The FileMaker Separation Model has been around for a long time. It started way back in the pre FileMaker 7 days. It’s not right for every project, and sometimes you can go too far, (see update below) but it sure can help with large complex solutions. I am not going to go into all the reason why. That has been done elsewhere. But what if you started or inherited a single file solution and now you want to use the Separation Model? Can you do it?The answer is yes and in this video we show you how to get started.
Key Concept
The main reason this works is that FileMaker does everything through the Relationship Graph. In no case, ever, is the data accessed directly from the underlying base tables. It always goes through the Table Occurrences on the relationship graph. Therefor if you change the Base Table that a Table Occurrence is connected to you change how what Base Table the FileMaker code references.
Achieve FileMaker Separation Model Nirvana
You can use this to move the Base Tables into another file and then reconnect the code in the original file to the new tables in the new file. Sound crazy? It’s not. It works!
Update!… Kevin Frank’s four part series on Radical Separation is well worth read. It’s an excellent exercise. My comment above about going too far shouldn’t be seen as a dig. Kevin’s site filemakerhacks.com is an excellent resource for all things FileMaker. I just don’t think that going to that extreme length pays off in the long run.
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