track telephony sessions using "/restapi/v1.0/account/~/telephony/sessions" as our event filter. To create this subscription we will need the RingCentral login of an admin user, the client secret, and client ID. For client ID and secret, there will be different values for sandbox and production. For testing, sandbox or production must be specified. When we create a subscription we have to specify a delivery mode address; this address is the URL to our webhook file.

Users will need to use their RingCentral credentials to get their extension IDs; this is what we will use to know which notification should go to which user.

And finally you will need to set up a notification table and a listener table in the FileMaker file. The FileMaker file will create a notification record every time the webhook receives information, and the listener table will link the notification to the user so it will show the correct notification.

How It All Works

1. When a user logs into the FileMaker solution, the startup script finds the user in the user table and creates a listener record for them. FileMaker then opens a hidden window on the listener layout which has an onRecordLoad script trigger on it.

2. When a user receives a call from RingCentral, RingCentral passes the call to the webhook file.

3. The webhook file runs a script in the FileMaker solution to find the user via their extension and grabs their user ID. It will then find notification with the same information and if one does not exist it will create one.

4. After the notification record is created the script will find the user's listener record and delete it, causing our onRecordLoad script to trigger.

5. The OnRecordLoad then performs the screen pop by opening a new window and showing the call's information in front of the user.

Conclusion

With a simple webhook, you can integrate your FileMaker solution with RingCentral, providing screen pops, dialing out functionality, and much more. Contact us today if you would like help integrating your FileMaker solution with RingCentral!

FileMaker Cloud is currently best designed for customers who are new to the FileMaker platform. Existing customers interested in FileMaker Cloud can take steps today to prepare for transitioning to Cloud in the future: optimizing for the WAN, removing the need for server-side plugins, and using the Data API for web integrations.

We're excited about FileMaker Cloud because it allows innovators and business owners to focus on what they are passionate about instead of maintaining server hardware, managing software updates, and constantly worrying if their backups are running properly.

Let's take a look at the benefits, pricing, requirements, and setup of FileMaker Cloud.

Fast and Simple Setup

The best part of FileMaker Cloud is the simplicity of speed of setup. Anyone can easily have their server up within minutes. Traditionally, server setup would necessitate purchasing a server computer online or in a store, then setting up the software, hardware, and network, which could take days! FileMaker Cloud keeps everything quick and simple.

Security and Peace of Mind

With the data breaches that pervade the news these days, it's easy to worry about security. With FileMaker Cloud, security is made easy. Claris utilizes AWS for its backbone since they have one of the best and most robust server infrastructures. Thus, you don’t have to worry about someone breaking into your office and literally taking all of your data. FileMaker Cloud also comes with an SSL certificate. Normally, this feature would need to be done manually on your own dedicated FileMaker Server machine.

Additionally, FileMaker Cloud comes with automatic backups that happen every 20 minutes and is stored for 30 days. Of course with your own dedicated machine you can customize this, but FileMaker Cloud comes preset with this and is a part of the easy setup.

Included Support

FileMaker Cloud automatically includes standard 1-on-1 support for certain issues such as configuration assistance and migration assistance. Check out more detailed information about standard support on Claris' website.

Improvements over FileMaker Cloud for AWS

If you're familiar with Claris' previous cloud offering, most of the above applies to both products. The following benefits pertain solely to FileMaker Cloud:

• Quicker Setup - Setting up FileMaker Cloud is easier and quicker than FileMaker for AWS.

• Automatic Scaling - When you set up the server, you don't have to make "AWS decisions" such as instance size and IAM permissions. Depending on your user count, FileMaker Cloud will scale up the server specifications to meet your needs. In particular, your storage space (not including backups) is 6GB * number of users.

• Licensing is Included - Purchasing FileMaker Cloud covers the entire purchasing process. You don't need to purchase separate licenses or even wait for an email with download links. Once purchased, everything is available in the FileMaker Customer console.

• Encrypted End-to-End Traffic - FileMaker Cloud now comes with an included SSL certificate, which ensures your data makes it safely across the internet. FileMaker Cloud for AWS only includes a 90-day certificate.

• Account Management - The FileMaker Customer console keeps account management in one place.

• FileMaker ID Required - All users must log into their hosted apps using their FileMaker IDs. One must also authorize them as a licensed user in the FileMaker Customer Console. You can get more information about this process in the Setup section.

• Free Trial - Currently, a free trial is only available for FileMaker Business Partners.

Pricing

Pricing starts at $39/user per month for a 1-year subscription, and there are discounts for 2 and 3-year subscriptions and a price break at 100+ users. Qualified educational and nonprofit organizations get a 30% discount off list price.

Here are a few additional things to note about pricing:

• Subscriptions are paid annually, not monthly.

• There are no site licenses for FileMaker Cloud.

• Anyone accessing your FileMaker application requires a license on your FileMaker Cloud instance. Claris is evaluating special licensing for developers that would not require them to have a license for each FileMaker Cloud instance they access.

• Additional storage space is available. Extra storage is $6 per 6GB, which will be prorated to the term end date.

As a reseller, we offer FileMaker Cloud at a discount. Contact us if you are interested in purchasing FileMaker Cloud.

Requirements & Unsupported Features

• FileMaker Clients Must be 18.0.3 or Higher – In order to use FileMaker ID, users will need to be on FileMaker Pro/Go 18.0.3+ or WebDirect. Licenses of Pro, Go and WebDirect are included in your purchase of FileMaker Cloud.

• External Containers Must be Secure – You must store all external container fields securely to host an application on FileMaker Cloud.

• FileMaker File will be Encrypted At Rest Upon Upload – If your app is not encrypted when you upload, FileMaker Cloud will automatically assign an encryption password. You can view this password in the admin console. We recommend you save this password in multiple locations. If you lose this password, you will not be able to open your FileMaker file.

• Custom Web Publishing with PHP and XML Unsupported – If you are, or are wanting to integrate with your website for instance, FileMaker Cloud does not support PHP or XML.

• No SSH Access – FileMaker Cloud does not allow admins to access the server via SSH like FileMaker Cloud for AWS does. If you need assistance with an issue, please contact Claris Support.

• Server-Side Plugins Unsupported – You won't be able to use any server-side plugins in your application. However, client-side plugins are still compatible.

• Server Side Script Setup Only Available in Admin API – FileMaker Cloud Admin Console doesn't include an area to set up server-side schedules, but you can set them up via the Admin API. Download our free FileMaker Cloud Schedule Manager to set up and manage your FileMaker Cloud Server Side Scripts.

• Hosting Locations – As of release, FileMaker Cloud offers hosting in the western United States. Customers farther from the west coast may notice a difference in performance. However, Claris is looking to expand locations in the near future, so be on the lookout!

Setup

To set up your FileMaker Cloud go to the FileMaker Store. This page shows useful information about the platform and pricing. We can choose the number of users we need to register, as well as the number of years we’re purchasing FileMaker Cloud. Please note that anyone who needs to log into the app, whether for normal use or or development, must be a licensed user. We’ll discuss what this means in a practical way via FileMaker ID.

The rest of the process is very similar to purchasing any item from the FileMaker Store. Once we have finished purchasing Cloud, we can set up a FileMaker ID account. This process is also very straightforward, and it only requires an email.

If you already have an FM ID, you can continue to the FileMaker Customer Console. To get started, agree to the service terms and apply for a unique host name.

Configuration

Now that you're in the console, you’ll want to add FM ID users. Navigate to the Users tab, and invite users through this console. They will receive an email where they can either create an FM ID, or join using their existing FM ID.

Within this tab, you can view our available licenses, remove licensing status from users, and remove users from your team if necessary. This allows you to keep external users (e.g. contractors) on your team without taking up unnecessary licenses. The same rule still applies, only licensed users can access your custom application.

In the Groups tab, you can create groups that give administrators similar capabilities to Active/Open Directory authentication within your FileMaker applications.

In the Hosts tab, you can quickly access the admin console of our server. This admin console is nearly identical to the admin console in FileMaker Cloud for AWS. You can access your files and backups here.

In the Settings tab you can update team-level management settings such as changing the team name, allow users to download FM Software, and requiring approval to transfer in/out of the team.

In the Subscription tab you can view your licensed user count, renew your subscription, and view your usage. You can also download your FileMaker software from this tab.

Conclusion

If you’re tired of managing an on-prem server or are new to the FileMaker platform, FileMaker Cloud is definitely a solid option. Not only has Claris made a product requiring minimal management, but they also made the setup process extremely easy and straightforward. Contact us if you are interested in purchasing FileMaker Cloud!

Web portals using FileMaker's Data API are a great fit when you have hundreds or thousands of users or if the users are anonymous. In this article we'll go over how to build a very simple customer portal that allows users to log in and see their invoices. We'll build our web app using Nuxt.js which is just an SEO-friendly version of Vue. All of the source code will be available in the FileMaker sample file, so make sure to download it to get access to all the code.

To get started install Node.js and NPM if you don't already have them on the web server, at minimum NPM 5.2.0. Next, open either command prompt in Windows or terminal on a Mac and type the following command.

$ npx create-nuxt-app <project-name>

Fill in the project name, description, author name, and NPM as the package manager. Then you can pick your favorite UI framework. In this example, we will be using Buefy to get up and going quickly with a huge library of easy-to-use components.

The CLI will then ask you what backend if any you want to use. In our example, we'll be using Express. Then pick your testing framework of choice and the rendering mode you want, either SSR (Server Rendered) or SPA (Single Page Application). In our example we'll be using SSR with Nuxt. Nuxt makes server-side-rendered Vue apps easier to build, and rendering on server is important for SEO because many web crawlers rank a site poorly that don't work properly without JavaScript. While Google's Googlebot can render JavaScript, it does so at a much slower pace than a traditional static website.

