JSON Session (FileMaker Week Rome, 2023)

Slide 2JSON

What is it?
Why does it matter?

Matt Navarre

Slide 3JSON

Slide 4Let’s Interact

zoom.us
503 616 9422

Slide 5About Matt

Passionate FileMaker trainer
Expert FileMaker developer
Certified in FM versions 7-2023
Founded 3 companies
FBA Awards, conferences, podcasts, Meetups

Hey, nice suit ^

Slide 6Free Stuff

www.navarre.training
SearchResutls 7
All JSON
Faster and easier to customize
fmLog 3
Coming soon…
Training classes - Champion Track starts in January

Slide 7Quick Poll

Do you use JSON:
Never
Sometimes
Daily

Slide 8Two Part Agenda

First: JSON Intro
Interactive: Let’s write code
Why I love it
Second: Experienced JSON Users
Show your stuff
Show Unique Uses
You have 90 seconds

Slide 9What is JSON?

JavaScript Object Notation
Structured text formatting
“Light weight data interchange format”
Human Readable
Like XML, but it doesn’t suck™

Slide 10What is JSON?

Hierarchical (nested structure)
VERY FLEXIBLE
FileMaker-y
Since Version 16
May 9th, 2017
2.343 days ago

Slide 11Why?

Simpler
Once you are comfortable using it
Just like Case ( )
And Let ( )
Better
Flexible
Bulletproof

Like with anything in life, there are things that seem difficult at first, but then bring simplicity to your life.
Staying upright on a bike.
Playing a scale.
Creating a multi-user relational database that ends world hunger.

Slide 12Use Cases

Passing Parameters
Configurations & Preferences
API Integration & Claris Connect
Audit Logs
Record Snapshot

Slide 13When?

Here
Today
Now

Slide 14Who?

Slide 15Who?

Slide 16Who?

Slide 17Who?

Slide 18Who?

Slide 19Who?

Slide 20Who?

Douglas Crockford

He didn’t invent it, but he did popularize it

Slide 21Two Functions

JSONGetElement ( )
Two arguments: Name and Value
JSONSetElement ( )
Four arguments – two that matter most

Let’s dive into Set Element. Why start with the easy one, right?

Slide 22Data Viewer

Slide 23Data Viewer

Click here

Slide 24Set

FM Defaults

What’s important?

My preferred formatting

Slide 25Set : Single

Let’s all head to DataViewer and type this.
JSONSetElement ( "" ; "color" ; "green" ; jsonstring )
Those of you who are JSON jockeys - it’s a good time to check your email.

Slide 26Code Break

Slide 27String Number Boolean, etc.

Each line can have a type. These three are the basics

Slide 28Punctuation

FileMaker ( ) [ ] ;
JSON { } , :

Slide 30Code Break

Slide 31Just Kidding

We will get there though

Slide 32We were here

Why No Workie?

Copy and paste the line with the name, value, and type.
Remove the last semicolon, just as in a Case ( )

Slide 33Punctuation Marks

[ ]

Nope

Yup

Here’s how to fix. Each line needs to be encased in [ ]
Oh by the way, did you note that you can type jsonstring and it turns into JSONString?

Slide 34Real Example

Slide 35Define as Object

JSONSetElement ( "{}"
Defined the element as a JSON object
JSONSetElement ( "" ;
Let’s FileMaker try to figure it out.

Slide 36Let ( ) us do more

Did you know that you can use a LET function to define a global variable?
Well now you do. And it’s great for this class.
Let’s duplicate the line in Data Viewer, and wrap the JSON in a Let, so we can create a global variable

Slide 37Code Break

Slide 38Get

Let’s jump over to the Current tab in Data viewer
Notice that the $$variable we defined is there. This is great, because now we can learn the second, easier function: JSON GET element

Slide 39Get

It just has two arguments. Name and Value
Both can be text. Or fields. Or variables.

Slide 40Code Break

Slide 41Get

Read All
Read Part
Read just one value

Slide 42Other Things you should know

Dot Notation
Arrays
Format Elements
Get Element Type
List Keys
List Values
Delete Element

Slide 43Code Break

Slide 44Passing Parameters

Passing Multiple Parameters
Get (ScriptParameter)
Get (ScriptResult)

Let’s integrate the simple code we just wrote. We will copy and paste the SetElement. Oh, and this is the last time you’ll need to write one from scratch - from now, just copy, paste, and edit. The beauty of DataViewer.