Script design patterns: single responsibility and naming

Expert

Structure FileMaker scripts around single responsibilities and apply consistent naming conventions so solutions remain maintainable as they grow.

What you'll learn

How to apply single-responsibility to FileMaker scripts
A practical naming convention for scripts organized by context and action
How to organize scripts into logical folders in the Script Workspace
How to distinguish navigation, data, UI, and utility script categories
How to identify and refactor a script that violates single-responsibility

A FileMaker solution with hundreds of scripts becomes unworkable when every script does ten things and names follow no convention. Applying the single-responsibility principle -- each script does one thing well -- combined with a predictable naming scheme turns the Script Workspace from a maze into a navigable catalog. This is the architectural investment that separates maintainable solutions from ones that must be rebuilt every few years.

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Apply the single-responsibility principle

A script should have one reason to change. "Save Invoice and Send Email and Update Status and Print" should be four scripts called by one orchestrator. Each sub-script can be tested, reused, and replaced independently. If you cannot summarize a script's purpose in one sentence without using "and", it has too many responsibilities.

FileMaker Script

# Anti-pattern: one script does everything
# Script: "Save Invoice"
#   - validates fields
#   - commits the record
#   - sends a confirmation email
#   - prints the invoice
#   - updates the client's balance

# Better: orchestrator + focused scripts
# Script: "Invoice - Process Submission"
Perform Script [ "Invoice - Validate" ; Parameter: $invoiceID ]
If [ JSONGetElement ( Get ( ScriptResult ) ; "success" ) = "false" ]
  Exit Script [ Text Result: Get ( ScriptResult ) ]
End If
Perform Script [ "Invoice - Commit" ; Parameter: $invoiceID ]
Perform Script [ "Notification - Send Invoice Email" ; Parameter: $invoiceID ]
Perform Script [ "Client - Recalculate Balance" ; Parameter: Clients::ClientID ]

Send Mail via SMTP using Insert from URL Error recovery patterns: the FileMaker Try-Catch equivalent