(Images courtesy of AppleInsider)

Veteran Mac database software FileMaker Pro 11 was released Tuesday, and among the new features are improved chart visuals, on the fly reporting, Quick Find and a host of new productivity tools to make database creation faster and easier.

Apple’s FileMaker Inc. subsidiary announced the latest version of their flagship software today with FileMaker Pro 11. But they didn’t stop there: Updates are available for the entire product line, including FileMaker Pro 11 Advanced, FileMaker Server 11 and FileMaker Server 11 Advanced, according to AppleInsider.

"FileMaker Pro 11 is designed for solving real-world business problems, such as the need for interpreting business data," explains FileMaker Inc. vice president of marketing and services Ryan Rosenberg. "With easy-to-use integrated charting, we bring dynamic visual reporting to FileMaker Pro 11 users. We also provide new tools to boost all users’ productivity, helping novice and expert users alike build, share and publish better databases."



Among the new features, FileMaker Pro 11 offers dynamic professional-quality pie, bar, area or line charts which allow users to visualize, evaluate and report on data in a new or existing layout. Add a pie chart tab within an existing layout, for example, and you can see your sales charted graphically in any way you choose. FileMaker Charts can also be published to the web, using FileMaker Pro Instant Web Publishing.

Of interest to most users will be all of the new tools provided to build and use databases more quickly and easily: Innovative Quick Find with iTunes style that searches across all fields within a layout; Inspector, a master tool palette that controls layout objects and properties in one convenient place; Object Badges to visually identify scripted fields in layouts with color-coded icons; A new Invoices Starter Solution, one of more than 30 built-in solutions, designed to track product and customer details and create, manage and print customized invoices for every order; An improved Quick Start Screen to help users create new databases, manage favorite files and find helpful resources; and text highlighting to emphasize key words or numbers in fields.

FileMaker Pro 11 is now available for $299 ($179 upgrade version), with pricing for other versions available at the company’s website, www.filemaker.com.