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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 005.7565
EAN num: 9780789730282
ISBN number: 0789730286
Label: Que
Manufacturer: Que
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 1104
Printing Date: August 22, 2004
Publishing house: Que
Sale Popularity Level: 395150
Studio: Que
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Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
Once upon a time, you were an experienced FileMaker user. Now there's an updated version of the software and you feel like you're back at the beginning of the story. Special Edition Using FileMaker 7 can help you get back to 'happily ever after' with your database building skills. Frequent tips, case studies and thorough examples create a learning experience as if you were in the same room with the experienced FileMaker developers. Written by The Moyer Group, a leading FileMaker Pro consulting and training organization, this book will show you how to avoid mistakes and save time in developing databases. A CD is included to show you sample files with before-and-after examples, as well as an interface explorer tool that will allow you to prototype interfaces quickly for clients. Special Edition Using FileMaker 7 is sure to keep you from seeing the end of your database building days.
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
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Initially, I found the book a good manual with concise description. However, for the high price of the book, I expected not only a manual but also a set of templates that could be used in the real world. I found the samples a big disappointment both in preparation and design. I would expect from the top notch experts that I would end up with a valuable coherent Filemaker template system that I would be able to use at the end. (For example, a inventory, invoice and shipment tracking that has relational, lookups and multiple files). Instead these guys were jumping from militia to pet store samples.
Rated by buyers 
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The one aspect of this book that I like very much that is not covered by other comments is that the revised nature of Filemaker's different forms (Mobile, Server and Pro) are well covered as well as is the change made by FilemMaker to the basic underlying methodology of updating a record. I have used it to build a very large workflow automation system for a company and find it unmissable
Rated by buyers -
Although I've been using FileMaker since 1996, to me the difference between version 6 and 7 is a paradigm shift. As in the previously oustanding Special Edition FileMaker books by Que, this one by Chris Moyer and others is steller. How? well, in content and exposition. Although there are a FEW idiosynchroncies, they have been corrected by on-line updates.
In my humble opinion, this book is worth 5 stars.
Rated by buyers -
Like another reviewer suggested, let's agree that no single book is ever "the only book you'll ever need". (I for one, wish authors/publishers would stop making that claim). However, if you can only buy one, this is it! As we know, FileMaker Inc just released version 8. So why buy a book on version 7? Because 8 is nearly identical to 7 with a few additional bells & whistles and minor enhancements, and because with minimal gap, this book will prepare you for either version. So whether you're still on version 7, considering upgrading or made the move to 8, I believe Special Edition Using FileMaker 7 is a solid investment.
It's a daunting 1032 pages, until you start reading. Big fat computer software books tend to be heavy on theory and concepts, and light on the practical stuff you can use right off the pages. All that text makes me dizzy. Yet, this one is an easy read, almost elementary, but intelligent and in plain english. The authors are human, not engineers (no offense :). They obviously work with real people in real situations. The breadth of material and concepts they cover is made even more impressive by the clarity they bring to each and every topic. There are plenty of demo files provided on the CD, and although basic, sufficiently show off FM's power and flexibility. I had little trouble adapting some of them to my own solutions- very useful in modeling sophisticated schemas. I did have a little difficulty deciphering one or two examples, but I managed. It's more than a how-to users' guide, it also teaches you how to think strategically and build efficient solutions using best practices. It tells you what, how and why, with screenshots that help make sense of it all (you will need a magnifier for half of them, though). You won't find examples of complex full blown databases, but you will walk away with a solid foundation, advanced enough that you could build or manage a database of moderate complexity, assuming of course you keep the book as a reference. I know, because I did.
Exceptional, accessible style, all substance, no doze. Very good layout, logical arrangement, each section a building block for the one that follows. This book meets very high standards, and it's error-free as far as I can tell- and I read every page. FileMaker Pro developers already know that quality FileMaker books are rare, if they exist at all. This one will not disappoint. It may be a stretch for some beginners, but I would say buy this book along with a more rudimentary introduction to FileMaker. For you advanced developers, surely you could glean many useful nuggets from the section on Developer Techniques. Admittedly, that section has less depth than some other subjects in the book, but along with the last two sections, still worth the price if that's all you read. It deals with Developing for Multiple Users, Sessions, Concurrency, Audit Trails, Launching Files, and Team Development. The last two sections cover Data Integration and Publishing, and Deploying a FileMaker Solution, which deals with web issues, FileMaker Server, Plug-ins, and more. I don't deal with FM Server, but my feeling is that the 38 page chapter doesn't really do it justice. There is a pretty good Appendix section which talks about Documenting FileMaker solutions, and contains references on Calculation Functions and Script Steps- which I think every developer hates, but none can live without. These references are only a little better than FileMaker Pro's built in Help References, which only experienced users can decode.
Clearly this book is written for Power Users, Administrators and ambitious Developers. Before this book, my FileMaker databases were so-so, certainly amateurish compared to what I can do now. This book has truly taken me to the subsequent level. I develop commercial quality solutions now, thanks to this book. Whatever your goal, it can almost certainly be achieved from here. For deeper discourse specifically on Server & Developer or Advanced versions of FileMaker, you will want to find good companion books. I wish I could recommend some, but good FileMaker books are few and far between. Beginners might want to take a look at the project oriented "Creating a Database in FileMaker Pro or Pro 8: Visual QuickProject Guide (Visual Quickproject Series)". I've used their series before and they're excellent. Good luck!
Rated by buyers -
This is an excellent piece of work. If you are new to FileMaker you should start with the FileMaker Pro7 Bible, but if you are a advanced developer this is the only book you'll need, alongside with a subscription to ISO FileMaker Magazine.
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