Troi Text Plug-in

Great features for handling text in your FileMaker database

With the plug-in installed you can do all this from within FileMaker:

• get text contents of the clipboard, including fmxmlsnippets
• parse XML text
• combine sets from 2 text fields:
  • get all lines that are the same
  • get all lines that differ
  • and other combinations
• get (unique) lines and sort words and lines
• perform customized spell checking

Completely customizable spell checking

Troi Text Plug-in’s spell checker can be configured completely from the database with calculations. You can specify a custom spelling (language) per database or even per text field, all driven from a script or a calculation. You can also specify to ignore words you or your company might use.

Get text contents of the clipboard

With Troi Text Plug-in you can get the text contents of the clipboard into your database. You can also return fmxmlsnippets that are on the clipboard as text. A fmxmlsnippet is XML formatted data that is put on the clipboard when you copy scripts or other structure elements of a FileMaker database. You can get these types of fmxmlsnippets as text:

• Script(s) copied from Script Workspace
• Script step(s) copied from Script Workspace
• Field(s) copied from Manage Database
• Table(s) copied from Manage Database
• Value List(s) copied from Manage Value Lists
• Layout object(s) copied from a layout

Parsing of XML data

With Troi Text Plug-in you can get XML nodes out of XML formatted text and parse the info into separate fields in your database. You can get the contents of the nodes and child nodes and the attribute data of the nodes.

Set creation

The ANDText, XORText and NOTText functions let you find all lines that are the same in two text fields, are lines that are different in two text fields and all lines that are in one but not in the other text field.

Lines and Word functions

Troi Text Plug-in’s Lines and Word functions let you return:

• all unique lines of a text field
• all unique words of a text field
• all lines in a text field sorted alphabetically
• the n-th line of a text field. No difficult calculations to get it, just ask for it!

Suggested uses of Troi Text Plug-in

• create an index for a book, which is updated automatically
• find all addresses you want to send an email to, without sending duplicates
• keep track of your client relations by generating a dynamic history of activities
• receive client information in XML format and parse it easily into your database

The possibilities are only limited by your imagination!

Try Troi Text Plug-in before you buy

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

Troi Text Plug-in 6.0

Troi Text Plug-in 6.0 is tested and made compatible with Claris FileMaker 2023 (FileMaker Pro 20) and Claris FileMaker 2024 (FileMaker Pro 21). This version also adds compatibility with Windows 11 and macOS 13 (Ventuara), 14 (Sonoma) and 15 (Sequoia).
In this version we added the new TrText_GetClipboardAsText function, which returns the text contents of the clipboard. This function can also return fmxmlsnippets that are on the clipboard as text. A fmxmlsnippet is XML formatted data that is put on the clipboard when you copy scripts or other structure elements of a FileMaker database.

See the Version history below for a complete list of changes in this and earlier versions.

Version history

Troi Text Plug-in 6.0 (for FileMaker FileMaker 17 to 2024) (October 10, 2024)

Improved compatibility

• Tested and made compatible with Claris FileMaker 2023 (FileMaker Pro 20)
• Tested and made compatible with Claris FileMaker 2024 (FileMaker Pro 21).
• Tested and made compatible with macOS 13 (Ventura), macOS 14 (Sonoma) and macOS 15 (Sequoia).
• Tested and made compatible with Windows 11, including Windows 11 version 23H2 (October 31, 2023).

New functionality and improvements

• Added new TrText_GetClipboardAsText function, which returns the text contents of the clipboard. This function can also return fmxmlsnippets that are on the clipboard as text. A fmxmlsnippet is XML formatted data that is put on the clipboard when you copy scripts or other structure elements of a FileMaker database.
  You can get these types of fmxmlsnippets as text:
  • Script(s) copied from Script Workspace
  • Script step(s) copied from Script Workspace
  • Field(s) copied from Manage Database
  • Table(s) copied from Manage Database
  • Value List(s) copied from Manage Value Lists
  • Layout object(s) copied from a layout.

Improved security and speed enhancements

• Improved the security in several placed and updated the source code.
• Improved the speed of the TrText_SortLines function.

Unicode improvements

• (macOS) When returning a text the Unicode characters are now normalized (to the NFC normal form). This means that all characters are now precomposed. For example: ö will now always be returned as one Unicode point: U+00F6 (before this could be two code points: U+006F U+0308). The FileMaker platform internally expects precomposed characters.

Startup Registration Log

• Improved the EasyInstallTroiPlugins.fmp12 example file (v1.8.8): added a script which adds the Startup Registration Log to the log field. This will get a text log of the startup registration process of the plug-in.
• Added an example script “Get Startup Registration Log of the plug-in” to Version.fmp12, which gets the text log of the startup registration of the plug-in.
• Added switch “-GetStartupRegistrationLog” to the TrText_Version function. This will return a text log of the plug-in’s registration process at startup time of FileMaker Pro. When you have problems registering the plug-in, you can see if the payment certificate was found and if a valid registration code was found.
• (macOS) modernized the code for registration and flash dialog handling.

