Optimizing WebDirect performance on FileMaker Server
IntermediateUnderstand the WebDirect architecture and the layout and scripting choices that have the biggest impact on browser performance.
What you'll learn
- Why WebDirect has more latency than FileMaker Pro
- Layout design choices that reduce WebDirect round-trips
- Server-side resource limits that affect WebDirect concurrency
WebDirect renders FileMaker layouts in the browser by communicating with the Web Publishing Engine on FileMaker Server. Every interaction — field entry, button click, script run — is a round-trip to the server. Choices that feel instant in FileMaker Pro add noticeable latency in the browser.
Every action is a server round-trip
In FileMaker Pro, many interactions (typing in a field, scrolling a portal) happen locally. In WebDirect, every committed field change, every script trigger firing, every layout change is sent to the server and the result rendered back. Scripts that chain many steps feel slow. Minimize the number of layout navigations and script triggers that fire on common interactions.
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