The 6 videos below are all short extracts from the one above.
The FileMaker™ Advantage
SAP, SQL & Oracle.
Microsoft’s Access.
Are you using Spreadsheets?
Hiring a Developer.
The ‘It’s a Toy’ Syndrome
Client Testimonials
Michael Rocharde is a very knowledgeable and experienced business optimizer. He is also a software developer with an expertise in the FileMaker platform. I have used his UManageIT program and have been happily amazed at how it can streamline and optimize any type of business. Michael’s work ethic stems from a passion for what he does and a high standard of quality for his products and services. Every business can be optimized and Michael Rocharde is the man for that job!
Jeffrey Atherton, Max Height Web Solutions
Michael has vast knowledge of different types of business and the day to day tasks required to run these different types of business. He shares his ideas and solutions to help streamline tasks using his expertise and the Filemaker software tools. He writes intuitive programs to assist the business to achieve their goals. He communicates well, understands company goals and supplies a product that works and is on time. Michael is easy to work with and does what he says he will do. Mini-Mover Conveyor highly recommends Michael. John Blacklock, Sales Manager, Whipple Enterprises
Michael was a pleasure to work with as a consultant on one of my projects. He responded promptly to inquiries (despite the different time zone) and gave very practical, sound recommendations on how to approach problems we were having in developing our FileMaker solution. Would not hesitate to recommend him and will continue to work with him in the future.
Michael is a FileMaker Pro expert who I would absolutely recommend. He helped us (a retail and wholesale bakery) create a file to automatically update par levels based on historical sales. He went above and beyond, and patiently worked with our moody inventory software to create a functional, valuable system for us.
Excellent work, highly responsive, very professional.
Absolutely 100% happy with this job. Michael did a great job.
Michael’s business insights and his unique skill set triggers a powerful re-evaluation of priorities, allocations and process improvement possibilities.
Awareness of his ability to clearly articulate the value of cost-effective, efficiency building options inevitably leads to the conclusion that working with Michael is a compelling, overwhelming priority.
Working closely with Michael inevitably leads to cost savings and a highly leveraged time value proposition that’s essential for any company looking to stay competitive in today’s marketplace.
Richard Wickline, eViews
Michael has an amazing ability to hone in on the challenges that businesses face in terms making their operations more efficient. He is gifted at creating the tools that save companies considerable amounts of time and also help to more effectively deploy the skills and talents of the company’s employees. Joyce Feustel.
Michael was initially hired to update an existing FM database from version 6, which was performed well but ended over budget and over the proposed time line as it was more complex than originally he thought. Michael compromised and completed the job at his original quoted price and although I was reluctant initially to his ideas, his design worked well. I continued to use Michael due to his exceptional knowledge of FileMaker. His skills as a Programmer / Systems Analyst coupled with his professionalism take Michael to the top level of the eLance community and he is now our only choice for repeated FileMaker projects as our automotive car loan business continues to expand. The software project is an on going collaborative effort and has had over 70 revisions / additions to date, making it a smooth and unique software design giving my business a competitive edge over the rest of my industry. EXCELLENT WORK and congratulations to Michael on a job well performed! Randy Wright, Auto Focus Canada
Michael is the most professional and knowledgable person with in this industry that I have EVER done business with.
Michael is truly a wizard with Filemaker. He developed a complex, enterprise-wide program for our commercial construction company to use. The program served as our platform to manage budget and subcontracts. After it’s initial roll-out, we continued to work with Michael to incrementally improve it over a number of years with great success. Michael is good at listening to what his client needs and using his tremendous FM expertise to deliver an effective solution. Eric Raff, President, XL Construction
Michael has great project management skills, stays highly organized during complex, long-term programming tasks, and maintains a super sense of humor. His communication skills and foresight allow him to work smoothly with all team members, while translating our varied departmental requests into a finished product that exceeds our expectations. He knows his stuff, keeps deadlines and always delivers workable, elegant solutions…. on time. Roberta Crowell, Marketing Manager, Whipple Enterprises
Michael has gone above and beyond with his customer service skills, exceeded my expectations beyond what I knew was possible, doubled the efficiency of the business if not tripled, and the whole process has been seamless. He has answered all of my questions in great detail during the process of creating a very complex system but he has simplified it in a way that anyone would understand. Every aspect of this custom built system has been seamless. If you can dream it he can build it. Ben Olson, Black Canyon Anglers
I received numerous quotes for the job I had posted. Many were significantly less expensive than Michael’s. I ultimately decided to work with Michael because I was impressed by his experience, professionalism, and understanding of my needs. He did not let me down. I am extremely happy with the results. I would highly recommend Michael to anyone looking for a customized, quality Filemaker database. Eli Adler
This is an internet meme that you may have seen before but with my personal spin on it. I hope it gives you a few laughs.
(BTW, the idea of this was to promote a new project, FileMaker™ Community College, which I’m hoping will be coming soon. Like everything else, it’s just a matter of finding time).
The video below is about the release of FileMaker & You, which was written for beginner to intermediate developers, typically working in-house.
Reviews are shown below. Click on either book image to go to its iTunes page.
