Creating ASP pages using FileMaker and Dreamweaver

While FileMaker is not one of the databases that was tested by the Dreamweaver engineers during development, Macromedia technical support has been successful in getting this configuration to work using the Active Server Pages (ASP) server model. This TechNote is intended to provide Dreamweaver users a concise starting point for setting up a FileMaker database as their back-end database for an ASP web application. This TechNote also serves as a troubleshooting guide for the most common errors users will encounter when configuring Dreamweaver, FileMaker and ASP.

Note:Because FileMaker was not tested by the Dreamweaver engineers, Macromedia does not provide technical support for this configuration and does not guarantee this configuration to work. Potential customers are advised to get the trial version of Dreamweaver first, to verify that this configuration works to their satisfaction before purchasing Dreamweaver. Users who need assistance are encouraged to use the Dreamweaver Application Development newsgroup or the FileMaker newsgroup. For a list of fully supported databases, please see the Dreamweaver MX dynamic FAQ (TechNote 16341).

General ASP and ODBC configuration

ASP is a Microsoft server-side technology for creating dynamic database-driven web applications. ASP pages are processed by a server running Microsoft's Internet Information Services (IIS) software, which is an included component of some versions of Windows (2000, XP Pro, NT) that doubles as a web server and an ASP application server. Because IIS only runs on Windows, Macintosh users that want to create ASP pages will need to connect to a Windows machine and use it as the Testing Server in the Dreamweaver site definition. This connection can either be through a local area network (LAN) or an FTP connection.

ASP pages can connect to databases via ODBC drivers or OLE DB providers installed on the application server (the Windows machine running IIS in this case). FileMaker has made an ODBC driver for FileMaker, but not an OLE DB provider, therefore ODBC is the only option here. In this TechNote, we will use an ODBC Data Source Name (DSN) configured through the Windows Control Panel. In order to install the ODBC driver on the Windows machine, you must install FileMaker on the Windows machine. This is the only way to get the ODBC driver, unless you have FileMaker Developer Edition, which has a separate ODBC driver installer.

Database and application server configuration options

FileMaker, a subsidiary of Apple, is most commonly used on the Macintosh, but there is a Windows version as well. Both the Macintosh and Windows versions can be used as the back end database for an ASP web application. Here are a few architectural options for setting up an ASP web application with a FileMaker database:

Configuring FileMaker for an ASP web application

In order for FileMaker to work with an ASP web application, FileMaker's Remote Data Access Companion (RDAC) plug-in needs to be enabled, even if FileMaker is installed on the same machine as the application server. You can enable RDAC in FileMaker as follows: Edit > Preferences > Application > Plug-Ins tab > check the Remote Data Access Companion checkbox (illustrated below):

Open the FileMaker database file you want to use as the back end for your ASP web application. In FileMaker, go to File > Sharing> check the Remote Data Access Companion checkbox (illustrated below):

Configuring the ODBC DSN for FileMaker

In Windows 2000 / XP Pro, go to Start > Settings > Control Panel > Administrative Tools> Data Sources (ODBC). After installing FileMaker on the Windows machine, you should have the following FileMaker drivers listed under your Drivers tab:

Click the System DSN tab and create a new FileMaker DSN as follows:

The Use Remote Connection checkbox must be checked, and the Server Address needs to be set to the IP address of the machine running the FileMaker database, and if FileMaker is installed on the same machine as the application server use the local loop back IP address: 127.0.0.1.

Note:The way that ODBC works on FileMaker requires that the FileMaker database be up and running on the machine that is hosting the FileMaker database (either Windows or Macintosh).

FileMaker DSN-less connections

If you would rather use a connection string instead of a DSN, in Dreamweaver go to Application > Databases > plus button > Custom Connection String > and type (or copy and paste) the following text into the Connection String field:

Note:There should not be any spaces or line breaks in the string, except for a space between the words "FileMaker" and "Pro".

Other information about FileMaker and Dreamweaver

Common errors and problems with FileMaker configurations

Additional information

For information on Lasso Studio for Dreamweaver, please see Using FileMaker in Dreamweaver via Lasso Studio (TechNote 16428).

For more information on FileMaker, please see the FileMaker website or the FileMaker newsgroup.