Tag Archives: GoZync

Go Faster

Posted on by
2

Todd and I have been working on some changes to GoZync, and the latest build offers a substantially faster sync down from hosted files.

In one test, pulling 5,000 new contacts went from 12:52 to 2:00 minutes flat. (Times will be longer on mobile and over shaky connections.) This is a big improvement.

Add this to Your Deployment

Needless to say, we recommend this for all users: only 4 scripts were changed so updating existing deployments is easy, though you will need to distribute new copies of GoZyncMobile, where most of the work was done. Instructions for making this change in deployed copies can be found here.

I’m very proud that GoZync is comprised solely of FileMaker scripts: most of our users are customizing GoZync to match their workflow and it’s important that they can take advantage of new builds like this by just replacing a few scripts.

Backstory

Todd started looking at this with an insight that Position() and Middle() degrade when working with long strings. That is, in a 1M character string (like a sync package)…

Continue reading →

FileMaker Sync Case Study: IT Solutions

Posted on by
Reply

The developers at IT Solutions just completed a great FileMaker Go project for the Center for Disabilities Studies at the University of Delaware.Untitled

The solution facilitates in-person evaluations of 100 public schools across the state and replaces a paper system that delayed feedback and analysis of this important information.

I can’t express how much FileMaker Go and the app developed by IT Solutions has positively impacted our project. We’re now able to complete evaluations in less time, and provide much more meaningful reports.

–   Debby Boyer, Services Director, Center for Disabilities Studies

IT Solutions is a Platinum Level member of the FileMaker Business Alliance and they chose GoZync to power the offline synchronization this app required. The solution uses GoZync to gather data entered in the field back into the main system where processing begins while volunteers are still out interviewing schools.

ITS1

ITS2Andrea Leadbeater at IT Solutions put together a great write up of the solution and the benefits it provides to the Center…

Continue reading →

GoZync Customer Solution: RigMan

Posted on by
Reply

Beautiful screen shot sent to us by Don Blaylock of Noble Casings; from a solution inspecting work on oil rigs…

rigman

…Don says:

I appreciate all your help. The syncing is working awesome! GoZync was central to the success of this and future products!!!

Glad to hear it Don; and thanks for the sexy screen shot: love the dimmed “1” and “2”.

FileMaker Sync: what we’ve learned making mobile apps

Posted on by
8

Overview.

We’ve been syncing FileMaker Go solutions since June of 2011 and it now seems like a good time to reflect on what we’ve learned helping folks make mobile apps as well getting the apps they already have debugged, sped up, and syncing.

This article will talk about some of the things we think are most important–and maybe counter intuitive–when planning a distributed app.

Because that’s the big shift for most of us: we’ve been making networked apps, and now that we’re mobile we’re making distributed systems. This is often much more of a shift in perspective tham the constraints of the mobile interface itself.

Continue reading →

Next for FileMaker Go: Mapping

Posted on by
5

Pleased to announce that our latest template for FileMaker Go is nearly ready to ship… GoMaps lets you visualize found sets on a map, with full control over the pop-over contents, including showing photos from your records right in the map. Click on a pin to see the pop-over; click again to jump to that record in your own layout.

Unlocked and already plumbed for offline access with GoZync, our sync engine for FileMaker.

We’re proud to say that FileMaker has chosen GoMaps as one of their iOS Showcase Applications. Congrats to Tanner Ellen and Lisette Wilson for all their hard work!

Tip: Debugging Using GoZync’s Logs

Posted on by
1

Working on a GoZync integration with Jason this morning and remembered this troubleshooting trick Todd and I came up with. This lets you quickly find where a given operation happens in GoZync scripts. (Worth a quick watch.)

Speeding up Sync: turning off delete management

Posted on by
Reply

We’ve added a new article to the GoZync docs describing how to turn off the automatic deletion of mobile records that no longer match the users’ pull criteria.

For users pulling very large found sets, this can radically speed up pulls down to their mobile device.

The article describes scenarios where this would help, and walks users though the (very simple) mods required. Again, thanks to Todd’s clean code, this can be as simple as changing a single line. (We should make a collection of our favorite one-line-mods.)

GoZync Syncs Calc Fields

Posted on by
Reply

In our last few GoZync deployments we’ve noticed folks frequently need to pull some related data down to the mobile file, but don’t want (or need) to sync the whole related table. Let’s say you want to get a customer’s credit limit on your iPhone but don’t want to sync the (massive) invoices table that is needed to calculate it.

calc

Well now GoZync will let you pull that field with a simple mod. This made several very cool use cases a real snap to sync. So keep in it mind for your next project.

TimeZync Ships

Posted on by
2

The first of a series of small templates built around GoZync.

TimeZync has finally shipped.

Most firms have a very hard time capturing billable time and TimeZync can help. It may be the fastest way to log time into a FileMaker solution. And it works offline, so folks can enter time wherever, whenever.

Here is an overview video (8 min)

Highlights:

  • Completely unlocked
  • Ships with two versions (two files): one can be used live, connected to your FileMaker Server/Host, and one works offline.
  • The offline version requires ProZync licenses of GoZync.
  • Very fast data entry experience.
  • Purchased version comes all wired up with GoZync and ready to sync.
  • You can add the hosted time table to you solution or, using GoZync field transformations, point the sync at a time table you already have.

MainMenusmTimeZync also highlights how GoZync is a framework, a platform, for syncing. Not only is the sync in TimeZync very customized (users pull down just their active projects) but users can get in there and customize the sync further, adding their own business rules. And, of course, folks who run TimeZync can use that GoZync instance to sync other tables and files in their FileMaker solution.