Finally, include Axios which is what we will use to make HTTP calls to the Data API.

Backend

The first thing we'll work on is our backend. It's important to know that you can use whatever backend you want, any will work with the FileMaker Data API. Quite often we will use PHP for our backend, but PHP is not well suited for server-side rendering JavaScript, so we will be using Express today. For our example our backend needs the ability to do a few things:

• Authenticate and log in a user

• Log out and destroy a user's session

• List the logged-in users invoices

• Load an invoice with all the invoice line items

In order to make any of these calls, we'll need the ability to generate an auth token. To do so, first update the nuxt.config.js file with info about the host, file, username, and password. Because Nuxt.js is isomorphic (aka universal), we'll have access to settings stored here on the server and client.

//nuxt.config.js
module.exports = {
    ...
    fmDatabase: "<filename>",
    fmHost: "https://<<host>>.com",
    fmUsername: "<username>",
    fmPassword: "<password>",
    ...
}

We'll need the ability to store session data on the server so we can remember who is logged in and keep track of people's auth tokens. To do this install the express-session module from the command line.

$ npm install express-session

Then include the module in your server/index.js file and configure your Express app to use the session module. Make sure to set the secret to something secure.

const session = require('express-session')
app.use(session({
    secret: 'super-secret-key',
    resave: false,
    saveUninitialized: false,
    cookie: {}
}))

After you've done that you'll have access to the session object inside your route handlers.

Routing

Nuxt handles routing a bit differently than a typical Vue + Vue Router setup. Instead of manually creating your routes, you simply add your files to the pages directory and each one will get added to the router automatically. If you follow Nuxt's default naming configuration, Nuxt will automatically set up basic routes for you, and the routes will work with or without JavaScript. Instead of using <a></a> tags in your system, you'll want to use the <nuxt-link></nuxt-link> component that will ensure your pages change without a full reload.

Another change from Vue Router is that you'll use middleware to route guards to prevent people from accessing data they shouldn't have access to. In our case we'll add a protected.js file to our middleware folder that will ensure our user is logged in before we show them an invoice.

To set up our pages to call the new protected middleware we'll add a middleware property to our invoice pages Vue instance with an array of all the middlewares the page should load.

//pages/invoices/index.vue
export default {
  name: "invoices",
  middleware:['protected'],
  ...
}

Application State

Nuxt uses Vuex behind the scenes to handle global application state which makes it easy to keep things in-sync. The one problem we have right now though is that each page reload clears out the Vuex store. Luckily we're already saving our needed data in session variables with our Express backend.

Nuxt also provides a way to load data into the store on first page load, via the nuxtServerInit action in our store.js file. The nuxtServerInit function has access to both our express request object and to our store, so we can take data from our session and update our user state using a SET_USER mutation. Any other application state could also be saved to the express session if needed.

Conclusion

Building a web portal that pulls data from FileMaker might seem like a daunting task, but the reward is well worth it. It allows you to extend your system to reach a much larger audience than with FileMaker alone. FileMaker, Data API and Vue.js are perfect for web portals, contact forms, registration sites, and even pulling real-time inventory data. Contact us today if you would like help building your own FileMaker web portal.

• • Production Module on the Dashboard

  • Orders Module

  • Shipments Module

  • Purchase Order Module

  • Returns Module

  • Receiving Module

  • Drag and Drop Documents

  • New Print Forms

  • Module Navigation

  • Production on Hand Calculation

What's great about FM Quickstart is that it can be used immediately out-of-the-box, and can be easily modified to your business needs.

Lets take a look at the new features of FM Quickstart 18!

The Dashboard now includes the Production module to go along with the Sales Module. The Production Module shows the unpaid orders and the pending shipments for each customer. All the transactions are displayed with the status of each order. If you need to change any information on the orders shown, click on the specific order and it will take you to the Orders Module or the Shipments Module.

Orders Module

The Orders Module allows you to manage orders for each customer. You can view the status of each order, including where it is in the shipping process and if it has been paid for.

Shipments Module

The Shipments Module displays all the orders that have been processed and will be shipped. The items that will or have been shipped are displayed at the bottom of the module. You also have the option to go back to the order to view any details by clicking on the "Go To Order" button on the bottom half of the module. When line items are returned you can report it by adding it to the Returns tab. To see the details of the return, click on the item and it will take you to the Returns Module.

Purchase Order Module

The Purchase Order Module was developed to track orders you put in for inventory. In the module, you will put in the order you sent to your supplier so you know how much you ordered and for what price. When you receive the product from the supplier, you will go to the received section at the top to add the amount of inventory that was delivered. When you put the amount received into the line item, the amount of inventory will change on the product record.

Returns Module

The Returns Module was implemented to track all returns. You can access the module by going to Setup and clicking on Returns. There you will select the customer and see which items have been returned in the line items tab. The SKU is displayed along with the product, the price it was sold at and the amount returned. The amount being returned and restocked is shown at the right of the module and reflects the amount being returned in the line items. At the top of the module you will see the return progress, which displays the status, received date and the expiration date.

Receiving Module

The Receiving Module shows shipments that have been received for POs. The details show the status of the product received, order date, delivery date, and the shipping charge. This can also be referenced later for returns of the products shipped.

Drag and Drop Documents

Adding documents are now easier with FM Quickstart 18 as you can drag and drop documents into each module. This eliminates the need to search for the document and add it as an attachment.

Improved Module Navigation

The navigation of each module has been made easier, specifically with the Quotes, Orders, and Shipment Modules. At the top of each of the modules you will see Quote, Order and Shipment right next to each other. The navigation buttons are linked for the same customer, thus eliminating the need to search for the progress of each order.

Print Forms

When printing a quote or order, the form has been modified to be easier to read and better communicate the price. The form displays information relating to the purchase and has each art of the transaction divided so everything is separated. New information has been added which includes:

• The P.O. Number

• Salesperson

• Payment Terms

• Due Date

The address of the company billing is included at the top of the form for the customer to reference.

Product on Hand Calculation

A new function in FM Quickstart is the Product on Hand calculation, which helps track the inventory of each product. This feature can be found in the Product module and is updated with every purchase, shipment and return. When a customer buys a product, the number is reflected to show how many are in process. The same goes for when an item has been shipped, thus affecting the total product on hand.

Conclusion

FM Quickstart is a free CRM that's fully customizable and includes 9 main modules to support your contact, sales, production and shipping needs.

To begin building your dream custom application, please visit our FM Quickstart website to download the CRM template. It is a free download that is optimized to run on the latest version of FileMaker.

To learn more about the FileMaker 18 platform, check out our FileMaker 18 Overview article. If you're looking for assistance in customizing FM Quickstart, contact us for a free consultation.

Let's take a look at the FileMaker Cloud Schedule Manager and the official FileMaker Cloud Admin API!

The FileMaker Cloud Admin API uses a standard REST API which allows you to gather info and interact with your server and the files on the server. Some of the things you can do with the API are listed below.

• Create, edit, delete server side schedules

• Get a list of schedules

• List all databases

• Open, Close, Pause, or Resume a database

• Disconnect clients

• Send a message to clients

More info on how to interact with API can be found in the FileMaker Cloud 18 Admin API Guide.

Creating Schedules

Most of the functions in the API are already available from the FileMaker Cloud Admin Console, but at the moment the only way to create schedules is through the new API. This can be a frustrating process as there are so many different flags and types that must be set by number and all the validation required to create them correctly. All of this is handled for you in the FileMaker Cloud Schedule Manager.

Security

Please ensure that you encrypt this file before use as it does store username and password information needed to access the admin console and FileMaker files. At the moment there is no good way to exclude this information, and the Admin API returns file credentials in the schedules' rest calls. Also make sure to add a full access account with a strong password and disable the default admin account.

Conclusion

The FileMaker Cloud Schedule Manager allows you to easily manage multiple cloud server schedules from one user-friendly interface. If you want a private server with easier setup and management, excellent network speeds, automated security updates and much more than FileMaker Cloud is a great way to go. We're super excited about the direction of FileMaker Cloud and believe that this is the future of hosting FileMaker applications. If you'd like help getting FileMaker Cloud Schedule Manager set up, please contact our team at DB Services.

For the first time, DB Services made the annual Inc. 5000 list, which ranks the country’s “fastest-growing innovators” based on overall revenue growth over a three-year period. The Inc. 5000 list has brought attention to America’s growing private businesses since 1982. DB Service was ranked #3494 overall.

DB Services now joins the ranks of other Inc. 5000 list alumni such as Facebook, Zappos, Pandora, and others. They are also the top ranked FileMaker Platinum Business Alliance Partner on the 2019 Inc. 5000 list and are #42 in the state of Indiana out of 63 other Indiana-based companies.

Kevin Hammond, CEO of DB Services, discusses a growth strategy mindset: "Each year we have goals of 20% Year over Year growth in revenue. We are fortunate enough to accomplish these growth targets and end up on the Inc 5000 list. This shows that our employees continue to innovate at a high level with our customers and provide value-adding applications for the back office."

DB Services’ mission is to make organizations more efficient and effective through the use of custom application. Since 2003, DB Services has provided custom applications and workflow solutions to Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, K-12, universities, and non-profit organizations. DB Services is a FileMaker Business Alliance Platinum Member that offers FileMaker Development, FileMaker Support, FileMaker Training, FileMaker Cloud Hosting, and FileMaker Licensing. For a complimentary consultation, contact DB Services at 888-488-0191, or fill out a Contact Form to begin the process.

FileMaker Reborn as Claris

Claris Connect

The company also acquired the Italian startup and product Stamplay, and rebranded it Claris Connect. The product will allow users to integrate easily with 3^rd party cloud software, connect cloud and on-prem software and quickly integrate common business applications such as MailChimp, Slack, and more.

