FileMaker Pro 11 makes charts and reports easier

FileMaker Pro 11 makes it easier for users to visualise data

FileMaker has introduced the latest release of its namesake database tool, adding new features to help users generate reports and charts from their data. The software also includes a new Starter Solution to help businesses get up and running with an invoice system.

Available immediately, FileMaker Pro 11 includes a number of enhancements, chiefly in data visualisation and reporting, according to Ryan Rosenberg, vice president of marketing and services at FileMaker.

"It's kind of back to basics with this version because reporting, sharing and finding information are the reasons why people start using a database in the first place," he said.

Better visualisation and reporting tools are something customers have wanted for years, according to Rosenberg, but supporting these is tricky because charts are "very different in a database than a spreadsheet".

To address this, FileMaker Pro 11 features wizard-like Assistants that allow users to generate a report or chart by selecting fields from a table, or from search results.

Other improvements include a new Invoicing addition to the collection of Starter Solutions designed to let a small business get up and running quickly. These are ready-made database templates that customers can start using or customise to meet their exact needs.

The Invoicing Starter Solution contains tables for customers, products and prices, and can generate invoices as PDFs or emails. The layout and design of the invoices can also be customised with splashes of colour and by adding company logos, Rosenberg said.

Other improvements include a feature called Snapshot Link, which allows users to send a live view of their data to a third party, so long as the computer hosting the FileMaker database has an IP address to which the other party can link back.

"The problem with a report is that it is out of date almost as soon as you print it. A Snapshot Link lets you take a group of records, such as a search result, and email someone a link. I think of it as a live report," said Rosenberg.

The new FileMaker also features a Quick Find query box that searches across all fields for the specified data, as well as existing features such as the ability to create a database directly from an Excel spreadsheet table.

The release is available in four editions: FileMaker Pro 11, FileMaker Server 11, FileMaker Pro 11 Advanced and FileMaker Server 11 Advanced.

The base version costs £219, while the £329 Pro 11 Advanced adds the ability to create custom menu enhancements and to cut and paste custom functions between databases.

FileMaker Server 11 costs £699, and in this release supports an Enhanced Statistics view for greater oversight of connected FileMaker Pro clients to help diagnose potential issues.

The FileMaker Server 11 Advanced edition at £2,199 now has no limit on the number of concurrent users, and allows administrators to assign access privileges to groups of users.

FileMaker is available for Mac and PC, requiring 256MB of memory for Windows XP, 1GB for Vista or Windows 7, 512MB on a PowerPC Mac with OS X 10.5.7, and 1GB on an Intel-based Mac with OS X 10.6.