I really am enjoying this book a lot. Packed with very deep explanations and very useful tricks and tips. I am only half way through the book, and by now I feel it was an excellent purchase.

I've been in the FileMaker market for 18 years and accomplished many things but I have never taken a FileMaker class or read a book. For me to purchase a book and read it says a lot about the author and his brilliance. Don't buy any other FileMaker book.

As an advanced developer, I initially wondered how much I would benefit from this 735 page tome, but was pleasantly surprised; I would even go further and say that I was astounded! There is just so much information here that I still find I'm able to learn something new almost every time that I pick it up.

No familiarity with FileMaker is assumed, although a basic acquaintance would be helpful and you probably wouldn't be reading this book if you hadn't already dabbled with FileMaker at least a little bit. The main sections of this book are as follows: The Fundamentals, Introduction to Database Design, Beyond the Basics, Integrity and Security and finally, Raising the Bar. Each section includes chapters covering pretty much everything you would ever want to know... and then some!

Unlike some other books that I've read about FileMaker, this one is not a repetition of the FileMaker Help file; it does not list every function and script step in alphabetical order, explaining what each one does. Rather it takes those very features and demonstrates ways of using them to help improve your development skills. Furthermore, the author's insights into the way that FMP functions `under the hood' actually appear throughout the book as tips, further enhancing your own knowledge. These demonstrations and tips put you, the developer, in a far better position to then know how best to design and develop your own solutions.

The chapters are well organised, but I'm not keen on some of the arrangements used within chapters; they sometimes seems to wander off on a tangent or two before getting to the point. However, to be fair, FileMaker is a complex beast and as we all know, there are more often than not, twenty seven different ways to address a single challenge. Therefore, praise where praise is due, this book shows you the many different ways to approach any challenge and should arm you with the knowledge to choose which method is the best one.

Worth almost more than the book itself, are the many sophisticated demonstration files that the author refers to throughout the book. These files demonstrate and improve upon the techniques in the book and greatly enhance your ability to understand the concept being presented. Your immediate reaction when downloading many of these files will probably be, "I didn't know you could do that in FileMaker!" and then you'll spend hours ignoring your wife and kids learning exactly how it works and replicating it in your own solution.

The only chapter I felt could have been improved was the one about Custom Functions, a much undervalued feature of our chosen development platform. If you don't already know, FileMaker Pro Advanced is required to create and edit custom functions, although once created they can then be used in FileMaker Pro as well. The author explains what custom functions do, how they work and provides several basic examples, but the examples are of little use in every day database development. Some samples of more useful custom functions would have been beneficial and will hopefully be included in a future edition. No need to wait however, since there is a excellent source of useful custom functions at Brian Dunning's website.

There is a wise saying, "Give a man a fish and you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish and you have fed him for a lifetime". This book is not a fish, it teaches you how to fish, or in FileMaker terms, how to become a knowledgeable and self-sufficient developer. My minor quibbles aside; I cannot recommend this book highly enough!

Adding my kudos to the reviews so far...

Ray Cologon is the best mind in FileMaker today, and has been for a long time. Ray's depth of knowledge makes each section of this book riveting. While you might not read it like a novel, it is worth reading every word, because not one is wasted.

The book provides an essential and thorough explanation of both the simplicity and power of FileMaker, making it invaluable for developers at every stage. It also offers the insights of a unique, dedicated, and generous thinker. As I both skimmed and read in depth, I felt that, through this book, Ray wants all FileMaker developers to succeed by knowing both the steps and the thinking behind them, and by using our imagination to apply this knowledge to our own particular situations.

Thanks for all the hard work, Ray!

