April Kentuckiana Meeting
Greetings, File Makers!
Well, after a change of program AND a change of venue, we finally have the details for this month’s meeting settled.
LOCATION
Next month (May) we will be back at the 1234 S. Third location, but this month we will be meeting in the board room of the main branch of the Louisville Free Public Library, 301 York Street, downtown Louisville. (Parking is on the street, so come a little early and bring quarters or your PARC SmartCards.)
TIME/DATE
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm (or so)
April 15
PROGRAM
Bob Patin–our presenter on FileMaker and the web that was scheduled for this month–had a last-minute client issue and requested that we reschedule him for a future date. We’ll let you know when that is. In his stead, though, we have arranged a power-house lineup of local talent for you:
First up is Byron Songer who will continue his Intro to FileMaker series with a session on the calculation engine and how you can really simplify your work by letting FileMaker calculate a whole host of things for you.
Following that, Brian Ginn will give you his take on what’s cool about script triggers. This caps off Jonathan’s two-part introduction to the subject by taking it up a notch and showing you some really effective ways to automate your solutions.
NETWORKING
Following the main presentations will be a time of discussion and networking where you can ask questions and commune with other FileMaker users as long as you want.
FUTURE
We are still looking forward to Bill Kaiser and Bill Heizer (of FileMaker, Inc.) bringing their FileMaker 11 show to Louisville in May. We’ll keep you posted on that.
Info & RSVP: http://fmpug.com/scheduleMeetings.php
See you Thursday!
Creating and Deploying Custom Menus in FileMaker Pro
Join us on Tuesday, April 20th, 2010, and learn to harness the power of Custom Menus with world-renowned FileMaker trainer, Jerry Robin!
Custom Menus allow us to modify and enhance FileMaker’s menus, making the menus more meaningful and appropriate for different users.
Custom Menus can:
- Hide certain commands from users
- Give users easier access to commands
- Include a script as a command in any menu
- Make virtually unlimited functionality available to users
- Make your database look more like a custom application and less like “FileMaker”
- Reduce training time and minimize tech support needs
However, the concepts behind creating Custom Menus–and the series of dialog boxes for creating them–can be rather overwhelming at first. Jerry will take you step-by-step through the process so that it all becomes crystal-clear.
(NOTE: He will be demonstrating the new, improved Custom Menus interface for FileMaker Pro 11, which is considerably less intimidating than previous versions!)
Topics include:
- Terminology: Menu Sets, Menus and Menu Items.
- Commands, Submenus and Separators.
- How to dynamically override the title of a menu or menu item based on the current context.
- Understanding the difference between Commands and Behaviors in Menu Items, opening doors to powerful interface tools, like preventing users from activating the Close box.
- Installing your Menu Sets and determining how they appear.
- Determining which Menu Set is active.
- Common errors and gotchas that come with Custom Menus (such as locking users out accidentally).
About Jerry Robin
The owner of FMPTraining.com, Jerry Robin is an experienced consultant, trainer and developer of custom FileMaker Pro databases. Jerry has been a presenter at eight FileMaker Developer Conferences since 1997, and was ranked among the top-rated speakers from 2000 to 2008. A FileMaker 7, 8, 9 and 10 Certified Developer, Jerry was a Technical Editor for “FileMaker Pro 9: The Missing Manual,” wrote and presented a highly praised FileMaker Pro 7 CD training series in 2004, and won the FileMaker Millionaire prize at the 2001 DevCon in Orlando.
When he’s not doing FileMaker, Jerry performs standup comedy and is also the throwing half of an award-winning competitive Dog Frisbee team (with his Australian Shepherd, Dakota).
March 18 Meeting Agenda Annnounced
Our meeting this month is shaping up to be an event you won’t want to miss. Our speakers have been doing some traveling lately and are back amongst us with their insights.
To lead off, Brian Ginn, fresh from his recent travels in China, will regale you with–not his photographs and videos of the Chinese countryside and New Year’s celebrations, unfortunately–but with the culmination of our series on script triggers. For those of you that have ever set up a nice little tab set in FileMaker, only to have it forget where it last was when you switch to a different layout and back again, Brian has a cool way to make sure that your tab selections stay right where you last left them. His demo will also demonstrate his passion for all things with the words “social” and “media” in their names by showing you how to integrate Google Docs, straight from the cloud and right into your own programs.