The Future of Claris

Looking ahead, Vice President of Products & Design, Srini Gurrapu forecasts that Claris Next Generation will “leverage the full power of modern workflow apps”, and use AI to create apps “delivered as a service.”

Kevin Hammond, DB Services CEO, is looking forward to the future of Claris. "Claris International is now the parent company of the platform and FileMaker becomes one of many different offerings to customers. We are very excited about Claris Connect, Claris Next Gen, and Claris FileMaker as they will provide more innovation and value to customers."

DB Services is a Claris FileMaker Platinum Business Alliance Partner that offers FileMaker Development, FileMaker Support, FileMaker Training, FileMaker Cloud Hosting, and FileMaker Licensing. For a complimentary consultation with one of our Certified FileMaker Developers, contact DB Services at 888-488-0191, or fill out a Contact Form here to get in touch.

The first step is to create a new app package from the Salesforce Marketing Cloud setup page.

Once created, the client ID, client secret, and base URIs can be used to begin the process of authenticating your FileMaker application with the Salesforce Marketing Cloud SOAP API.

Authenticating With Marketing Cloud

Using OAuth 2, example calls to authenticate with the Salesforce Marketing Cloud API and receive an access token are included in the sample file at the end of this article. The body of the token request includes your client Id, client secret, account ID, and grant type. Your account ID can be found on the Salesforce Marketing Cloud dashboard by clicking on your business unit's name. Once an access token has been retrieved, you can use FileMaker's Insert From URL[] script step and supply your SOAP base URI and cURL options to pull statistics from Salesforce Marketing Cloud. You can specify which objects and object properties you would like to retrieve in your request body.

Parsing the Response

The API's response will be returned as an XML object and will require parsing. Using the BaseElements plugin by Goya, we are able to parse out the data we need with the XPath function. In the example file, we download an array of send objects with stats such as, total clicks, opens, bounces, and unsubscribes. A send object contains a collection of information for a batch of emails sent.

Retrieving Detailed Stats

To retrieve detailed information on individual users who interacted with a particular email, an automation can be set up on Salesforce Marketing Cloud to export a .csv file of interactions in a specified interval to a business unit's FTP. On FileMaker's end, a script can be used to parse this .csv file from the FTP to create records for individual interactions.

Marketing Cloud FTP

First you will need to set up an FTP for your Salesforce Marketing Cloud account. You can do so from the Salesforce Marketing Cloud dashboard by going to your user setup page and selecting FTP Accounts from the Data Management section.

Marketing Cloud Automation

To set up a new Salesforce Marketing Cloud automation, select the Automation Studio option from the Journey Builder dropdown menu on the dashboard page. From here, click the New Automation button. This screen features a drag and drop interface to set up different automations.

First, create an automation that has a Schedule starting source and drag a data extract as the first step. The data extract step can be configured to export various fields for each interaction and the file format of the extract. At the minimum, we recommend selecting the following items on the extract:

• Extract Bounces

• Extract Clicks

• Extract Opens

• Extract Send Jobs

• Extract Sent

• Extract Spam Complaints

• Extract Survey Responses

• Extract Unsubs

• Include Test Sends

• Include Unique Clicks

• Include Unique Opens

Second, drag a file transfer to the canvas. In this step, the export name and destination can be set. The destination will be selected as the FTP you set up earlier. Since SFTP is used for Salesforce Marketing Cloud and FileMaker's Insert from URL[] script step doesn't support SFTP, data can be imported into FileMaker using the BaseElements plugin. TheHTTP_GET, HTTP_GET_File, and Unzip functions can be used to download and unzip the file exported by Salesforce Marketing Cloud. Included with the sample file is an example .csv file of clicks that was generated by a Salesforce Marketing Cloud data extract.

Conclusion

If you're looking to automatically import email engagement statistics into your FileMaker application, the Salesforce Marketing Cloud API and automation tools makes downloading data seamless. Contact us if you need help integrating your FileMaker application with Salesforce Marketing Cloud!

The first step to using the companion is to place a copy of the latest FileMaker Data Migration Tool into the companion's preferences section. This allows you to keep all of the migration tool’s files in once place and download them wherever you need to. Before running any migrations, you’ll need to insert the file path of the data migration tool in the “Migration Tool File Path” field. Note that a FileMaker Developer Subscription is required to download the data migration tool. Mac users will need the single executable file, while PC users will need a series of files including an .exe file.

Preparing Your Files

Once the tool is downloaded, you’ll need to prepare your FileMaker application's .fmp12 file(s) for the migration. One set of files will contain the data (the source files, aka the previous version of the application), while the other set of files will contain the structure and schema (the clone files, aka the new version of the application). Normally, you would grab the paths for every file and use them to create commands. With the FM Data Migration Companion, none of that is necessary. You can use the “Create Folder” button in the “Migration Paths” section to create a timestamped folder on your machine. This folder contains 3 sub-folders: “Source”, “Clone”, and “Output”. Just place the source file(s) in the “Source” folder and the clone file(s) in the “Clone” folder.

Creating Migration File Sets

Once your files have been added to the correct folders, click the “Check Migration Folder For Files” button. If you are migrating multiple files, the FM Data Migration Companion will attempt to match the source and clone files together and create individual “migration file sets.” You can also manually create each file set using the “New Fileset” button if you would like. Think of a “migration file set” as an individual migration command: it has source, clone, and output file paths; connection and encryption information; and other various migration instructions. If you have multiple file sets, chances are your access credentials will be the same for each file; this is where “Default Login Information” and “Default Migration Settings come in. Instead of creating the migration settings for each individual file set, you only need to fill them out once and click “Use Default Migration Settings For All Files” and “Use Default Login For All Files.” This applies your credentials and settings to all file sets.

Running a Migration

Now that your settings are all correct, it’s time to run the migration(s). You can do this in two ways: run all migrations at once (if you have multiple file sets) or individually. Regardless of which option you choose, a Terminal or CMD window will pop up and run the migration for you. If you choose to run multiple migrations, each will automatically be run one-by-one in a big chain. A header is printed above each migration in the command line window indicating which file set is currently being migrated (e.g. 2 of 10). The output files will be placed in the “Output” folder by default, but you can change this location on your individual file sets.

Conclusion

The FM Data Migration Companion makes using the FileMaker Data Migration Tool a breeze whether you’re migrating 1 file or 40 files. With this tool, you’ll never have to type another migration command ever again. Contact us if you need help migrating data!

Building an app on the web can be a daunting task for a FileMaker developer, especially a web app that's as interactive and responsive as a FileMaker app. Luckily, there are Javascript frameworks available to simplify and speed up the process of developing highly dynamic web apps, frameworks such as React, Angular, and Vue.js. For FileMaker developers we recommend Vue.js as it has many parallels to the way FileMaker works that makes it easier to pick up, and because it's a progressive framework, it can be used as little or as much as you want. And Vue is not only useful for web portals: you can use Vue inside a web viewer to extend what's possible on a FileMaker layout such as tree views, horizontal portals and cross tab reports.

In this article, we'll go over the different concepts of Vue.js and how these provide some of the interactivity that FileMaker developers expect out-of-the-box with a development platform, and in the video, we'll show you how to make a simple HTML editor using Vue that runs in a web viewer in FileMaker.

Vue.js is a progressive web framework which means it can be used as little or as much as you want. Do you want to drop it into an existing page and just use it for one section? No problem. Do you want to build a full SPA (Single Page Application) with components, lifecycle hooks, state management, and application routing? No problem. If you don't know what all of that is, that's fine, Vue.js will grow with your needs.

Vue.js is also extremely fast with a small package size. It's very popular with a growing community and has a large number of packages that can be implemented to add things like drag and drop support or form validation. Vue.js has the 3rd most stars in Github's history and is currently being used by almost 4% of the top 10,000 websites in the world. Vue.js is one of the easiest frameworks to get started with as you don't need to learn JSX or anything like you would with React. Vue.js also has one of the best dev tools we've ever used for debugging a web app.

Let's take a look at some of the features that make Vue.js so great, and what the equivalent would be in FileMaker.

2-Way Data Binding

2-way data binding allows you to bind inputs, text, etc on a website to data stored in Vue so when a change is made to the input/text/etc, that change is automatically reflected in the data, and vice versa. This means everything stays in sync. To a FileMaker dev this might not sound so exciting as almost all of our work involves automatic 2-way data binding, but doing so in a web browser is a bit more challenging.

In the example below, we create about as simple of an app you can get. We have a paragraph tag that displays dynamically the content of 'message'. You can think of 'message' as a field in FileMaker. You'll notice the 'message' property is also declared in our Vue instance.

Then we have an input. This input can be tied directly to our message field by using the v-model directive. Directives are special attributes that help make our HTML interactive and react to changes in the state of our date. Now whatever we type in the field will show instantly in the paragraph tag above it.

Computed Properties

Computed properties allow us to create a value that will be automatically calculated based on the data in our app, and will automatically update if any of the data changes. Think of them as if they are stored calculations in FileMaker, because they will only calculate if a reactive property has changed. This means using Date.now() in a property will always return the date from the first time it ran unless another reactive property is changed.

Below is a simple computed property that will uppercase our message data property, outputting "HELLO" in our second paragraph tag. All of our computed properties will live inside of the computed object, and each property needs to call a function that returns some data. They don't have to return simple strings or numbers, they can return complex object and arrays as well.

Filters

In the previous example, we used a computed property to capitalize our message, but in reality, a better way to do so would be to use a filter. Filters are most commonly used for text, date, and number formatting. They are comparable to the data formatting FileMaker allows in the layout inspector palette. Filters are more flexible in that we can use them over and over, and are not tied to one data property.

