Web Access to your FileMaker Data
We’ve been bringing FileMaker data to the web since FileMaker Pro v3. We can help provide access to your FileMaker data using a number of Web Publishing technologies:
PHP Web Publishing – Using the PHP Web Publishing feature of FileMaker Server, you can give your team, your clients, or anyone you choose – anytime, anywhere access to selected FileMaker data.
Your users can do all this and much more via a web browser on a remote laptop, desktop computer or smartphone/tablet:
- View and edit records
- Add new information
- Search and sort data
- See changes reflected in the hosted-database automatically – no syncing required!
Web pages are developed using the PHP web development language giving you complete control over the user interface and how the user interacts with the data.
FileMaker WebDirect – FileMaker WebDirect, available in FileMaker Server 13 and later, is innovative web technology that instantly runs FileMaker solutions directly in a web browser – no programming required. Combine the power of a desktop application with the simplicity of a web browser to manage and share your business information.
New FileMaker WebDirect in FileMaker Server 16 lets you share data with more team members via a web browser – up to 500 users at the same time. Plus, save and print PDFs of invoices, labels, badges, and more.
FileMaker WebDirect provides your extended users with desktop-style interaction with your FileMaker solution through a web browser.
Web users don’t need to install additional software – anyone with compatible web browser software and access to the Internet or an intranet can connect to your FileMaker WebDirect solution to view, edit, sort, or search records.
How it works
- FileMaker WebDirect runs in a web browser and uses these standard web technologies:
- HTML5 to define the structure of the page
- CSS3 to control the appearance of the page
- JavaScript to enable interactions (clicking buttons, switching tabs)
- HTTP/HTTPS as the request-and-response protocol to communicate between the web browser and the web server
- Supported browsers include Safari, Chrome and Internet Explorer.
Custom Web Publishing with XML – Extensible Markup Language (XML) is the standard language for structured data interchange. Many organizations use XML to transfer product information, transactions, inventory data, and other business data. FileMaker Custom Web Publishing with XML allows you to exchange FileMaker data with other websites and applications. With XML you can leverage the structure of FileMaker Pro to access layouts, portals, and scripts. In addition, you can access all the data that exists on a particular layout, regardless of what table it is in.
We have helped a number of businesses provide access to their FileMaker to external suppliers/partners using FileMaker Custom Web Publishing with XML. Here’s some examples:
- a customer wanted enquiries entered via their website to be automatically populated in their FileMaker database. Using FileMaker Custom Web Publishing with XML we were able to provide limited access to their website developers to push their website enquiries directly to their FileMaker Server hosted database
- a customer required that their database of over 27,000 randomised trials, systematic reviews and clinical practice guidelines be included in an industry specific web search engine. Using FileMaker Custom Web Publishing with XML we were able to allow the search engine to query the FileMaker database and include search results with direct links to their website that was built using Custom Web Publishing with PHP