Plugin Setup

This page is about configuring XCode (Mac) or Visual C++ (Windows) so that it will compile plugins for FileMaker.

Taking either the FileMaker Plugin example, or one of the sample templates provided by other plugin developers and getting it to compile so that it will load in FileMaker Client.

Initial Configuration

Changes to make to compile the plugin and make any other initial setup changes.

Code Signing

Steps to prepare your plugin for signing Code Signing

Mac OS X Lion

Mac OS X Lion no longer supports legacy PowerPC applications via Rosetta. In addition, Xcode 4 no longer uses the GCC compiler. Because it may be desired to continue to support FileMaker on PowerPC, it is necessary to use the GCC 4.0 compiler.

XCode 4

By default, Xcode 4 doesn't install the GCC4.0 compiler, which is required for FileMaker Plugins.

See the Mac OS X page for steps to install the GCC4.0 compiler with Xcode 4

Microsoft Visual C++

When attempting to compile the plugin on Windows using Microsoft Visual C++ Studio, I found I needed to download and install VS SDK for Windows.

This can be downloaded for free from www.microsoft.com

Adding Version Info to Windows Plugin

By default, the FM 7 API doesn't add the 'Version' information to the compiled plugin on windows. You can include this by copying from the FM5.5 API the Version Info Adding Windows Version Info

Note : Windows vista, 7 or 2008 Server will only show version information for .exe's or .dll's. There doesn't appear to be a way to display version information for other file types, such as FileMaker Plugins

Plugin Function Definition in one File

By default, the FM 7 API requires you to define each Function Definition in multiple files. This means duplication on Mac & Windows. It is possible to modify the main FMExample_Plugin.cpp file to include the definitions all in the one file, removing the duplication. Function Definition