Web Viewer Integrations – FileMaker

Web Viewer Integrations into a FileMaker Custom App

Jeremy Brown is well known in the FileMaker community for his work with Web Viewer integrations:  integrating javascript and more into FileMaker web viewers, writing a great free FileMaker demo database, and pushing the boundaries of the web viewer in FileMaker.

Brown presented at FileMaker DevCon 2017 (video below) on his favorite (at least I assume it is) topic, and now has a newer version of his free file for download, as well.

Video Objectives

His objectives for the presentation are pretty straightforward:

  • Learn the best practices of web integrations into a custom FileMaker app
  • Learn the basics of manipulating an integration to fit their own custom app
  • Learn how to implement web viewer integrations into any app
  • Undertand how to get an integration to callback to FileMaker

And, most importantly, get excited about using a web viewer integration.

That last goal is critical:  The hardest part of embracing a new technology is the learning curve.  Jeremy’s presentation combined with the free download file greatly reduce that curve.

Use Cases

So, where will you find this concept useful? How about this list for a partial answer:

  • Data Presentation
  • User Interface improvements
  • Menus
  • Photo displays
  • Calendars
  • Charting (lots of good stuff here)
  • Utility
  • Media
  • Audio

Things you’ll learn

Here’s just some of the topics covered in his DevCon presentation:

Standardization of an integration
Data-gathering process
Manipulating an integration
Pushing an integration
Extending this concept

What makes is easy – and powerful

Each module in the database is broken into the following components:

  • An HTML template
  • CSS template
  • Javascript Template
  • Data Fields

The way it is setup, each part works with the others, and each can be manipulated and modified as necessary without breaking the others.  This is the way web developers work, and it’s a powerful method that allows for quicker development and troubleshooting.  For example, different people can work on different portions (HTML, JavaScript, CSS, or Data) at the same time without affecting the others.

Integrate into your FileMaker App

Jeremy actually shows how to export an integration from his example file and integrate it into your solution.  You can’t really ask for more.

So don’t wait…there is a lot to learn.  Start by watching the video and downloading the file.  Then start playing with it.  Jeremy did most of the heavy lifting, so there’s no reason to put if off!


Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.

Charles R. Swindoll

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