Hands-on with Bento for iPad

The consumer-oriented database software Bento from FileMaker has made its way …

Jeff Smykil – Apr 28, 2010 7:42 am | 16

Bento is the consumer version of popular database software FileMaker Pro. The new iPad version of the software joins the Mac version, currently at version 3, as well as the iPhone version in the growing stable of Bento implementations. At $4.99, the iPad application is 10 percent of the price of its desktop sibling, but the desktop software isn’t necessary in order to make use of it.

Creating a database from scratch in Bento for iPad is simple thanks to the 25 different templates included with the software. These templates are made for people who are looking to track things like recipes, expenses, customers, and inventory. Each template can be edited to meet the needs of a specific user and can be helpful starting points. For those who want to start from scratch, there is also an option to start from a blank slate.

The app can be used in portrait or landscape mode; the only difference between the two views is that landscape mode makes use of a split view, where the left portion of the screen is used to display a list of records inside the current project. From there, you can search through records, alter how records are displayed, set the sort order, open a preexisting library, or add a new library.

The right side of the split view is basically a canvas to display database record, along with a toolbar on top where most of the application’s functionality can be accessed. Unlike the desktop version of the software, which makes use of 10 different themes and has the option of downloading more, the iPad version has only two themes total. The themes include a virtual clipboard and a virtual book, which make for nice eye candy but don’t otherwise add functionality.

To add a field to a database, simply touch the pencil icon in the toolbar. A small drawer slides down with “date created” and “date modified” fields as options by default. Here, there is also a plus sign for adding additional fields.

Adding a field to the canvas isn’t as intuitive as one would hope; it took me several attempts before I finally realized you have to drag the plus sign to the canvas instead of just touch it. Once you do this, an option chooser appears, allowing you to choose from one of 16 different field values. The values are what you would expect from a database application: date, number, text, checkbox, etc., with only some options being customizable. For instance, the date field isn’t customizable: it accepts only month, day, and year with no variations, while the currency field has several different currencies you can select. There appears to be no limit how many fields a database can have.

Unfortunately, the form layout on the canvas isn’t very customizable. There can only be one field per line, and the fields cannot be resized in any way. Field labels are often truncated, as is field data. Field data can be expanded with the touch of an icon, while field labels have no such option. When the number of fields on a given canvas is greater than can be displayed, a swipe of the finger up or down will show the rest of the form. Fields can be rearranged and deleted by dragging the dot icon in the upper right-hand corner, or the “X” icon in the upper left-hand corner, respectively.

You can add a new record by touching the plus icon in the toolbar, and deleting can be done by touching the trash can in the same location. Flip through records by using the arrows in the toolbar, or by touching an item in the list that appears when the device is in landscape mode. From the toolbar, records can also be combined with other collections through a pop-up dialog.

Syncing with the desktop application is simple and doesn’t make use of iTunes whatsoever. Instead, it is done via WiFi directly between the iPad and desktop apps by entering a code. You can choose which databases you want to sync through a dialog very similar to the one in iTunes that allows you to select which podcasts or videos to sync with your iPad.

Once you have synced with the desktop version, you can update records via the iPad with no issues. First, however, you have to add the fields—the available ones show up in the default section of the aforementioned drawer. The updates happen the next time you sync the application. (I was unable to figure out how to use a database created on the iPad inside the desktop app, but I admittedly have very little experience with the Bento for Mac.)

If you are a user of general database apps, Bento for iPad fits the bill as a somewhat scaled-down version of the desktop app. The layout mode isn’t as robust and videos don’t play, but for basic info, the application works and is well worth the $4.99 price tag.

Name:Bento (iTunes Link)
Publisher: FileMaker
Price: $4.99
Platform: iPad (Also available for iPhone and Mac OS)