FileMaker Developer AI Coding Skill
- Darrin Southern
- Jun 5
- 5 min read
Updated: Jun 26
The Latin root of 'hallucinate' is alucinari : to wander in the mind. That's a generous framing for what AI Agents actually do when they get it wrong.
This is part four in my Agentic Development series. Here's the link if you've not reviewed the previous post on FileMaker Agentic Development.
Example: Yesterday, I asked Claude to write a script that sets a variable from field data. It came back with a calculation built around a function GetContents ( fieldName ).
That function does not exist in FileMaker. When I pushed back, the Agent explained that GetContents had been deprecated in FileMaker 19. Also untrue. It never existed. The Agent fabricated a function, then fabricated a history for it.
That's not wandering. That's lying with confidence.
Why AI Hallucinates FileMaker Functions
Models have training cutoffs. Claris ships new functions, new Script Steps, and new behaviours with every release. By the time a model is trained and deployed, its FileMaker knowledge is already drifting.
It's not malicious. It's structural. And it costs you time every single day you use AI for FileMaker Development.
Every hallucinated function means debugging AI output instead of building. You paste something into the Specify Calculation dialog or Script Step, hit an error, and end up at the Claris Help Centre anyway. Where you should have started.
As part of the AI-Readiness of the Platform - Claris has published the Help Documentation in a LLM friendly combination of txt and .md files.
The Claris Help Centre at help.claris.com is comprehensive, versioned, and accurate. The problem is that Claude isn't referencing it. Until now.
The claris-filemaker-pro Skill for Claude Desktop
This 'claris-filemaker-pro' skill is my initial release to reduce this situation.
Skill.
A structured set of reference files and instructions that tells Claude which catalogs to check locally before fetching the live documents - before responding.
This reduces hallucination in FileMaker development contexts.
How to Install this Skill
You upload the .zip file via the Customise section in Claude Desktop.
The other method is to rename the suffix from .zip to .skill and simply double click, and Claude Desktop will open and import it directly.
Example: Once you have the Skill installed - ask Claude to make you a stunning 'FileMaker Function Explorer' or 'FileMaker Skill Explorer'.
This Skill Lives on GitHub, Not Just a Blog Post
It's worth considering that building a Skill like this is itself an 'agile' project. Too many issues and updates for a static publishing method such as this blog.
This is why I've added GitHub repo CadenceUX claris-filemaker-pro-skill
How the claris-filemaker-pro Skill Works
Ask your Agent to build a script or about a certain function or script step - via a number of 'Mandatory triggers' and terms built into the Skill ~ "How does 'While' work?" or ""Write me a Let() calculation that..."
The Skill has the following workflow :
Check the relevant reference file for syntax, parameters, and usage patterns
Open references/catalog.json for the exact format and doc_url
Use doc_url to web_fetch the live help page for authoritative parameter detail if needed
Answer with the format inline and cite the doc URL
As an example - ask "what local data in the skill do you have for GetPersistentData" and the Agent will return the following data :
Name: GetPersistentData
Format: GetPersistentData ( name ; instanceID )
Parameters: name, instanceID
Purpose: Returns a value from the persistent data store by name and instance ID;
store survives session end and file close
Category: Persistent data functions
Category URL: persistent-data-functions.html
Slug: getpersistentdata
Introduced in: FM 26
Also included are examples of basic usage, particular usage, script step usage and the overview :
GetPersistentData ( "lastRunDate" ; 1 )
// → "2026-06-10"
Overview note (captured in the file): the persistent data store is a key-value store that survives session end and file close. Entries are keyed by a name + instanceID pair, allowing multiple values under the same name. Write/delete via Configure Persistent Data (script step); read back with these two functions.
And more importantly, what's not in local data:
The skill notes you should fetch the live doc for scope and platform restrictions (e.g. whether the store is per-file or cross-file, whether it works on Server/Go/WebDirect). The live doc is at https://help.claris.com/markdown/en/pro-help/getpersistentdata.md — want me to pull it?
What the claris-filemaker-pro Skill Contains
The skill covers all 368 current calculation functions across 19 categories, and all 165 Script Steps across 16 categories. Including the AI category: Configure AI Account, Perform AI Completion, Get Embedding in Field.
Not guesswork. A proper catalog.
Ten reference files in total:
function-catalog.json: every function with call signature, category, version introduced, and doc URL
script-steps-catalog.json: all Script Steps with syntax and live doc links
eight consolidated example files covering logical, JSON, AI, Let(), Get(), design, container, text, date-time, numeric, and specialty functions
Note: This is a 'reference' Skill — Scripts, Calculations and Error Codes only.
Custom Functions, Tables and Fields Layouts, and other elements are excluded by design.
How the claris-filemaker-pro Skill Was Built
Early iterations had incorrect function and function details and counts.
The While() function reported 'originated in version' as 14 when it's clearly 18. Closer checking found an other 28+ incorrect versions of origin.
Each rebuild surfaced another gap. The AI functions category was the hardest. It's the newest, least stable, and the area where Claude's training data is most likely to be wrong. The version history tells the story.
The release version went from v0.1, a basic function index, through nine intermediate versions before calling it v1.0 - now with the latest release v1.9
FileMaker 26: It's Here
The skill was initially built and released against FileMaker 22.
FileMaker 26 has now been released with new features and functions, new Script Steps, and of course new AI capabilities. As mentioned earlier, there is also an AI-friendly version of the Claris Documentation.
The skill has version drift detection built in. When Claude needs to fetch a live document and sees a version string higher than the release_version, it flags it and advises a skill rebuild. That's the design. The skill knows it will age, and it tells you when it has.
The rebuild process is documented. When FileMaker 'Next' ships, the function catalog gets updated, the example files get reviewed, and the version counter ticks over. Maintenance, not crisis management.
That's the plan, let's see how we go.
The skill is released under CC BY 4.0. Use it, fork it, adapt it. Attribute it. If you build something useful on top of it, I'd love to know.
What's Next to Come from Claris
Claris has publicly announced their roadmap for Agentic Development. Plugins, documentation, and learning paths are coming for the community.
Claris will release their own configuration and skills - it's now been mentioned by Claris that we should expect around 50-60 files, some time this Summer.
For now, 'claris-filemaker-pro' is a 'proof of concept' reference skill.
The goal stays the same. Stop Claude guessing. Start Claude fetching. Get the answer from Claris, not from a model's two-year-old memory of what Claris used to say.
Takeaway
If you're using Claude for FileMaker development without a skill like this, you're building on uncertain ground. The Claris platform is too nuanced, too version-sensitive, and too fast-moving for 'good enough' AI knowledge.
This 'claris-filemaker-pro' skill is an initial step toward making AI assistance in the Claris ecosystem more reliable.
An Agent without a skill lies with confidence. This one checks first. This is a start . . .
Here's the download again here at the end, for those who just want the sample file . . .
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