IT Pro Verdict

There are useful new features in this release, many concerned with improving usability and efficiency and these enhancements will definitely be appreciated by existing users. The arrival of charts is a huge bonus for FileMaker Pro users too. For business users it’s likely to prove a ‘must have’ and a major driver for adoption of version 11.

By Mark Whitehorn

Published 3 May 2010 In Reviews

We last encounted FileMaker when we reviewed

The incorporation of charting is likely to be popular with businesses as it means fewer applications to support as well as improved productivity.

There are several improvements in Layout mode which should help streamline the design process. First is the new Inspector which is a one-stop shop' for many of the common format settings for the objects on the layout. Accessed from a tiny icon on the layout menu bar (or from View, Inspector on the main menu bar) it has Position, Appearance and Data tabs which let you tweak the alignment of fields, alter fonts, colour and shading, and apply formatting to the data.

Also in Layout mode, the Manage button now has an option that lets you organise your layouts into folders and you can also edit, copy and delete layouts from the same dialogue.