Open remote script question?

[keepemup]

I posted this in the network thread but haven't received a response so I thought I would post it here.

 

 

I set up my open remote script and it worked but I am not sure if I did it completely right. So I have a few questions:

 

1. When I create the new database do I create it on the server or on the users computer. The reason I ask is that the script worked for a few times but then I tried to run it again and it is giving me an error message that the file is in use and about sharing. Do I need to set the sharing on this database?

 

2. After you write the script and you have it open the file then close the table with the script is there a way to go back to that table and edit the script?

 

Thanks!!!

[AHunter3]

a) How are you hosting the file? Plainvanilla FileMaker Pro, or FileMaker Server?

 

b) Open Remote is for opening a file, as a guest, where the file is ALREADY open by the host. Therefore, yes, if you are hosting via FileMaker Pro as the host, the file has to be specifically shared, accomplished within the Sharing dialog within FileMaker Pro, and FileMaker's own native Sharing needs to be turned on (same dialog box) — see attached screen shot. Or, if you're using FileMaker Server, FileMaker Server has to have the file open (to be open by FmServer is to be shared, by definition, that's what it does for a living). And yes, the file physically sits on the host machine. Normally you would create it locally on your own computer, get it the way you want it, then quit out of FileMaker and go to the host machine and move the file onto the host machine's hard drive and then either open it in FileMaker Pro on THAT machine or serve it using FileMaker Server.

 

c) The machine on which the file is being hosted, whether by FileMaker Pro or by FileMaker Server, should not have OS-level file sharing turned on, unless this is just a momentary thing. That is, if you intend that this file be hosted on that machine on a regular basis for multiple users to open, you should NOT be able to see this machine in Network Neighborhood or My Network Places or My Little Pony or whatever it is that Microsoft calls it nowadays; and if you're on a Mac you should not be able to go to the Go menu and Connect to Server and mount that computer's drive or folder on your Desktop. Let FileMaker (or FmServer) share the file using FileMaker's own native protocol; the OS-level file sharing accomplishes nothing (navigating to the file that way and trying to open it results in the file being eventually opened via FileMaker's native protocol anyway) and furthermore it corrupts open/hosted files, which is a really bad thing.

 

d) The opener-script file should NOT be shared; you distribute a copy of it to each individual end user; each person has their own separate copy of it.

 

e) To edit THAT file, if you need to, ... well it's easiest if you have FileMaker Advanced on hand, in which case you just turn on script debugging and abort the opener-script the moment it starts. If you do not have Advanced, —

 

Create a brand new empty file; add the Opener-script file as a file reference to the new file; from within the new file, create a table occurrence of the base table of the Opener Script. Make a layout in the new file based on that (foreign-file) table occurrence. Put a button on the screen. Assign it the function Go to Related Records, using external file's layout (specify a layout, probably the only one in existence, from your Opener-script file). Go into Browse Mode. Click the button. It won't go anywhere (there are no related records) but it should cause the Opener Script file to cease to be open inside parentheses in the Show Window menu like this:

 

(Open Myfile.fp7)

 

... and instead be listed as a non-hidden file like this:

 

Open Myfile.fp7

 

 

at that point you can bring that file to the foreground without the on-open script executing, and now you can edit your script.

[keepemup]

Well now that is way over my head but anyway I am using filemaker server. I followed the directions that were posted on the post under networking about running the open remote script. Everything worked fine and the shortcut worked a few times but now I get the error about the script table(if you want to call it that) is in use. This is what I did:

 

Create a new empty file, no fields called volremote. It is saved on the server

Define File references fmnet:/IP address/volunteer.fp7

Created a script called [volscript]

Open file [volscript]

close file[current file]

File options, checked checkbox option when opening this file perform script volscript. The file I created and script are on the server

 

Then made a shortcut on the users desktop. Now I did this all from the users computer. At this time I have the volunteer db to open on one user and another db to open on another computer because they really don't share the same database. I would like to put both shortcuts on each computer once I get it to work.

 

So why did it work for awhile then start giving me the error message?

[AHunter3]

The file I created and script are on the server

 

By "the file", in this sentence, do you mean your Opener-script file?

 

And by "shortcut" you mean a windows shortcut? That would only work if you have OS-level file sharing turned on on the FmServer box, AND it would result in different users trying to open the SAME non-hosted file. Which would explain your error message.

 

You do not wish to distribute a SHORTCUT to that file and put the real file on the FmServer box, you need to distribute that file ITSELF.

 

On the FMServer computer, OS_level file sharing needs to be turned off. That means if it is a Windows server you open Services and find the Service named "Server" and you disable it.

 

If it's a Mac, it's either running MacOS X or Mac OSX Server. If it's running Mac OSX Server, you find an app named Server Admin and run it; look on the lefthand side where it says Computers & Services, click the disclosure triangle to show the computers and pick this computer itself, and in the list of Services disable AFP and Windows, both of them.

 

If it is MacOS X (not OSX Server) you open Preference Panes and go to Sharing and turn off Windows Sharing and Personal File Sharing.

[keepemup]

By "the file", in this sentence, do you mean your Opener-script file? Yes

 

And by "shortcut" you mean a windows shortcut? That would only work if you have OS-level file sharing turned on on the FmServer box, AND it would result in different users trying to open the SAME non-hosted file. Which would explain your error message.

 

Yes a shortcut on the desktop. But the users are not tyring to open the same file.

 

You do not wish to distribute a SHORTCUT to that file and put the real file on the FmServer box, you need to distribute that file ITSELF.

 

I don't understand what you mean by distribute?

 

On the FMServer computer, OS_level file sharing needs to be turned off. That means if it is a Windows server you open Services and find the Service named "Server" and you disable it.

 

What is OS-level file sharing?

 

 

Can you in simple english walk me thru the process? On what computer do I make the open script file? T: server or C: workstation?

Thanks!

[AHunter3]

You can make the Opener Script file wherever you want to, but once you've finished making it, EMAIL IT AS A FILE ATTACHMENT to everyone who is going to be using the system. That's what I meant by "distribute". Each end user should have their own copy of the Opener File, on their own Desktop.

 

 

OS-level file sharing... see screen shots below. Windows users get to files & folders on other machines ("Servers") via "My Network Places". Mac users use "Connect to Server" from the Go menu. Either way, once you've done that, you get a window showing a list of possible Servers to connect to. OS-level file sharing is what makes it possible for other computers to see your computer listed there. On the FileMaker Server computer, that needs to be turned OFF. I gave you detailed instructions on HOW to turn it off.