In April 2023, Claris released the latest iteration of its FileMaker platform, known as Claris FileMaker 2023. This release marks the evolution of FileMaker from the previous Claris FileMaker 19.6 platform. FileMaker version numbering now aligns with the calendar year. In this article, we will go through some of the new features of Claris FileMaker Pro 2023.
- Internal Executable version number – As previously mentioned, the new iteration is designated as FileMaker 2023, a departure from the anticipated FileMaker 20. It’s essential to note, however, that the internal executable version number will be labeled as 20.1.x. Consequently, querying Get (ApplicationVersion) or its related variants will yield the result as seen below
- Audit Logging: A valuable addition in FileMaker 2023 is the inclusion of the OnWindowTransaction script trigger. This file-level script trigger facilitates meticulous tracking of record modifications. Configuration of this script trigger is through the File Options dialog. The feature holds significant potential for constructing data audit logs, enabling the capture of record creation, editing, and deletion actions. The script linked to this trigger activates following the completion of a transaction. This script trigger, denoted as ‘OnWindowTransaction’, is operational in both Browse and Find modes.
- Perform Script on Server with CallBack script step: This is a new script step introduced in the 2023 version. This singular script step enables us to perform a script on the server with a callback script. The callback script is executed on the client’s system upon the conclusion of the server-side script’s execution. This mechanism proves invaluable in notifying end-users upon the completion of server-side tasks. A practical example includes the execution of the ‘SendNotification’ script after the ‘PSOS’ script wraps up, as depicted in the screenshot below
- Trigger Claris Connect Flow script step: Using this new script step, we can easily initiate Claris Connect flows from the Claris FileMaker version. This script step is compatible across all FileMaker products. We can simply specify the Claris Connect webhook URL, API key and JSON Object that needs to be sent along to the webhook URL.
- ReadQRCode() – This feature is built on the existing function to capture the QR code found in the image to a specified container field. In the past it worked with MacOS only and is now extended to the Windows platform too.
- GetLiveText() – This is an existing function which returns the text found in the image in the specified container field. This function is still iOS and macOS only. But it can now run server-side if your FM server is hosted on macOS. The list of languages supported have been expanded.
- New Functions: In 2023, some new functions have been added. For eg. BaseTableNames(file) – Returns a list of all base table names in a file. BaseTableIDs(file) – Function Returns a list of all base table IDs in a file. GetBaseTableName(field) – Returns the base table name of a field reference.
In this article, we have focussed on some of the important features of FileMaker 2023.