FileMaker has add-ons that can be shared with the wider developer community. Here is one of ours.
(Yes, this post is for the nerds.)
“Notes Anywhere” is an add-on component. That means you can drag-and-drop it onto any layout. We are huge fans of modular design, so this new FileMaker feature is right up our alley.
How it works.
FileMaker creates a default field called PrimaryKey and populates it with a UUID (a unique identifier for all you non-nerds). We created a script that takes that UUID and slaps it into the ForeignKey of any new note you create. The result? A context independent note-taking tool!
Can you still use portals?
Absolutely! The “standard” way of creating notes is to make them “child” tables that you edit via portals on the “parent” layout. You can keep doing that, but you don’t have to! You can have one Notes table, hanging off to the side in your table schema, creating notes for Contacts, Inventory, Accounts, Invoices, or whatever else you need it to. The key is: flexibility.
Why this matters.
A lot of organizations need hierarchical databases that allow for “lateral” searches for robust auditing purposes, like if a school administrator started with a student and ended up with every club three of that student’s teachers had sponsored over the last two years. Step 1 is getting all those different types of notes together in the same table. That is what this add-on does. As for Step 2, well…we can’t give everything away for free. 😉
FileMaker is not right for every situation, but it is perfect for unique use-cases (see The Pros and Cons of FileMaker). Reach out and let us help you figure out the right solution for you.