I'm sure this book is amazing, but it throws your right into the deep end of the pool and and expects you to swim. I started following the exercise in chapter 5 on building a database. Chapter is not broken down into segments. It simply just chugs along telling you what to do as if it were telling a story. There is no break or explanation of why one setting is chosen over another, or what the formula you are entering means.
I followed the instructions to adjust the "Control Style" in a "field control/setup" dialog box, and then found myself asking "well, where did it get this information from?"
My guess is that this book was not meant for me. I'm not sure who it is meant for. A beginner can follow directions, but doesn't really understand what they are doing in each step. An advanced user, I assume wouldn't need to follow directions or a whole chapter on how to build a database.
I was also frustrated by the entire first chapter describing what a database was. Yeah, I get it, original databases were not based in computers. They were in filing cabinets or on spreadsheets. They didn't have "relationships" between files. Just get on with teaching me what I need to know.
Maybe I'm just frustrated by the three days I spent building the sample database, and not being sure why what seems like simple relationships which should be there are not.

The authors of the FileMaker Bible have written the most comprehensive book on FileMaker ever attempted. There are parts of this book that document aspects of FileMaker development that have probably never been documented or explained outside of the actual source code, and this book explains them in a clear, concise and unambiguous language. This book is an essential for every FileMaker developer.

The biggest advantage of this book is that it's very thorough - quite often technical books will explain one side of an issue, or leave out details, or present ideas in ways that could be interpreted ambiguously. When you read a section of the FileMaker Bible, you get with a complete and accurate view of the ideas at hand without confusion or ambiguity.

This book also fills a need from a new developer starting out to someone who's been working with FileMaker for a while. The sections work through from basic to advanced in a way that works well, but also means it's full of snippets of useful information for someone who has a high level of experience in FileMaker.

I'd recommend this book over any other FileMaker book. Most of the other books I've seen either parrot parts of the FileMaker Help (errors, omissions and all), or only cover one aspect of FileMaker. This book is all new material, and leaves no stone un-turned. Well worth the money.

I have been a fan of the FileMaker Pro Bible Series for quite a few revisions now. The goal of the series, as I've come to understand it, is to provide a comprehensive text covering most of the resources and techniques needed to truly leverage FileMaker Pro. This book takes this to a new level with a thoroughness that I believe must be due to this version's author.

No single book can cover every topic in both the simplicity and the depth that every reader may want, but I think this book covers that range better than most I've read. It has invaluable sections introducing the reader to very necessary basic concepts, such as database design and data modeling for FileMaker Pro, and yet gets into lots of more advanced techniques such as modular code design, logging techniques, recursion through custom functions, and more.

I would not suggest using a book like this for learning a subject, like FileMaker, from start to finish. Rather I'd suggest it, as a very comprehensive tome of FileMaker Pro knowledge -- knowledge that would take many years of developing complex systems to learn for oneself -- all presented in an easy to reference format.

From a seasoned developer standpoint, I think the advanced topics and provided examples (by the master of excellent example files, Ray Cologon), are more than worth the price of entry. I highly suggest this book to anyone who uses FileMaker Pro, at any level.

I would recommend this book to all FileMaker Pro users, regardless of skill level. Ray has been a tireless and generous contributor to the FileMaker developer community for a number of years and the quality of his contributions is beyond dispute. This book is like having access to Ray's brain 24/7. For the beginner, the book will help cultivate a solid foundation of both practical and theoretical knowledge on which to advance quickly. For the intermediate to advanced user, it offers great insight into the inner workings of FileMaker Pro (e.g., index optimization, calculation dependencies, etc.) and how to stretch the product to the max. As an example, the tip on using variables within unstored calculations (p. 435-436) is an eye-opener and just one of many techniques that will provide inspiration to advanced developers who might think they already know everything about using FileMaker Pro. This is an essential addition to your bookshelf! You will find yourself referring to it often.

Anyone working with FileMaker Pro will want to keep this book in arms reach.

I'm not one to read a book cover-to-cover or even read a manual and I usually dive right in whenever I install a new program or an update comes out. Only when I get stuck or I look for an answer or an alternative way to approach a problem, do I pick up a book or dig through the manual. When I reach that point with FileMaker Pro, you can bet this will be the book I'll search in first.

One example is the section on keys. It's a great help and explores many options even creating unique identification (UID) values. This is so important in maintaining data integrity.

