[D6] FileMaker

CVS Application (with a number of comments): http://drupal.org/node/990214

I have been a FileMaker developer for years and I spend a lot of time building web applications to interact with FileMaker databases. I found myself rewriting the code to view, search, update, delete, and insert FileMaker data over and over. In order to make my life easier, I wanted a reusable application that could quickly generate maintainable FileMaker web applications and decided to build it as a Drupal module. I have a lot of uses for this module myself and am also excited about the possibility of contributing it to the community, as it will be my first contributed module.

There is non-trivial interest in FileMaker integration in the Drupal community, which I first noticed at Drupalcon DC, when I saw a well attended FileMaker BOF meeting. Further research revealed that there is a group (http://groups.drupal.org/filemaker) and two modules, but neither module is far along and this module uses a different strategy. More on those two modules in a moment.

My module allows for development of sophisticated FileMaker web applications through an easy to use interface and, in many instances, would allow people to use Drupal instead of a FileMaker client to interact with a FileMaker server.

The module defines a FileMaker node type. A FileMaker node is related to a FileMaker connection (created in admin/settings/filemaker) and interacts with a FileMaker database. Each FileMaker node is based on a FileMaker 'layout', which is the FileMaker interface to a subset of the database. The FileMaker data accessible through this node can be searched and viewed, and records can be edited or added. In addition, this module incorporates one of FileMaker's most powerful features: portals. Portals sit on a FileMaker layout and display tables of related data. The module allows any or all portals on the related FileMaker layout to be included on a FileMaker node.

Please view the demo video at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnA09HjeNWU&feature=player_embedded

About the two modules that currently exist:

One module doesn't have a project page (http://drupal.org/node/807010) and was never finished but is used somewhat. It imports FileMaker data into Drupal so it can be viewed using Views. And that is it. Useful for displaying FileMaker data on the web, but can't interact with live FileMaker data. I have been in touch with the developer of this module and learned that it is unlikely that he will address the concerns which prevented him from getting CVS access, although he expressed interest in working with me on this module.

The FileMaker module with a project page (http://drupal.org/project/filemakerform), filemakerform writes to FileMaker, using the webforms module, which is cool. But there is no way to view or interact with data in FileMaker. There is no select or update functionality, only insert. I would have joined with this project instead of writing a new module, but the architecture used is not compatible with the features I want. The webforms module (which filemakerform sits on top of) is great for moving data one way, out of Drupal and into FileMaker, but can't be used to build FileMaker applications in any other ways.