ASK Mode
ASK is the general-purpose, conversational mode of Genie for explaining concepts, reasoning about logic, and troubleshooting your FileMaker scripts.
What it’s for
Section titled “What it’s for”- Clarifying what a script does and why it fails.
- Getting step-by-step guidance for a task.
- Asking how to structure a calculation or workflow.
- Requesting examples, best practices, or quick reviews.
- Building a coding plan before switching to CODE.
How it operates
Section titled “How it operates”- Read-only by default: ASK never applies changes to FileMaker.
- Uses captured context such as scripts, selections, and metadata to tailor responses.
- Honors the Web Search toggle when you need up-to-date information from the internet.
- Offers a dedicated Debug path for deeper troubleshooting and plan-building inside ASK rather than as a separate mode.
- Dictation and file attachments work like they do in the main composer: dictated text is inserted for review, and attached files are supporting context only.
Tools that appear in ASK
Section titled “Tools that appear in ASK”- Debug: Runs deeper analysis over captured context and can automatically create a read-only coding plan.
- Web Search: Pulls recent references, docs, or examples where helpful.
- Coding Plan: Produces a structured implementation plan you can review before moving to CODE. Plans stay read-only and can expose Open in Code Mode and Export Plan PDF actions when available.
- Preflight (structured clarification used in CODE, QUERY, and DATA): ASK does not run that flow; it stays conversational.
Before you ask for a coding plan
Section titled “Before you ask for a coding plan”Plans work best when Genie already has context. Capture the current script or related scripts first with Add Selection or Add Scripts, then ask for the plan in ASK.
Typical workflow
Section titled “Typical workflow”- Use Add Selection so ASK can see your current script or selected steps.
- Use Add Scripts instead when the question depends on multiple open scripts.
- Turn on Debug if you suspect a logic or runtime issue.
- Ask your question in plain language.
- If Debug produces a coding plan, review it before opening the work in CODE.
Coding Plan sections
Section titled “Coding Plan sections”ASK Debug coding plans are intentionally lean. They focus on:
- Objective
- Confirmed Hotspots
- Missing Dependencies
- Refactor Strategy
- Preserve Behavior
- Regression Watchpoints
Review the plan in chat before moving the work into CODE.
When you export a plan, Genie creates a PDF with the same implementation sections for review or handoff.
Good prompt patterns
Section titled “Good prompt patterns”- “Explain what this script does and point out any risky branches.”
- “Why might this layout navigation sometimes fail? I’ve attached the script.”
- “Show an idiomatic Let() calculation for this JSON parsing.”
- Attach small, representative snippets for faster and more precise analysis.
- If your intent is to modify code, ASK can prepare a coding plan first, then you can switch to CODE.
- Keep Debug on only when investigating issues; turn it off for general Q&A.
Examples
Section titled “Examples”Debug in ASK
Section titled “Debug in ASK”
Asking questions in ASK
Section titled “Asking questions in ASK”