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Troi URL Plug-in

Troi URL Plug-in can help you fill in web forms on internet, all from FileMaker Pro. It also retrieves data or images from any http and https URL.

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Version 8.0

Works with

FileMaker Pro 16-19.3
FileMaker Server 16-19.3
macOS 10.14-11.6
Windows 8-11

Send and receive data from any http URL

Troi URL Plug-in can help you fill in forms on internet, all from FileMaker Pro. The FileMaker plug-in also retrieves data from any http URL. All from FileMaker Pro you can:

  • use the POST command to fill in a web form and retrieve the result directly in FileMaker Pro
  • use the GET command to retrieve data
  • use the PUT command to transfer files or upload data to web servers
  • use the DELETE command to delete items on web servers
  • use a secure connection (https) using SSL
  • get access to password protected web pages, including web services that require OAuth authorization
  • encode text into http format
  • get JPEG, PNG and GIF images directly into a container field
  • specify cookies, custom headers and proxy server settings
  • send tweets to Twitter with ease!

Fill out web forms from FileMaker Pro

Troi URL Plug-in can help you fill in forms and retrieve the result directly in FileMaker Pro. It can fill for example a form similar to this:

Web form

And you can submit the data of this form all from a FileMaker script, without the need of a browser. In a script you can fill this form with the TURL_Post function:

Set Field [result , TURL_Post( "-Unused" ;
"http://www.filemaker.com/greatform/cgi-sys/formmail.pl" ;
"field1=data1&field2=data2&secret=A12474&Submit=Submit%20for%20Processing")]

This will send the data to a web server and get the result back. A sample result might be:

<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>Example Web Page</TITLE></HEAD>
<BODY><p>You have posted the data.</p></BODY></HTML>

Of course the actual form and result can be quite different and more complicated in your situation.

Work with web services that require OAuth authorization

Troi URL Plug-in adds the TURL_AuthorizeWithCallbackScript function, which lets a user authorize Troi URL Plug-in to use a web service, for example Twitter. After authorization a script is triggered with a script parameter which contains the access token and secret. By storing these you can then use the web service (like sending a tweet). Currently this is a macOS only function. On both macOS and Windows you can use the function TURL_SetAuthCredentials, which enables you to set the Consumer Key and Consumer Secret for an OAuth authorization. This makes it possible to work with web services that use OAuth 1.0A. The plug-in comes with an OAuthWebService example file which demonstrates the OAuth functionality for Web Services and the TURL_SetAuthCredentials function.

Send (authorized) tweets from FileMaker!

Twitter uses the OAuth protocol to secure their Twitter API. We have included a separate Twitter example file which shows you how to use Troi URL Plug-in’s functions to authorize for working with a Twitter account and post tweets from FileMaker. After authorization, tweets (and other commands) can be sent for an account from FileMaker without the need to log in.

Support for UTF-8

Troi URL Plug-in can automatically detect if web pages are UTF-8 encoded and get the result with the right encoding into FileMaker.

Get images right into a container field!

It is possible to get JPEG and GIF and even PNG images directly into a container field. This allows you to harvest images, like photos directly from a web site!

Suggested Uses

  • fill in forms on web sites or your intranet
  • get online data like stock quotes, weather reports, etc.
  • automatically add information to listings and online databases
  • send your tweets to Twitter directly from FileMaker Pro

The possibilities are only limited by your imagination!

Try Troi URL Plug-in before you buy

You are free and invited to test the plug-in before you pay. Troi URL Plug-in is fully functional in demo mode, it will only stop working after 2 hours of testing. Download your copy here.

Troi URL Plug-in 8.0

Troi URL Plug-in 8.0 was tested and made compatible with Claris FileMaker Pro 19.3. The plug-in now runs natively on Apple Silicon: we made the plug-in a universal binary by adding code for the arm64 architecture of macOS. The plug-in was also tested and made compatible with Windows 11.
See the Version history below for a complete list of changes in this and earlier versions.

Version history

Troi URL Plug-in 8.0 (for FileMaker 16 to 19) (October 13, 2021)

  • Tested and made compatible with Claris FileMaker Pro 19.3.
  • (macOS) The plug-in now runs natively on Apple Silicon: made the plug-in a Universal binary by adding code for the arm64 architecture of macOS.
  • Tested and made compatible with macOS 11 (Big Sur) up to 11.6.
  • Tested and made compatible with Windows 11.
  • Tested and made compatible with Windows 10 version 21H1 (May 2021 Update).
  • Updated the example files to better handle newer plug-in versions.
  • Updated the plug-in to use the latest libraries or modern frameworks where possible.
  • Improved the speed of the Get URL script step and the TURL_Get function, they now return the results more quickly for large web pages.
  • IMPORTANT (macOS only) The minimum supported FileMaker version is now FileMaker Pro 16. Also the minimum supported macOS version is now macOS 10.14 (Mojave).
  • Made several other bug fixes and further (security) improvements.

