Migrating from FileMaker

FileMaker is a database tool that runs on both Windows and macOS. It is often called the Mac version of Access. Much like with Access, FileMaker has its own database engine, form designer and scripting language.

Migrating

Migrating a FileMaker application is typically a three-step process where you migrate the database itself, the forms that are used to manipulate the data and the scripting code.

Database

When migrating a FileMaker application, you first need to consider the database. Although you can connect to a FileMaker database using ODBC, you will need to get the appropriate drivers. As an alternative, you can migrate your data to SQLite (a fast, cross-platform database) by first converting the FileMaker data to XML. You can also connect to a FileMaker database by using Custom Web Publishing and an API.

Forms

Your FileMaker forms are likely used to edit data in tables. You can recreate these forms as Windows (or Web Pages or iOS Views) in your Xojo application. In most cases you will use Label, TextField and TextArea to recreate form fields, but there are lots of other available controls as well. Either way, you would likely have your application connect to the database at startup and then populate the form with the first record. Next and Previous buttons can be added to fetch and display the appropriate information from the database.

Scripting code

FileMaker is programmed using a scripting language that is somewhat similar to the Xojo programming language. You will have to rewrite your code, but at the same time will find the Xojo programming language to be familiar. Here are some FileMaker commands and their Xojo equivalents:

FileMaker Command	Xojo Command
Exit Script	Return
Set Error Capture	Try...Catch
Set Variable	Var
If..End If	If...Then...Else
Loop..End Loop	Do...Loop
Go to Field	TextField.SetFocus
Field assignment	TextField.Text = value

FileMaker library (Xojo.FM)

To make it easier for developers to transition from FileMaker to Xojo, there is an open-source library on GitHub that implements many of the FileMaker functions so that you can use them by name in Xojo.

To use the library, download the library from GitHib and open the project. In the Navigator, select the FM module and copy it. Then switch to your project and paste the module to it.

Xojo.FM on GitHub

You can refer to any of the functions in the module by using the FM prefix.

FileMaker commands to Xojo commands

This section highlights FileMaker functions that have an equivalent command or function built-in to Xojo. If there is no built-in equivalent, the corresponding function in Xojo.FM is noted.

Aggregate functions

FileMaker	Xojo	Xojo.FM
Average	n/a	FM.Average
Min	n/a	FM.Min
Max	n/a	FM.Max
Sum	n/a	FM.Sum

Container functions

FileMaker	Xojo	Xojo.FM
Base64Decode	DecodeBase64	FM. Base64Decode
Base64Encode	EncodeBase64	FM. Base64Encode

Date functions

FileMaker	Xojo	Xojo.FM
Date	DateTime	FM.Date
Day	DateTime.Day	FM.Day
DayName	n/a	FM.DayName
DayOfWeek	DateTime.DayOfWeek	FM.DayOfWeek
DayOfYear	DateTime.DayOfYear	FM.DayOfYear
Month	DateTime.Month	FM.Month
MonthName	n/a	FM.MonthName
WeekOfYear	DateTime.WeekOfYear	FM.WeekOfYear
Year	DateTime.Year	FM.Year

Financial functions

FileMaker	Xojo	Xojo.FM
FV	n/a	FM.FV

Get functions

FileMaker	Xojo	Xojo.FM
Get(ApplicationVersion)	XojoVersionString	FM.Get.ApplicationVersion
Get(CurrentDate)	Var d As New DateTime	FM.Get.CurrentDate
Get(CurrentTime)	Var d As New DateTime	FM.Get.CurrentTime
Get(CurrentTimestamp)	Var d As New DateTime	FM.Get.CurrentTimeStamp
Get(DesktopPath)	SpecialFolder.Desktop	FM.Get.DesktopPath
Get(Device)	n/a	FM.Get.Device
Get(DocumentsPath)	SpecialFolder.Documents	FM.Get.DocumentsPath
Get(DocumentsPathListing)	n/a	FM.Get.DocumentsPathListing
Get(PreferencesPath)	SpecialFolder.Preferences	FM.Get.PreferencesPath
Get(ScreenHeight)	DesktopDisplay.AvailableHeight	FM.Get.ScreenHeight
Get(ScreenScaleFactor)	n/a	FM.Get.ScreenScaleFactor
Get(ScreenWidth)	DesktopDisplay.AvailableWidth	FM.Get.ScreenWidth
Get(SystemDrive)	FolderItem.DriveAt (0)	FM.Get.SystemDrive
Get(SystemPlatform)	n/a	FM.Get.SystemPlatform
Get(SystemVersion)	n/a	FM.Get.SystemVersion
Get(TemporaryPath)	SpecialFolder.Temporary	FM.Get.TemporaryPath
Get(UUID)	n/a	n/a
Get(WindowContentHeight)	Window.Bounds.Height	FM.Get.WindowContentHeight
Get(WindowContentWidth)	Window.Bounds.Width	FM.Get.WindowContentWidth
Get(WindowHeight)	Window.Height	FM.Get.WindowHeight
Get(WindowLeft)	Window.Left	FM.Get.WindowLeft
Get(WindowTop)	Window.Top	FM.Get.WindowTop
Get(WindowWidth)	Window.Width	FM.Get.WindowWidth