I’m currently working on FileMaker & You, Volume 2. Write a review (on iTunes) of either of my other 2 books and get entered into a drawing for a free copy of V2 when it is released later this year.
Multimedia eBooks
$14.99
FileMaker & You was written for me! ★★★★★
by SurgeryDad – May 31, 2017
Thank you to Michael Rocharde for making FileMaker not only more easily approached, but for putting it in a way that makes one feel that this massive and ever-updating resource, (FileMaker 16 just released) is approachable and can become a fluid way to handle and optimize technology for data resource utilization. The videos, the examples, the indexing and even the call to arms: “You should write a FileMaker book” are inspirational. If I can figure out how to rate this book, I will give it a 5 out of 5.
FileMaker & You ★★★★★
by DSI Vail – Aug 26, 2016
Michael Rocharde has come out with a new book, “FileMaker and You”. Like his first book “FileMaker & Me” which focused on interface design, this new read gives you that same unique and enjoyable view into his approach while working with FileMaker, but this time focuses on how he goes about problem solving. Even though Michael categorizes it for the novice to intermediate developer it’s worth a read from even the most advanced FileMaker developer. For example, the chapter on how he approaches handling the problem found in a reservation system of assigning only available resources to a booking and how he works with dates was an “aha” moment. I look forward to reading and tearing apart the other example files he includes to explore alternative ways to approach solving problems with FileMaker… Thanks Michael.
by torch_55 – Oct 14, 2016
Michael Rocharde takes a totally different approach to FileMaker training in this book. He shows how his thought process starts with trying to solve a particular problem and then how he applies his knowledge of FileMaker to solve that problem with a solution that is both efficient and well suited to the user’s needs. It is like seeing through the trees to actually see the forest. I came away with a lot of ahah moments in reading through the book and plan to disect the sample files that are given in the book to make Michael’s techniques part of my FileMake knowledge base. It is a really nice bag of tricks that have helped me move up the FileMaker learning curve.
A great resource — especially for in-house developers ★★★★★
by Yellowjacket Dataworks – Jan 15, 2017
Agreed that this is not your mother’s FileMaker Training Book. Michael has been exceedingly generous with his knowledge in this book and his previous one, and both make wonderful use of the iBooks platform. I think any developer will find something new here, but I’d especially recommend FileMaker & You and FileMaker & Me to the self-taught in-house developers who learned FileMaker piecemeal as they went along, project by project. Michael shares his overall approach and best practices, and we are all better for it.
Recommended Reading ★★★★★
by wpicker2 – Aug 26, 2016
Michael’s book uses well-chosen case studies and examples to solve common problems using FileMaker. I often refer to this book to stimulate my thinking when troubleshooting methods and practices. The advice shared is based on core fundamentals of database design and depicts the related FileMaker capabilities—this is key to learning at any level. After spending many years designing custom solutions, I find the techniques in this book to be clear and concise. Michael not only covers the salient points of how a developer would identify common problems, but he delves further into how to use the native capabilities within FileMaker to frame and solve those problems. This book is a valuable read for newcomers and experienced FileMaker developers alike.
Technical manual meets novel ★★★★★
by TMcKibbin – Jul 8, 2017
Michael Rocharde has crafted a surprising blend of an enjoyable read, including real life stories, with technical details. Added to being well written, the use of capabilities on the iBook platform make for a deeper experience; written word, interactive diagrams, video and straight audio. If you are new to FileMaker, read carefully what makes sense and skim what you don’t understand looking for what’s possible. Later when you need that ability come back to it and I think it will sink in.
I have found the book rather enlightening and have found that I have now been switching back and forth from this book and reviewing your details in the first book. I also found that it is a great reminder of what I should have been doing previously to the extent, I have revisited some solutions I had been playing around with and revamped my previous attempts. Allan McGuiness.
$14.99
I like it. Its great stuff. I wrote about this years ago and you did a much better job capturing the concept and your examples are excellent. Very impressive.
Cris Ippolite
Outstanding ★★★★★
by ANTHONY ROBERTS – Jun 28, 2012
Michael Rocharde’s singular accomplishment is that he has managed to write a book about programming which is, simultaneously, both informative and entertaining. The book is a very useful, hands-on guide, to resolving a number of common programming challenges in FileMaker. And, the author advocates for, and effectively illustrates, many FileMaker Pro “Best Practices.” The layout and presentation of the book (iPad iBook) successfully exploits many of the audio/visual options available in the e-book format. I highly recommend it.Great read ★★★★★
by Old Geeza – Aug 17, 2013
I am just starting out with Filemaker. I had a go in the old days of Claris but never really got into it. I decided to learn how to use it as my retirement project. I had already produced my first solution with cranky scripts and a rather clunky interface and then I found this book. Revelation, wow you can make your stuff look that good. I read the book through a couple of times and then started to redesign my efforts. Beautiful, layouts shown in the book, loads of tips, bits of code and everything presented in such a nice way, the animations make things easy to understand. The thing that comes over so strongly is that this is a place where form is at least as important as function. As the format improves so does the desire to make everything better, you start thinking about how you can make this or that work better so for your user it just works. A great book not about ” this is how you make a table relationship” more about making things that people want to and enjoy using. I look forward to Michael’s next book, I know it will help me gain the knowledge that would normally take years to accumulate. The most useful Filemaker book I have seen.