The book is comprehensive and designed to help you become more productive with FileMaker Pro regardless of your skill level. From the what, why and how of databases to data modeling and Cartesian joins to advanced features and building efficient code and efficient solutions, this book is an excellent reference.

Not only is it a reference, but it includes many short tutorials and examples. Advanced features and in depth areas of the book refer back, and point you in that direction, to previous material already covered.

Whether you read the book cover-to-cover or you search the well-crafted table of contents or the index for specific material, you'll find the FileMaker Pro 9 Bible the best FileMaker Pro companion to help you succeed.

I've been using FileMaker for almost 20 years and have read most of the books written for this product. The FileMaker Pro Bible stands tall amongst the others. It's extremely well-written with tenacious attention to detail that is quite valuable to developers of all levels.

Ray Cologon gently introduces concepts and best practices to the new developer in a manner that encourages thorough learning. As you progress through the chapters he not only exposes more advanced topics and techniques but also uncovers deep product behaviors that offers value to even the most advanced developers.

I imagine almost any novice could use this book to springboard their learning curve into successful FileMaker Pro database development. I heartily recommend this book to developers of all levels. It should be the first book for any new FileMaker Pro developer and a cornerstone reference piece for all seasoned developers.

This book excels, in that it is not a "manual"-type of book. For example, information such as lists of the Script commands, or Functions is not included, since that info is easily obtained from many sources. Rather, they discuss in-depth, but very practical concepts in implimenting the features of FMP. Even though they discuss rather detailed, complex topics, the writing is so clear, that I am able to follow. My only complaint is that the text is dark gray, rather than black. A little harder to read. But I quickly neglected the print once I focused on the great content. A fabulous learning source for FMP.

This book is worthy of being titled the "BIBLE" for FileMaker. Written by none other than what some would call a prophet in the community. I often times ask myself when perplexed by a custom function or complex calculation... "What would Ray do?" I highly recommend this to any one working with FileMaker and especially if you make a living developing FileMaker solutions.

Why?
It's fun to read. It is packed with wisdom about how to create an "industrial strength database" just like the back cover promises.

It's a gentle yet challenging route to understanding how Filemaker works and then for firm guidance on how to make Filemaker work for you.

It's also packed with excellent practices from the aesthetics of layout design to efficient, effective script and calculation writing.

Okay, maybe I should state I've been using Filemaker since version 2.1 so I'm not a beginner. For complete beginners, maybe reading the Filemaker manual or watching the teaching videos online at lynda.com or elsewhere will get you better prepared to understand the book.

But then come back because this book holds the keys you will need if you aspire to develop "industrial strength" Filemaker databases.

Personally, I profoundly grateful for it!

The Filemaker Pro 9 bible contains tons of information. No dispute there. But this book, contrary to nearly of the other reviews, is both limited and confusing.
It is limited because it requires the reader to build a solution exactly as it is descrbed in the text. Therefore, if you need information on a specific element of Filemaker, is often not possible to derive the information through looking at a specific section of text. Information is presented contextually and while this has certain advantages, it also has grave disadvantages.
It is confusing because the author consistently presents fairly complex scripting steps and calculations without providing any explanation to the novice or SOMEONE LEARNING THE APPLICATION. And this is the key point. The book requires extensive knowledge of Filemaker language and techniques in order to be understood.
This book is, certainly, not for the beginner and, in many cases, it is not for the intermediate user. Its range of use is really quite narrow and it is for this reason that I have trouble understanding all of the accolades for this volume.
Finally, the writing style of the book is often lacking in clarity. The author assumes so much on the part of the reader that many of his examples are rendered inexplicable.
This book is recommended only for Filemaker experts and for them, the information, maybe pedantic.
I believe that this book could have been vastly improved if it didn't follow a contextual approach, but one that was more pedagogical, where techniques were taught from the perspective of generalized problem solving.

If you know the basics of developing a Filemaker solution, then this is, bar none,the best book you can get. It has so many little tricks and tips about how to implement the advanced stuff that you just cannot get anywhere else.

