FM BetterForms Docs
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  • Introduction
  • 🏆Features
  • Getting Started
    • Welcome to FM BetterForms!
    • System Overview
    • Quick Tour of the BetterForms IDE
    • 1. Setting Up Your Foundation
      • 1.1 Configure FileMaker Server
      • 1.2 Install BetterForms Helper File
      • 1.3 Add Your Server to BetterForms (IDE)
    • 2. Building Your First Application
      • 2.1 Create an App (Site) in the IDE
      • 2.2 Create Your First Page (Intro to Page Builder)
      • 2.3 Understanding & Managing Environments (IDE)
      • 2.4 Adding Elements to Your Page
      • 2.5 Understanding Validation
      • 2.6 Adding Actions to Your Page
      • 2.7 Creating Your First List View
      • 2.8 Understanding Page Data Flow
      • 2.9 Creating Your First Hook
      • 2.10 Working with Data Tables (Coming Soon)
    • 3. Understanding Core BetterForms Concepts
      • 3.1 Introduction to Hooks (and where to find them in the IDE)
      • 3.2 Running Your First Hook (Practical Example)
      • 3.3 Introduction to Actions & Action Scripts (IDE Context)
      • 3.4 Understanding the Data Model (and Page Data Model UI)
    • 4. Common Customizations & Expanding Your App
      • 4.1 Adding & Configuring Buttons (Page Builder)
      • 4.2 Implementing Page Navigation (Actions & Site Navigation UI)
      • 4.3 Displaying Data in Tables (Page Builder & Element Config)
      • 4.4 Basic App Styling (Site Styling UI)
    • 5. Mastering the BetterForms Environment & Advancing Your Skills
      • 5.1 Understanding & Managing Environments (In-Depth)
      • 5.2 Deep Dive: Page Configuration & Settings
        • Navigating the Page Builder Interface
        • Working with Page-Level Action Scripts
        • Configuring the Page Data Model
        • Page Integration Settings Explained
        • Managing Page Info & Other Settings
      • 5.3 Working with Global Scripts
      • 5.4 Managing App (Site) Settings & Navigation
      • 5.5 Exploring Further: What to Learn Next
    • Support & Resources
      • Getting Help
      • Learning JSON
  • Reference
    • Site Settings
      • Navigation
      • App Model
      • DOM Header Insertions
      • Global Named Actions
      • Site Structure
      • Slots / Code Injection
    • Developer Mode
    • Page Settings
      • Data Model
      • Card / Window Modals
      • Validation
        • Custom Validators
      • Misc Page Settings
    • Page Elements
      • Copy of Site Structure
      • BetterForms Elements
        • Checkbox
        • Checklist
        • Cleave.js Input Masking
        • DateTime Picker
        • Google Address Autocomplete
        • Image Display Element
        • Input
        • Masked Input
        • Range Slider (noUiSlider)
        • Radios
        • Select
        • Advanced Select (selectEx)
        • TextArea
      • Common
        • Input
        • Button
        • Data Table
        • HTML
      • Grouping Elements
        • Tabs
        • Panel
        • accordion
        • accordion2
        • listrows
      • Uploading Files
        • dropzone
        • dropzone to S3
        • uploadCare
        • 🏗️Uppy File Upload Widget Integration with AWS S3
      • Misc Elements
        • Plain Text / Code Editor
        • signature
        • fullCalendar
        • rangeSlider
      • Payment Gateways
        • Authorize.net
        • PayPal
        • Stripe
      • Adding Custom Page Elements
    • Actions Processor
      • Named Actions (Action Scripts)
      • Actions
        • runUtilityHook
        • path
        • debounce
        • throttle
        • showAlert
        • showModal / hideModal
        • function
        • clipboard
        • cookie
        • setFocus
        • scrollTo
        • wait
        • emit
        • validate
        • channelJoinAnon
        • channelLeaveAnon
        • messageSend
        • messageSendAnonChannel
        • consoleError
        • showStripeCheckout
      • Authentication Actions
    • Script Hooks
      • Globals Variables
        • $$BF_Model
        • $$BF_App
        • $$BF_State
      • Keeping Keys Private
      • Reducing Payload Size
      • API Callback Endpoint
      • Common Hooks
      • Scoped Hooks
    • Users & Authentication
      • Managing User Accounts
      • Custom Login Pages
      • OAuth
    • Advanced Configuration
      • Custom Domains
    • BF Utility Functions
      • Example Usage
        • BF.i18n()
    • BF Error Codes
    • Messaging
      • Adding users to channels
      • Removing users from channels
      • Sending messages
      • Get connected users
      • Get active channels
    • Practices for File Downloads
    • BF Streaming Proxy
    • Updating the Helper File
    • Connection Trouble Shooting Guide
    • Software Testing Overview
    • JavaScript Libraries
    • FM BetterForms - Quality Assurance
    • Rollbacks and Version Control
    • BF Server Proxy
    • Setting up Auth0
    • Create an S3 Bucket on AWS
    • ApexCharts - Getting started
    • BF Enterprise Documentation
    • BetterForms Error Pages API
    • BF Streaming API
    • LLM Query API
    • Creating a PWA
  • Usage Tips
    • Troubleshooting
      • Debugging
      • Frozen Actions Queue
      • Vue Variables
    • JavaScript Tips
      • Calling Named Actions from HTML Vue Events
      • Calculations
    • Hacking a Webpage
    • System Overview
    • Forms Processor
      • Form Types
      • HTML & VueJS
      • Styling and Design
    • Customizing and Styling
      • Custom CSS
      • Custom Components
        • Components Editor
        • Component Best Practices
      • Page Pre-loaders
      • Favicon
    • Design Patterns and Best Practices
      • Working with environments
      • Handling Data
      • Saving Data
      • Data Optimization
      • Business Logic
      • UI / UX
      • Debugging
      • Script Engine Optimization
    • Getting Started
    • Installation
  • Security
    • Authentication
    • Security White Paper
    • Firewalls
    • Technology Stack
  • Compatibility
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  • BetterForms Helper File Integration Guide
  • What is a "Legacy Business FileMaker File"?
  • Steps to Install