Also returning from a foreign country (one called California), KFUG member Teresa Wilkins will share her experiences at last month’s FileMaker Bootcamp. This long-running, intensive immersion experience is held in Southern California and boasts several famous FileMaker luminaries on its faculty. Teresa says, “Bootcamp! It’s not for everyone, but if it’s right for you then you’re gonna love it. I’ll give a broad-strokes overview of what the experience was like and who might benefit most from it. I’ll share some tasty knowledge morsels that I picked up - quick bites and food for thought! Then I’ll end by sharing some great resources for users at every level, with an emphasis on custom menus and the brilliantly accessible wisdom of Jerry Robbins.”
Fresh off an encore engagement in Fort Wayne, Indiana (not quite as exotic as the aforementioned locales, but the natives are friendly), Jonathan Fletcher will have a handout and short presentation on FileMaker-related resources available around the ‘net. From helpful blogs to downloadable software, the internet houses a wealth of useful information for the aspiring (and experienced) FileMaker user/developer. Want to know how to get your questions answered? There’s a site for that.
And for the hot news of the week: FileMaker 11 is out! That means that FileMaker Pro, FileMaker Pro Advanced, FileMaker Server and FileMaker Server Advanced all have new versions with a metric boatload of new features and stuff to talk about. Jonathan will end his presentation with a short overview of some of the higher profile new features to be found in the latest versions of our favorite toys.
That said, stay tuned for an official announcement about the return of the Bill and Bill show. Bill Kaiser, FileMaker Inc.’s Midwest Business Account Manager and Bill Heizer, FileMaker Inc.’s Senior Consulting Engineer spoke to our group in November and wowed us with their presentation on FileMaker 10. Well, they’re going to do it again with FileMaker 11. Invites will be going out to the wider community of registered users in Kentucky and Southern Indiana, so we expect another SRO turnout. While tentatively scheduled for the May 20th meeting at this point, we’re not inking it into our Day-Timer just yet. We’ll let you know the minute we get firm confirmation.
Don’t forget you can get more info about our next meeting and also RSVP at: http://fmpug.com/scheduleMeetings.php
Thanks again and see you on the 18th!
–
Alan Bird
Jonathan Fletcher
Brian Ginn
Bill Holt
Byron Songer
Special Product Briefing: Getting the Most Out of the FileMaker 11 Product Line
On March 16, 2010, our guests will be Alexei Folger (Senior Systems Engineer), and Glen Suarez (Business Account Manager) from FileMaker, Inc.
Please register using the link provided as space is limited. Your registration will be especially appreciated and will help us in planning for food and refreshments! Register Now!
In this meeting, we’ll get an update on the FileMaker 11 Product Line, discuss some of our current issues, and have some of our most pressing FileMaker questions answered.
Whether you are new to FileMaker or an experienced developer, you will find this meeting useful and informative. You’ll discover all the exciting features that make FileMaker Pro 11 such a valuable tool–such as FileMaker Charts, scripting, calculations, the enhanced Layout/Report Assistant, Quick Find, Inspector, Portal Filtering, Snapshot Link and more! You’ll also learn about resources that are available to help keep you up-to-date.
Don’t miss this special opportunity to talk with Miss Alexei and Mr. Glen face-to-face and meet other like-minded FileMaker users and developers.
Please note, we’ll be meeting in a new location this month:
City of Scottsdale’s Paiute Neighborhood Center
Building 9 Lecture Hall
6535 East Osborn Road
Scottsdale, Arizona 85251
The Lecture Hall is large and features tiered, stadium-style seating with hook-ups for laptops, so feel free to bring yours!
Getting the Most Out of the FileMaker Product Line
On March 16, 2010, our guests will be Alexei Folger (Senior Systems Engineer), and Glen Suarez (Business Account Manager) from FileMaker, Inc.
Please join us for an in-depth discussion about how to get the most out of the FileMaker product line.
In this meeting, we’ll get an update on FileMaker, discuss some of our current issues, and have some of our most pressing FileMaker questions answered.
Whether you are new to FileMaker or an experienced developer, you will find this meeting useful and informative. You’ll get a thorough understanding of key features to help you build better FileMaker databases. You’ll also learn what resources are available to help keep you up-to-date.
Don’t miss this special opportunity to talk with Miss Alexei and Mr. Glen face-to-face and meet other like-minded FileMaker users and developers.
Food and drinks will be provided, too!
Please note, we’ll be meeting in a new location this month:
City of Scottsdale’s Paiute Neighborhood Center
Building 9 Lecture Hall
6535 East Osborn Road
Scottsdale, Arizona 85251