Client Testimonial:
Thanks for sending the references – they are probably some of the best I’ve ever contacted!! I look forward to working with you!

—Steve Cossey

Challenge:
Steve Cossey provides geological information concerning oil fields and reservoirs. He wanted to give his CD-ROM distributed reference FileMaker Pro database a face lift with an elegant and intuitive graphic user interface. He also wanted to add bar-graph and scatter-plot charting, as well as printing and exporting functions for the user. He knew that charting was possible in FileMaker Pro, as evidenced by Brian Dunning’s breakthrough product ChartMaker Pro, but he didn’t have the time to learn these techniques himself.

Solution:
We created a new FileMaker Pro solution and implemented an “Aqua”esque GUI, complete with a [Back] button for simple navigation. Using ChartMaker Pro techniques, we incorporated the scatter-plot chart to handle up to 50 sets of X/Y coordinate data, and provided a horizontal bar-graph view that would accommodate an unlimited number of records. The export requirements were unique: our client didn’t want his customers to see the normal “export” dialog box that FileMaker Pro provides, as it lists ALL the data fields, many of which had fairly cryptic names – and both of these facts made it hard to locate the desired data fields. The solution was to create an automated export script that allowed the user to select up to five data fields to be included using a familiar pop-up menu interface. The results were extremely well-received.

Result:
The final FileMaker Pro product was extremely well-received, and helped Steve increase his business base with more customers. Steve was so happy with our web database development services that he returned to Excelisys to handle his next two FileMaker Pro projects.