Despite being over 30 years since FileMaker first appeared, calendars have only been integrated within the FileMaker fairly recently. A couple of years ago, in order to accommodate a calendar within FileMaker, you really needed some expertise as a developer. We even wrote a calendar function a few years ago and passed it on gratis to the FileMaker community and it quickly became one of our most popular blogs. The problem is that you can end up having to rewrite code for each and every database solution which results in unwanted and unnecessary expenses.
Fortunately, the need to reinvent the wheel for each and every software solution is no longer necessary as Claris now provides some great calendar options as part of the FileMaker application. For example, Calendar by Claris.
Claris Marketplace has many add-ons available (many of which are free) that facilitate a simple method of enhancing a FileMaker system, almost right out of the box. Some of these add-ons can be utilised by someone with some aptitude for software coding but others really do require an experienced FileMaker developer (such as Flare, of course) who have the necessary skills to integrate the add-on into a database and make full use of its features.
Obviously, at Flare Software, we have plenty of experience and will be very happy to discuss any requirements you might have regarding the inclusion of one of these add-ons with your own system or indeed, the creation of an entirely new, bespoke software package.
Unfortunately, this sort of add-on sometimes only goes so far and that's particularly true with calendars as it will only work within the FileMaker framework and cannot sync / link with another calendar system, such as Google Calendars (https://calendar.google.com/) So how do you go around adding a calendar facility to your own database, more specifically, one which will allow integration with Google Calendars? That's where a third party solution comes into play. There are a number of options available to suit most requirements but in our minds, the best options are:
• DayBack
Prices usually work out to be around £350 for the software package and then you'll need to consider integration costs as well. If you want more details about calendars within FileMaker, then you can head over to Calendars Within FileMaker Part Two or we can discuss all of this with you and can advise on all manner of software enhancements for your business so why not get in touch?
At Flare Software, we create bespoke software / database solutions for Mac Os, Windows PC, iPad and iPhone, in standalone, networked and cloud environments. We may be based in the South West of the UK in Weston-super-Mare near Bristol, but we facilitate project work anywhere in the UK and abroad.