FileMaker 7 Products Q & A

Will CC Calendar, Gantt, etc. run under FileMaker Pro 7?
As with most sophisticated systems built in version 6, CC Products can be converted to FileMaker 7 with some effort. However, FileMaker 7 changes the way any number of functions and structures behave and these changes can lead converted systems to behave unexpectedly.
(Converting CC Products actually works surprisingly well, check out this thread for more information: Converting CC Products to FM7.)
FileMaker Inc. offers a white paper on conversion; we strongly recommend developers read this before converting their systems: †filemaker.com/techbriefs A second, longer PDF can be found here.
One of the biggest issues to consider involves how difficult it may be to maintain a converted solution. If the amount of entropy in a converted system is sufficiently high (lots of redundant code, etc.) it may become very difficult to make changes to the system down the road.
Furthermore, addding new features to a converted solution can cause unintended effects. For instance, in FileMaker 6, scripts ran only in the file the script was written in. FileMaker 7 allows a script to run in any table in that file. So, adding tables to your converted files could allow any script in that file to be run on the new table.
Cleveland Consulting offers a Migration Evaluation Service to help developers get a handle on the issues involved in converting large installations.
Will you be developing new versions of the CC Products to take advantage of FileMaker 7?
Yes! We have been developing new versions of these products in FileMaker 7 over the last year. We are completing our work on CC Calendar which will be released first, followed by CC Gantt Charts. CC Calendar will offer a host of new features in the Pro Version, including Banners, a To-Do list, Year Views, and more.
We will announce new products on the FileMaker lists and through our own mailing list; be sure to subscribe to stay informed.
Will special upgrade pricing be offered to users of existing CC Products?
Yes. However, we have not yet announced pricing for the new products. All CC Calendar users who have purchased the calendar since FileMaker announced FM7 on March 9th will receive a free upgrade to the FM7 calendar.
Would you be able to help us convert our existing CC Product implementation?
Deciding whether to convert or rebuild is a complex issue. We do offer consulting on this issue and recommend you read about our service and read Danny Mack's white paper on the issue. At this point we are not planning to undertake conversions of smaller solutions outside the migration service mentioned above. Our focus is on developing the best and most thoroughly tested Calendar in FileMaker 7, which we believe will serve users better than converted systems.
What if I have more questions?
Please feel free to post them here so that others can see the answers. Simply click "Post Reply" and ask away.
As with most sophisticated systems built in version 6, CC Products can be converted to FileMaker 7 with some effort. However, FileMaker 7 changes the way any number of functions and structures behave and these changes can lead converted systems to behave unexpectedly.
(Converting CC Products actually works surprisingly well, check out this thread for more information: Converting CC Products to FM7.)
FileMaker Inc. offers a white paper on conversion; we strongly recommend developers read this before converting their systems: †filemaker.com/techbriefs A second, longer PDF can be found here.
One of the biggest issues to consider involves how difficult it may be to maintain a converted solution. If the amount of entropy in a converted system is sufficiently high (lots of redundant code, etc.) it may become very difficult to make changes to the system down the road.
Furthermore, addding new features to a converted solution can cause unintended effects. For instance, in FileMaker 6, scripts ran only in the file the script was written in. FileMaker 7 allows a script to run in any table in that file. So, adding tables to your converted files could allow any script in that file to be run on the new table.
Cleveland Consulting offers a Migration Evaluation Service to help developers get a handle on the issues involved in converting large installations.
Will you be developing new versions of the CC Products to take advantage of FileMaker 7?
Yes! We have been developing new versions of these products in FileMaker 7 over the last year. We are completing our work on CC Calendar which will be released first, followed by CC Gantt Charts. CC Calendar will offer a host of new features in the Pro Version, including Banners, a To-Do list, Year Views, and more.
We will announce new products on the FileMaker lists and through our own mailing list; be sure to subscribe to stay informed.
Will special upgrade pricing be offered to users of existing CC Products?
Yes. However, we have not yet announced pricing for the new products. All CC Calendar users who have purchased the calendar since FileMaker announced FM7 on March 9th will receive a free upgrade to the FM7 calendar.
Would you be able to help us convert our existing CC Product implementation?
Deciding whether to convert or rebuild is a complex issue. We do offer consulting on this issue and recommend you read about our service and read Danny Mack's white paper on the issue. At this point we are not planning to undertake conversions of smaller solutions outside the migration service mentioned above. Our focus is on developing the best and most thoroughly tested Calendar in FileMaker 7, which we believe will serve users better than converted systems.
What if I have more questions?
Please feel free to post them here so that others can see the answers. Simply click "Post Reply" and ask away.