I have not looked at FileMaker for a few years, but renewed my interest when the company came out with FileMaker Go, a runtime client for Apple iOS. Security is fine-grained, and you can even specify permissions for an individual record. FileMaker has its own built-in security system, though FileMaker server can also authenticate against an external directory.

The desktop product supports up to 5 concurrent users, and FileMaker Server up to 250 users. The number of users supported by FileMaker is limited. External databases are accessible through ODBC on both Windows and Mac. As well as manipulating the data, you can set and retrieve local and global variables, perform loops and display custom dialogs it is not as limited as it may seem at first.Ī FileMaker database can be huge, with 8 terabytes specified as the theoretical limit. FileMaker has a drag-and-drop script editor and support for AppleScript on the Mac.Īlthough the script editor is frustrating for someone used to writing code, it does work. In comparison to Microsoft Access, FileMaker wins on usability and scalability, but Access has a more traditional approach based on SQL and programming with Visual Basic for Applications. FileMaker has evolved relatively slowly, with more focus on usability than on features. It is a capable produce that has been around for over 20 years and is the dominant Mac-based database manager, though there is also a Windows version. FileMaker Pro is a database manager from FileMaker Inc, a wholly owned subsidiary of Apple.

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