Philosophy of FileMaker

I’ve learned so much over the years by taking advantage of John Mark Osborne’s tutorials, so whenever he has a new one available, I’m quick to purchase it. I hesitated to buy this one, however, because the course summary made it clear that it’s an advanced course, and I doubted that I was ready for something like that. After watching a couple of the preview videos, though, I decided to buy it, and I’m so VERY glad I did! The thought process involved in building a calendar solution is different from anything I’ve done so far. There are some rather complex features, but John Mark explains the reason for everything, and his step-by-step methods make them easy enough to understand. Throughout the entire tutorial, he provides tips and shortcuts for making the development process easier and, in many cases, faster – especially when the task is repetitive. I appreciate the way John Mark leaves his little mistakes in the videos, because that’s something which really happens. It’s extremely helpful to see the process involved in correcting them. And it’s a great confidence-booster on the rare occasions when I spot the answer before he does! The questions at the end of each chapter focus on the important concepts, and it’s a nice little “pat on the back” when I get them all correct. I really appreciate the ones I either get wrong or get right only after much thought, though, because they show me the areas I need to review. So, if you’re just barely getting started with FileMaker Pro, the comprehensive “Philosophy of FileMaker” series will give you everything you need. But if, on the other hand, you’re like me and you’re hesitating to purchase the “Calendar Conundrum” because it’s labeled as an advanced course, I highly recommend that you just do it. You won’t be sorry!

JMO does a great job breaking down the complexities of developing a calendar solution. I would have given the course 5 stars, but a few of the explanations went just a little long, and while I understand the logic of going through every step, performing tasks such as assigning 42 portals then having to redo that action because of the positioning of the explanation adds a level of frustration. I'm not sure how I would accomplish both of these elements differently, but, just saying.