Review: FileMaker Pro 12

Review: FileMaker Pro 12

KEY INFO
Developer: FileMaker, Inc
www.filemaker.co.uk

REQUIREMENTS
OS: OS X v10.6 Processor
Intel-based Mac
RAM: 1GB
Display: 1024x768 resolution

FileMaker’s latest incarnation of its flagship database product, FileMaker Pro 12, is a cross-platform app supporting Mac, Windows, iPad, iPhone, and the web. And make no mistake: version 12 is a huge jump, for quite a number of reasons, most of them good.

Under the hood it’s as close to a complete UI rewrite as you can get: your existing databases will look exactly the same, but they’re being rendered using an HTML/CSS engine. Layout elements can now take advantage of rounded corners, gradients, roll-overs, and image slicing, with helpful dynamic guides to speed up the design process. 40 improved templates, plus complete redesigns of the 16 starter solution DBs, showcase these changes.

^{Containers now handle drag and drop; with files stored on the server, encrypted if needed.}

The server version has become a 64-bit app. FileMaker claims improved network performance, and the web engine has had a re-write too, making it more stable and faster. There are a few tweaks to calculations and script steps: the highlight is probably ‘Insert from URL’ which will make gathering web-based data much easier.

However, there is a price: FMPro 12 uses a new file format, .fmp12, that breaks the seamless backwards compatibility enjoyed by users of versions 7 through 11. Version 12 happily converts FileMaker .fp7 files, but you’ll need to upgrade your entire userbase â€" clients and servers. To sweeten the blow, the iPhone and iPad versions are now free, and, given the massively improved design tools, iPad clients may be one way to go.

Hector Urquhart

PROS & CONS
+ New UI tools: gradients, rollovers
+ Drag and drop, and encryption
+ Free iOS apps
- File format change

VERDICT: 5/5
“A must-have upgrade for pro users. Free iOS apps are useful for first-timers.”

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