FileMaker Pro 7 Bible [With CD-ROM]

Easy to read, well organized, from dummies to experts.

I found the documentation that was included with FIleMaker Pro 7 inadequate. Without this book I could not have organized my data properly and efficiently. The FileMaker Pro 7 Bible is mandatory and invauluable to all levels of FileMaker users.

I have used this book to learn enough for advanced programmong of a complex Filemaker database. Reading it from front to back and highlighting what I need to know/do is extremeley easy, enjoyable and clear. I love this book. Simple, well-written and complete.

I've been waiting for this one! FileMaker Pro 7 has added many very useful features to this venerable database product and I've been anxious to figure out how best to use them; the FileMaker Pro 7 Bible nicely fills the bill. All of the basics are covered, of course, but what I find most valuable are the more advanced capabilities of FileMaker: scripts, web publishing, relationships between tables (the relationship graph), access to XML and ODBC, and much more. Of particular personal interest is the ability to do things like send an email in response to a change in the database (which I've wanted to do in my bug database). Whenever I'm tweaking my various FileMaker databases this book will certainly be open on my desk-it's a wonderful reference!

I've been using FileMaker Pro since version 2, when it was a Claris product. I contributed shareware databases to the FileMaker Pro 4 Bible CD-ROM years ago, but have no commercial interest in this volume or any other book in the series. Now that I'm finally upgrading to FileMaker Pro 7 I turned to the latest edition of Steven Schwartz's book to get up to speed, and I wasn't disappointed. Like the 1998 edition (for FileMaker Pro 4), this "Bible" is thorough and touches upon every aspect of the program in a clear, organized manner. I read the entire volume, and now feel that I have a solid grasp of everything that's changed thanks to helpful pointers and highlights of what's new. You won't find advanced techniques for experienced developers in this text, because they're not the intended audience. However, that does not detract from the book's rating because Schwartz and Cohen make it clear whom they're addressing, and keep things straightforward throughout. The included CD-ROM contains some fairly specialized content that's already kept me busy for hours. The book's glossary and appendices, including a complete function reference that I use all the time, round out this hefty volume. Kudos to the authors for covering all the bases with this comprehensive format.