FileMaker® Pro 9 Bible

Chapter 19. Efficient Code, Efficient Solutions

FileMaker's reputation as a user-friendly database is legend—and, for the most part, well deserved. Users with no background in programming (but with self-motivation, good logical thinking, and some Designing your solutions for design sense) can make great progress from a standing start with FileMaker.

In fact, FileMaker draws you in with what it can do—leading the new user to try more complex and even daring feats only a short time after becoming familiar with the application. But FileMaker has a great deal more to it than you can see from the outset. FileMaker is a program with deep roots and hid-den power—and it takes time and dedication to fully tap its potential.

A proportion of enthusiastic beginners, having had a ball making their first attempts at building a database, get serious and start looking for robust, fault tolerant, and efficient ways to code their solutions. They are the ones who make the transition to achieve professionalism as FileMaker developers (whatever their job title). If you fall into this group, this chapter is especially for you.

Designing for Scale: Size Considerations

One of the greatest problems you face—whether working with FileMaker or any other database application—is designing solutions so they continue to work well as they grow. Some designs succeed when modeled using only a small number of records and survive beta testing (also with moderate-sized record sets), but then founder in deployment, when ...