The example below is accomplishing the same goal as before, just using filters. Notice that we're still using our message property in the HTML, we just added a pipe symbol to tell Vue that we wish to use a filter to format our text. Filters are declared in much the same way that computed properties are. The only difference is that they take a value as a parameter in the function. Vue.js will automatically use what is on the left side of a pipe symbol as the parameter.

Methods

Vue.js methods are similar to FileMaker scripts. They can be called by events or lifecycle hooks. Events are like object and field triggers in FileMaker and in Vue.js would be things like button clicks, form submits, mouse over, key enter, etc. Lifecycle hooks occur when the Vue instance is created, before it's compiled, compiled, ready, before it's destroyed and destroyed. Think of these as layout and file script triggers.

You define all your methods as functions under the methods object. Methods can take parameters, such as the 'message' parameter being passed in the 'say' function below. To call the method from your HTML we simply use the v-on:click directive, and pass the parameter from there.

Conclusion

Vue.js can help FileMaker developers build highly dynamic web apps on par to the interactivity and responsiveness of a FileMaker application, and can even be used to extend what's possible on a FileMaker layout. And because of similar concepts to FileMaker, Vue should be easier to pick up for FileMaker developers compared to other popular Javascript frameworks. In part 2 of this article, we will build a fully responsive customer portal with the use of Vue and the FileMaker Data API.

If you're interested in extending your FileMaker application with Vue.js, contact DB Services today and let's talk about what we can accomplish together.

In order to integrate FileMaker with SurveyMonkey, you will need a SurveyMonkey account with the Premier service plan. Without this package you will not be able to fully communicate with the SurveyMonkey API. However with the Advantage plan you are granted a 90 day trial period if you would like to test it before pursuing the Premier plan.

Getting Started

First you need to create a new app on SurveyMonkey's developer website.

From there under the settings you can set the scopes of what this app has access to. For the sole purpose of pulling survey responses you will need the following scopes enabled: View Responses, View Response Details, View Surveys, View Collectors, View Webhooks and Create/Modify Webhooks.

In addition, you will need to save the access token provided to you by SurveyMonkey for FileMaker to authenticate across the API.

Creating a Webhook

Arguably the most useful part of the SurveyMonkey API is that they allow you to tie webhooks to certain actions that can take place on their website. To try out the API you can create a webhook via Postman (SurveyMonkey has a library you can use in their API documentation) or use the demo file attached to this article. You will need to specify the layout and field of your FileMaker application where you want the raw data to be stored. Here is a sample create webhook request:

{
    "event_type" : "response_completed",
    "name" : "MyWebhook",
    "object_ids" : [ "176444261" ],
    "object_type" : "survey",
    "subscription_url" : "https://your.domain.com/webhook.php"
}

And the response:

{
    "event_type" : "response_completed",
    "href" : "https://api.surveymonkey.net/v3/webhooks/3579938",
    "id" : "3579938",
    "name" : "MyWebhook",
    "object_ids" : [ "176444261" ],
    "object_type" : "survey",
    "subscription_url" : "https://your.domain.com/webhook.php"
}

Receiving the Webhook

To receive the webhook you will need to create the web script that you specified in the url of the initial webhook creation request. In this article we used PHP. This PHP code is run whenever the webhook is triggered, communicating with FileMaker's Data API to pass the survey's information into your FileMaker application.

Parsing the Webhook

You should parse the returned JSON object in the FileMaker script instead of PHP because FileMaker is the one that needs the data. While being the easiest part of the integration, it must be noted that the parsing code will in most cases have to be written to match how your survey(s) are formatted. Due to the plethora of different question and answer types that SurveyMonkey has to offer, writing a catch-all script could potentially be very time-consuming.

Here is a sample webhook response:

{
    "event_datetime" : "2019-05-30T19:35:08.362289+00:00",
    "event_id" : "10014567306",
    "event_type" : "response_completed",
    "filter_id" : "176444261",
    "filter_type" : "survey",
    "name" : "MyWebhook",
    "object_id" : "10766574798",
    "object_type" : "response",
    "resources" :
    {
        "collector_id" : "0123446546",
        "recipient_id" : "0",
        "respondent_id" : "9832489383",
        "survey_id" : "23784237",
        "user_id" : "0439219"
    }
}

Conclusion

The SurveyMonkey API allows you to automatically pull in all your survey's data directly into your FileMaker application. With your surveys in FileMaker you can link them up to your employee or customer data to track satisfaction over time and to build a process to handle negative feedback on surveys. Contact us if you would like help integrating your SurveyMonkey surveys with your FileMaker application!

• FileMaker Pro Advanced now includes an Import Dialog redesign, introduction of scripted Versioning, native File Manipulation script steps, and the new norm: more security enhancements.

• FileMaker Go now includes Append to Existing PDF, more barcodes supported, and OAuth 2 login support for iOS SDK with Amazon, Google, or Microsoft Azure.

• FileMaker Server now includes parity between the FileMaker Data API and the FileMaker PHP API—which is on the deprecation watch list—and the official release of the FileMaker Server Admin API (both RESTful APIs).

• FileMaker Community launched a new site in April.

• FileMaker Cloud for AWS 1.18 availability within the week.

• An all new FileMaker Cloud is coming later this year and will be the first time FileMaker offers a SaaS directly to customers. This will not require a separate AWS account to setup.

• FileMaker Marketplace is coming sometime later this year, replacing Made for FileMaker and requires developers to resubmit their product.

• No new price increases, price protection for existing customer ended May 14th.

FileMaker Pro Advanced 18

FileMaker Pro Advanced is the flagship desktop application with more enhancements to create custom apps such as an improved file importing workflow, native file manipulation, enhanced security, and many more developer tools that allow you to build and deploy more innovative applications faster than ever before.

Redesigned Import Records

A welcomed redesign to the process of bringing data into FileMaker via the File Menu->Import Records, the dialog presents users a much easier way to import data and more possibilities with custom file import delimiters. You can choose any row for the field names, trigger auto-enters on a per field basis, and use type ahead field mapping when dealing with large number of columns to wade through. See the wonderful user experience as Carlos Machado shows you the Redesigned FileMaker Import Records Dialog in action.

Version Comparison

The new Save a Copy as XML script step opens up the potential for automating versioning of solutions and is great for teams or managing multiple build outs of the same application. The XML representation provides more detail than the Database Design Report XML most developers use today. See FileMaker Version Comparison in action as Brandon Terrell shows you in a video and sample file.

Sending HTML Emails

Sending email is now supported in the Insert from URL script step with SMTP cURL options, which have opened up the ability to send HTML emails directly from FileMaker. Learn about Sending FileMaker HTML Emails as Kevin Boehle walks you through in a video and provides a sample file for download.

File Manipulation

What used to require third party plugins can now be done natively in FileMaker: you can work with files on disk, including creating, renaming, deleting, reading and writing. See FileMaker File Manipulation in depth as Victor Perez-Mendoza shows you how and provides a free download as well.

Security Enhancements

Many new security improvements are available in FileMaker 18 including the ability to grant administrators account management without giving the them Full Access in Advanced Settings. A new user experience for the Manage Security Dialog box allows you to work more seamlessly when managing accounts including a new Details pane, type ahead, and multi-select. Also Full Access is required by default to reference a file when creating a new application.

Read more in depth about the new FileMaker 18 Security Enhancements as Andrew Bosworth demos the security updates.

Script Error Logging

Now you can log errors while a script is running in FileMaker Pro, similar to how errors are logged when a script runs on FileMaker Server. With the file manipulation script steps, developers can build automatically importing the script error logs into a central table to view errors from all Pro clients. Check out FileMaker Script Error Logging as Austen Gren shows you in a video and sample file.

While and SetRecursion Functions

The new While function allows developers to loop in calculations, repeating logic while a condition is true, and then return the result. This gives developers the ability to replace many recursive custom functions. And with the new SetRecursion function, developers can bypass the previous limit of 50,000 iterations. See the new FileMaker While Function in detail as Devin Drake shows you how the function works.

Open Application at Launch

Using the Assisted Install file, you can now specify the FileMaker application to automatically launch by default when FileMaker Pro is opened. For those who distribute the application for single purposes such as SBA (Solution Bundle Agreement) or want the end user always to go to the same application this provides more control over your FileMaker user experience.

FileMaker Pro Advanced Technical Specs

FileMaker Pro Advanced 18 is supported on Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise, Windows 8.1 Standard and Pro, Windows 7 SP1 Professional and Ultimate, macOS Mojave 10.14, and macOS High Sierra 10.13.

If you want early access to FileMaker versions, purchase a FileMaker Developer Subscription for $99/per year. The subscription gives you access to the pre-release version, the FileMaker Data Migration Tool, the FileMaker iOS SDK, and more.

FileMaker Go 18

FileMaker Go for iPad and iPhone has all the features provided in FileMaker Pro Advanced plus specific iOS features. You will need FileMaker Pro Advanced on the desktop to build your custom application. The new version of FileMaker Go 18 is available in the App Store as a free download.

Append to Existing PDF

Users love to create and send PDFs from FileMaker Go and it just got better with the ability to append a new PDF to an existing one via the Save Records as PDF script step's append option on Go.

Enhanced Barcode Support

There are many barcode fonts out there and 4 more are now supported in Go 18. Using the script step Insert from Device you can now read PDF417 (IDs), ITF-14 (packages), Aztec (mobile), and Data Matrix (labels, letters, food) barcode types.

OAuth Support for iOS SDK

Using the FileMaker iOS SDK you can use MDM (Multi Device Management) to authenticate your application with the same OAuth providers supported in regular FileMaker applications: Amazon, Google, and Microsoft Azure.

FileMaker Go 18 Technical Specs

FileMaker Go 18 is supported on iPads and iPhones running iOS 12.1.

