Using JavaScript in Claris FileMaker®
In Claris Filemaker Pro, we now have better options than we had in the past for running our JavaScript code. JavaScript adds rich functionality to your solutions. FileMaker is a great platform that really can do anything because it can work with a wide variety of technologies that make advanced integrations much easier and cheaper than traditional software platforms.
Here we are providing a demo file that you can download for free and inspect. We have included some JavaScript to show you a couple of the possibilities and how easy they are to implement directly into your solutions.
The file contains very basic JavaScripts as a sample including the following:
- A JavaScript date picker
- A color picker
- A countdown timer
The date picker is a simple JavaScript datepicker that can be styled anyway you can imagine. The color picker will allow your users to select a color. A color code is returned and can be used to change the color of certain elements on your layouts. For example, we use color pickers sometimes to let the user customize the colors in their charts. Since we use C3JS charts, we are able to update the colors instantly after a selection is made. Finally, a simple countdown timer. You can set it to count down from any number you wish. It displays the countdown on screen in the webviewer.
Since there are thousands of free JavaScript libraries available for almost anything that is commonly used, a developer can quickly add a lot of value to their solution without a lot of work. It just takes a little know-how.
