The Everything Reference

by Andy Gaunt
Stephen Dolenski

Publisher: DnG Design & Development
Copyright: © 2008 DnG Design & Development Inc Standard Copyright License
Language: English
Country: United States
Edition: Revised First Edition
  • Paperback book $44.99
  • Download $18.75

Printed: 87 pages, 9" x 7", coil binding, full-color interior ink

Download: 1 documents, 34616 KB

Description:

It’s a concoction of books, reference manuals, guides, application help files and original work, distilled into a single convenient source. Staying true to its name, we believe this book will prove to be an “everything reference” and a useful addition to your information arsenal. * FMPug members can save $15 on the printed version and $6 on the PDF version by logging into their member home page.


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Lulu Sales Rank: 3,304
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Everything Reference [ No Rating ] 19 Jan 2008
by
A lot of advertisements.
Basically a color chart, a function reference, some information about filemaker server and server advanced and some information about security. No scripting info. Nice layouts though. Recommend it for a the beginner.
IsEmpty (Preview) [ No Rating ] 18 Jan 2008 (updated 18 Jan 2008)
I, like other FM developers, would consider buying a well-received resource like this, but how about including some sample pages in the Preview section--other than just the Table of Contents--to help us with our decision?
Saved My Life!
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18 Jan 2008
Everything is layed out in precise sections without having to dig through explanations and extra descriptions that are in all the other FM books. At a glance I can see everything I'm looking for.

My FAVORITE feature is that it lays flat so I don't need an elbow or other devices to try to hold open the book page and type at the same time! I can even prop it up on it's own spine and it won't snap shut!

As a reference I really appreciate the clarity this book provides!

This is a YES!

'Everything' probably isn't the best word
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11 Jan 2008 (updated 11 Jan 2008)
The Internet seems to include 'everything' but the problem is finding what you want in a timely manner. There might not be anything in this book that isn't on the Internet, but I really don't like digging through millions of pages to find one answer. This is really the 'Organized and in One Place' reference. The book uses color coding effectively and everything is extremely well organized and easy to find.


The book is very complete though. I've used FileMaker for about 10 years but have never found anything that puts so much helpful info right in front of me and always within arms reach.


Two more benefits to the book... Although monitors are getting bigger, you can only get so much on the screen at once, and what's on the screen is what I'm working on. I don't like having to reduce my digital work space to look things up. Having a book instead of using the Internet means I don't have to disrupt what I'm working on to see the reference and my work at the same time.


The other benefit is (a know some people joked about this at DevCon but) the book lays flat. It may sound insignificant, but having the book spiral bound instead of glued makes it much easier to use. My desk gets messy and with a regular book, it either has to be on top of everything or go back on the bookshelf. If not all my other papers end up in more of a mess. Because the book does lay flat it can STAY on my desk and not have to go back to the bookshelf. That makes it all the more handy.


For me, it's a must have.
Handy reference
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10 Jan 2008 (updated 10 Jan 2008)
I'm a full-time FileMaker developer. This is one of the few reference books that I actually keep close by at all times.

The spiral binding is a thoughtful touch that allows the book to lay flat. The sections are nicely organized and are as follows:

Keyboard shortcuts: showing Mac and Windows equivalents, very useful when working cross-platform.

Colors: I don't think designers care about "web-safe" colors anymore, but I could see using this if you wanted to quickly use FileMaker's TextColor function for example.

Errors: If you're lucky you'll never need this section :)

Functions: What's particularly helpful here is that is tells you which versions of FileMaker can use the function.

Security: Two short but essential articles written by Steven Blackwell, the most respected authority in FileMaker security.

Server terminal commands: sometimes you just need it!

Tools and plugins: not comprehensive, but a good starting point for finding utilities, plugins and services that enhance FileMaker development.

Ads: I counted less than 25% advertising, all of which is of potential interest to FileMaker developers. If it helps enable publication of useful material, I'm all for it.

I took away one star because there's always room for improvement. :)
Excellent Resource from the Pug
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10 Jan 2008
I've had a copy of this book since last year's FileMaker Developer Conference. I can say that it's loaded with all the little things I find myself searching for on a regular basis as a professional FileMaker developer.

It's nice to have all of this information in one place and the design is such that you don't have to fight with the binding to keep it open to the right page.

Yes, there are ads, but they are all completely relevant to a FileMaker developer and act as a quick resource to some of the best third party tools around.

Great job!
Best to Look Elsewhere [ No Rating ] 10 Jan 2008
.50 per page - and 80% of the book being Ads?

Best to carefully review your other choices before wasting money here...

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