Other bug fixes and changes

• Improved memory handling in several functions, the plug-in now has less memory overhead for large texts.
• Several small bug fixes and improvements
• Modernized the code in several places.
• IMPORTANT The minimum supported FileMaker version is now FileMaker Pro 17. Also the minimum supported macOS version is now macOS 11 (Big Sur). For Windows the minumum supported version is Windows 10.

Troi Text Plug-in 5.0 (for FileMaker 16 to 19) (December 21, 2021)

• Tested and made compatible with Claris FileMaker Pro 19.4.
• (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 Windows 11.
• Tested and made compatible with macOS 12 (Monterey).

Other changes and improvements

• 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) Improved compatibility when running FileMaker Pro 19 in dark mode, the flash dialog is now more visible.
• (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).
• Updated the code base, the plug-in now uses the libc++ library (with C++ 11 support) and unique_ptrs and uses the latest libraries or modern frameworks where possible.
• IMPORTANT (macOS only) The minimum supported FileMaker version is now FileMaker Pro 16. Also the minimum supported macOS version is now macOS 10.13 (High Sierra).

Troi Text Plug-in 4.5.1 (for FileMaker 12 to 16) (May 19, 2019)

• (Windows) Added code signing to the plug-in for Windows (On macOS code signing was already added in version 4.1).
• Added highlighting of errors to the Spelling.fmp12 example file, to demonstrate error checking.
• Improved the example files for FileMaker Pro Advanced 17.
• Improved the code and removed some dependencies on older API’s.

Version 4.5 (for FileMaker 12 to 16) (November 13, 2017)

• Tested and made compatible with FileMaker Pro 16.
• Tested and improved compatibility with Windows 10 (Creators Update) and macOS 10.13 (High Sierra).
• Tested and made compatible to run under FileMaker Cloud 16.
• Rewrote the code in several places.
• Made various minor changes to the example files to work better with FileMaker Pro 16.
• Updated the User Guide and the Reference.fmp12 file.

Extra features when running FileMaker Pro 16

• The Text Plug-in adds 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 expand the possible actions you can perform with FileMaker Pro. The following external script steps are added:

• Learn Spelling
• Unlearn Spelling
• Set Spelling Ignore List

NOTE Only steps that perform an action have been added as a script step. Functions that have no side effect (like for example TrText_ANDText) are only available as an external function.

• Added new scripts to the Spelling.fmp12 example file, to demonstrate how to use the new external script steps of FileMaker Pro 16. The examples check if FileMaker Pro 16 is running and can then use these new script steps.
• 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.

 

Bug fixes

• (Mac OS) Fixed a compilation problem with code signing and extended attributes in Mac OS 10.12 (Sierra).

Version 4.1 for FileMaker Pro 12, 13 14 and 15 (October 27, 2016)

• Added new platform: Troi Text Plug-in is now compatible to run under FileMaker Cloud.
  Note that you need the Server/Web license to register this plug-in on FileMaker Cloud. See our web site for details.
• Added new example file TextOnFMCloud.fmp12, which demonstrates how to perform the functions of the plug-in on FileMaker Cloud.
• Added new switch -ResetDemoTestTime to the TrText_Version function. In demo mode and running under FileMaker Cloud, the plug-in stops working after two hours. This switch allows you to test the plug-in two hours more. Note that after 12 hours the demo time is automatically reset, and you can continue testing the plug-in.
• Tested and made compatible with macOS Sierra (OS X 10.12).

Version 4.0.1 for FileMaker Pro 12, 13 14 and 15 (June 21, 2016)

• Tested and made compatible with FileMaker Pro 15.
• Updated the Readme and example files to reflect the release of FileMaker Pro 15.
• 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. You can also type a function name in the functions pane on the right.
• Other small improvements.

Version 4.0 for FileMaker Pro 12, 13 and 14 (May 4th, 2016)

• Tested and made compatible with Windows 10 and OS X 10.11 (El Capitan).
• Added 4 new functions for powerful spell checking:
  -TrText_CheckSpelling, which finds the first word that is spelled wrong. You can specify the spelling language too.
  -TrText_SetSpellingIgnoreList, which sets the list of words that should be ignored (during this spell check).
  -TrText_LearnSpelling, which adds a word to the spell checker dictionary.
  -TrText_UnlearnSpelling, which forgets a word in the spell checker dictionary.
  -TrText_GetSpellingLanguages, which returns a list of all supported spelling languages on the system.
  These spelling functions are available on Windows 8 and later and on all OS X versions.
• Improved the log text when running FileMaker Server: more information is added to the log.
• Improved the log text when running FileMaker Server: after an unsuccessful attempt to register, the log now adds the (incorrect) register text used.
• Improved multi-threading behaviour of the flash dialog.
• Improved the example file EasyInstallTroiPlugins.fmp12, to provide more help when an installation error occurs.

