Tango For FileMakerÆ is the best tool for creating database applications that integrate FileMaker Pro with the World-Wide Web and StarNineπs WebSTARÅ. Check out the Getting Started With Tango For FileMaker document for more information about Tango For FileMaker, how to install Tango For FileMaker, and how to begin creating your solutions.
Tango For FileMaker allows you to develop sophisticated web-based applications without programming, scripting your own CGI, or adding complex HTML calculations to your database. Tango's builders let you create simple web applications by dragging and dropping the fields you want to appear on your web page. Use Tango's query document interface to customize these applications, tailoring the HTML that displays FileMaker data, integrating data from several FileMaker databases onto a single web page, using global variables to track user data throughout the user's session, and using AppleEvents to integrate your web application with other Mac applications.
Tango For FileMaker can be upgraded to Tango Enterprise. Tango Enterprise allows you to create web solutions that access any ODBC compliant database (e.g. Oracle, Sybase, Informix). You can even upgrade or integrate your existing Tango For FileMaker solutions with ODBC compliant databases. Contact EveryWare Development or visit our web page for more information on Tango Enterprise.
Installing Tango For FileMaker
Tango For FileMaker works best with System 7.5 or greater. Specifically, make sure that AppleScript 1.1 is installed and enabled (i.e. was not made inactive using the Extensions Manager control panel). While Tango does not use AppleScript directly, AppleScript 1.1 includes improvements to the AppleEvent Manager, the lower level interface that is used by Tango to communicate with FileMaker.
Tango For FileMaker has two components:
Ä Tango Editor ≠ the tool you use to develop your web applications
Ä Tango.acgi ≠ the Tango CGI; runs on your WebSTAR server to run the applications you build with Tango Editor
The Easy Install option in the Tango Installer places these items plus the Tutorial items and a folder of Tango demos inside a folder named Tango on the root level of your hard disk. After installation move this folder into your WebSTAR folder. Use the Custom Install options if you want to select the exact items you want installed.
Refer to the Getting Starting With Tango For FileMaker guide for detailed instructions on the installation of Tango For FileMaker.
We have provided the following trial software to help you get started immediately:
ÄFileMaker Pro 3.0 for MacOS (limtied to 50 records)
ÄWebSTAR Web server (time-limited to 2 hours)
How to begin
1. Open the WebSTAR application (found in your WebSTAR folder).
2. Move the Tango folder to the same folder as the WebSTAR application.
3. Within the Tango folder open the Tango.acgi application. When Tango.acgi starts, it will prompt you to enter a serial number. Select the Test Drive button in this dialog box. The Test Drive feature of Tango allows you to try out Tango for 2 hours at a time. Tango will stop processing requests after the 2 hours has elapsed. If you wish to continue using Tango you must quit and relaunch the Tango.acgi application. When you purchase Tango, you enter your assigned serial number in this dialog box to activate Tango For FileMaker.
4. Open FileMaker Pro 3.0.
5. In order to view the demo solutions included with Tango For FileMaker you must open the accompanying FileMaker Pro databases. Within the Tango folder there is a Demos folder, within the Demos folder there are folders for each of the Tango For FileMaker demos. Before using these demos open each folder and open the FileMaker Pro databases contained in the folder.
6. Once all of the demo databases have been opened, launch your Web browser and type in the following, http://<Your Web server address>/tango/demos/. Where it says <Your Web server address> enter in the TCP/IP address of the machine that is running WebSTAR. If this is your machine, you can find your TCP/IP address by checking the MacTCP or TCP/IP (if you are running Open Transport) control panel.
7. You can now view the demos that we have provided for you.
8. Refer to the documentation, provided in Adobe Acrobat format, for additional information on configurating and using Tango For FileMaker.
Once you have seen the different types of solutions that you can develop using Tango try to develop one yourself. We have provided on-line tutorials that will help you through the initial steps of designing a dynamic Web site that communicates with FileMaker Pro 3.0 for the Macintosh. These tutorials are in pdf format and can be viewed in the Documentation folder.
After trying this Tango For FileMaker you can upgrade this demo version to the full package, complete with printed manual set, by calling EveryWare Development Corp. at 1-888-819-2500 (toll free) or (905) 819-1173. You can also contact us online at sales@everyware.com or visit our Web site at <http://www.everyware.com/>.
Thank you for trying Tango for FileMaker!
Known Problems
This section lists known issues that may affect the operation of Tango For FileMaker. Where possible, we are working to address these issues for a future release of Tango For FileMaker.
Ä Make sure that the databases you want to use with Tango For FileMaker are opened inside FileMaker Pro before you access them from Tango.
Ä You cannot use the record_ID column to sort the results of a Search action. Tango Editor will let you drag the record_ID column into the sort list, but an error will be reported back to the user when a search sorted by record_ID is invoked.
Ä When entering data into a web browser form that will be used by Tango to insert or update data in a FileMaker database, dates and times must be entered in the Mac system's abbreviated date & time format, as set on the web server Macintosh. For US systems the default abbreviated formats are "mm/dd/yy" or "mm/dd/yyyy"; "hh:mm AM|PM" or "hh:mm:ss AM|PM"
Ä Only the first repetition of a repeating field is returned by Tango For FileMaker. However, when searching, all repetitions are searched. You cannot update specific occurrences of a repeating field.
Ä You cannot access or manipulate data in a layout's portal. However, you can simulate a portal using Tango For FileMaker by overriding the default data source for a Search action. Use this feature to tell the Search action to list data from the same database used to display data in the portal.
Ä Ability to select multiple radio buttons or checkboxes in web forms is not yet supported.
Check the technical support area on EveryWare's web page for up-to-date information on issues that may affect the operation of Tango For FileMaker.
Documentation Notes
Tango For FileMaker tutorial
Page 5, Lesson 1, step 1:
Look for the tutorial databases inside the Tutorials folder instead of the FileMaker folder.
Optimizing Your Applications
There are a number of steps you can take to get the best performance out of your Tango For FileMaker solutions:
Ä Ensure that only the fields you need indexed, are indexed.
Ä Pre-index the fields that will be used for searching. If FileMaker needs to index a field as a result of a user's query, WebSTAR may timeout before the query can complete.
Ä On your web server, make sure that FileMaker Pro is in the background and is hidden.
Ä Where possible, use the record_ID pseudo-field when linking from a record list to a record detail field. (The Tango Search Query builder does this automatically.) The Tango CGI is optimized for retrieval of records using the record_ID field. Using additional or alternate fields to locate a detail record will always be slower.
Ä Record lists will be returned faster if there are 5 or fewer fields listed.
Ä The memory usage indicator for the Tango.acgi application (in the About This Macintosh window) will sometimes briefly indicate that all available memory is being used. This behavior appears to be a quirk of the Thread Manager.
Check the technical support area on EveryWare's web page for more information on getting the best performance with Tango For FileMaker.
Contacting EveryWare:
EveryWare Development Corp.
7145 West Credit Avenue
Building 1, Unit 2
Mississauga, ON. L5N 6J7
(905) 819-1173
information: info@everyware.com
sales: sales@everyware.com
support: support@everyware.com
web page: http://www.everyware.com
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FileMaker is a registered trademark of Claris Corporation.
All other trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners.
