Development Guide

Chapter 5
Developing third-party FileMaker plug-ins
If you are a C or C++ programmer and familiar with calculations in FileMaker Pro and FileMaker Pro
Advanced, you can create external function plug-ins that extend the feature set of the applications. The plug-
ins can take advantage of recursion and looping or hook into other programming interfaces. Users can enable
your plug-ins in FileMaker
Pro, FileMaker Pro Advanced, and FileMaker Server and use your external
functions in their calculation fields and scripts.
You can use FileMaker Server to ensure that FileMaker Pro clients always have the most current plug-in
software installed on their computers. See FileMaker Server Guide to Updating Plug-Ins, available on
www.filemaker.com/downloads.
Note See Help for detailed, comprehensive information and step-by-step procedures about using
FileMaker
Pro Advanced.
About external functions
FileMaker Pro Advanced includes an example plug-in project that you can modify to include your own
external functions. Users can access your plug-ins through the Specify Calculation dialog box.
Follow these general steps to prepare your custom plug-ins:
1. Edit the example plug-in files to add your custom programming code.
2. Compile and test the customized plug-in.
3. Install the compiled plug-in file for your users.
To access your external functions, your users:
1. Enable your plug-in through the Preferences dialog box.
2. Configure your plug-in, if required.
3. Define or edit a calculation field.
4. In the Specify Calculation dialog box, choose Function_Name(parameter 1 ...) as the calculation formula.
To see all external functions, select External functions from the View drop-down list.
About the example plug-in
The example plug-in project is designed to illustrate what a complete plug-in looks like. You can compile
the example project files to create a plug-in with several external functions that users can access through the
Specify Calculation dialog box. You can examine and modify the source code of the example files in any
text editor.
The plug-in example includes several external functions. See “Description of the FMExample plug-in’s
external functions” on page 38.