Older release notes

For older release notes please see here.

We offer the following licenses for Troi Text 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. 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. Go to the server-side plug-ins page for more info.
This license has no user limit.

All licenses work both on macOS and on Windows.

Pricing

New licenses

single user license	US $ 59 per user
10-user license	US $ 219
25-user license	US $ 329
developer license	US $ 329
server/web license	US $ 269

Upgrades

If you have a license for a previous version, you can buy an upgrade for version 6.0. If you bought a license on or after October 1, 2023, the upgrade to version 6.0 is FREE! Note: eligible users have been sent a new 6.0 registration. Contact us if you have not received yours.
If you bought a license before October 1, 2023, you will need to buy an upgrade to use the 6.0 version:

single user license upgrade	US $ 39 per user
10-user license upgrade	US $ 129
25-user license upgrade	US $ 169
developer license upgrade	US $ 169
server/web license upgrade	US $ 149

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

“Troi Text Plug-in is one of the most useful plug-ins on the planet.”
Robert J. Cummings, www.dbmscan.com

“I was totally stumped. I had to create a survey report listing totals of items checked in a Value List field. The field also had the “Other…” box checked so our value list could change at any time. I knew I could create a looping script to get a list of all the values in each field then go back thru and do a count for each value then put this data in a report blah blah blah… Which equals slowwwwwwwww.
I just knew there had to be a better way. I was using the Troi Text Plug-in to build my list in the above scenario, so I knew I was on to something. Then I took a look at the Book Index example provided with this gem of a plug-in. Awesome!!!
Using this template I was able to create my reports. The reports took seconds to calculate. If I didn’t have to deal with the “Other…” option my reports would only need to be built once and would be dynamic.
Thanks for your excellent examples.”
Jeff Yurka, Real Mac Solutions

“You know what… we can’t make the Cambodia National Yellow Pages without your plug-in… it works wonder for us.”
Kim Gjemmestad, Cambodia National Yellow Pages

“I just went through the once-tedious chore of getting related data processed for a client of mine. This chore is now an amazingly simple task! The solution? Troi Text Plug-in. It’s a Godsend. This plug-in allows you to create JUST ONE calculation field that automatically concatenates all the text from multiple fields in a portal! Ta-da! Thank you Peter Baanen! :)”
Scott Rose, President ScottWorld, FileMaker Pro Experts Since 1992 http://www.scottworld.com

“Thanks for the brilliant software. The Troi File and Text plug-ins keep making my work much easier.”
Eric Smith, McGill University Montreal, Quebec, Canada

“All Hail Troi-Text Plug-in (and FAXTool)!
I just wanted to relate to you our latest application of the Troi-Text plug-in. I’m using this butt-saving tool on a daily basis!.
We recently built a press-release distribution system for a Massachusetts organization to send FAXes and eMails to more than 300 newspapers in the state, regarding recycling programs in 351 towns. Since each newspaper’s readership area covers anywhere from 1 to all 351 towns, we built a relational system to manage this quite easily.
Each newspaper receives either an eMail or FAX, with a personalized cover letter/text, and a columnar table of data about recycling for all the towns only in their readership area.
Not a minor complication, we wanted to send only one eMail or FAX to each unique eMail or FAX destination, even though some newspapers share the same FAX or eMail address. We used the Troi-Text plug-in first to list all the newspapers in the ‘To’ line of the letter.
We built parallel functionality, all facilitated with the Troi-Text plug-in. FAXing (using FAXTool) was not difficult, since we simply FAXed a report layout of the related town data records for all towns associated with each of the newspapers included in a single letter.
We wanted to send a text-only press release (no attachments) that approximated the printed FAX, and were successful in converting the columnar report into monospaced text format using the Troi-Text plug-in.
We used various calculations to produce a monospaced, fixed column width text string for each line of the columnar report. Then we used the Troi-Text plug-in to gather and sort all the related file lines into one huge text field, along with the text of the letter, and sent that to our eMail client from FileMaker Pro.
Remember, since each newspaper can cover several towns, and some newspapers share an eMail address, we wanted to include those overlapping (duplicate) towns only once. We can do this on a printed/FAXed report using a summary part, and were able to reproduce the effect using the unique lines function of the Troi-Text plug-in.
It’s proven to be quite reliable, and doesn’t ‘choke’ on the fairly large number of records and huge text block that gets generated for some destinations!
I have, however, found the extremes of its capabilities. At one time I attempted to use the plug-in to create multi-key relationships which in turn were used to facilitate another dependent troi-text calculated result. Here, the plug-in choked and misbehaved, so that approach wasn’t feasible.
Once again, “Good work” and thanks.
Sincerely, Erik.”
Erik Wegweiser / Intelligent Database ( http://www.ichizen.com ), FileMaker Pro Developer, Consultant – Member, FileMaker Solutions Alliance

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