# Can Apache talk to FileMaker



## dbrogan (Oct 19, 2001)

Now that FileMaker runs natively under OS X, I'm wondering if there is any way for the Apache web server to talk to a FileMaker database running on the same machine? I'm open to AppleScript, Perl, or other language solutions.

-Dan


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## jackshedd (Oct 20, 2001)

In theory, any language which has ODBC capabilities can talk to a FileMaker Pro database. I haven't played with OS X's ODBC abilities, however, I know they are out there. All you need is FileMaker's ODBC driver. AppleScript, of course, can always talk to FileMaker using it's outstanding data detectors, and some heavy scripting.


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## jimr (Oct 20, 2001)

blueworldsoftware

something like that.

They had been working on an OSX solution and just saw some mention of something out on Versiontracker.

I thought the new Filemaker already was doing something like that on OSX without an NT being involved.


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## jackshedd (Oct 20, 2001)

I actually decided to bust out my 5.5 documentation, and read up on ODBC and OS X. In OS 9 and below, FileMaker Pro installs an ODBC control panel, for use with the application. This, however, is not so under OS X. My guess would be that you're only choice to get ODBC and FileMaker under Apache would be to use PHP...however, I find no direct documentation on how to get this working, nor have I tried it myself. DataDirect promised an OS X native version of ODBC 3.7 for Mac OS X towards the end of May, and I have yet to see an update for it. Your only choice then becomes AppleScript, and some neat shell scripting to get AppleScript to talk to Perl, and then dump out your data, this however, is limited. I suppose you could first get your record count, return that to Perl for a loop counter, and then read in all your data into arrays, and pump them out. Seems like alot of work to me. Let me know if you find any solution!


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## Andrew Hill (Oct 28, 2001)

OpenLink already has ODBC drivers native to Mac OS X, as well as the Driver Manager and all the other bits you will need.  They can be downloaded for free at www.openlinksw.com

To use ODBC from Apache, e.g. via PHP or Perl, you will need to link the languages against the Driver Manager.  We ship the iODBC Driver Manager, and you can link it with PHP (using --with-iodbc) or the Perl DBDBI.  This makes the language ODBC-aware; you will still need to add the drivers separately.

Regarding FileMaker, or any other Application that worked with ODBC under Mac OS 9 but has been ported to Mac OS X - the application has to be linked with the Driver Manager under OS X.    

We have provided iODBC as an Open Source component - available at www.iodbc.org. 

If anyone needs assistance in linking against it just let me know!


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## colsen (Oct 31, 2001)

There is a jdbc driver for filemaker which can be used with tomkat which is a jsp extension for Apache. I think the driver can be downloaded from the filemaker site but it is also available on the filemaker developer CD.

Lasso is another middleware product that can talk to filemaker. Last time I checked http://www.blueworld.com had a lasso light out that could be used under OS X. Not sure when they will release the full version and have not tried the light version.

We do a lot of sites using Filemaker and lasso hosted under Windows and Mac OS.


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## moav (Apr 14, 2003)

Can someone explain why one would need filemaker developer. We are trying to create a solution that would be able to manage and set up auctions on ebay, yahoo, etc... with our current database that is in excel and access. We have around 20,000 items that we would like to create an in house solution to do everything from managing inventory, compiling ads, uploading to auctions sites, checkout, cc processing, inventory control, as well as link to our existing web sites to restock inventory change photos and prices as well as exchange data between our warehouse and shipping departments.  Could we create such a soulution with FM 6 developer. We have an individual that could create an inhouse  program within about 2 months to do everything we need but we only have him on loan for 6 months and would like a commercial product when down the road we need to upgrade or expand on our systema we won't have to dish out 200k to rehire this individual. If anyone has any other ideas we are all ears.


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## colsen (Apr 15, 2003)

Filemaker has a product that comes with Filemaker unlimited called web data connector. This product allows you to write CDML pages which are parsed by filemaker and delivered by apache.

For more information on CDML there is a reference available on the filemaker site for download.

All filemaker clients are capable of acting as a web server for CDML pages but only Filemaker unlimited comes with the data connector to allow you to connect to Apache and IIS.


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## Rhino_G3 (Apr 15, 2003)

Macromedia also now has a java implementation of ColdFusion.  

You can download a trial off their site


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## bluehz (Apr 16, 2003)

colsen - can you point to any docs on the subject of the Filemaker "web data connector"? I have the unlimited Filemaker 6.x installed - but I don't seem to have any thing like that. Maybe I need to reinstall.

Just wondering how it works though...

- thx


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