» Learn FileMaker Pro 9 (Wordware Library for FileMaker)

Learn FileMaker Pro 9 (Wordware Library for FileMaker) Reviews

Customer Rating:
Summary: Stars Does a Great Job
Comment: Learn FileMaker Pro 9 is a great book for the beginner to intermediate user. I actually reviewed this book for a FileMaker newsletter, and I was extremely pleased with the content.

Jonathan has a knack for explaining technical tasks in a conversational tone. If you are just beginning to learn FileMaker his friendly explanations will be a breath of fresh air.

Jonathan also knows when to turn to others for advice on some of the more technical topics and brings in other FileMaker experts to fill in the gaps.

This book will definitely help provide jump start for anyone beginning FileMaker.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Best book for beginner-to-intermediate
Comment: Stars quickly introduces the concepts you need to design a truly useful database. Most other books (including the three mentioned at the end of this review) discuss each module of FileMaker separately and in the abstract, similar to the FileMaker User Guide, leaving you wondering how to get started designing your own database. For example, most books defer "related tables" until halfway into the book because relationships are considered a difficult topic, but Stars introduces related tables in a very basic way in chapter 2.

Perhaps the best feature of Stars is that he offers far more practical tips, including pitfalls to avoid, than any other book I've read.

Stars explains how to design a database the way you'd do it in real life. He initially designs an elementary database, then adds more sophisticated features. (One of the beauties of FileMaker is that you don't need to design an all encompassing database in one fell swoop. You can start simple, then add features a little at a time, and adapt existing features to your evolving needs.) He uses many brief examples throughout the book, so there is no problem understanding the examples if you jump in the middle of the book.

I agree with Stars' philosophy that it is hard to learn FileMaker by reading a book cover-to-cover away from your computer. His book is designed to be read while you are near your computer so you can experiment with his examples. FileMaker is well adapted for learning by experimentation. (If you are beyond the neophyte stage, the book is self-explanatory without requiring access to a computer.)

The downside of Stars is that he is not the most articulate writer, so a few explanations are too vague. However, you almost always can understand him by context or by briefly experimenting with his examples.

Stars is much better for beginning-to-intermediate FileMaker users than the FileMaker Bible, FileMaker Missing Manual, or Que Special Edition. Stars has far more practical advice than the first two. The Que book is too difficult for a neophyte and covers only selected topics in depth. Although the Missing Manual is thicker than Stars, it actually conveys less information because it consumes too much space with the mechanics of pressing each button in a series of dialog windows. Stars presents the same info more concisely, yet is even more approachable for a neophyte.

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