Creating custom plug-ins
If you are a C or C++ programmer and familiar with calculations and scripts in FileMaker Pro, you can create
plug-ins that extend the feature set of the FileMaker application. The plug-ins can take advantage of recursion and looping, or hook into other programming interfaces. To create a custom plug-in, you will need the FileMaker plug-in SDK available on the
FileMaker website.
To use plug-ins, FileMaker Pro users need to allow solution files to install and enable plug-ins. For FileMaker Server-hosted files, the server administrator needs to allow the
Install Plug-In File script step to update FileMaker Server plug-ins in FileMaker Server Admin Console.
To prepare your custom plug-ins:
1. Using C or C++, create a plug-in file.
Windows: The plug-in extension must be .fmx (32-bit FileMaker Pro) or .fmx64 (64-bit FileMaker Pro).
macOS: The plug-in extension must be .fmplugin.
2. Compile and test the plug-in.
3. Install the compiled plug-in file in a container field in your FileMaker solution. See
Installing plug-ins.
4. (optional) Set up the solution file to check the version of installed plug-ins and update them if needed. See
Updating plug-ins.
To make plug-ins available in a file, users need to:
2. (optional) Select
Allow Solutions to Install Files in the plug-in preferences to have plug-in updates installed automatically. See
Updating plug-ins.
3. Do one of the following:
•To use a function provided by the plug-in, sort the list of functions in the Specify Calculation dialog box by type. Under the name of the plug-in, choose a function.
•To use a script step provided by the plug-in, sort the list of script steps in the Script Workspace by category. Under the name of the plug-in, choose a script step.
Notes
•For security reasons, system administrators might require users to disable Allow Solutions to Install Files. Contact the system administrator at your customer site for more information.
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