Logical functions

FileMaker	Xojo	Xojo.FM
Case	Select...Case	n/a
Choose	Select...Case	n/a
Evaluate	n/a	FM.Evaluate
ExecuteSQL	Database.SelectSQL, Database.ExecuteSQL	n/a
If	If...Then...Else, If	n/a

Number functions

FileMaker	Xojo	Xojo.Fm
Abs	Abs	n/a
Ceiling	Ceiling	FM.Ceiling
Exp	Exp	n/a
Floor	Floor	n/a
Int	CType (value, Integer)	FM.Int
Ln	Log	FM.Ln
Mod	Mod	n/a
Random	Rnd, Random	FM.Random
Round	Round	n/a
Sign	Sign	n/a
Sqrt	Sqrt	n/a
Truncate	n/a	FM.Truncate

Text functions

FileMaker	Xojo	Xojo.FM
Char	Chr	FM.Char
Code	String.Codepoints	FM.Code
Exact	String.Compare	FM.Exact
Filter	n/a	FM.Filter
FilterValues	n/a	FM.FilterValues
GetAsDate	DateTime.FromString	FM.GetAsDate
GetAsText	Format	FM.GetAsText
GetAsURLEncoded	EncodeURLComponent	FM.GetAsURLEncoded
GetValue	Arrays	n/a
Left	Left	FM.Left
LeftValues	n/a	FM.LeftValues
LeftWords	n/a	FM.LeftWords
Length	Len
Lower	Lowercase	FM.Lower
Middle	Mid	FM.Middle
MiddleValues	n/a	FM.MiddleValues
MiddleWords	n/a	FM.MiddleWords
PatternCount	RegEx
Position	String.IndexOf	FM.Position
Proper	String.Titlecase	FM.Proper
Quote	n/a	FM.Quote
Replace	String.Replace	FM.Replace
Right	Right	n/a
RightValues	n/a	FM.RightValues
RightWords	n/a	FM.RightWords
Substitute	String.ReplaceAll	FM.Substitute
Trim	Trim
TrimAll	n/a	FM.TrimAll
Upper	Uppercase	FM.Upper
ValueCount	String.CountFields	FM.ValueCount
WordCount	n/a	FM.WordCount

Text formatting functions

FileMaker	Xojo	Xojo.FM
RGB	Color.RGB	n/a
TextColor	TextColor property	FM.TextColor
TextFont	FontName property
TextSize	FontSize property

Time functions

FileMaker	Xojo	Xojo.FM
Hour	DateTime.Hour	n/a
Minute	DateTime.Minute	n/a
Seconds	DateTime.Second	n/a
Time	DateTime	n/a
n/a	System.Ticks	n/a
n/a	System.Microseconds	n/a

Trigonometric functions

FileMaker	Xojo	Xojo.FM
Acos	Acos	n/a
Asin	Asin	n/a
Atan	Atan	n/a
Cos	Cos	n/a
Degrees	n/a	FM.Degrees
Pi	n/a	FM.Pi
Radians	n/a	FM.Radians
Sin	Sin	n/a
Tan	Tan	n/a

Learn more

To learn more about Xojo and how you can use it to replace or supplement FileMaker, check out these topics:

• Getting Started

• Desktop App Tutorial

• Web App Tutorial

• iOS App Tutorial

• Using SQLite

• Xojo.FM: Open-source FileMaker library for Xojo

• Develop iOS Apps that Integrate with FileMaker

• Xojo Q&A for FileMaker Developers

• FileMaker with FMLuna

• FileMaker and Aloe

• Using Temper API with FileMaker