There are three primary models, or ways of arranging the data architecture in FileMaker Pro.
These are:
1. Hub & Spoke (HS)
2. Anchor-Buoy (AB)
3. Selector-Connector (SC)
HS has been around for a long time, and is perhaps the oldest and often original method for design.
It is a common (mistaken) expectation of new developers, as I remember myself, that all the various tables need to be connected to each other (when in many cases they do not). This is why HS sometimes turns into a “spider web.” What started out as a simple database slowly grows over the years and if a person is not planning well or doesn’t understand the unique benefits of designing in FileMaker, it can turn into a complete mess. I should know as my original database (which still works by the way!), is a mess behind the scenes. It has lines going everywhere, and a really impossible to follow dataflow (we have improved our technique since then).
Now there is the beautiful option of Anchor-Buoy (AB). AB has a number of things going for it.
The design principle is very clear; all layouts have their own ‘anchor’ table occurrence (on the left), and all related tables have specific table occurrences (TO’s) stretching out to the right. The second design rule for AB is in the naming convention. Every TO which is connected to the anchor, starts with the anchor’s name, and each succeeding TO receives the additional name of the TO’s to its left. This way you really have a series of bread crumbs in the naming convention. The advantage is that whenever you are working within the calculation functions of FileMaker and see a list of TO’s to choose from, you can instantly tell exactly where in the Relationship Graph (RG) you are. As you know, in FileMaker (as in life), it is all about relationships. You need to know where you are in the relationship graph. AB’s naming convention helps with this admirably.
Selector-Connector has recently became popular.
SC is a design method in that relationship that ensures the various parts of the graph are only created ‘on the fly’ when they need to be use. This is done by using global fields to connect the rest of the graph to a particular layout. There is no reason in FileMaker, why a sub-table which connects to several other parent tables, has to have a permanent connection. If we simply replace the global field in the connector TO, then we can link to any other table we like. SC has the advantage of reducing the size of the relationship graph.
Currently Hub & Spoke is only a viable choice for small relationship graphs, where it is quite simple to understand the connections. Once a project moves into the medium or large territory, then the AB & SC are better choices for what you are looking for. At HighPower, we have worked with all three and can maintain or improve any file which begins with either of these.
We like Anchor-Buoy because it is easy to understand, and can be fast, as long as you keep small table occurrence groups.
Keep those relationships healthy and your application will have a good chance of being a fast, efficient tool to spur your company’s growth and business success.