soSIMPLE and FileMaker 19 – soSIMPLE Software/Paradise Partners

Welcome FileMaker 19!

FileMaker 19 is not only one of the most significant upgrades in Claris’s (or FileMaker’s) history; it also marks the beginning of a new way of working with FileMaker. FileMaker 19 officially opens up development options to include thousands of JavaScript tools. Not only that, but from here on out, FileMaker will be making iterative releases much more frequently than in the past. So improvement will be constant.

As you know, soSIMPLE has been developing JavaScript-based solutions in FileMaker for over a decade already. And we’ve been running our JavaScript-based soSIMPLE Calendar through many tests leading up to the FileMaker 19 release. We will continue to innovate on this front and keep you up to date as we release products in this new space.

In the meantime, we wanted to announce that soSIMPLE Calendar v4.1 is officially compatible with FileMaker 19.

Here’s what’s new in this maintenance release:

We added “fmp19://” url protocol to the options when integrating your calendar.
We removed the requirement for your clients to use any plugins in FileMaker 19. Any work that used to be done by the MBS plugin is now done using FileMaker’s new “Perform JavaScript in Web Viewer” script step.
For configuration purposes (copying scripts and things into your file), we’re using BaseElements instead of MBS.
Because soSIMPLE supports all releases back to FileMaker v14 officially and back to v12 unofficially, we include both MBS for prior versions, and BE for FileMaker 19. No need to download or install either one.

I’m an existing soSIMPLE user. What do I do?

For existing users to continue using soSIMPLE Calendar with FileMaker 19, you must upgrade to soSIMPLE Calendar 4.1, and make some changes to your existing update script.

Check to see if you’re eligible for a free or discounted upgrade.
Download the latest soSIMPLE Calendar
Install the updated PHP pages as instructed in the download.
1. Please make sure you’ve enabled either PHP or the Data API (“REST”) on your server and have a user configured with FMPHP or FMREST extended privilege in your FileMaker custom app.
2. If you’re using PHP, set the $host parameter in the config.php file to “PHP”. If you’re using the Data API, set the $host parameter to “REST18”.
Import your settings from your existing soSIMPLE Calendar Settings file into the new soSIMPLE Calendar Settings file.
Upload your new soSIMPLE Calendar Settings files to your server.
Change the handler to “fmp19://”:
1. Open soSIMPLE Calendar Settings file
2. Select your Calendar
3. Click “Edit” next to Options & Labels
4. Change “FMP://” protocol to “FMP19://”
Add script steps to your “Calendar Update Event (eventid)” script.
1. Open the soSIMPLE Calendar file that’s provided with the download, using the developer password provided when you purchased.
2. Copy the contents of the script “Calendar Update Event”, and paste into your file, replacing the contents of the script in your. Specifically, you want to replace the MBS function with the FM19 function.
3. Keep in mind that soSIMPLE v4.0 added the ability to update events using JSON objects, rather than querying the server. If you’re only passing in a single parameter, it will be used as $event_id and the remaining parameters will be ignored – this will work as it always did, and update the event from the server. If you want to use the new $json update feature, copy the “Set Variable ($json)” steps from the soSIMPLE Action Script into your own file, and pass the $json variable in the “Run Script” step at the end of the Action Script. (see the soSIMPLE Action Script for how this works, or contact us for assistance).
Enjoy your new calendar.

I’m new to soSIMPLE – why would I use this instead of the FileMaker 19 calendar add-on?

FileMaker 19 comes with a basic calendar add-on. It includes a day, week and month view and is great for adding a simple calendar to your custom app.

soSIMPLE Calendar, on the other hand, is an advanced calendar with simple integration. It includes features that aren’t available in any calendar add-ons, such as resources and timelines, daily and weekly Google mapping, background and blocking events, and many other useful features. Even more importantly, it allows you to have a fully functional calendar available for your smartphone and for web sites with or without without the use of WebDirect.

For information, see our feature page or reach out to us.

Why isn’t soSIMPLE implemented as an add-on?

Add-ons are a new feature available with FileMaker 19.

soSIMPLE Calendar was originally built for FileMaker 10 and we’ve maintained support for FileMaker 14 even in the current version.

Currently, there’s no simple way to distribute add-ons without digging into the file system. We are keeping an eye on this feature as it develops and we’re looking into creating a version of soSIMPLE just for FileMaker 19.

In the meantime, soSIMPLE 4.1 will work with all versions of FileMaker on all your devices; it will work on the web with or without without WebDirect, and it will work as an iCal feed. All included in a single product at a single one-time price.

And you can integrate soSIMPLE Calendar into your own solution using our 5-minute integration method.