If you are a stone cold beginning, get the Missing Manual, and then move on to Special Edition. At that point, you'll feel pretty good about your burgeoning skill. Then, get this book and bask in the Cologon genius, and realize that you are a novice.

The examples and code in this book are just too advanced for beginners, with no question. And Missing Manual and Special Edition have a better beginner section and explanation of the basics.

As long as you know that this is most beneficial to for more advanced users, this is a five star, very useful purchase.

I've previously looked at most the of "bible" style books for FileMaker and found them OK or underwhelming. This one is very different.

Ray knows his stuff very, very well and his advice is well regarded in various fora. When I received the book, I was concerned that it would only be useful to experienced FileMaker users. However, what I found was that the first two Parts of the book (up to page 260) do a great job of what most how-to style books do in a concise and practical way without needless padding. I really hate the way lots of other books stretch out their content just to bulk up. This book is bulky, but it's all good content. New users will love it.

Then Parts 3, 4 and 5 build on the foundations taking new and intermediate users into areas they probably have never considered with lots of stuff they can use immediately. Ray seemingly covers everything most users will experience with FileMaker. I think advanced users will get much out of this too. I've been using FileMaker since 1987 (professionally since 1991) and I'm finding lots of little gems in the book. The examples are actually useful and I confess to including some of the techniques in my work. On two occasions recently, I resorted to this book to find the words to explain some abstract concepts.

FileMaker is often considered "quirky", meaning it has particular ways of achieving things. I like the way Ray addresses these concepts, comparing and contrasting the way things are in other environments, then looking at the design decisions of FileMaker to achieve the same.

I think anyone using FileMaker should seriously consider buying this book. Congratulations Ray - well done.

As a beginning programmer in FileMaker Pro, this book has been a God-send! I learned more in the first six chapters than all the reading I had done prior to getting this book. I wish I had started here instead of on forums and the FileMaker documentation. Very clear descriptions, examples, and expert user tips fill every page, makeing this a must have for almost any leve of programmer. Highly recommended.

Wow. What an extraordinary improvement this book is over the previous FileMaker Bibles! I decided to give the FileMaker Pro 9 Bible a try (even though I've been unimpressed with previous titles in the series) because there is a new author and the jacket says this edition is completely rewritten. I have not been disappointed!

After six years using FileMaker to run my business, I would have to say this is the best FileMaker book I have ever seen - no contest. Probably the best technical book I've seen, in fact. This book has opened my eyes to new possibilities and I now realise I was nowhere near using FileMaker to its full potential. Already the book has changed the way I work with FileMaker and even the way I think about creating and using databases. Almost everything about the way FileMaker works is so much clearer after reading the descriptions in this book, that I'm only sorry it was not available sooner. I am already referring back to the book constantly and I am sure I will continue to do so.

I have found that every chapter in the FileMaker Pro 9 Bible is packed with interesting, relevant and useful details. I don't think there is a single page that doesn't contain a fresh perspective, essential information or a technique I was previously unaware of. The book brings together a very practical and hands-on approach with a level of expertise and theoretical understanding that makes the descriptions and techniques very clear. Everything is explained in a straightforward and no-fuss way, with none of the usual padding and fluff that seems to take up space in many technical books, and this approach makes the book a sheer pleasure to read.

One of the things that impressed me the most is that this book does not repeat what's in the manual or the online help. Instead, it starts from the broadest overview and goes on to set out what you need to know, including many things that are not even mentioned in the user guide, nor in any of the various other FileMaker books I've read. The book is chock-full of essential details and explains a lot of things that were still not clear to me after years working with FileMaker.

For me, probably the most useful section of all was the chapter on Data Modeling in FileMaker, which has been a complete eye opener. The chapters on writing efficient code and calculations have also been a revelation. However the whole book has been immensely helpful. I did not realise how much I had to learn.

I wish there had been a book like this one available six years ago when I first began using FileMaker. If you have started using FileMaker recently, you will get a lot more out of it once you have read the FileMaker Pro 9 Bible. This book is a truly excellent resource!

