Forms that interact with distributed data in real-time

In 2025, forms created with Claris FileMaker Pro, Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, or Adobe Acrobat applications can be extended with PHP scripting to enable securable asynchronous data interactions with SQL databases or REST APIs.

Forms can use calculations and native functions to assemble and send query parameters to PHP scripts to look-up information, or execute Create-Read-Update-Delete transactions, or call stored procedures, or interact with REST APIs, and return filtered query results back to the form as single values or as JSON, XML, FDF, or HTML arrays, refreshing related calculations in the process.

Dynamic 2-way data exchanges, triggered as authenticated users insert, update, select, or click form fields or elements, progressively querying, filtering, re-calculating and merging SQL or REST API interaction results in real-time.

Each type of form provides different features, capabilities and advantages. Every type can interact with any mixture of databases or APIs in any sequence.

Integrate technologies, improve efficiency, reduce expense

FileMaker

Claris FileMaker databases can perform calculations that dynamically generate and execute webhooks that use PHP, PDO, and cURL to interact with SQL databases or REST APIs in real-time. FileMaker provides advanced programmable data process controls, created specifically for building multi-user interfaces that can be securely shared with up to 1,000 users connnecting via Windows or Mac desktop application, WebDirect forms, or FileMaker Data API.

Excel & Sheets

Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets spreadsheets can also use calculations and native functions to execute queries on SQL databases or REST APIs, efficiently fetching results without ETL processing. PHP scripts can filter real-time scalar or aggregate query results back to active spreadsheet cells as either single values or as XML-formatted results (for Excel dynamic arrays) or HTML-formatted results (for Sheets dynamic arrays).

Acrobat

Adobe Acrobat forms can be used as programmable interaction runtimes. Any document can be converted to PDF and extended with PHP, PDO, and cURL to send query parameters to databases or APIs, filter, and return results to designated form fields in real-time. Far more securable than HTML forms, Acrobat PDF forms are not susceptible to XSS, CSRF, or session attacks, and can be password protected, encrypted, flattened, or digitally signed.

PHP

PHP is a mature general purpose server scripting language, currently used on approximately 75% of websites globally. PHP Data Objects and cURL code libraries provide comparatively simple, securable, injection-resistant methods for efficiently interacting with SQL databases or REST APIs. PHP is open-source technology, meaning no licensing costs, transaction fees, or subscriptions required to own and use reliable industrial strength code.

PDO

The PHP Data Objects (PDO) extension defines scriptable methods for interacting with MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, or SQL Server databases. PDO provides a data-access abstraction layer that maps typed query parameters to prepared statement inputs in order to precisely control the execution of SQL queries. Code differences between database types are minimized as PDO drivers encapsulate database-specific features as extension functions.

cURL

PHP incorporates libcurl, a code library that can be used to simplify connections and interactions with REST APIs. Perfect.
In addition to REST APIs, libcurl provides scriptable methods for communications tasks involving http, https, ftp, gopher, telnet, dict, file, or ldap protocols, HTTPS certificates, HTTP POST, HTTP PUT, FTP file uploads, HTTP form-based file uploads, proxies, cookies, and user-password resource or directory authentication.