FileMaker Custom Web Publishing (CWP) is a technology is that can be used to integrate a FileMaker database with a custom website. FileMaker has an Application Programming Interface (API) to to enable access through PHP which is a standard tool for web development and a common option for viewing FileMaker on the web.
With CWP, a website can be developed or modified to securely publish all or a portion of your data, to just a few remote users or the entire web.
Our Custom Web Publishing team has good expertise and vast experience in Integrating FileMaker API with other development tools used to build large business applications :
- Angular
- PHP
- JavaScript, JQuery
- HTML 5, AJAX, CSS 3
- MySQL
- FM Data API
Custom Web Publishing With PHP
The FileMaker API for PHP provides an object-oriented PHP interface to FileMaker Pro databases, to integrate FileMaker data into a PHP web application. As the PHP web pages are built by us, we have complete control over the user interface and how the user interacts with the data. When you require more control over the appearance and functionality of your published database, consider using Custom Web Publishing.
Custom Web Publishing with FileMaker Server allows you to:
- Integrate your database with another website
- Determine how users interact with data
- Control how data displays in web browsers.
Web Server: in Windows, FileMaker Server uses Internet Information Services (IIS), which is enabled when installing FileMaker Server. In macOS, FileMaker Server uses its own instance of the Apache web server, and there is no need to enable the Apache instance that is installed as part of macOS.
Web Publishing Engine: provides the Custom Web Publishing services and the FileMaker WebDirect services for databases hosted by FileMaker Server.
PHP Engine: for Custom Web Publishing with PHP, FileMaker Server uses a PHP engine to respond to requests from the web server and to process PHP code. FileMaker Server includes a PHP engine and the FileMaker API for PHP. When PHP code calls the FileMaker API for PHP, those calls are interpreted and sent to the Web Publishing Engine.
Database Server: hosts the databases that are shared with FileMaker Pro and FileMaker Go users and publish on the web. In a multiple-machine deployment, the machine running the Database Server is called the master machine.
Admin Console: runs in a web browser on any client computer from which it is needed to configure and administer FileMaker Server.
Custom Web Publishing and FileMaker Server support two different publishing technologies: PHP and XML
With the built-in support in FileMaker Server for PHP, it is easy to build custom, data-driven websites. Custom Web Publishing with PHP allows for capturing and publishing information in the web and creating new solutions that combine a web-based interface with a FileMaker Pro back-end. FileMaker Server supports the FileMaker Application Programming Interface (API) for PHP or the PHP Site Assistant for publishing your data.
Using the API gives one full control to customize the website’s appearance and functionality. The PHP Site Assistant can be used to quickly publish FileMaker data to the web without requiring any PHP coding knowledge. The PHP Site Assistant guides step-by-step to produce PHP-based web pages based on the FileMaker Pro layouts. These pages can then be published as is or further modified using our favorite HTML editor.
Using XML enables sending query requests to a FileMaker Pro database hosted by FileMaker Server and to display, modify, or manipulate the resulting data. Using a HTTP request with the appropriate query commands and parameters, one can retrieve FileMaker data as an XML document which can even be exported to other applications, if needed.
How to use FileMaker API and PHP
Custom Web Publishing with PHP provides the FileMaker API for PHP, which is a PHP class created by FileMaker that accesses databases hosted by FileMaker Server. This PHP class connects to the FileMaker Server Web Publishing Engine and makes data available to the web server’s PHP engine.
Developing a PHP web site with FileMaker’s API for PHP is slightly different then developing to communicate with another database technology such as MySQL for example. Custom Web Publishing with FileMaker’s API for PHP does not provide direct table access to data in a FileMaker database, but uses the layouts defined in the database.
While there is no requirement to create a unique layout for Custom Web Publishing with PHP, creating a layout specifically for a PHP solution may be beneficial for several reasons:
- Improve performance by creating a layout that is limited to the fields, labels, and portals that need to be included in the PHP solution.
- Simplify the PHP code by doing less data processing because the records have fewer fields.
- Separate the interface design work from the data so that one can tailor the interface for the web user.
About PHP Web Publishing
If there is a need to build custom, data-driven websites, FileMaker Server has integrated support for PHP. This makes it easy to publish information to the web, capture web data or create new apps combining a web-based front-end with a rich, FileMaker Pro Advanced back-end.
FileMaker data can be published to a PHP web application using the FileMaker Application Programming Interface (API) that performs the same kind of functions already available in FileMaker Pro Advanced.
Application users can do all this and much more via a web browser on a remote laptop, desktop computer or web-enabled mobile device:
- View and edit records
- Add new information
- Search and sort data
- See changes reflected in the hosted-database automatically – no syncing required!
As mentioned above we have a strong team for Custom Web Publishing with the knowledge and experience to provide solutions for your requirements.