Triggering FM Script

[Mr. Bungle]

I needed to execute a script in an FMP7 database that displays information to the web running on Mac OSX (10.3). This database has to be updated from another database running on FileMaker Server on at least a daily basis, so I wrote a script to handle the records deletion / import records steps. This worked fine, but I wanted to find a way to automate the process because-

 

1) I knew it could be done and

2) in case I was out of the office, the process still needed to happen.

 

The answer for me was a combination of Cronnix and AppleScript. Cronnix is a free app that supplies a GUI front end to the UNIX crontab. Crontab specifies the time that the AppleScript executes the FileMaker script. Download Cronnix here: http://snipurl.com/1y2l4

 

The AppleScript looks like this:

 

*********************************************

tell application "FileMaker Developer"

activate

tell database "MyFMWebFile"

do script "Import Records"

end tell

end tell

*********************************************

 

In the above AppleScript example, change "MyWebFile" to whatever your FileMaker Pro filename is. Also adjust the first line if your application is not FileMaker Developer.

 

In AppleScript, I saved the file as an application, copied it to the computer serving the FMP database to the web and configured Cronnix to run the AppleScript application created from the script shown above. Now my database updates once per hour with no intervention required from me.

 

I offer this to all the users here that may be trying to accomplish the same thing. I looked at various solutions (FileMaker plug-ins, etc...) but I'm cheap (no... FRUGAL!) and I knew there had to be a no or low-cost solution to my problem. Hopefully this will be of some use to others here.

[sjuul]

What I do these days, is creating a new FileMaker document, that triggers the remote script on opening. It's more solid that basic AppleScripting.

[Mr. Bungle]

That's fine, as long as you intend to open the file every day. The one I'm referring to serves information to the web, so it's open ALL the time- never closes. My point was to show a method of triggering a script at specified times to import new information to be shared on the web.

[mfif]

I *think* ZippScript will let you do that, but don't take my word for it...

[Mr. Bungle]

Yeah, you're right. Zippscript does exactly that. I looked into it and decided that for my particular application, Cronnix & Applescript was the easier solution. Plus, if I need to change the times the script is triggered, I just fire up Cronnix, change the times and I'm done. No mucking around in ScriptMaker, adjusting the time there. Plus, I got to learn a little more about Applescript!