Database Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 21. Sharing Data with Other
Systems
Building a big database can make you feel like a slave to your computer, but the point of a
database is to let you manage information more efficiently. Nothing shows this point better
than FileMaker's ability to pull data into your database from various sources and dump it
back out again in assorted ways.
If you have data in almost any kind of program—spreadsheets full of figures, lists of names
and phone numbers, electronic orders in XML, folders full of pictures or text docu-
ments—FileMaker can import it directly into your database. If your data is already in
FileMaker, then you can export it to lists, other databases, XML, or almost any other format
imaginable. FileMaker takes a wonderfully flexible approach: It lets you handle simple im-
ports and exports with just a click or two and provides the features to tackle the most com-
plex cases as well—if you (or some hired help) are willing to do the necessary work.
If your company uses one of the vast corporate databases—Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, or
MySQL—FileMaker can integrate directly with them, bringing its powerful (and easy) deve-
loper tools to bear on their complex-yet-oh-so-speedy data. You can put your corporate SQL
data right on the FileMaker layout, perform FileMaker finds, write scripts, and even add cal-
culation fields, all without writing a single line of SQL code.
Sharing Your Data with Others
Most database systems don't live in a vacuum. Chances are your information is important to
someone else, or important to you some where else. You may want to transfer job information
to your Accounting software, or send the sales report to your associate across town. Luckily,
FileMaker provides options for getting the data out of your database in all kinds of forms.
Save/Send Records As
If your data is destined for a person (rather than some other computer program), then you
want a format that's easy to look at and to work with on almost any computer. FileMaker lets
you save your data in two ubiquitous formats, an Excel spreadsheet and a PDF document,
and the unique Snapshot Link. Choose Excel if you want to be able to work with the data
(perform analysis, combine it with other data, create graphs, and so forth). If you want the
output to look just like it looks in FileMaker, and you don't need it to be editable, then a PDF
is the perfect choice. Snapshot directly links other FileMaker users to a particular set of re-
cords in your database.
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