6. Configure your FileMaker File(s)

Now that BetterForms is properly configured, let's finish integrating your legacy FileMaker file(s) so that we can test the entire workflow through BetterForms.

The BetterForms Helper file contains some preconfigured custom functions and scripts that will help you interact with BetterForms. On this page, we'll insert these into your legacy FileMaker file.

What exactly do you mean by "legacy FileMaker file"?

If you only have 1 FileMaker file in your solution, that is the legacy file we're referring to.

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 that will be handling your logic for all BetterForms requests.

Remember that each FileMaker file that BetterForms will interact with needs to have the same user credentials. Your BetterForms user account should be [Data Entry Only] with the XML and Data API extended privileges enabled.

Install Custom Functions

1. Open the helper file on your server, navigate to the integration tab and select step 1. This will copy the custom functions to your clipboard.

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

Install Scripts

1. Back 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.

Reconnect the Helper File

Now that your legacy file has all of the scripts needed to function, we need to do one last step in the Helper file to connect them both.

1. Open the Script Workspace in the Helper file and locate the Hooks - Developer - Transmitter- CONFIGURE HERE script.

2. Edit the else if branch to the domain you configured in your site settings.
3. 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 through the helper file. Branching by the site's domain is the most common, but you can configure multiple sites in any way that you see fit in this script.