Beyond Scripting... Professional Programming for the Web.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is Lasso? How does it work? Lasso is a Web application programming language. It allows you to create a custom Web page which displays data from your FileMaker database to site visitors. You can allow site visitors to search the database or to add, update, and delete records from your FileMaker database. Your Web pages will be written in a combination of standard HTML and Lasso's easy to learn programming language LassoScript. Lasso has a built-in security model which allows you to determine what database action each visitor can perform. And, Lasso has many advanced capabilities which will help you create the best site possible including available Chart FX enterprise level charting, sending email, parsing XML, manipulating images, and much more. Lasso can connect to many other databases in addition to FileMaker including MySQL, Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, PostgreSQL, OpenBase, and SQLite as well as LDAP, Spotlight, ODBC, and JDBC data sources.


2. What FileMaker software do I need? Lasso can connect to FileMaker 9 Server and Server Advanced, FileMaker 7, 8 and 8.5 Server Advanced, FileMaker Pro 5 and 6 Unlimited, and FileMaker Pro 4. Lasso is available for Windows, Mac OS X, and Red Hat Linux and can connect to FileMaker hosted on either Mac OS X or Windows.


3. What is the difference between Lasso and PHP? Lasso is a commercial product which is published by LassoSoft. LassoSoft provides comprehensive documentation and excellent customer support for Lasso. PHP is an open source programming language which is created collaboratively by many individual programmers. PHP is typically compiled for each target machine from its source code.


4. Why use Lasso instead of PHP? Lasso provides a comprehensive set of functionality which is integrated into a single installation package. Lasso's language uses consistent naming conventions making it easier for you to apply your learned skills to other aspects of the language. Lasso's database abstraction allows you to use the same code to access FileMaker, MySQL, or any data source which Lasso supports. LassoSoft provides direct support for Lasso and hosts an excellent community of Lasso users who are willing to help new users.


5. What advantages does it give me vs FileMaker Web capabilities? Lasso allows you to create a custom interface for your database. FileMaker's Instant Web Publishing (IWP) works well for the sharing of databases within your organization, but can be difficult to integrate with a public Web site. Lasso offers full customization of the look and feel of your Web site, integration with dynamic technologies like JavaScript and AJAX, a full security model which is geared toward the Web, email sending and checking, support for open standards like iCalendars, XML, SOAP, XML-RPC, and RSS, and advanced features such as image manipulation, integrated charting, and more.


6. I want to publish a FileMaker database, how can I get started? You will need a compatible version of FileMaker (see question 2) and Lasso 8.5. Install FileMaker according to its instructions. Ensure that you can access the databases through Instant Web Publishing first. Install Lasso 8.5 according to LassoSoft's instructions and configure your FileMaker host. LassoSoft provides a PDF which details the required steps.


7. How can I speed up FileMaker publishing? The speed of Web serving is often determined by the amount of data which needs to be transferred from server to server. You can speed up FileMaker publishing by using custom layouts which contain only the minimum number of fields required for the Web-based database actions. Avoid searching or sorting on unstored calculations when possible. Install FileMaker Server Advanced on its own machine separate from the Lasso installation. Use Lasso's session and cache tags to store frequently accessed data and reduce the load on the FileMaker server.


8. How to synchronize FileMaker with MySQL? Lasso's database abstraction allows you to use the same syntax to perform searches and other database actions in any of Lasso's supported data sources. This makes it easy to use Lasso to search for updates in one data source and update the corresponding records in another data source. Lasso also provides a Database Browser tool which allow FileMaker layouts to be automatically converted into MySQL tables.


9. I'm blocked with CDML, how can Lasso save me? CDML is based on an earlier version of LassoScript, the language of Lasso. If you are familiar with CDML then you will find Lasso a comfortable environment. The Lasso Studio development environments for either Dreamweaver or Adobe GoLive provide a FileMaker CDML Converter which automatically translates an entire CDML Web site to the latest Lasso syntax. Using this converter you should be able to get started with Lasso without losing the investment you have made in your CDML Web site.


10. I'm blocked with XML/XSLT and FMSA, how can Lasso save me? Lasso connects to FMSA and allows you to create a custom Web site using an easy-to-learn programming language and your existing FileMaker databases. Programming a Lasso-based Web site is much more straightforward than programming a site using XML and XSLT. Many people find the procedural language which Lasso offers to have a much easier learning curve than the transformation-based language of XSLT. And, Lasso can parse XML and apply XSLT style sheets so you can continue to take advantage of any XSLT work that you have already completed.