Claris FileMaker 19 is a significant upgrade to an already great platform custom app platform. While it is a given that one would immediately use the Claris FileMaker 19 platform for developing a new custom App if starting from scratch today, there may be some work to be done if you are planning on upgrading from an older version of the FileMaker platform.

Here is our quick guide of technical considerations to watch out for when updating from previous versions. If you think any of the issues noted are a concern then you are welcome to contact our consulting team for assistance.

Upgrading from FileMaker v12-v18 (.fmp12 format)

Since FileMaker versions 12-18 share the same file format as version 19 there is no need to convert the file. This usually means the file should simply open in the newer version of the application and there are less likely to be significant conversion issues with upgrading.

With FileMaker 16 onwards, in order to produce a more modern ‘app-like’ experience on the desktop, the footer bar which includes the ability to zoom in and out, change working view mode and show/hide the upper status bar has been removed. If your users are making use of these features then they will need to adapt to using the upper status and application menus (for changing mode/status bar) or you may find that you will need to program in zoom control into your interface layouts.

Mixing client versions has always been possible to an extent (i.e. if you have legacy machines which are not able to be upgraded to the minimum hardware or OS requirements to run FileMaker 19, then you can still connect to FileMaker Server 19 using FileMaker 18) - this is more restrictive than in previous versions as there was general compatibility back two version and forward two version for FileMaker 18 and earlier. This tightening of support is in line with Claris’ commitment to releasing new updates more frequently and so it isn’t generally advisable to mix client versions and also it means that you cannot take full advantage of the full FileMaker 19 feature set.

For optimal security and performance both server and all users should be on the most recent software version and patch. To prevent users from accidentally accessing an upgraded server/solution with an older version of the client software, you can set the minimum version allowed to access the file under File > File Options > Open tab.

It is worth checking which features are now deprecated in Claris FileMaker 19 and reviewing if they impact your usage:

https://support.claris.com/s/article/Deprecated-and-removed-features-in-FileMaker-19?language=en_US

Upgrading from FileMaker v6 or earlier (.fp5 format)

It is testament to the longevity of the platform that we still occasionally encounter clients which legacy systems which are running on very old versions of FileMaker. There are potentially lots of issues with converting files that are more than 11 years old, but here are some of the most common issues that need resolving:

• The most basic consideration if you have a database file of this vintage is that it isn’t possible to directly convert from v6 or earlier using FileMaker 19. You will need to use an intermediate FileMaker version (v7-11) to convert the file to the .fp7 format which 19 can then in turn convert to the .fmp12 format. FileMaker has a detailed guide on the issues and version compatibility here:

http://help.filemaker.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/10571/~/converting-older-filemaker-pro-files-to-the-.fmp12-file-format

• Back in the FileMaker v6 days, you could only specify a password and not a login name – in converting it sets the login name to be the same as the password which obviously isn’t very secure so this will need to be changed quickly post upgrade. FileMaker 18 login names are case insensitive, but the passwords are not so it can be easy to get caught out by this. In many cases it is simplest to remove all passwords under the original version, convert and set-up the security again from scratch.
• Typically, since having multiple tables in a single database file wasn’t possible back in v6 and earlier, you may find you have lots of files to convert and re-set-up the login/password security across multiple files. If this is the case and you have complex security group arrangements then it is often more appropriate to set-up FileMaker Server to use Active Directory, Open Directory or the newer OAuth external authentication.
• Finally, external file references between files could not be directly accessed in the application in FileMaker v6 and earlier, but are exposed from FileMaker v7 onwards (File > Manage > External Data Sources in FileMaker v18). On occasions when the linked files had been re-linked, or moved between multiple machines this could result in multiple ‘paths’ being recorded to the appropriate related file. These often need clean-up post conversion so that they are set to the correct relative server location. If there are lots of incorrect/’hanging’ references to old paths then this can cause FileMaker to ‘pause’ while it times out looking for the dead link. This can significantly increase the time to open the files and lead to the perception that the Application is being unresponsive.

All considered there are so many interface, calculation, scripting, and integration features that have been added to FIleMaker over the last 11 years, that we would strongly recommend re-writing a solution from scratch to benefit from all of the new technology that is available. Conversion is only a really means to an end to get your data into a format which can be readily worked on with the modern FileMaker 19 platform. By analogy why would you replace your landline telephone or ‘dum’ mobile phone of a pre-2010 vintage with a like for like device in 2020 instead of getting a current generation smart phone? The same principle applies to FileMaker.

General upgrade considerations

In all of the above cases, we are assuming that you have a relatively ‘vanilla’ FileMaker solution without any complex dependencies such as integrations with 3rd party software using legacy integration technology or plugins.

FileMaker plugins will generally need updating to ensure compatibility with FileMaker 19 and in many cases this will be a paid for update. The syntax and functionality of plugins can change between versions, or certain features are deprecated if the core application offers overlapping functionality or similar functionality – this may mean that you will need to re-write elements of your solution scripting to use the new native FileMaker 19 technology or may need to migrate to a different plugin if the old one is no longer being actively developed.

We strongly recommend that clients think seriously about how fit for purpose a legacy solution is before deciding that a simple ‘technocratic’ upgrade is an appropriate approach. Most successful businesses change their processes and focus significantly over time as well as the ecosystem of technologies that they adopt to support their workflow. In many cases, if the client has a legacy FileMaker solution that has not been updated for several years then it is usually more efficient and cost effective to consider developing a new solution from scratch which exactly fits an organisation’s modern requirements if the older system is no longer a ‘good fit’.

The most obvious example of ‘fit’ is that older FileMaker systems were generally not developed with a ‘cloud-first’ or mobile mindset. For the last 3 versions of FileMaker, Claris has put a great deal of effort and resources to ensuring how well the modern platform can be used on the cloud. Equally, with the advent of JSON/REST support within FileMaker 18 onwards and the release of Claris Connect this year there are completely new opportunities to automate repetitive work by integration with 3rd party cloud solutions.