I've been using FileMaker for nearly 15 years and have seen (and read) Ray Cologon's thousands of postings on various on-line forums. In fact, I always make it a point to read every one of Mr. Cologon's postings -- even though I may skip the postings of others -- because I know Ray has thoroughly researched and tested every little thing that he writes, and he is always very clear in his descriptions.

The same applies to this book. He starts with the assumption that you don't know much about FileMaker or relational databases, and through its 700+ pages (and on-line sample databases for each chapter) he carefully explains and demonstrates concepts, techniques, shortcuts, and step-by-steps for nearly everything FileMaker.

There are many books on the market -- particularly for earlier versions of FileMaker -- that cover the Basics of FileMaker, and Ray spends 260 pages with this and with overall database concepts that prove very helpful in understanding the FileMaker model. But unlike other FileMaker books that I've seen, Ray takes it beyond the basics and covers intermediate and more advanced subjects that will provide a terrific reference as your skills grow. I consider myself to be an advanced FileMaker developer, yet have still learned something or otherwise had my eyes opened on nearly every page of the advanced chapters.

This book is NOT targeted at regular FileMaker users who just need to search, sort and export data. But I highly recommend this book for anyone who is comfortable with computers and wants or needs to become more productive with their data.

I've been reading books about FileMaker Pro (FMP, FileMaker) for as long as I've been building databases--the first of which I built in 1992 with FMP 2--and I have to say that this is the most accessible book on the subject that I've read. The book works well on several levels: it's easy to find references to a specific subject and get answers to both general and relatively esoteric topics, there's a lot of insight into the increasingly powerful FileMaker Pro program, and it offers a great source of inspiration for those who skim the pages to see the world through the eyes of one of the FileMaker Pro community's great thinkers.

Newcomers to FMP will benefit greatly from the early chapters, which avoid the common sin of repeating what the program's manual says and instead focus on the potential to use the tools efficiently. Even better, the examples are optimized to take maximum advantage of FileMaker's calculation engine and the author provides clear explanations of what makes the example code optimal. Best of all, there are many examples that provide "best practice" solutions to problems that newer FileMaker users are unlikely to recognize in the early stages of development.

Longtime FMP developers know that many problems have more than one potential solution, and it often takes a wealth of experience working with deployed systems to identify the components that make one solution better than another in a particular situation. Too often, a calculation or scripted process works perfectly in preliminary testing and leads the inexperienced developer to conclude that further refinement is unnecessary (or impossible.) The author provides a wealth of information that will help beginning users anticipate and think about some fairly esoteric issues in the early stages of development and gives them tools that can significantly shorten their project's development cycle.

Experienced FMP developers will find interesting approaches to some common (and sometimes uncommon but very useful-when-solved) problems they may encounter when building complex systems. The format of the book provides useful encapsulations identified as Notes, Tips, and Cross-References. The Notes are worth browsing, especially for longtime FMP developers who may only now be migrating complex solutions to FMP 9. They provide contextual information and/or answer questions you've probably asked but may not have taken the time to test. (How does the Min function behave when applied to an array that contains a null value? How does authentication affect the Script Debugger and Data Viewer?)

I found the Cross-References especially useful in the early stages of reading this book because, as a seasoned FMP developer, I skimmed quite a bit to get a general sense of the author's approach to the organization, presentation, and depth of the material covered. Often finding a passage relevant to something I'd worked on or been thinking about recently, the Cross-References pointed me to sections that refined or provided broader context for the material at hand.

For anyone who spends time working "under the hood" on FileMaker databases, this book is well worth the time spent reading, thinking about, and understanding the points it contains. At the end of the day, I highly recommend this book and am hopeful that Ray Cologon will author future versions of it.

