Running FileMaker Scripts from Your Desktop with Launchy or Alfred | HomeBase Software

Very cool idea and implementation by Douglas Alder.  Big WOW factor.

Running FileMaker Scripts from Your Desktop with Launchy or Alfred

SEPTEMBER 12, 2013 BY DOUGLAS ALDER

Here is a cool trick, a method of running FileMaker Pro scripts directly from the Desktop on Mac or Windows computers. My friend Joshua Paul of Neo Code Software sent me an email with the headline “Launchy/Alfred + FileMaker FMP URI = AWESOME“. Josh is often coming up with innovative approaches to technical challenges, so I thought I would give it a try and was impressed enough to want to share it with a wider audience.

The basic idea is to install a Desktop launcher app like Launchy (Windows and Mac) or Alfred (Mac only) and then write a custom URI call to a script in a FileMaker Pro database, sending a parameter with the request. Inside your FileMaker Pro database, you will need to have a script waiting to accept the outside request and parameter sent.

What it looks like in action is, from the Desktop, the user types a special keyboard command to bring up one of the launchers (for example Option-Space for Alfred, or Control-Space for Launchy). Then they enter a pre-defined syntax to request a FileMaker search. In the example Joshua sent me, he used the term ‘INV’ and then typed a Receipt ID number and hit enter to execute the search. FileMaker Pro pops up with the database and runs the search. Instant FileMaker searches from anywhere!—what could be better?

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