WebDirect Guide

Chapter 1 | Introducing FileMaker WebDirect 6
About FileMaker WebDirect
FileMaker WebDirect combines aspects of a modern web application and a desktop application,
bringing FileMaker
Pro features to your solutions on the web. With FileMaker WebDirect, you can:
1 easily and quickly deploy a solution to anyone with a compatible web browser without using web
authoring tools or other technologies
1 access data from most modern browsers, whether from a home office or while traveling
1 import or export records and container data
1 deploy a customized web application by hiding and locking the menu bar and status toolbar
Built on advances in web technologies (HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript), FileMaker WebDirect
enables your solutions to do much of what FileMaker
Pro can do, but within the constraints of
modern web browsers.
FileMaker WebDirect works best when you are:
1 deploying FileMaker Pro solutions intended primarily for web browsers
1 extending existing solutions to include remote users outside the team or organization
For particular groups of users, you can choose to add or modify only the layouts they need. For
example, if warehouse workers only need to fulfill orders in your order management solution,
then you may only need to add invoice layouts that work well in a browser.
If you plan to extend an existing solution for web users, you should expect to make changes to
your solution for the best possible user experience. Though you may need to make some changes
to your solution using FileMaker
Pro, you won’t need to write any PHP, HTML, CSS, or JavaScript
code. See
chapter 2, “Designing a FileMaker WebDirect solution,” for more information.
A FileMaker Pro layout displayed in a web browser with FileMaker WebDirect