There are three things I look for in a good book on FileMaker: (1) Does it help the beginner to bridge the gap between finishing the User Manual and that moment when they put the manual down, consider their real life database problem, and realize they still have no clue how to use what they just read and get started actually building a database. (2) Does it make it easy for the intermediate developer to find what they need for a specific challenge, and does it provide both specific guidance *and* context for understanding what you're being told. (3) Can the advanced developer pick it up, skim, and easily find more and better ways for what they've already been doing, and some great ideas for features they haven't taken the time to work out themselves. Dr. Cologon has done all three with this book, and `bible' seems particularly apt for a book you can read sequentially to get smart, dip into for immediate hand-holding, and look to for inspiration.

I especially like the insertion of Tips, Cautions, Cross-Refs and Notes as sidebars throughout the text. Dr. Cologon's mega-hours spent directly supporting developers in the various forums have paid off for us yet again: he's `been there'; he knows and shares all the typical gotchas, occasional ambiguous dialogs, possible pitfalls. He's been watching us for years, and it shows. The Tips/Cautions/Notes, and especially the Cross-Refs, are also ways to bring topics full-circle, which is not easy in a manual format - how you construct a layout (chapter 6) may impact how you write a script (chapter 13) that interacts with that layout, and Dr. Cologon will notify you as needed.

Most valuable is the wisdom, judgment and long experience shared throughout the book. This isn't just a thorough contextual explanation of FileMaker features and capabilities; it contains a lot of horse-sense advice on building databases that are well-structured, stable, scalable, secure, and intuitive to use. Bravo. This is a must-have book for anyone who uses FileMaker.

For any long-time FileMaker developer, books like this are a rare necessity. One usually has a specific question that needs an immediate and definitive answer. This book provides not only the needed information, but also offers added depth. Ray Cologon brings a unique prespective to his writing on the subject of FileMaker development, and often challenges the reader to do things smarter and with more forethought. It is not often I find a book on this subject that actually entices me to read on any given topic; this is one of those books -- succinctly written and thought-provoking.

The FileMaker Pro 9 Bible will be useful to beginning and experienced developers alike. Many technical books spend a lot of time rehashing the manuals; this book does not do that. It is clearly and concisely written in a conversational tone that makes it easy to read. Dr. Cologon has a deep understanding of FileMaker and of data theory. Even experienced developers will find useful insights about designing FileMaker databases that will do the job they need to do.

This book explains features, but also gives many useful techniques that are valuable to FileMaker development. For example, many developers have difficulty emulating pop-up windows with FileMaker. Dr. Cologon gives a simple, useful example of how to do this nicely within the FileMaker environment. Alternating between explanation, examples and techniques, this book will be a valuable addition to any FileMaker developer's bookshelf.

I'd like to add my voice to the positive reviews already posted here. Dr. Cologon's contributions to the FileMaker community over the years have been invaluable -- and I mean that literally. What a pleasure to see so much of his wisdom distilled in this massive tome.

I've been recommending this book to all my students and colleagues, and to many of my clients as well.

This is logically set out and easy to read. The explanations are succinct and concise. The practical examples make the theory very relevant. The cross referencing in the text to other topics and chapters makes it easy to follow particular ideas rather than continually looking in the index.

Very little information on web publishing. If you want more of that look elsewhere. Therefore I would not call it a bible but just a good manual.

Extremely well written and well researched, the FileMaker Pro 9 Bible is an excellent book, and Ray Cologon is an excellent writer. His depth of understanding, both of the product and of the greater database world in general, is awe-inspiring. The FileMaker Pro 9 Bible really does have something for everyone. It covers the topic of FileMaker Pro in a very comprehensive manner that is suitable both for database beginners as well as for seasoned FileMaker veterans.

Ray begins with an overview of what makes up a database, independent of the FileMaker paradigm itself. He then moves on to discuss how FileMaker fits into the database world, and then goes into detail on each aspect of the product. And he does it all with a deft touch that never confuses or intimidates the reader.

Whether you consider yourself a FileMaker Pro developer or merely use it as a tool to organize your information, this book is the essential reference for FileMaker Pro.

I'm a full time FileMaker developer. I have been for fifteen plus years. I work alone.
Most of my clients are wineries or wine retailers with the occasional steel wholesaler and convention bureau to keep me honest. I use a lot of the advanced features of FileMaker.