FileMaker Server 18

FileMaker Server is known for its ease-of-use and ability to run without any problems. The newest version focuses on performance improvements, FileMaker Server Admin Console interface enhancements, security updates, FileMaker Data API enhancements, and the Official FileMaker Admin API.

Database Engine Enhancements

FileMaker has enhanced the performance of FileMaker Server's database engine, speeding up finds when many users are connected to the server. Understand more and see some tests of the FileMaker 18 Database Engine Enhancements by Nathan Kiefer with a sample file you can use to do some benchmarking yourself. Expect more improvements to the database engine over time.

Startup Restoration

Unfortunately servers do go down unexpectedly due to hardware failure or power outages, but with the new Startup Restoration feature, FileMaker Server will automatically fix corrupt files after the server is restarted. The process validates database entries when a file is first opened and before client access and if the file appears to not have been closed properly then FileMaker Server uses the restoration log (restore*.log) to restore the file to its last consistent state. Nathan's article on the FileMaker 18 Database Engine also discusses Startup Restoration.

**We recommend disabling Startup Restoration until a bug fix is announced!

Server Monitoring

FileMaker Server has been updated to work better with Zabbix, an open-source server monitoring software. You can monitor users, memory, cpu, disk space, network traffic, and processes, and you can trigger events on stats. FileMaker plans to release a white paper and Zabbix templates for FileMaker Server. Understand how to set up Zabbix FileMaker Server Monitoring in a video by Aaron Kaiser.

FileMaker Data API Enhancements

The future of FileMaker Custom Web Publishing is the FileMaker Data API and it is now in parity with the functionality provided by the FileMaker PHP API. The Data API now includes XML metadata such as Script Names, Layout Names, and Layout Schema. FileMaker continues to support the FileMaker PHP API for Custom Web Publishing (via Command Line Interface only) and has been clear to developers that web apps should be built using the Data API going forward. Learn more about the Official FileMaker Data API as Mason Stenquist goes in depth about how to use the Official FileMaker Data API in a video.

Official FileMaker Server Admin API

The FileMaker Server Admin API allows administrators to create their own interfaces to manage servers. The FileMaker Server Admin API, based on the OpenAPI specification (REST API), was previously in beta until September 27th 2019 in FileMaker Server 17, but with 18 is now officially released. Learn about the FileMaker Server Admin API by Mason showing you how the FileMaker Server Admin API works with FileMaker Cloud for AWS in a video.

FileMaker Server Admin Console Enhancements

The FileMaker Server 18 Admin Console now includes more details on schedules such as which ones are currently running, their last success, or their last failed information. You can also see the last time the FileMaker Server was restarted, more clear status of files hosted on server via iconography, and in the command line interface (CLI) you can change the default backup time. All welcomed additions; another one we would like to see in future FileMaker Servers is the ability to view and filter logs without downloading them first.

FileMaker Server 18 Technical Specs

FileMaker Server 18 is compatible with Windows Server 2016 Standard Edition, Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard with Update Microsoft KB2919355, macOS High Sierra 10.13, and macOS Sierra 10.12. If you're on Windows Server 2008 it’s a good time to think about moving to FileMaker Cloud. Also worth noting the release of a Spanish FileMaker Server support.

WebDirect desktop browser support includes Safari 12.x, IE 11.x, Microsoft Edge 44+, Chrome 72+, and mobile browser support includes Safari on iOS 12.x minimum and Chrome 72 on Android 7.x. Note that Firefox is not on the list of supported browsers.

FileMaker Cloud for AWS

FileMaker Cloud for AWS was initially released in September 2016 and is a great product for most customers especially if you need to replace your current server hardware or are expanding to a more mobile workforce! This new product is available ONLY through Amazon Web Services (AWS) and gives you FileMaker Server in minutes. FileMaker Cloud is fast, lowers long-term maintenance, and is secure. FileMaker Cloud 1.18 will support all of the features of FileMaker Server 18. Contact us if you would like help to setup and Manage FileMaker Cloud.

Summary

The FileMaker platform continues to be the leader in creating innovative, powerful custom applications for organizations all around the world and works seamlessly across Windows, Mac, iPad, iPhone, and the web. The release of the FileMaker 18 platform further solidifies FileMaker as the Workplace Innovation Platform leader.

FileMaker Go gives the platform a competitive edge and this version continues to build off its strong foundation. Organizations can create innovative and rapid custom applications for iOS with great ROI. Creating prototype applications on the iPad and iPhone is a matter of hours not months.

FileMaker 18 is a great release and has features everyone can benefit from. We look forward to building innovative custom applications using the new tools for mobile, web and desktop.

If you're interested in taking advantage of all the benefits FileMaker 18 has to offer, contact our team and let's talk about what solutions we can create together.

• User-friendly interface

• Ability to select the target field from a list that can be filtered

• A custom row can be used as the "Field Names" row in the source file for certain data types

• Auto-enter options are independent for each field

• Ability to import data from files using a custom character to separate values

User Friendly Interface

The way information is presented makes it easier for the users to understand how the import process works. For example the use of colors to define if the field will be imported or not, or if it will be used to find a match conveys what is going to be done in a very efficient and natural way.

In addition FileMaker provides diagrams in a pop-up window of the different operations that could be performed when importing.

Search Target Field

FileMaker now allows us to choose the target fields from a list that can be filtered, decreasing the time needed to map fields, especially when including a considerable amount of fields.

Use Custom Record As Field Names

You can now select any row in the import file as the header row (the row containing the field names). All rows in the file before the header row will be omitted.

Independent Auto-Enters

You can choose which auto-enters to fire when importing by clicking on the red gear button located on the right side of each field with auto-enter options.

Custom Character Separators

You have now the ability to import files that have separators other than commas and tabs, getting rid of the need to preprocess the file before importing.

Conclusion

FileMaker greatly improved importing with a more intuitive interface, a more efficient methodology, and more flexible functionality. Contact us if you would like help importing data into your FileMaker application.

**We recommend disabling Startup Restoration until a bug fix is announced!

Performance optimization is one of the most time-consuming (and expensive) types of development and is often overlooked or ignored until applications are nearly unusable. This often happens as businesses expand, adding both more users and data which load the server with an ever increasing number of queries.

Without Startup Restoration (what most users are used to), FileMaker Server handles queries in serial. Each query is put in a single line and assigned a processing "lane" once one opens up, much like a bank line with several tellers. The Startup Restoration feature allows the server to handle queries in parallel. That means, your query goes to the shortest “lane” available and has a better chance of being processed more quickly.

To get an idea of the impact, the two screenshots below show just how much faster enabling Startup Restoration is.

With Startup Restoration turned on, our example unstored find took a little less than 15 seconds for 10 simultaneous users.

With Startup Restoration off, the same unstored find for the same 10 users took more than twice as long at just under 33 seconds.

The added efficiency on the CPU is a major part of the benefit. For developers frustrated with a server needing more cores while the CPU usage is hanging around 20%, Startup Restoration will help, allowing you to do more with each core.

The unstored find for 10 users with Startup Restoration easily took up about 60% of the CPU.

The same find for 10 users without Startup Restoration barely topped 30% of the CPU.

Auto-Recovery

Startup Restoration also allows the server to auto-recover files on startup if corrupt data is detected. Having Startup Restoration enabled means in addition to more efficient queries, the server also keeps a transactional log of all the data changes occurring in FileMaker. If the server detects an error in the consistency of your FileMaker application, it automatically rolls itself back to the last consistent state by using the transactional log.

Manual rollbacks to a progressive backup should be even more rare and no one has to worry about them being accidentally turned off. That means added stability and fewer emergencies.

How Do I Get It?

In FileMaker 18 Server, Startup Restoration is on by default, but turning it off is a simple command with either the Admin API or the command line. Setting “StartupRestorationEnabled=false” will disable logging. Setting it to “true” will enable the feature. If you are toggling Startup Restoration, you must restart FM Server for it to take effect.

What if you want to know if Startup Restoration is enabled already? You can use the FMSAdmin "Get" command to ask the server for the current setting setup.

When Not To Use It

Why would you want to turn it off? Startup Restoration comes at a cost: creating and editing records take longer. In our example, creating records with Startup Restoration enabled meant an extra 1.5 seconds per user for 1,000 records.

With Startup Restoration turned on it took just over 2 seconds per user to make 1,000 records.

With Startup Restoration turned off, it only took each user an average of .6 seconds to make 1,000 records.

For most applications and users, this isn’t likely to be a problem or even noticeable (the additional time per record in our example was .0015 seconds). However, if your application batch creates records, this could mean a pretty significant slowdown. If you have large-scale, predictable batch creations, you may even consider turning transactional logging off while you run those batch creations.

Start Optimizing

Almost everything is fast when it is first built, but your FileMaker application isn’t a statue – it changes and grows with your business. The optimization in Server 18 is FileMaker’s way of recognizing that as applications grow in size, FileMaker needs to keep up with the requests. In the same vein, Startup Restoration emphasizes better stability and less downtime caused by corrupt files. While no database engine improvement is a silver bullet for performance or stability, these optimizations are an improvement that will help applications grow with the businesses they serve even more effectively than before.

If you want to learn more about how FileMaker 18 database engine improvements can benefit your business, or you need help implementing a custom FileMaker solution, contact DB Services.

Installation requires setting up a Zabbix server to monitor the various Zabbix agents (or clients). To monitor multiple FileMaker servers, Zabbix agents would be installed on each server machine, which would communicate with the central Zabbix server.

In the following walkthrough, we used an AWS Ubuntu web server for Zabbix server and a Windows FileMaker server for the Zabbix agent. Zabbix server can only be installed on Linux distributions.

