FileMaker Pro 14: The Missing Manual

Chapter 22. Sharing Data with Other Systems

Sometimes you need to move data to other systems—when you’re creating reports, for example, as described in Chapter 16. For example, perhaps you want to dump data into a spreadsheet for analysis by staff who don’t use FileMaker. Or maybe that same person will have data she needs to send back to you, but you don’t want to enter hundreds of records manually.

If you have data in almost any kind of program—spreadsheets full of figures, lists of names and phone numbers, electronic orders in XML, folders full of pictures or text documents—FileMaker can import it directly into your database. If your data is already in FileMaker, then you can export it to lists, other databases, XML, or most common formats. FileMaker takes a wonderfully flexible approach: It lets you handle simple imports and exports with just a click or two and provides the features to tackle the most complex cases as well—if you (or some hired help) are willing to do the necessary work.

If your company uses one of the vast corporate databases—Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, or MySQL—FileMaker can integrate directly with them, bringing its powerful (and easy) developer tools to bear on their complex-yet-oh-so-speedy data. You can put your corporate SQL data right on the FileMaker layout, perform FileMaker finds, write scripts, and even add calculation fields, all without writing a single line of SQL code.

Sharing Your Data with Others

Most database systems don’t live in a vacuum. Chances ...