I mention the above to frame my recommendation to buy this book. I bought it because Dr. Cologon's name is on it. His name may not mean anything to you, just yet, but it will after you read and use this book.

In FileMaker there are, seemingly, always several ways to accomplish your intentions. The trick is to plan your strategies in advance of doing a lot of needless or imperfect work. The way this book is laid out and the quality of the information will really advance your cause.

I decided to read "FileMaker Pro Bible 9" from page 1 to page 735 and overcome the temptation to skip over things I already knew - or thought I knew. It was worth it and not at all painful. If you read this book and know your client's business and objectives, you can't go wrong.

Having this book on the end of my desk means that I really don't work alone.

This is an astonishingly good book, independently of its subject matter. Technical books, particularly those within series, must fight to remain interesting, to rise above the constraints imposed by the publisher. This book shows no evidence of such a struggle, and yet it is so comprehensive, while taking such a broad overview, that it ought by rights leave out the '9' in its title.

It has become a back-of-the-book cliche to say that a book has something for the beginner and the professional, but it would be more accurate to say that what at first blush seems written for the beginner actually describes Filemaker, and its place in the larger database world, in a view few professionals have grasped. This is a big-picture book that, at the same time, delves into a lot of very advanced detail and both theory and practice. But it is mostly just a good read that made me proud to be a professional Filemaker developer.

Whether you are a beginner or a well-seasoned professional FMP developer, the FileMaker Pro 9 Bible is a must-read book. Dr. Cologon covers an immense range of important information, and he will stretch your mind to the full range of possibilities with FileMaker Pro, all the while holding your hand and breaking it down with a remarkably effective teaching approach.

Topics range from the general (how databases fit into real life and your business needs; comparisons with other database development tools; a broad discussion of integration with existing systems and software) through the building-blocks of FileMaker solutions, and on up to state-of-the-art advice on concepts of optimization, modularization, innovative and sophisticated user-interface design, dynamic elements, logic, cutting-edge calculations, publishing your database to the Web, FileMaker's brand-new ability to integrate tightly with SQL databases via "ESS". The book also includes the special developer tools available in FileMaker Pro Advanced, and covers topics too oft skipped over in other books on the market -- backup how-to's and strategies, must-read information about good database husbandry and file recovery, etc.

In spite of handling this vast sea of facts, particulars, instructions and guidance, there is nothing about this book that is intimidating even to folks facing database development for the very first time. Cologon -- whose crystal-clear and engaging writing style is well-known to those who have read various discussion lists and forums over the years -- has organized and presented the information in a brilliant fashion that makes this book work both as a good read and as a reference tome. Information is presented in a sort of iterative fashion, covering certain areas of development (for example, creating layouts or scripts) several times over throughout the book, on increasing levels of refinement and complexity. Therefore, whatever level of experience you have under your belt, it is easy to figure out "where to jump in" when you have a question in mind, simply by scanning the table of contents. The TOC is organized the way I wish _all_ such books were designed -- its chapters and sections correlate with the kinds of tasks you need to accomplish and the series of questions that arise in your mind organically as you gain experience, rather than the menu-by-menu approach taken by so many technical books.

A word about the book's personnel:
Ray Cologon, to anyone who has looked at his demos, attended one of his Developer Conference sessions, or read the volumes of help he has offered on forums over the years, is indisputably one of the world's topmost FileMaker wizards. Among the other credits, tech editors Corn Walker and Jason DeLooze stand out similarly as geniuses in their field who, like Cologon, have contributed their patient and top-quality assistance to the broad population of FileMaker users and developers, from newbies on discussion lists to FileMaker Inc. itself. Having been so connected to the community over the years, these developers understand intimately what folks need to know and how best to present that information, and working in concert they comprise a FileMaker instruction dream-team. (I am not familiar with the other book personnel.)

Whether you are looking for your first FileMaker Pro 9 book or already have a shelf-full, whatever level of expertise you may have, I strongly recommend you click the Add To Cart button.

-- Ilyse Kazar