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 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
Date Functions
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)
|
Dim d As New Date
|
FM.Get.CurrentDate
|
| Get(CurrentTime)
|
Dim d As New Date
|
FM.Get.CurrentTime
|
| Get(CurrentTimestamp)
|
Dim d As New Date
|
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)
|
Screen(0).Height
|
FM.Get.ScreenHeight
|
| Get(ScreenScaleFactor)
|
n/a
|
FM.Get.ScreenScaleFactor
|
| Get(ScreenWidth)
|
Screen(0).Width
|
FM.Get.ScreenWidth
|
| Get(SystemDrive)
|
Volume(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
Number Functions
| FileMaker
|
Xojo
|
Xojo.Fm
|
| Abs
|
Abs
|
n/a
|
| Ceiling
|
Ceil
|
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
|
Text.Codepoints
|
FM.Code
|
| Exact
|
StrComp
|
FM.Exact
|
| Filter
|
n/a
|
FM.Filter
|
| FilterValues
|
n/a
|
FM.FilterValues
|
| GetAsDate
|
ParseDate
|
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
|
InStr
|
FM.Position
|
| Proper
|
Titlecase
|
FM.Proper
|
| Quote
|
n/a
|
FM.Quote
|
| Replace
|
Replace
|
FM.Replace
|
| Right
|
Right
|
n/a
|
| RightValues
|
n/a
|
FM.RightValues
|
| RightWords
|
n/a
|
FM.RightWords
|
| Substitute
|
ReplaceAll
|
FM.Substitute
|
| Trim
|
Trim
|
|
| TrimAll
|
n/a
|
FM.TrimAll
|
| Upper
|
Uppercase
|
FM.Upper
|
| ValueCount
|
CountFields
|
FM.ValueCount
|
| WordCount
|
n/a
|
FM.WordCount
|
Text Formatting Functions
Time Functions
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:
