Despite earning a degree in front-end development, I was unfamiliar with Claris FileMaker. I’ve worked with frameworks and other software that made custom code and UI seamless, but nothing quite like what Claris FileMaker has to offer. And in case you’re wondering – it’s a lot!

At first glance, the platform appeared to be a convenient software for companies. From my perspective, it offers a detailed visual of managing data structures while giving you a robust front end to work with. In my past projects, front end and back end development were separate processes, often requiring a broad skill set to manage both effectively. 

Knowing that Claris FileMaker can greatly diminish this roadblock, I was eager to know more about Claris FileMaker’s capabilities and dive into the learning process.

For the first few months learning Claris FileMaker, I watched many training videos to understand the basics. My prior experience with SQL gave me a head start into grasping the basic logic of tables and table occurrences. However, there are still many complex principles beneath the surface that I am still learning to master. With this said, I do think Claris FileMaker makes managing data easier to understand from a visual learner’s perspective.

Alongside learning about Claris FileMaker’s database structure, I also learned how to navigate the preview, browse, and layout modes. These were much easier to learn as the navigation for these were (in my opinion) straightforward for the most part. 

I wish Claris FileMaker’s layout mode offered more customization features for design elements. I think it’s great for creating clean, visually appealing layouts. However, if you wanted to make more abstract or animated content in your file, your options are quite limited.

As a developer, scripting is the biggest part of my role. In Claris FileMaker, scripting can be both approachable and challenging at the same time. Its procedural nature makes it easier to follow, but still has many complex functionalities that I have yet to navigate on my own.

One of my favorite aspects of scripting in Claris FileMaker is working with JSON. It provides an efficient way to store and transfer data. While I’m still exploring its full potential, I’ve already discovered many use cases and am eager to learn more about implementing it effectively.

As much as I appreciate Claris FileMaker’s streamlined approach to coding, I do miss the creative flexibility that JavaScript has to offer. While Claris FileMaker has options for adding third-party libraries including Javascript itself, JavaScript is more expansive with how it can manipulate front-end elements and back-end functionality. For this reason, I can understand how Claris FileMaker can feel like putting your UI and UX capabilities into a box for some.

From my limited experience with Claris Connect, I find it to be a neat tool. It offers a solid selection of compatible software and does a great job at automating workflows. While I have yet to explore all its capabilities, I can already see how businesses could benefit from its ability to streamline operations.

This is also why I like the concept of Claris Studio – it’s a great way to add functionality to Claris FileMaker. However, beyond using it to transfer data from Studio to Claris FileMaker, I have personally yet to explore its full range of use cases.

I think Claris FileMaker is a great software that can both manage your database and offer a well structured front end for everyday business operations. It didn’t take me long to learn the basics and navigate my way through the software itself. Because of this, I’d say it is easy to learn for those who don’t have a strong programming background but are interested in diving into the development process. 

While I am still in the learning phase, I can confidently say that Claris FileMaker has the potential to make a significant impact on any business. If you want to learn more about what Claris FileMaker has to offer for you or your business, I strongly recommend exploring some of our other blogs to learn more!

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