Troi URL Plug-in 7.0 (for FileMaker 15 to 19) (December 18, 2020)

This version is a Troi URL Plug-in maintenance update

  • Tested and made compatible with Claris FileMaker Pro 19, including FileMaker Pro 19.1.3 and 19.2.
  • Tested and made compatible with macOS 10.15 (Catalina) and macOS 11.0 (Big Sur).
  • Tested and made compatible with Windows 10 version 20H2 (October 2020 Update), version 1909 (November 2019 Update) and version 2004 (May 2020 Update).
  • Added new switch “-ImageFileName” to the TURL_GetLastProperties function, which will return the filename of the last image downloaded.
  • (macOS) Improved compatibility when running FileMaker Pro 19 in dark mode, the flash dialog is now more visible.
  • (macOS) Improved loading the plug-in with runtime apps created with FileMaker Pro 18.
  • (macOS) Modernized the plug-in. It now uses a more modern framework.
  • (macOS) Improved error reporting when there is a problem loading the plug-in.
  • (macOS) If the plug-in can’t load a bundle at start-up, the plug-in will now write a detailed error to the system.log. See the Console.app in this case (search for FileMaker in the system.log).
  • IMPORTANT (macOS only) The minimum supported FileMaker version is now FileMaker Pro 15. Also the minimum supported Mac OS version is now macOS 10.13 (High Sierra).
  • Several other bug fixes and further (security) improvements.
  • Fixed a bug in the TURL_Get function, when getting images a slash could be added at the start of the name of the image, when storing the image in a container.
  • Improved the FillForm.fmp12 example.
  • Modernized the OAuthWebService.fmp12 example.
  • Small cosmetic improvement of the Regifunc.fmp12 example.

Troi URL Plug-in 6.0.1 (for FileMaker 14 to 18) (July 24, 2019)

  • Tested and made compatible with FileMaker Pro 18 and FileMaker Pro 17.0.7.
  • Updated the Twitter example.
  • (macOS) Fixed a problem on macOS 10.12 (Sierra) when stopping FileMaker or disabling the plug-in. In some cases FileMaker Pro could crash after the plug-in was unloaded.
  • Updated the EasyInstallTroiPlugins.fmp12 file, deinstalling version 6.0 is now improved: the example file can remove the problematic Troi URL Plug-in 6.0 without causing a crash.
    Note: if you have installed version 6.0 the EasyInstallTroiPlugins.fmp12 will first remove the old plug-in, and then stop FileMaker Pro. You need to open the EasyInstallTroiPlugins.fmp12 file again to complete the installation of the new version.
    If you prefer you can also remove the plug-in manually to avoid the crashing. See instructions how to manually update Troi URL Plug-in 6.0.
  • (macOS) Improved reliability of loading the Cocoa code bundle when updating a plug-in with the “Install Plug-in File” script step.
  • Modernized the Regifunc.fmp12 file, it now demonstrates the cross-platform plug-in registration process.

Troi URL Plug-in 6.0 (for FileMaker 14 to 17) (March 20, 2019)

New features

  • Tested and made compatible with FileMaker Pro 17.0.4.
  • Added new TURL_AuthorizeWithCallbackScript function, which lets a user authorize Troi URL Plug-in to use a web service, for example Twitter.
    After authorization a script is triggered with a script parameter which contains the access token and secret. By storing these you can then use the web service (like sending a tweet). Currently this is a macOS only function.
  • (Windows) Added code signing to the plug-in for Windows. (On macOS code signing was already added in version 5.0).
  • The plug-in now indicates if an external script step is compatible with a product. The step is shown in grey if it is incompatible for that product (for example for iOS) in the script editing pane (center) and the script steps pane (right).
  • (macOS) Prepared the plug-in for notarization: the plug-in can now be added to a runtime, to create a hardened FileMaker runtime app which can be notarized by Apple. Notarization gives users more confidence, as the runtime has been checked by Apple for malicious components.
  • Updated the code base, the plug-in now uses more modern C++ libraries.
  • (macOS) Removed old code dealing with resources.
  • Updated the EasyInstallTroiPlugins.fmp12 file, it can now run a test registration script for a plug-in after you have installed it on FileMaker Server.

