Reactor FAQ

How is this different to the JavaScript functions in FileMaker 19?

Good question. FileMaker 19 does largely do away with the need for Reactor in a lot of cases because you can achieve communication between the web viewer and FileMaker by calling scripts and pass data as JSON parameters in and out of the web viewer.

Reactor provides a deeper level of integration and provides the means to bundle up all your resources as one convenient bundle, including images that the control might need. With Reactor rather than passing data back and forth, you tell Reactor which fields to read and write and it does that all for you — there’re no FileMaker scripts to build, maintain or run.

What Versions of FileMaker is it compatible with?

Reactor v6 has been tested with FileMaker 18 and 19, but is probably backwards compatible by several more versions.

Does Reactor work with FileMaker Go on iPad or iOS?

Not at this time — we’ve experiemented with an iOS SDK and have a proof of concept functioning. Given FileMaker 19’s built in JavaScript functions we think that’s a more general solution, so we’re working on making Blackboxes work with those built in functions, avoiding the need for a plug-in altogether and therefore compatible with FileMaker Go.

Does it work with WebDirect?

Sadly no. Reactor is a client-side plugin only which means it can’t be made to work with WebDirect.

However we are working on a making some of our Blackbox controls WebDirect compatible using the FileMaker 19 JavaScript functions.

Where does the plugin get installed?

Deep inside the FileMaker extensions library…

If it’s not working…

Check your FireWall settings: Reactor is essentially a web server within your local machine. Sometimes vigorous FireWall settings can prohibit the webviewer being able to reach that web server on the local address 127.0.0.1