Publish your FileMaker database to the Web
Take advantage of what the web has to offer by publishing your FileMaker data to the web.
If your FileMaker data is not on the web in one shape or another, you're falling behind! The Internet has come a long way, and we have all become very dependant on it. Yet it's surprising to find many business still have not taken advantage of what the web has to offer.
There are many people that can benefit from your FileMaker data being published on-line, in many different ways. Here are some examples:
Customers
Allow customers to place orders on-line, view stock levels, buy stock, view product information, make reservations, view availability, report problems, view account information, submit forms etc.
Staff
While on the go: log hours, view projects / jobs, view client information, view tasks, place orders, view product information, raise invoices, track shipments, track orders etc. While on the go, you may want to consider using an iPhone or iPad.
Management
View dashboards, view reports, keep an eye on things, make decisions on the go. etc.
Of course these are only a few examples of what's possible. The Internet is your oyster ... anything is possible!
Two ways to get your data on-line
Basically, when it comes to FileMaker, there are two ways we can get your data on-line. Either via Instant Web Publishing (IWP) or Custom Web Publishing (CWP) with PHP.
Instant Web Publishing (IWP)
Instant Web Publishing is an excellent method for quickly getting your database accessible over the web. Basically, all development is actually performed within FileMaker as regular FileMaker layouts and scripts. A web user simply views a FileMaker layout via their web browser.
Generally, no external development outside of FileMaker is required when using Instant Web Publishing (IWP). This makes the development process significantly faster in most cases, and therefore reduces the cost of development.
However, there are some limitations as to what can and can't be done via IWP and it's not suited to every project. Some projects are better suited to Custom Web Publishing (CWP).
Another thing to consider, although Instant Web Publishing generally takes less time to build, it does require FileMaker Server Advanced to run and is an additional expense. To avoid having to purchase FileMaker Server Advanced, your project may be hosted by a third party provider.
Only a maximum of 100 simultaneous users can access the system at the one time. It's important to note that the connections are persistent which means the user is always connected even if they are only viewing the screen and not reading / writing to the system. This basically means that it's not suited for systems that will likely have more than 100 users accessing the system at the one time.
IWP is an excellent choice in many cases ... and we even use it ourselves for in-house purposes.
The advantage of using IWP is it's quick and easy to implement and cost effective. The disadvantage is it does have limitations and does not always suit.
Custom Web Publishing (CWP) and PHP
Custom Web Publishing (CWP) is a lot more flexible than Instant Web Publishing (IWP) and can do a whole lot more.
Custom Web Publishing is all built externally from FileMaker using things like HTML, PHP, Javascript etc. The external web pages will then connect to the FileMaker database and access only the raw FileMaker data. The data will then be presented in a web page however you choose.
There aren't many limitations as to what you can and cant do with CWP, and you can pretty much do anything. Since the work is built externally from FileMaker, more work is actually required and it usually costs more to develop than IWP. Also, there are no limitations to how many users can access the system at the one time.
Unlike IWP, you don't need to invest in FileMaker Server Advanced, you'll only need the standard edition of FileMaker Server which costs a lot less.
Basically the major difference between the two method is with IWP you're viewing the FileMaker layouts on the web, whereas with CWP you're viewing web pages that present the raw FileMaker data.
The advantage of Custom Web Publishing (CWP) is it can do a whole lot more than Instant Web Publishing (IWP) and any number of users can access the system. The disadvantage is it takes longer to develop and costs more since it's all done externally from FileMaker.
Choosing the right method
Both methods are excellent, and it really depends on what your needs are. If IWP will suit your requirements, we recommend going down that path as it's a lot easier to develop and a lot easier to maintain. On the other hand if any of the IWP limitations will not suit your project requirements, then CWP may be the best option for you.
To find out more, please contact us.