The first step will be to identify the proper package from Zabbix’s website. This guide will be using Zabbix server version 4.2, Ubuntu 18.04, and MySQL due to our familiarity with each. Zabbix server requires a back end to store the data it collects from the Zabbix agents and a web front end to display the information.

Setting up Zabbix Server Back End

First we need to install the server back end and create the database to store our collected data. Download the Zabbix repository by running the following commands from your Zabbix server’s terminal.

~$ wget https://repo.zabbix.com/zabbix/4.2/ubuntu/pool/main/z/zabbix-release/zabbix-release_4.2-1+bionic_all.deb
~$ sudo dpkg -i zabbix-release_4.2-1+bionic_all.deb
~$ sudo apt update

Next, install Zabbix server with MySQL support.

~$ sudo apt install zabbix-server-mysql

Next, create a MySQL Zabbix database with a username of ‘zabbix.' The password is the variable <password> in this example.

Start the MySQL shell by running the mysql command.

~$ sudo mysql

Once in the MySQL shell, create the database and user with the variable <password> replaced with your chosen password enclosed in single quotes.

mysql> create database zabbix character set utf8 collate utf8_bin;
mysql> grant all privileges on zabbix.* to zabbix@localhost identified by '<password>';
mysql> quit;

Now import the schema for the newly created MySQL database. When prompted for the password, provide the password chosen in the previous step. This may take a while to complete.

~$ zcat /usr/share/doc/zabbix-server-mysql/create.sql.gz | mysql -uzabbix -p zabbix

Set up the config file with the database’s username and password by editing the zabbix_server.conf file located in /etc/zabbix/

~$ sudo vim /etc/zabbix/zabbix_server.conf
### Option: DBName
#       Database name.
#
# Mandatory: yes
# Default:
DBName=zabbix
### Option: DBUser
#       Database user.
#
# Mandatory: no
# Default:
DBUser=zabbix
### Option: DBPassword
#       Database password.
#       Comment this line if no password is used.
#
# Mandatory: no
# Default:
DBPassword=<password>

Setting up Zabbix Server Front End

Next up is installing the front end and creating the web pages to view the collected data.

~$ sudo apt install zabbix-frontend-php

Edit the apache.conf file located in /etc/zabbix/ to have the appropriate time zone by commenting out the line and entering your PHP timezone. Other PHP settings can also be modified here.

~$ sudo vim /etc/zabbix/apache.conf
php_value date.timezone America/Indianapolis

Restart Apache to apply changes.

~$ sudo systemctl restart apache2

Finally, start the Zabbix server process and enable it to start at system boot.

~$ sudo service zabbix-server start
~$ sudo update-rc.d zabbix-server enable

Zabbix server’s front end is accessed via a web browser. In order to be accessible and communicate with Zabbix agents, ports 80, 443, and 10050 need to be opened on the Zabbix server.

Copy all the files in the /usr/share/zabbix/ directory to a new Zabbix subdirectory in /var/www/html/zabbix.

First, create a new subdirectory and then copy the files.

~$ sudo mkdir /var/www/html/zabbix
~$ sudo cp -r /usr/share/zabbix/* /var/www/html/zabbix

In a browser, navigate to http://<server_ip_or_name>/zabbix. You should see the UI for the Zabbix front end. Check that the prerequisites are all OK, and enter the database information on the following screen. This is the information used when creating the MySQL database on the Zabbix server.

On the next screen, enter the Zabbix server details. The name field is what will be displayed on the menu bar and page titles. You will then get a summary of the information entered before finalizing your install. Once the setup is complete, log in using the default username and password ‘Admin’ and ‘zabbix.’

Setting up Zabbix Agent (Windows 10)

On Windows, Zabbix agent runs as a service and can either be downloaded as a zip archive or installed via the command prompt. In this example we’ll be using the zip archive.

After unzipping the files, choose or create a new directory to store the unzipped folders. For our purposes, we’re using:

C:\zabbix

Copy bin\zabbix_agentd.exe and conf\zabbix_agentd.win.conf files from the unzipped archive to your chosen directory. Our resulting directory is now

C:\zabbix
--bin
--conf
--zabbix_agentd.exe
--zabbix_agentd.win.conf

Next, we’ll need to edit the c:\zabbix\zabbix_agentd.win.conf file. For the ‘Server’ option, specify your Zabbix server’s fully qualified domain name. If you are enabling active checks, also specify the server name in the ‘SeverActive’ option. The ‘HostName’ option can be left blank.

### Option: Server
#   List of comma delimited IP addresses, optionally in CIDR notation, or DNS names of Zabbix servers and Zabbix proxies.
#   Incoming connections will be accepted only from the hosts listed here.
#   If IPv6 support is enabled then '127.0.0.1', '::127.0.0.1', '::ffff:127.0.0.1' are treated equally and '::/0' will allow any IPv4 or IPv6 address.
#   '0.0.0.0/0' can be used to allow any IPv4 address.
#   Example: Server=127.0.0.1,192.168.1.0/24,::1,2001:db8::/32,zabbix.domain
#
# Mandatory: yes, if StartAgents is not explicitly set to 0
# Default:
Server=<Zabbix server's FQDN>
### Option: ServerActive
#   List of comma delimited IP:port (or DNS name:port) pairs of Zabbix servers and Zabbix proxies for active checks.
#   If port is not specified, default port is used.
#   IPv6 addresses must be enclosed in square brackets if port for that host is specified.
#   If port is not specified, square brackets for IPv6 addresses are optional.
#   If this parameter is not specified, active checks are disabled.
#   Example: ServerActive=127.0.0.1:20051,zabbix.domain,[::1]:30051,::1,[12fc::1]
#
# Mandatory: no
# Default:
ServerActive=<Zabbix server's FQDN>

To install the Zabbix agent service, run the following command from the command prompt as an administrator. Again, in our example our files are placed in C:\zabbix.

C:\> C:\zabbix\zabbix_agentd.exe -c C:\zabbix\zabbix_agentd.win.conf -i

Now you will be able to manage the Zabbix agent service in the Windows services menu. To bring up the Windows services menu, navigate to

Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Administrative Tools

and select ‘Services.’ It can also be opened by simply searching for ‘Services’ from the start menu. From here we can start, stop, and restart the Zabbix agent service as necessary.

Connecting Zabbix Agent to Zabbix Server

To connect Zabbix server to Zabbix agent, you will need to create a host and add a template.

On the Zabbix web dashboard, go to Configuration>Hosts>Create host. The Host name field will be the IP address or fully qualified domain name of the Zabbix agent that you want to add. The visible name is what is shown on the Zabbix dashboard. In the Groups field we can add a new group named FileMaker.

In the Agent interfaces section, again we will supply the IP address of the Zabbix agent and use port 10050. Once all the fields are populated, click Add at the bottom.

Now a template will need to be added to the host. Go to Configuration>Hosts and select the FileMaker Server host that was created. Select the Templates tab from here. A template can be specified in the 'Link new templates' section by searching for a template and then clicking 'Add'. After selecting the template, click update to save your changes. Zabbix provides many templates out of the box and they can all be customized for a user's needs.

To highlight a starting point, we'll add the "Template OS Windows" template, which includes basic hardware stat monitoring. Once the template is added, we can begin to see some of the data by going to the Monitoring->Graphs tab. From here, we can select the FileMaker Server host and the graph to display.

FileMaker Templates

In addition to the included templates, FileMaker has provided templates to monitor Windows, macOS, and Linux FileMaker Servers. These templates include items that monitor various FileMaker server ports, system processes, and triggers to send alerts if something goes wrong. To import custom templates, go to Configuration>Templates and click Import in the top right.

Conclusion

Once you have completed the installation process, Zabbix can be used to monitor multiple machines at once, while providing deeper customization to tailor its use to your needs. Contact us if you have any questions or need assistance setting up Zabbix monitoring.

The Insert From URL script step now supports the SMTP protocol and includes a handful of SMTP cURL options. Using your SMTP server as the URL and the "--mail-from" and "--mail-rcpt" cURL options, you can specify where the email is sent from, who is sending the email, and who is receiving the email. Perhaps most importantly, you can use the "--upload-file" cURL option to upload a text file containing the HTML that you want to send.

URL

smtp://<SMTP Server>:<SMTP Port>

cURL

--ssl<br> --mail-from "<From Email>"<br> --mail-rcpt "<To Email>"<br> --upload-file $emailBodyFile<br> --user "<SMTP Username>:<SMTP Password>"

And now that FileMaker can natively read and write files, you can use those script steps to create the HTML file for the email or you can use Base64 Encode and Decode to take the HTML and save it to a file in a container.

Conclusion

FileMaker can now send HTML emails natively! By using a little scripting and some simple cURL options, you can send beautifully designed HTML emails, eliminating the need of 3rd-party products and helping you grab your customers attention. Contact us if you would like help sending native HTML emails out of FileMaker.

• Close Data Fie

• Create Data File

• Delete File

• Get Data File Position

• Get File Exists

• Get File Size

• Open Data File

• Read from Data File

• Rename File

• Set Data File Position

• Write to Data File

Let's take a look at how to use these script steps.

While you can create files of any file extension with the new Create Data File script step, there are a few of things to remember when using the new script steps. A file must always be opened first before writing to it or it will result in an error, even files that you just created. The Open Data File step will return the ID of the file which you will later use in the other script steps. In the example below we create a data file, open it, write to it and close it.

When writing to the file we recommend to error trap and to close the data file if an error occurs; otherwise the data file will remain locked. The Close Data File step uses the ID returned by Open Data File to close it. A file path cannot be used to close the file.

Reading, Renaming and Deleting Files

Just like before, a file must be opened before reading it or renaming it. To delete a file the file must be closed.

Conclusion

With the new file manipulation script steps FileMaker applications can natively create, edit, delete, and read data files without a plug-in, making upgrading FileMaker easier. Contact us if you need help with reading and writing files in your FileMaker application.