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  1. Getting Started
  2. 1. Setting Up Your Foundation

1.2 Install BetterForms Helper File

BetterForms Helper File Integration Guide

The BetterForms Helper file contains preconfigured custom functions and scripts that help you interact with BetterForms. This guide will show you how to insert these into your existing FileMaker file.

What is a "Legacy Business FileMaker File"?

The "business file" refers to the existing FileMaker file that you are integrating with BetterForms. If you have multiple files or wish to create a new "API" file for stronger separation of business logic, the custom functions and scripts are only needed in a single file. Paste them into the file handling your logic for all BetterForms requests.

Each FileMaker file that BetterForms interacts with must have the same user credentials. Your BetterForms user account should have [Data Entry Only] permissions with XML and Data API extended privileges enabled.

Steps to Install

1. Install Custom Functions

  1. Open the helper file on your server.

  2. Navigate to the Integration tab and select Step 1. This action will copy the custom functions to your clipboard.

  3. Paste these custom functions into your legacy FileMaker file.

2. Install Scripts

  1. In the helper file's Integration tab, click Step 2.

  2. Enter the same common hook set name that you configured for your site in BetterForms.

  3. For your first scoped hook set, enter the name of the Scoped Hook Set that you chose for your first page.

  4. A set of scripts will now be on your clipboard. Open the Script Workspace of your legacy FileMaker file and paste in the generated scripts.

3. Reconnect the Helper File

  1. Open the Script Workspace in the Helper file.

  2. Locate the script named Hooks - Developer - Transmitter- CONFIGURE HERE.

  3. Edit the else if branch to match the domain you configured in your site settings.

  4. Edit the Perform Script step to run the Betterforms - App - Receiver and Dispatch script in your legacy file. You will need to add the legacy file as an additional FileMaker Data source to the helper file.

The helper file can route multiple BetterForms sites. While branching by the site's domain is most common, you can configure multiple sites in any way you see fit in this script.

Previous1.1 Configure FileMaker ServerNext1.3 Add Your Server to BetterForms (IDE)

Last updated 10 months ago

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