A fascinating read! ★★★★★
by seejaywhy – Jul 29, 2012
Really enjoyed reading this book. Some interesting insights into FileMaker development, user interface design, and techniques for solving real world problems. It’s particularly strong on user interface design. The author clearly has a lot of experience with FileMaker and shares this with the reader in an easy to understand, conversational way, with good examples, screen shots, and videos. This is different to many of the FM self-help books I have read so far. In fact I had a question on one of the points in the book and emailed the author directly. He replied in just a few hours and went to a lot of trouble to help explain the solution. In addition the author introduces other FM developers he is familiar with, and discusses their particular techniques or approaches. If you’re involved in FileMaker application design or development I would recommend this book. Thanks Michael! Chris.
Excellent Read! ★★★★★
by Matthew Leach – Jul 6, 2012
All around excellent reference for any new or seasoned FileMaker developer. This books covers several “best practices” and common challenges just about every FileMaker developer comes across and shows you how to overcome them in details and illustrations. I would highly recommend to anyone who develops in FileMaker!
Excellent Book ★★★★★
by pmjd – Jun 10, 2014
I have read other FileMaker books but this one is quite different in that it primarily concerns interface design. However it also includes numerous technical hints and tips that I haven’t seen anywhere else but I would class as essential for someone new to FileMaker wishing to create and improve their solutions. The writing style is relaxed, informative and entertaining. The step by step analysis and redesign of one interface is interesting to see and well broken down. It has helped me re-evaluate my own designs and try to improve them. It is ideal for beginners to have a look at interface design and give them a few ideas and things to consider when they design their own database. However some technical aspects assume that you are familiar with FileMaker already, so you may need to read up or play around a little. I would highly recommend this book and I’m looking forward to the follow up, FileMaker & You.
Among the plethora of FileMaker books that have been published, this book really stands out not specifically as a bible or tutorial (there are enough of those) but instead by offering insight only a seasoned developer can provide. Michael offers a unique perspective on building solutions based on his experiences — the good, the bad and the ugly — which combined gave way to his methods that promote a different approach to development, emphasizing form followed by function and always putting the user experience first. This book is an excellent addition to any developer’s library of resources
Geoff Ryle
Love the interactive elements that you’ve included in the book. It is a very refreshing take on FileMaker.
Scott Rose
Michelle Gonzalez
May 31, 2013
I did it! I actually ended up getting a brand new iPad, and the first thing I did was download iBooks and purchase FileMaker & Me. I read it all the way through, and then went back and re-read certain chapters. Right from the beginning, your section on planning a new database helped me so much! (I’m going to be developing a new solution for my employer, and I was having a difficult time getting started.) I refer to the book quite often, and I’m looking forward to your new one – FileMaker & You.
FileMaker & Me ★★★★★
by RJPlus – Mar 9, 2013
Michael has provided the community with a very nice utility that provides detailed process steps to enable a wide range of interesting functionality within FileMaker. I particularly liked invisible tab controls in layouts and virtual lists (thanks here to Bruce Robertson for he initial concept). The features that appealed in particular were firstly – Michael’s relaxed and assured narrative style and secondly – the videos and other interactive materials. Well worth the purchase – thanks Michael.
Every day reading book. ★★★★★
by Cozquila – Apr 22, 2014
I would consider this as an ESSENTIAL book for every Filemaker developer, from the beginners to the most experts. Michael Rocharde shows how to “think” Filemaker. The finesse of his approach is rarely seen. The book strcture and resources used are outstanding. And more: need help? Contact Mr. Rocharde. You’ll get a kind, fast and solving answer. Twenty years ago I built my clinic system based on another database. Today, I’m developing an “upgrade” with Filemaker and, trust me, it’s infinitely practical, powerful and, mandatorily, beautiful. And this book exposes nicely how it could be so that the users (I’m included) will WANT to use the solution. Highly recommended.
Recommended ★★★★★
by CReesman – Sep 12, 2012
Thanks for writing this book! It is a great read full of solid ideas and some great design nuggets. May your journey continue for many more years so we will have a Vol. 2.
Excellent book! ★★★★★
by RogerWood17 – Aug 29, 2012
Lots of very good tips and advice. Easy to read and it works well as a proper eBook. This is not about FileMaker features its all about database interface design using FileMaker.
Recommended Reading ★★★★
by drewsimpson – Jan 10, 2013
As a newbie to developing with FileMaker, this gives you tremendous insight into the mind set of developing successful solutions. Mr. Rocharde’s writing style is funny, entertaining, informative. The multimedia parts of this e-book really helps to drive home the illustrations, and aid in understanding a somewhat dry topic of programming and best practices.
by app.works – Jun 12, 2012
A thought provoking book, with great illustrations on the subject of database design. Also, great to get a close look at Michael’s story and how he arrived at convulsions – which is more informative than just the conclusions alone. Matt Navarre