The Manage Security dialog has been redesigned, combining the Detail View and Basic View into one new display.

Clicking an account name will make the detailed settings of the account slide in from the right, where users can still personalize the settings per the individual. The "Advanced Settings..." button in the bottom left pops up the Extended Privileges, Privilege Sets, and File Access settings in the original Manage Security dialog.

Managing Users Without Full Access

Arguably the biggest enhancement lies within the ability for non-Full Access users to manage the security of a FileMaker file. Now non-power users will have the ability to add and manage non-Full Access accounts in the Manage Security dialog without having to contact a developer or an administrator. However since the default privilege sets cannot be changed, accounts with this power will have to use a custom privilege set. This setting can be enabled under the "Edit Privilege Set" menu of the Manage Security dialog.

Unsigned Plug-in Notifications

Additionally FileMaker will now display a notification on startup when an installed plug-in is not signed by its developer.

This is a measure taken to notify users that one or more of their plug-ins could have been potentially tampered with. This dialog gives the user the ability to choose whether they would like to load the unsigned plug-in. Please note that if you auto install unsigned plug-ins in your solution you will have to make sure Set Error Capture is set to Off to for users to get the warning. The auto installer will otherwise fail if Set Error Capture is set to On.

Conclusion

Managing security for your FileMaker solutions has become more intuitive and user friendly, while also keeping users more informed of security risks. Contact us if you would like help securing your FileMaker solution.

While the original DDR function still exists for now, a new option has been added in the Tools menu to "Save a Copy as XML". When you select this tool you will be prompted to choose a save location and enter a file name. This will be set to your file name by default, and no other settings or configuration is necessary. Once you choose Save, FileMaker will create a new XML file in your specified location that is an XML serialization of your FileMaker file excluding record details.

What About the DDR?

Initially just being able to save an XML copy of a FileMaker file can sound quite similar to the existing Database Design Report option; however the Save a Copy as XML feature is meant to be an XML serialization while the DDR is not. For example Save a Copy as XML includes encrypted account credentials as they would be required to have a complete serialization of a FileMaker file's schema and structure while the DDR doesn't include this information.

Benefits of Scripting

For even more control, there is a new script step also called "Save a Copy as XML" that allows you to automatically save an XML representation of the solution.

With this step a developer can easily create a script and set it up on a server schedule to automatically generate daily version records of an entire application, and these files can then be archived for security and referenced as needed.

Version Comparison

In order to use this feature to the fullest, you will want to employ a diff tool to view the changes between two versions of your database that you have saved as XML. You can find many different applications that will perform this task both directly online or as downloadable programs, and it may already be an available option or extension in your existing text editor such as Visual Studio Code or Notepad++. Once you run the differential on your XML copies, you will be able to easily identify what has been updated between each version.

Conclusion

Save a Copy as XML is a fantastic addition to the FileMaker platform, providing a way to run differential comparisons on a solution. Contact us if you need help incorporating this excellent new feature into your FileMaker application!

Error logging can now be accomplished with a simple script step: Set Error Logging [ On/Off ].

And because you can control when error logging occurs you can prevent unnecessary log entries from being created. Additionally you can set up a “custom debug info” calculation, the result of which will be added to each log entry of the script allowing developers to log dynamic information the moment an error occurs.

The Log File

When enabling error logging in a script, FileMaker will create a single file named “ScriptErrors.log”, which will be created in the user’s Documents folder if it doesn't already exist. Each log entry will include the following pieces of information: the name of the file, account, script, script step, error code, timestamp, session number, and custom debug information. Set Error Logging is currently only supported on FileMaker Pro and Go, not WebDirect, nor FileMaker Server.

Collecting Log Files

To really make these log files useful you should consider automatically importing them into a centralized table so the information is in one location and easily searchable by a developer. For example you could import the log every time a user closes the FileMaker application via the OnLastWindowClose trigger. Having an easily accessible error log can go a long way when something has gone wrong and troubleshooting becomes necessary.

Conclusion

Script error logging is no longer relegated to only FileMaker Server: it is now available in both FileMaker Pro Advanced and FileMaker Go, to help troubleshoot errors in client side scripting. In a future version of the FileMaker platform we would love the ability to enable or disable script error logging on FileMaker Server to prevent unnecessary log entires. In the mean time download the sample file to check out the client side script error log in action!

If you have any questions about script error logging or need help with your FileMaker application, please contact our team at DB Services and we would be happy to help.

The format of a while function is broken into four parts: initial variables, the condition, logic, and the results. The function repeats the logic section until the condition is false; that is how the function provides the ability to loop. In the example below the While function returns a list of numbers 1 through 5:

While (
    [
     count = 1;
     numberList = ""
    ];
    count < 6 ;
    [
     numberList = numberList & (count) & "¶";
     count = count + 1
    ];
numberList
)

The function returns:

1
2
3
4
5

Notes

• Initial variables are available throughout the loop of the function.

• You can define multiple initial variables by enclosing them in brackets, similar to how let functions work.

• Variables that need to retain information from each iteration must be defined in the initial variable section otherwise their values are empty in the next iteration.

• To prevent infinite loops the while function will return "?" after the number of iterations exceeds a limit.

• The default limit is 50,000 iterations. Use the new function, Set Recursion, to set a new limit to the number of iterations.

Conclusion

With the advent of the While function, development of FileMaker applications will become a simpler and quicker process, eliminating the need for one-off recursive functions. Download the demo file to try out the new function!

Contact us if you have any questions about the While function or need help implementing your FileMaker solution.

You must have a Square account and a Square Reader for all mobile devices you want to accept payment on. You will also need to have your FileMaker application hosted on a FileMaker Server, have the FileMaker Data API enabled on FileMaker Server, and enable the fmurlscript “Allow URLs to perform FileMaker scripts” and fmrest “Access via FileMaker Data API” extended privileges for all users pushing charges to Square.

source:https://docs.connect.squareup.com/payments/pos/overview

How It Works

Your FileMaker application will determine the total charge to the customer and pass the transaction information to the Square POS app. The mobile device automatically opens the POS app and the charge amount is pre-populated in the transaction presented to the customer. Once the transaction is completed, the results are sent via a callback URL, which references PHP code to open your FileMaker application and pass in the results of the transaction from Square.

Creating Your Square Application

First install the Square Point of Sale app from the App Store (available on iOS and Android). Then create a Square application on your Square developer dashboard. To do this, sign in to your developer portal online and click “New Application”.

Next enter your web callback URL by clicking into the application you created, selecting the “Point of Sale API” tab, and entering your Web Callback URL. Square requires that we use an HTTPS URL and not an FMP URL. This URL will be a link to a PHP script that acts as an FMP URL and will reopen your FileMaker application after the Square transaction completes. It needs to include parameters to reference your FileMaker file and call the FileMaker script that will handle the response data from Square.

Keep in mind you will have to purchase an SSL certificate for the domain you use to host your PHP code as Square requires HTTPS for Web Callback URLs.

Pushing a Transaction to Square

Now that you’ve configured your Square application in the developer portal and have hosted your PHP script on a secure web server, you can start pushing transactions to Square from FileMaker. To push the transaction to Square, you will need to call the Square app with the Square URI scheme and pass information to prepopulate the transaction in the form of a JSON object. Here is an example of the JSON object.

{
    "amount_money" :
    {
        "amount" : "0",
        "currency_code" : "USD"
    },
    "callback_url" : "https://api.dbservices.com/Test/SquareArticle/LaunchFMPURL.php?host=cloud.dbservices.com&database=DB_Services_FileMaker_Square_Integration&script=Square_Process_Payment",
    "client_id" : "sq0idp-mRVxvaQDqPVVacCJDPn2zg",
    "notes" : "",
    "options" :
    {
        "supported_tender_types" : [ "CREDIT_CARD", "CASH" ]
    },
    "version" : "1.3"
}

Make sure to URL encode the JSON object and append it to the end of the URL “square-commerce-v1://payment/create?data=”. Use the Open URL script step to open the Square POS app.

One important note to remember is that Square reads the transaction amount in cents, so if you’re passing dollar values, you need to multiply them by 100 before passing them through the API.

Passing Back Transaction Results with PHP

Included in the demo file is a PHP file used to pass the Square transaction results back to your FileMaker application. This PHP code handles the JSON data passed from Square and essentially builds an FMP URL used to re-open your FileMaker application and call a script. This is how we retrieve our result data in the FileMaker script that is called by Square. An example of the result data is shown below.

{
    "client_transaction_id" : "C33DC0BB-98B4-4E7E-BB0E-9764C46E5A15",
    "status" : "ok",
    "transaction_id" : "WO873ceEC5bOO4KtzCFtaNzeV"
}

The only catch to this, is that on iOS devices, Safari will always be the browser that handles the FMP URL sent by the PHP code. Unfortunately Safari always prompts the user to open FileMaker Go and there is no way to disable this. So users will have to click “Open” or the FileMaker application won’t open. This can cause issues because the transaction could have completed or canceled and your FileMaker application wouldn’t know the difference.

Processing Payment in FileMaker

This is the easiest part of the integration. Once the PHP code opens your FileMaker application it will run the specified script. You will want to grab the data from Square and tie it to your charge record. In the demo file, we store the entire result in the response field and store the transaction ID in a transaction ID field.

Conclusion

The Square Point of Sale API allows you to quickly and easily process in-person payments on mobile devices, while linking your Square transactions with your FileMaker records. This eliminates the risk of human error while taking payment with Square. Contact us if you need help integrating your FileMaker application with Square!

Let's take a look at what a Workplace Innovation Platform is and how can it improve your business!

What is a Workplace Innovation Platform?

