FileMaker 19.6.1 Release

This latest release of the Claris FileMaker platform shows the Claris commitment to making improvements and releasing them first for FileMaker even before the newer Claris Pro platform. Although not a major update, there are many notable features including macOS Ventura support, sign in with Apple ID, transactions, many security/reliability updates.

Here are Claris’s official FileMaker release notes…

Claris FileMaker 19.6.1, is now available. It includes Claris FileMaker Pro 19.6.1, Claris FileMaker Go 19.6.1, Claris FileMaker Server 19.6.1, and Claris FileMaker Cloud 2.19.6.1.

FileMaker 19.6.1 continues to deliver significant improvements in performance, security, and reliability along with important tools for Claris developers to be more productive and efficient. Better control through automation. Here are some specific improvements included in 19.6.1.

Transactions
Transactions help ensure greater data integrity. Transactions are used in scripts to process record changes in batches before they’re committed, allowing the changes to be rolled back if an error occurs during the operation. This feature is ideal for accounting, invoicing, and other financial apps when it’s important that modifications to a group of records happen at the same time. Many scripts that create edit and delete sets of records can benefit from incorporating transactions.

Get(LastErrorLocation) function
The new Get (LastErrorLocation) function introduces enhanced error handling capabilities by returning the script name, step name, and line number of errors returned by Get(LastError) funtion. This is the first time that we have a programmatic way to record the exact script step number where an error occurred.

Time-saving administration tools

• Clone Only backup option — Quickly create a clone of your app hosted on FileMaker Server without first backing up data or verifying the file. This option allows developers to save time if they only need a clone and don’t want to wait for a large file to be backed up.
• Administrator Roles — Get more granular control over your databases with the addition of Administrator Roles. This feature lets users administer a subset of available databases, including a chosen subset of privileges, using a distinct username and password.
• Additional database or container folder support — To help adhere to hosting best practices, the FileMaker Server Admin Console and the FileMaker Admin API now allow the configuration of a second additional database folder, a second container data folder, and the ability to back up files in a second container data folder.
• Strong security and authentication features
  • Sign in with Apple – Use your Apple ID or even an email address not affiliated with your Apple ID to sign in to FileMaker apps. This provides more streamlined authentication for those organizations using Apple IDs . Sign in with Apple is now a supported OAuth identity provider in addition to Amazon, Google, and Microsoft Azure Active Directory. Accounts are automatically protected with two-factor authentication.
  • PKI authentication – FileMaker Admin API calls can be validated via PKI authentication. This allows administrators to use a generated web token instead of a username and password pair. This also allows other applications to leverage FileMaker Admin API without being given full access admin credentials to FileMaker Server.
  • Restrict Admin Console by IP address – To reduce the chance of a brute force attack, FileMaker Server Admin Console and FileMaker Admin API now include options to restrict access to Admin Console by IP address.
  • Protect against unauthorized access – Filter Databases is now enabled by default, which requires authentication credentials to view files on FileMaker Server. FileMaker Data API can also utilize this enhancement. Disabling this option might expose your database list to unauthorized third parties.

More features and security updates.

• FileMaker 19.6.1 supports the latest Apple operating systems: macOS Ventura, iOS 16, and iPadOS 16.
• FileMaker WebDirect now supports up to 600 concurrent user connections running on Ubuntu Linux.
• CSS caching improvements in FileMaker WebDirect optimize performance for auto-resizing layouts and Java web publishing.
• OpenSSL 3.0.7 is supported.
• More than 100 bugs are fixed in the FileMaker 19.6.1 platform.

A complete list of features and key addressed issues are available on the Claris Updates/Notes/Release Download page.

Here are links to several helpful articles that go more in depth to the various new features:

• FileMaker Pro Claris release notes
• FileMaker Server Claris release notes
• Transactions in FileMaker 19.6
• Transaction scripts
• FileMaker 19.6 Overview
• Sign in with Apple ID
• Zapping the database cache
• FileMaker 19.6 Server