Claris FileMaker Developer Tool Guide

Use the Claris FileMaker developer tool (FMDeveloperTool) included with FileMaker Server to perform the following actions on a specified FileMaker database:

  • Copy, clone, copy as compressed, or copy as self-contained

  • Rename

  • Save as XML

  • Encrypt or decrypt

  • Remove administrator access

  • Enable kiosk mode

  • Recover or perform a consistency check

Accessing the tool

The FMDeveloperTool command-line tool is available either:

  • Via download for Windows and macOS as a standalone executable

    Download the tool from Claris FileMaker Developer Tool.

  • Or, installed with FileMaker Server for Windows, macOS, and Ubuntu

During the installation of FileMaker Server, the FMDeveloperTool command is added to the accessible command paths, so you can run it from any location. The tool is installed in the following default locations:

  • Windows: C:\Program Files\FileMaker\FileMaker Server\Database Server\FMDeveloperTool

  • macOS: /Library/FileMaker Server/Database Server/bin/FMDeveloperTool

  • Ubuntu: /opt/FileMaker/FileMaker Server/Database Server/bin/FMDeveloperTool

Examples

For example, use the developer tool to:

  • Copy a database containing external container data as a single self-contained database

  • Rename a database or set of databases, updating internal database source links in the process

  • Save a database as XML for administrator review of database schema

  • Remove administrator access from a database to disable the ability to change schema

  • Recover a database to restore data in a corrupt database for transfer to a known good database clone

Advantages

Advantages of using the developer tool, instead of the FileMaker Pro Developer Utilities, include:

  • No need to transfer a hosted database from the server to a client machine before performing the same tasks

  • Ability to create system scripts to automate certain database admiinstration tasks

Terms

Terms used in this document:

  • source file: An FMP12 file to use the tool on.

  • target file: A copy, clone, or renaming of the source file created by the tool.

  • clone: A copy of an FMP12 file that contains all the tables, layouts, scripts, and field definitions but none of the data.

  • file to be cloned: A file that includes tables, layouts, scripts, and field definitions to use for the target file.

  • copy: A copy of an FMP12 file that contains all the tables, layouts, scripts, field definitions, and all of the data.

  • file to be copied: A file that includes tables, layouts, scripts, field definitions, and all of the data to use for the target file.