Building a Multilingual App in FileMaker

I just finished reading and, to a limited degree, studying Daniel Wood’s post on building a multilingual app in FileMaker. If you need to take on a challenge of this nature, you must read and study his post.  And don’t forget to download the free FileMaker example file, as well.  It will save you a lot of time.

I have done some basic translation work in the past, mostly just pasting in labels in one off advertising databases – not really a challenge nor a dynamic solution.  I also worked with another developer to choose a language from a dropdown list and an have all auto parts being ordered show up in the proper lists and on the order details, as well. That solution was quite a bit more complicated.

Wood takes all of that to the next level, even going so far as to include value lists and navigation tools.  Very impressive. Read the post and download the file…it’s another great tool for your develop toolbox.

Source: Building a Multilingual App

Uploading large files to Dropbox

In case you missed it last year, Salvatore Colangelo wrote a post about uploading a files to Dropbox.  And this year he expanded on it:

We use Dropbox for a lot of things at Goya. We also use APIs for a lot of things. Last year we published an article explaining the basic steps of integrating the FileMaker platform with the Dropbox API.

The steps and endpoints in that article are still valid, but the Dropbox API uses a different approach for files bigger than 150Mb. One of the BaseElements plugin sponsors asked us to write an example of this process.

Check it out…and if you use BaseElements, consider becoming a plugin sponsor (I am).  Nick, Salvatore, and all the folks at Goya do great work and BaseElements is a godsend for the FileMaker community.

Getting a better night’s sleep

It used to be getting a good nights’ sleep was easy for me.  In fact, my wife wondered how I could fall asleep so fast – and wake up, without an alarm clock, within a minute or two of the time I wanted, too.  No problem.

That changed as time went by, falling asleep and staying asleep all night became a thing of the past.  Following the advice of our  driven culture, I didn’t worry about it too much.  If you want to succeed, you must put in the time.  And I wanted to succeed!

But being sleep deprived is a cumulative thing, and the side effects are bad…short term memory loss, reduced reasoning skills, increasing health issues, just to name a few.  That scared me, so I started looking for ways to go to sleep faster and stay asleep for longer.  I stumbled across an article about a technique developed by a coach back in the 1930’s.  He fought in WW2, and used his techniques to train servicemen to fall asleep under almost any circumstances.  After the war, he coached at a university for years and taught his athletes the same techniques.  And his athletes went on to win an amazing number of events over that time span.

I tried the technique below and practiced it every night for weeks.  I also did other things, like turn off the TV in the bedroom (my wife did not like that at first.  She fell asleep faster with the TV on), slow down on blue screen time as bedtime got closer, relaxed for a few minutes before going to bed, etc.

It worked for me

I now don’t have to do the technique most nights – I’m asleep within minutes of laying down.  And if I wake up during the night, I can use the technique to go back to sleep.

If you are having problems going to sleep and staying asleep, read the article below (and the one linked above, too). It just might help you.

Source: The Secret Military Trick To Fall Asleep In Two Minutes – AskMen

“There is a time for many words, and there is also a time for sleep.” 
― Homer, The Odyssey