Bug fixes

  • Fixed a display problem in the Specify Calculation dialog box: the parameters of the external functions are now displayed
    correctly in the function pane on the right.
  • (macOS) Fixed a compilation problem with code signing and extended attributes in Mac OS 10.12 (Sierra).

Other changes and improvements

  • IMPORTANT (macOS only) The minimum supported FileMaker version is now FileMaker Pro 14. Also the minimum supported Mac OS version is now OS X 10.9 (Mavericks). You can keep using v5.x for older versions of FileMaker Pro or Mac OS X.
  • (macOS) The plug-in no longer has the 32-bit code included.
  • Made small corrections to the user guide.
  • Updated the example files for FileMaker Pro Advanced 17.

Version 5.0 (for FileMaker 12 to 16) (June 26, 2017)

  • Tested and made compatible with FileMaker Pro 16.
  • Added new functionality to the TURL_Get function. When getting images, like jpegs, the name of the image (like for example img_4321.jpg” is now also added to the container data.
  • Fixed a problem with creating the correct OAuth signature for parameters in the TURL_SendAuthorizedRequest function.
  • Fixed a problem with the TURL_SendAuthorizedRequest function for urls that contain extra parameters (after a question mark: like www.example.com?page=1).
  • Improved the internal registration of function calls of the plug-in, making it more robust on more platforms.
  • Several bug fixes and further improvements.
  • Made various minor changes to the example files to better work with FileMaker Pro 16.
  • Updated the code by adding improved namespace handling to make the plug-in more robust.

Extra features when running FileMaker Pro 16

  • The URL Plug-in adds multiple script steps when running FileMaker Pro 16.
    You can select these script steps in the script steps pane in Script Workspace, or you can begin typing the script step name, then choose the script step from the list that appears.
    The script steps significantly expand the possible actions you can perform with FileMaker Pro. The following 7 script steps are added:

NOTE Only steps that perform an action have been added as a script step. Functions that just return information (like for example TURL_GetLastHTTPStatusCode) are only available as an external function.

  • Added new scripts to several example files, which demonstrate how to use the new external script steps of FileMaker Pro 16. The examples check if FileMaker Pro 16 is running and will select these new scripts.
  • Added support for online help for the functions and script steps of the plug-in. You can now easily get online help from the Troi website, by clicking the Help button (the small question mark button) next to the function description in the functions pane or the script step description in the script steps pane.

Troi URL Plug-in versions for FileMaker Pro 12, 13, 14 and 15

Version 4.5 (for FileMaker 12 to 15) (May 24, 2016)

  • Tested and improved compatibility with Windows 10 and OS X 10.11 (El Capitan).
  • Tested and made compatible with FileMaker Pro 15.
  • Added new function TURL_GetLastHTTPStatusCode: this function will return the HTTP response status code from the last executed HTTP request.
  • Added description and type-ahead information for all functions of the plug-in. This extra function description will be shown in FileMaker Pro 15 in the Specify Calculation dialog box when you type a function name and also as a text popup in the functions pane on the right.
    The type-ahead information is used by the auto complete functionality of FileMaker Pro 15. In the calculation pane of the Specify Calculation dialog box you can type a letter or two of the function name and instantly see a list of matching function names. For example when you type “pos”, the auto complete functionality will suggest the TURL_Post function. You can also type a function name in the functions pane on the right: for example if you type “auth” you will see all the functions relevant to authorization, like TURL_GetAuthorizationURL.
  • Improved the multi-threading behavior of the plug-in when running in FileMaker Pro 15.
  • Improved the example file EasyInstallTroiPlugins.fmp12, to provide more help when an installation error occurs.
  • Fixed several bugs, rewrote and modernized the code in several places and made further improvements.
  • Updated the User Guide and the Overview.fmp12 file.

Troi URL Plug-in versions for FileMaker Pro 12, 13 and 14

Version 4.1 for FileMaker 12, 13 and 14 (May 12th, 2015)

  • Tested and made compatible with FileMaker Pro 14.
  • Added support for 64-bit architecture with FileMaker Pro 14: On OS X the 32-bit and 64-bit version is a single universal plug-in and on Windows there are 2 plug-ins: Troi_URL.fmx (for 32-bit) and Troi_URL.fmx64 (for 64-bit).
  • Improved the example file EasyInstallTroiPlugins.fmp12, to support the 64-bit version of FileMaker Pro 14.
  • Fixed a bug that could make FileMaker Pro 14 become unresponsive after calling TURL_Get and TURL_Post function.

Older release notes

For older release notes please see here.

