Re: Alternatives for FM for my needs?!

On May 3, 8:56 am, m...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
Hello,

I have tried Google searches but very little is coming up.
If anyone can help... Great, and thanks!

Here's my set up:
1. Bunch of websites with different webforms collecting data sending
it into mysql on server. (Typical data might be a staff registration
form - name, dob, address, experience etc.)
2. I previously bought Navicat as a front end to the mysql (but
haven't started to use or even know what its full features are)
3. I had the free trial of FM
- Created the database structure and imported a copy of the
database (after exporting the csv from navicat)
- This looked pretty nice, easy to search through staff, easy to
read their experience in a larger text area box. So I liked it.

Problems, the changes I made to the FM database of course didn't
affect the mysql on the server so I would then have to export it back
to the server after making the changes. Although I could do other
things - there doesn't seem to be an easy way to have my cake and eat
it with this set up.

I would love something that can edit whats on the server (mysql) oor
something that can make the changes locally and then click a button to
export to server (but then if i have new people registering in the
meanwhile, when I export back to the server, these new entries online
might be wiped over, because the local file I'm now exporting to the
server doesn't reflect these.

So my question is:
1. Does anyone have a similar set up and know of a solution?

2. Does anyone use both Navicat and FM? Know of any tools in either
that can make my job easier?

The real question is why are you using two databases?

FM supports, via "Instant Web Publishing" a very slick 'cheap and
dirty' way to get layouts published to the web, literally instantly,
but outside of toy websites for 5 people to look at you'll need
servers. Play around with instant web publishing in the free trial, if
you can.

But to deploy it on a larger scale you WILL need servers. And that
will cost considerably more. However, if it does what you need, it
still might be worth it. Its one of the simplest ways to get basic
webforms and databases published onto the internet. The cost of the
software may cover itself in time saved.

Filemaker can also serve as the backend to aribrary websites outside
of IWP via xml queries, and odbc, but those also require servers, and
would only be advisable if you actually needed arbitrary websites to
connect to filemaker. Filemaker doesn't provide any real benefit over
MySQL as a pure odbc website backend, and in fact would be a terrible
choice unless there was an -additional- reason to use filemaker.

But if you prefer or are constrained to use MySQL as the database for
the websites, then really there is no real reason to use FM too.

3. I'm a small business and $300 is a bit pricy for something that
only does half the job I need it to. Do you know of any other software
that could help accomplish this or more?

If the results of Instant Web Publishing (IWP) meet your needs then:
FM Pro 8.5 (or better still FM Advanced 8.5)
plus FM Server 8.5 Advanced.

Otherwise, if you are on a tight budget, and MySQL is *already*
processing all the forms, sticking with MySQL is probably the right
thing to do, and I suggest a mysql centric solution.

-cheers,
Dave

.

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