Special Edition Using FileMaker 7

by Scott Love, Steve Lane, Bob Bowers

Learn how to build powerful databases in FileMaker Pro 7 from a FileMaker Solutions Alliance Partner and leading database firm. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0789730286
• ISBN13: 9780789730282
• Release Date: January 2004
• Publisher: Que
• Length: 1082 Pages
• Weight: 4.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 2.3" x 7.4" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

It's why we buy computer books!

Like another reviewer suggested, let's agree that no single book is ever "the only book you'll ever need". (I for one, wish authors/publishers would stop making that claim). However, if you can only buy one, this is it! As we know, FileMaker Inc just released version 8. So why buy a book on version 7? Because 8 is nearly identical to 7 with a few additional bells & whistles and minor enhancements, and because with minimal gap, this book will prepare you for either version. So whether you're still on version 7, considering upgrading or made the move to 8, I believe Special Edition Using FileMaker 7 is a solid investment. It's a daunting 1032 pages, until you start reading. Big fat computer software books tend to be heavy on theory and concepts, and light on the practical stuff you can use right off the pages. All that text makes me dizzy. Yet, this one is an easy read, almost elementary, but intelligent and in plain english. The authors are human, not engineers (no offense :). They obviously work with real people in real situations. The breadth of material and concepts they cover is made even more impressive by the clarity they bring to each and every topic. There are plenty of demo files provided on the CD, and although basic, sufficiently show off FM's power and flexibility. I had little trouble adapting some of them to my own solutions- very useful in modeling sophisticated schemas. I did have a little difficulty deciphering one or two examples, but I managed. It's more than a how-to users' guide, it also teaches you how to think strategically and build efficient solutions using best practices. It tells you what, how and why, with screenshots that help make sense of it all (you will need a magnifier for half of them, though). You won't find examples of complex full blown databases, but you will walk away with a solid foundation, advanced enough that you could build or manage a database of moderate complexity, assuming of course you keep the book as a reference. I know, because I did. Exceptional, accessible style, all substance, no doze. Very good layout, logical arrangement, each section a building block for the one that follows. This book meets very high standards, and it's error-free as far as I can tell- and I read every page. FileMaker Pro developers already know that quality FileMaker books are rare, if they exist at all. This one will not disappoint. It may be a stretch for some beginners, but I would say buy this book along with a more rudimentary introduction to FileMaker. For you advanced developers, surely you could glean many useful nuggets from the section on Developer Techniques. Admittedly, that section has less depth than some other subjects in the book, but along with the last two sections, still worth the price if that's all you read. It deals with Developing for Multiple Users, Sessions, Concurrency, Audit Trails, Launching Files, and Team Development. The last two sections cover Data Integration

Excellent -- though perhaps not the ONLY FM book you'll need

Like other books in the "Special Edition Using" series, the cover of this book claims it is the "only Filemaker book you'll ever need." Well, that's just some very clever marketing, and probably not correct for most users. But this IS a fantastic 2nd book to use and keep as a reference once you are familiar with the basics of Filemaker. Folks just starting out with the program may not appreciate the absence of true, from the ground up, tutorials walking you through every aspect of the program. For that kind of approach, I whole-heartedly recommend the FM Pro 7 Bible by Schwartz and Cohen. The Bible was the book I started with back when the software was at version 4, and I actually bought a new copy covering version 7 when I came back to the software after shelving it for a few years. The Bible provides an excellent foundation for the basics+. And then this book steps in with excellent coverage of more advanced concepts. Perhaps the most useful sections come in chapters 5-7, in which the authors write the best explanation of entity-relationship theory I've ever read. Best of all, it's all in the context of designing databases with FMP 7 -- you actually learn how to use the software to design complex, multi-table databases in a way that makes the material stick. Read these chapters once for the concepts -- then again sitting before your computer as you put FMP 7 through it's paces. You WILL learn this stuff -- and it WILL stick. Also helpful was coverage re. the several ways to get your database on the web, which, in version 7, is quite different from your options in earlier versions. These sections are an excellent update to the authors' fine work on Advanced FileMaker Pro 6 Web Development from Wordware Press (which, by the way, is an excellent read and is still relevant, if a little dated). I'm using all I've learned to develop a complex trial notebook db program for my law firm, and this book, and the Bible, together convince me that I can in fact do it all on my own!

Summary...

There are several excellent reviews posted already so I will keep mine short: If you want to know how to use FMP 7, buy the "FMP bible" or "Learn FMP in 24 hours" type of books, or just use the user manual comes with your FMP. It will be much more informative and enjoyable. However, if you want to discover the true power of FMP7 and to learn the concepts and creative ideas of designing a efficient and powerful FMP DB, this book is definitely a "must have". I will give it a 6-star rating if I could.

The BEST Filemaker 7 Book

I sat in Barnes & Noble and compared "the Bible", this book and three others. This one by far had the best examples that really illustrate how intricate features work, and usually more than just one example. I am very experienced with Filemaker and find this book to be an excellent reference. It does have the first couple of chapters for newbies, which I skipped. Only downside is that it is heavy.