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, FileMaker Server, and FileMaker Server
Advanced 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/documentation.
To see an example plug-in project, visit www.filemaker.com/support/technologies.
Making plug-ins accessible to users
Database users access your plug-ins by using external functions in the Specify Calculation dialog box.
Follow these general steps to prepare your custom plug-ins:
1. Create a plug-in file containing your custom programming code.
2. Compile and test the customized plug-in.
3. Install the compiled plug-in file for your users.
External function plug-in files must be installed in the appropriate folder and enabled in FileMaker Pro,
FileMaker
Pro Advanced, or FileMaker Server before they can be used.
To access your external functions, instruct your users to:
1. Enable your plug-in in the Preferences dialog box in FileMaker Pro.
2. Configure your plug-in, if required.
3. Define or edit a calculation field to access external functions.
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 list.