FileMaker, as the leader of the Workplace Innovation Platform category, defines it this way:

“A Workplace Innovation Platform like FileMaker allows you to build custom apps to match the unique needs of your business and help to better connect your systems, processes and employees.”

G2 Crowd—a business software review site—also launched a Workplace Innovation Platform report in January 2019, and they offer an objective definition and list of requirements for these types of platforms. In order to be considered a Workplace Innovation Platform on G2 Crowd, the software must meet the following requirements:

• Provide both visual design and full-stack development tools

• Provide collaborative application management and secure communication capabilities

• Facilitate cross-platform availability via on-premise, cloud, or hybrid deployment

• Provide integration tools for connecting to systems, services, and platforms

• Provide a partner network, learning resources, marketplace, and/or user community

Additionally G2 Crowd allows for customers of different Workplace Innovation Platforms to review the software in that report, and then ranks them based on market presence and customer satisfaction. Other platforms contained in this report by G2 Crowd include Airtable, Salesforce Lightning, K2, Quick Base, and others.

As seen on the G2 Crowd grid as of Feb 2019, FileMaker, Inc. leads in both reports, and is considered the leader in the category of Workplace Innovation Platforms.

What a Workplace Innovation Platform Can Do for You

The benefits of a Workplace Innovation Platform for your business are vast. FileMaker lists 5 primary reasons to invest in a custom application in the workplace:

1. Allows you to "escape the work rut” of tedious manual tasks

2. “Bridges the gap” between current software used in the business

3. Meshes your innovative ideas and expertise with your business’ software

4. Provides the opportunity to go fully paperless

5. Moves your business towards mobility

Additionally FileMaker conducted a State of the Custom Apps study in 2018 to find out how custom applications have impacted businesses who use them. The customers surveyed belonged to businesses of all sizes and industries, and were located in North America, Europe, and Japan.

Out of 370 FileMaker customers surveyed:

• 93% were able to reduce inefficient tasks

• 91% increased team productivity

• 76% reported a return on investment (ROI)

• 70% saw an increase in customer satisfaction

Workplace Innovation at DB

In our own words, a Workplace Innovation Platform such as FileMaker is a software platform that allows businesses of any size or industry to create a custom application that solves problems and paves the way for innovation and efficiency.

Put simply, DB Services uses FileMaker to transform and innovate the way businesses operate.

Whether it's integrating several scattered business applications into an all-in-one solution for a company, eliminating tedious data entry, or allowing businesses to take their FileMaker solution out in the field via iPads or iPhones--we've done it all.

Check out our Case Studies to see just a few of the ways that DB Services has used FileMaker to innovate workflows for businesses across the country.

Conclusion

Workplace Innovation Platforms such as FileMaker can provide fantastic benefits to organizations, regardless of size, industry, or location, allowing them to transform and innovate the way they do business.

If you’re ready to see what FileMaker can do for you, contact us today for a free initial consultation!

You must have a OneDrive account to use this article’s integration which is included in the Office 365 package. Also make sure you have admin access to your Office 365 subscription if you have a business or school user account.

Creating a Microsoft Graph Application

Make sure you create an Azure AD Tenant first if you are using a personal account and not a work or school account. Similar to other API integrations, you need to create an app first. Go to the application registration portal and add a new registration. Fill in the name of your app and select the supported account types. Select the "Accounts in any organizational directory and personal Microsoft accounts" if you want to allow any valid Microsoft account to log in, the other options are for business accounts generally. Fill in a valid URL for the redirect URI. It doesn't matter what it is as long as it is valid. Click Register. From the overview screen grab the Application (client) ID.

Managing App Permissions

Microsoft OneDrive requires that each user give the app permissions to be able to read/write data from their OneDrive. Before users can give permissions, you need to set up the default permissions on the application registration page. You'll need one delegated permission for this OneDrive Integration. Click API permissions, then click Add a Permission. Then select Microsoft Graph and Delegated permissions.

You'll need to also create a client secret for your app. On the sidebar go to the Certificates & secrets section and click new client secret. You can designate the name and how long you want the secret to last. For this example, we'll set it to never expire.

Once you have your API information, you will need to authenticate your solution with the OneDrive API. The sample file at the end of the article has the calls & web viewers that you can reference to authenticate FileMaker with OneDrive.

When the user clicks the Connect button, they will be asked to log in to their Microsoft account and approve delegated permissions for the application.

After the user logs in, a FileMaker script parses the redirected page’s URL for the client ID and auth codes that will be used for requests to OneDrive.

Making Requests And Parsing The Response

Microsoft OneDrive API supports multiple types of requests such as HTTP POST, GET and DELETE. You can perform all actions by using the native Insert from URL[] script step and giving it a valid URL and cURL options including required fields within the JSON body specified by the documentation.

Here’s a sample request body to download files from a folder. Note how the DateTime element is formatted. For more details, refer to Microsoft OneDrive documentation under the List Children Page.

-X GET https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/drive/items/E9953196A1CE2F19!28596/children?$expand=thumbnails <br>--header "Authorization: Bearer EwBwA8l6BAAURSN/FHlDW5xN74t6GzbtsBBeBUYAAROJk..."

The response will have an array of documents from the selected folder and will include URLs to the thumbnails so we can download those in a bit. You'll also notice that some of the object names are prefixed by "@odata." which will not work with FileMaker's built-in JSON functions, because FileMaker does not allow periods in an objects name. If you need to read one of these properties, you can simply substitute the entire object to remove the prefix.

Substitute ( $response ; "@odata." ; "" )

Downloading Files

Downloading a file is relatively easy once you know a quirk of the FileMaker cURL library. By default when you try to download a file it first authenticates your call, and then redirects you to download the file. FileMaker will not follow the redirect and won't return anything unless you include the -L or --location flag in your cURL command. Another tip is that you can pass the --output flag with a URL encoded file name when downloading, to ensure the downloaded file has the correct name.

-X GET https://onedrive.live.com/?id=E9953196A1CE2F19%2129992 --header "Authorization: Bearer EwBwA8l6BAAURSN/FHlDW5xN74t6GzbtsBBe..." -L --output Screen%20Shot%202019%2D01%2D14%20at%204%2E54%2E41%20PM%2Epng

Uploading Documents

Uploading files to OneDrive is a bit more difficult. OneDrive provides 2 API methods for uploading docs, one for files under 4MB and another resumable upload method for larger files. We will strictly be using the resumable upload method as it is more flexible. The first thing you need to do is to create an upload session. The documentation is not very clear on how to do this. You'll need the folder ID you want to upload to and the filename URL encoded. When constructing the URL you'll need colons after the folder and filename, though the documentation makes no mention of this.

-X POST https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/drive/items/E9953196A1CE2F19!29992:/picture%2Epng:/createUploadSession --header "Authorization: Bearer EwBwA8l6BAAURSN/FHlDW5xN74t6GzbtsBBeBUYAAQScvI1+tUkC1GcS1z+E6..." --header "Content-Type: application/json" -d { "@microsoft.graph.conflictBehavior": "rename", "description": "description", "fileSystemInfo": { "@odata.type": "microsoft.graph.fileSystemInfo" }, "name": "Screen Shot 2019-01-14 at 4.54.41 PM.png" }

This will return an uploadUrl that you'll use to actually upload the data to.

{ "@odata.context":"https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/$metadata#microsoft.graph.uploadSession", "uploadUrl":"https://api.onedrive.com/rup/e9953196a...", "expirationDateTime":"2019-01-31T18:16:08.186Z", "nextExpectedRanges":["0-"] }

After you have the uploadUrl you need to calculate the content range of the file so we can tell the API what bytes we are uploading. You can use GetContainerAttribute ( TABLE::container ; "fileSize" ) to get the size of the file in bytes. From there you just can determine the content range. The range starts at zero, while the total starts at one, meaning a 25-byte file will have a content range of 0-24 and a total byte size of 25, thus setting the content range to 0-24/25 is telling the API that we are uploading the entire file. To actually upload the contents of a container you'll first set a variable with the contents of the container and then you'll use that variable with the -T or --upload-file flag.

-X PUT https://api.onedrive.com/rup/e9953196a... --header "Content-Range: bytes 0-24/25" -T $data

Displaying Files and Folders in FileMaker

One thing you'll want to keep in mind when working with the API is that you'll need to store a representation of all the files and folders as records in your FileMaker solution. In the sample file, I have a file table to store the document names, OneDrive ID, size, etc. You might also want to include a container field to store a thumbnail of your files as well, which are quite small at around 100px by 100px. OneDrive will also generate thumbnails of file types FileMaker doesn't natively support such as Word and PowerPoint.

Conclusion

The Microsoft OneDrive API can help keep your database size down, make sharing files easier, and allowing you to edit files without downloading and re-uploading to FileMaker. Contact us if you need help integrating your FileMaker solution with OneDrive!

Adobe InDesign has the ability to directly import XML to create individual parts which can be easily manipulated on your publication. Using FileMaker you can create this XML with a script that loops through the items that you wish to display on your InDesign document and creates opening and closing tags that separate the individual items.

<NewsItem SIZE="Half Page Ad - Bottom"TMPL="Half Page Ad - Bottom" TYPE="article"><br> <Headline>Lorem ipsum</Headline><br> <Body>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut feugiat.</Body><br> </NewsItem>

Each item, when imported into InDesign, will then be able to be dragged and dropped directly onto the page and resized or edited to fit your needs.

Using FileMaker Templates

Using FileMaker you can create templates to predetermine the position of the items you intend to display. With relatively simple Javascript, you can iterate through the items that you have imported into InDesign and place the items in the publication based on the templates you created in FileMaker.

This eliminates the need to do any major rework for repetitive designs, such as magazine pages or basic flyers.

Using Third Party Integration Methods