We offer the following licenses for Troi URL Plug-in:

single user, 10-user and 25-user license: these are meant for using the plug-in client-side, on FileMaker Pro and FileMaker Pro Advanced, including with files hosted by FileMaker Server. You need a license for every user that makes calls to the plug-in’s functions.

developer license: this license is meant for FileMaker solution developers, who want to include the plug-in with their solution(s) and distribute it to their end-users. Each of your end-users may use the plug-in with up to 25 users (contact us if any of your customers has more than 25 users). The number of organizations you distribute the plug-in to and the number of solutions you distribute it with are not limited. Works on FileMaker Pro and FileMaker Pro Advanced, including with files hosted by FileMaker Server.
Go to the developer license page for more info.

server/web license: this license registers the plug-in for use on FileMaker Server and FileMaker Server Advanced. It does not provide any client-side functionality. You only need this license if you want to use the plug-in in server-side scripts and in web published databases. It has no user limit.
Go to the server-side plug-ins page for more info.

All licenses work both on macOS and on Windows.

Pricing

New licenses

single user license US $ 79 per user
10-user license US $ 349
25-user license US $ 499
developer license US $ 499
server/web license US $ 349

Upgrades

If you have a license for a previous version, you can buy an upgrade for version 8.0. If you bought a license on or after December 18, 2020, the upgrade to version 8.0 is FREE! Note: eligible users have been sent a new 8.0 registration. Contact us if you have not received yours.
If you bought a license before December 18, 2020, you will need to buy an upgrade to use the 8.0 version:

single user license upgrade US $ 49 per user
10-user license upgrade US $ 169
25-user license upgrade US $ 249
developer license upgrade US $ 249
server/web license upgrade US $ 169

Below are a few things our users had to say about Troi URL Plug-in:

“First, I wanted to thank you guys for creating such excellent plug-ins. They fill pretty much all of the gaps in FileMaker and really go a long way into making it into the Swiss Army knife of cross-platform solution development.
The other reason I wanted to write is that I think you are sitting on a real game changer that potential customers might not be aware of without making it a little more obvious. I am referring to Troi URL’s ability to make FileMaker into an incredibly powerful web client, in particular for communicating with SQL databases. I have been absolutely blown away with what I can do in this regard with the plug-in. Combined with Troi File and Troi Encryptor it delivers the ability to create very fast (VERY fast), very secure SQL applications that provide a ton of extended capabilities over any browser-only based solutions. The link below points to a page on my site that explains a little more about the concept.
Thanks again, you guys rock, please keep up the exceptional work.”
Rob Salusbury, http://customdataservices.net/sqlclients.htm

“Peter, Thanks, I am a repeat customer and very happy with your products. I want to especially thank you for the pre-sales question you answered for me last week about the URL plugin. I was having trouble getting past web pages with NT-Type authentication. Your solution worked like a charm and is opening all sorts of possibilities for us. We are now able to automate some really cool things thanks to you. Cheers, and check out our project’s website at www.watchthewater.org. A large portion of the backend is powered by FileMaker Pro and your stuff.”
Michael Bateman, Ocean Lifeguard / Project Manager, County of Los Angeles Fire Department, Lifeguard Division

“For seven years FitBody Pro has been a stand alone Diet Software solution that consumers use to track their diet and exercise. We knew that our customers were adding foods to FitBody and wished they could share the nutrition profiles of those foods with other users. Synchronization was only a dream until we found the Troi URL plug-in. Our customers now seamlessly upload their records to our server and download updates entirely from our cross-platform FileMaker Pro runtime solution. Thanks Troi!”
Darwin Stephenson

“I’m probably not the first to tell you: Way-cool! Keep up the GREAT work!”
Erik Wegweiser, Intelligent Database www.ichizen.com. FileMaker Pro Developer, Consultant – Member, FileMaker Solutions Alliance

We are still collecting more comments. If you have any remarks on the URL Plug-in please send us your comments. Thanks!

Get image with Troi URL Plug-in
Tweet with Troi URL Plug-in
Easy Install Troi-URL-Plug-in for FileMaker Pro

Click images to enlarge

Related pages

URL Plug-in online help
Function and script step reference.

URL Plug-in FAQ
See a list of Frequently Asked Questions about this plug-in.

HTTP status codes
Communicating with a web server is done with the help of status codes. Some of those may be returned by the plug-in.

Troi URL Plug-in helps Rob connect
Using Troi URL plug-in to make FileMaker Pro into an incredibly powerful web client, in particular for communicating with SQL databases.

URL Plug-in Conversion from FileMaker Pro 6
(Older) information on how to convert databases which use Troi URL from FileMaker Pro 6 to FileMaker Pro 7 and later.

Post and retrieve information from internet!


	







			
 
		

	
 


		

	

	





	

				


		


			
			


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