Custom Web Publishing Guide

Introducing Custom Web Publishing 11
1 Control and filtering of published data: By using XSLT stylesheets, you can control and filter the data
and the type of database information you want to publish, which prevents unauthorized use of the database.
You can also hide metadata, such as database and field names.
1 Based on open standards: You have more access to tools, resources and skilled personnel for Custom Web
Publishing solutions. If you know standard XML or XSLT, then you can immediately start developing
solutions after learning a few unique details about Custom Web Publishing with XML, such as the URL
syntax and query parameters to use.
1 Assisted migration from CDML solutions: The FileMaker CDML Converter tool helps you convert
CDML format files to XSLT stylesheets and is useful in your process of learning XSLT. CDML format files
and XSLT stylesheets are similar and the differences are easily understandable. XSLT stylesheets can be
more complex and powerful than CDML format files.
About Custom Web Publishing with XML
Custom Web Publishing with XML provides the ability to query for data in FileMaker databases, and to easily
use the data in whatever way you want to. By using an HTTP request with the appropriate query commands
and parameters, you can retrieve FileMaker data as an XML document. You can then use the XML data in
other applications, or apply an XSLT stylesheet to the XML data. See
chapter 3, “Accessing XML data with
the Web Publishing Engine.”
About Custom Web Publishing with XSLT
Custom Web Publishing with XSLT provides the ability to transform, filter, or format XML data for use in a
web browser or in other applications. You can use an XSLT stylesheet to transform the data between a
FileMaker XML grammar and another XML grammar for use in another application or database. You can filter
the data by controlling which database fields are published by the stylesheet. You can format how the data is
presented in a web page, and control how the user interacts with the data. See
chapter 4, “Introduction to
Custom Web Publishing with XSLT.”
The Web Publishing Engine uses your stylesheets to dynamically obtain data from a FileMaker database
whenever a web user sends an HTTP request and a URL that references one of your XSLT stylesheets. The
Web Publishing Engine uses a stylesheet to transform and format the XML data, and generates the resulting
HTML page that the web user can work with.
For additional information about using FileMaker Server Custom Web Publishing with XML and XSLT, visit
www.filemaker.com.
About the tools for developing XSLT stylesheets
FileMaker Server Advanced includes two tools for developing XSLT stylesheets:
1 The FileMaker Site Assistant is an application you can use to create basic XSLT stylesheets as a starting
point for Custom Web Publishing with XSLT. The Site Assistant is a good way to learn how FileMaker
XSLT stylesheets are constructed. You can then use your own XSLT stylesheet authoring tools to modify
the stylesheets as necessary. See
“Using the FileMaker Site Assistant to generate FileMaker XSLT
stylesheets” on page 40.
1 The FileMaker CDML Converter is an application that converts existing CDML format files to XSLT
stylesheets that are compatible with Custom Web Publishing with XSLT. It is a useful tool for beginning
the process of CDML website migration and learning how FileMaker XSLT stylesheets are constructed. See
“Using the FileMaker CDML Converter” on page 42.