DBurnette

I promised I would post my solution. Kludge that it is. I hope I don't offend anyone with my lack of scripting acumen. The general idea is to store media files in such a way as to prevent the client from mangling references by moving files and renaming folders. The files need to be playable in the database, hence the use of referenced files. I created a set of folders that the client can't touch. All referenced files are stored there. The script does the following: Copy a file to a global container, export it with the correct name, to the folders insulated from the client, insert the reference into the correct container, delete the contents of the global container. Clear [ Songs::GlobalTempContainer ] [ Select ] Insert File [ Songs::GlobalTempContainer ] Set Variable [ $file; Value:(Songs::Song SKU & Songs::Song Title & (Right ( Songs::GlobalTempContainer ; 4 ))) ] Export Field Contents [ Songs::GlobalTempContainer; “file:Container Master Full Songs/$file” ] Clear [ Songs::Full Track ] [ Select ] Insert QuickTime [ “movie:Container Master Full Songs/$file” ] The one last thing that isn't working: For some reason, the initial 'insert file' step isn't prompting me to select a file. It should open a finder dialog to select a file, as it usually would. Once that last thing is solved, this should be a done project.

I'm pretty sure that I can solve my problem like this: I will figure out a script that will take a file, and copy it to a specific folder while renaming it, probably using the serial number of the record to rename. I'm thinking something along the lines of: Open File Save a Copy As (specify the name) But I have very little experience scripting, so I will see what I can make work. I can then reference that newly created file with a container. This should work, because the file will always have a specific name related to the record serial number (like 12345.mp3). I'm blabbering, but I will share my end solution as I come to it. Maybe it will prevent someone else from having to re-invent the wheel.

I will figure out something... Maybe I can script something that copies and renames a file, storing it in a master folder obfuscated from the user. I will share what I do here...

Hopefully this is the correct place for this question: I'm working on a database, and need to find a locktight way to manage audio files while making them playable in filemaker. My core problem is this: The end database user isn't capable of file management, making referenced container fields meaningless, since the references will arbitrarily be changed on a whim. Filepath integrity is basically not possible. I want a container field that can hold an audio file (yeah, within the database: I will take the performance hit to prevent endless end-user problems), and play it too. Filemaker doesn't allow for this to the best of my knowledge. Is there a way? Perhaps using the web viewer to view a field containing an audio file? Maybe via a script that copies and renames the referenced file to a single monolithic folder the user won't touch? This is preferable, so the files will play easily. Get(TemporaryPath)? Though I suspect this route wouldn't allow for in-filemaker play controls. One way or another, I need audio files to play in filemaker, while not subjecting referenced files to the user's rampage through the finder and filepaths... Any help would be greatly appreciated...I'm bumbling around here, and hoping I'm not wasting the forum's time...

Thanks for the tips and examples. I got it working exactly how I wanted it. ...Now to work through some tutorials (and the missing manual) and close the other gaps I have.

I must apologize...I didn't see how the portals interacted with the date at first. I took a closer look at the portals, and it does look to be what pretty much I need. Thanks much, I'm (slowly) getting up to speed on portals. Now I'm just trying to implement it...But that shouldn't be too hard/

Thanks for the demo, That's basically the database setup I had implemented. I'm just not sure how to create something that tells me which 'album' record portal is referencing a 'song' record.

When I use a portal in the 'songs' layout to reference anything in the join table, the portal is blank. Part of the problem is that I've very, very rarely used portals before, so this is new territory for me. I'm not sure if the field in the portal needs to have some type of script or what to display the information.

First, This is my first post here, but I've used filemaker off and on for a few years, mostly for simple things, and mostly personally. I'm working on a project now which is a bit larger than stuff I've done in the past. Second, apologies for what is probably a fairly simple question. The problem I have is that I don't know what direction to look to experiment with a solution. Anyway, my question: I have a table "songs" and a table "albums", both with layouts. I have a join table to facilitate a portal on the 'albums' layout to list songs that are to be used in that album. That's done and working swimmingly. I would like to be able to show which album(s) use a song, on the layout for the 'song' records. I'm not sure how to approach this in a simple fashion. How do I reference which records are using a record via a portal? or is that even the right way to think about it? Is there some blindingly simple solution that I'm going to laugh at myself for not seeing? I appreciate any tips or pointers...Hopefully I can get to the point where I'm able to contribute, not just ask here.