Hybrid App

OttoDeploy is a Hybrid app. Its user interface is built entirely in HTML, CSS, and Javascript. The entire UI is in a single web viewer on a single layout. The data is stored in FileMaker tables and fields and the logic is expressed in both FileMaker scripts and Javascript.

While not every use case calls for the extra work of building a hybrid app, we believe it makes perfect sense for OttoDeploy.

Why?

Modern UI

OttoDeploy is built to the highest modern interface standards, with support for things like dark mode, accessibility, and responsive design. We can also choose from 100's of prebuilt components to make a highly dynamic application that we hope is a pleasure to use. This also allowed us to build many advanced features for users who need the complexity they require, while hiding these features from users who don't. Users can reveal advanced features as needed.

Easier updates

Since a high percentage of the application is text stored in single text field in a FileMaker table, most updates are just a matter of updating a single field with a new version of the code.

Why not a cloud-based web app?

We certainly could build all of OttoDeploy into a web app. We could just add it to Ottomatic (opens in a new tab), our hosting platform. But we have some users who can't connect to the public internet at all. They would be unable to use OttoDeploy if it was a cloud-based web app.

We also acknowledge that some users might be hesitant about storing their deployment data in the cloud. Since OttoDeploy is a Hybrid FileMaker app, you can host it on your own server and keep all of your data as secure as the rest of your FileMaker systems. You can also choose to run it locally on your own computer if you don't want it hosted at all.

Trade-offs

While the application is unlocked and you control it, the UI and the logic will be very difficult if not impossible for you to customize the way you might be used to with other unlocked solutions.

But we believe that the trade-off is worth it. You will get a better looking application that is easier to use and we will make sure that it is always upgradable.

We will be including ways for you to integrate with OttoDeploy so that you can build custom workflows without giving up OttoDeploy's modern UI and upgradeability.