Technical Brief

FileMaker Go 1.2.1 Technical Brief
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TheFileMakerGoclientshouldhonorallofasolution’sexistingsecuritysettings.Thismeansanyoneauthorized
to access a database via FileMaker Pro is similarly authorized to access that same database, with all the same
privileges, in FileMaker Go.
Scripts
Scripts are available to run in FileMaker Go just as they are in FileMaker Pro. As with Web Publishing, some script
stepsarenotsupportedandsomediscussiononscriptingiswarranted;pleaserefertothe“What’sOut”and
“ScriptingforaMobileWorld”sectionsbelow.TheabilitytoeditscriptsisnotavailableinFileMakerGo,noris
there a Script Debugger.
One behavioral change is worth noting from the start. When a script is running in FileMaker Go and is set to allow
user abort, any tap on the screen will bring up an abort dialog. In FileMaker Pro the only way a user can abort a
script is by pressing the escape key or Command + period (Mac). Given that tapping the screen is a fairly common
practice for users—especially if they may not realize a script has not finished running—developers may want to
disallow user aborts (by using the Allow User Abort [Off] script step) more frequently.
Another important reality of working in a mobile world is that scripts can be aborted at any time, regardless of the
Allow User Abort settings and ordinary operations of FileMaker. When a user either switches to the Home screen
(by pressing the Home button) or receives an incoming phone call on the iPhone (which closes FileMaker Go), all
scripts running will be halted without warning.
A third way scripts may not run as expected is when FileMaker Go encounters an unsupported script step. There
are two ways in which FileMaker Go handles this. Some script steps are fairly benign and are simply skipped or
ignored and the script will run to its conclusion. If you use Get(LastError)=3 you can check for these cases.
For script steps that could potentially harm your database (Export Records, for example), FileMaker Go will present
an alert to the user and, if Allow Abort is set to On, the user can choose to continue the script or halt its execution.
If Allow Abort is set to Off, FileMaker Go will continue the script after ignoring the problematic script step. It is
important that developers test their databases and review their Database Design Reports for script steps that will
not run on FileMaker Go.
There is more discussion later in this technical brief on how to approach scripting for FileMaker Go.
Somebehavioraldifferencestonoteforscriptsinclude(excerptedfromtheDeveloper’sGuide):
• Send Mail does not support Perform without dialog. The email displays on the device, and you can send it
manually. This does not apply to mail sent through SMTP.
• AscriptusingReplace Field Contents cannot prompt users in FileMaker Go to specify the field and data to be
replaced. A Replace Field Contents script step with Perform without dialog deselected will not be performed.
• TheSelect All and Set Selection script steps do not highlight text if the keyboard is hidden on the device.
• TheOpen URL script step using a Google maps URL will open a browser, and then choosing Open in Safari
will open the Maps application.
• Ifascriptcontainsahidewindowcommand,FileMakerGodoesnothidethewindowbutchangestheorderof
the open windows that are displayed.
• WhenyouhibernateFileMakerGo,anycurrentlyperformingscriptsareaborted.IfAllow User Abort is On, you
can return to the previous state when you resume FileMaker Go. If Allow User Abort is Off, FileMaker Go will
close instead of hibernating.