tedg

Duh. I had the select all checkbox checked. Many, many thanks.

Yes, the Insert Calculated Results command is what I was missing. Trying your example, it turns the entire field red! All I want to do is select a couple words and have the script turn those words red. Thanks.

What I want to do is manually select a word or two and hit a keyboard shortcut that turns the text color to red. I have (on my Mac) Keyboard Maestro, which can select a menu and/or do all sorts of UI tasks. But to change to red you have to select a swatch from a palette. I think the solution will be to make a script that does something similar to TextStyleAdd (red). Then I can just select that script from the script menu. But the script creation window seems to allow only a few commands, none of them related to text. Can I do this?

The advice I got above was good. IWP is a no go. Not even close. Not sure whether the work I did helps with the CWP solution or not. Will proceed with CWP, but still assembling fields in FMP. Thanks.

Reporting back on the feasibility of IWP for my use. It does appear that with some effort, I can make a layout based on classic that looks and behaves much like the web page I want. But now that I have tested IWP, I see that simple things I expected to just work are not possible. I will proceed with the CWP.

Done. Many thanks.

I used a ‘Replace Field’ operation to remove stray CR, and in the process accidentally overwrote the data. I do have a backup made right before the mess-up, but that mess-up was discovered only after heavy work was done on the original. No problem. What I want to do is replace the values in a given field with the values from matching records in the backup. What is the best way to do this?

I have a specific question about calculated fields shown in web viewer and the effect on IWP. As background, I am going as far as I can with a specific layout to make it look and behave as much as I can like my desired webpage presentation. This may be the hard way to do this, and advisors here at (http://fmforums.com/forum/topic/84705-questions-a-publishing-strategy/) have advised picking either IWP or CWP and do it right rather than investing in the first believing that it will take me closer to the second. I have since discovered web viewer. It appears that I can construct rather complex html-css fields with this. Very impressive. Is it possible to assemble such calculated web viewer fields in a layout and have the html behavior convey through IWP? Does it make sense to deliver already formatted html via php to CWP pages? Thanks.

I *really* appreciate the guidance. Would like some clarification though. Regarding the FMP Server limits, you are saying that this is not a problem for a site that could get a few thousand hits a day? Regarding the IWP solution and the logic-in-the-database issue, let me explain the rational a bit and see if you still recommend the against them. I will be doing a lot of work on the desktop: building, populating and expanding the DB. I will need most all of the scripts I am creating for this anyway. If the result is useful for IWP without hassle, I’ll use it. If IWP requires tweaking, I’ll just put the energy into the custom solution. The logic-in-the-database strategy is based on the following assumptions: • It makes sense to just use the FMP database for the web backend as it is — scripts and all — rather than converting to mySQL. • I can get pretty close using FMP logic to delivering the exact data-elements that I need for the website. I believe this is within my skill level. I also can create the website using Freeway, having blank areas where the data elements go. This is also something I can do. • Connecting the dots will be (I imagine) a simple php statement that says “put that here.“ Creating the logic in PHP means getting a consultant who will want to do all the site work. If it is the guy I used before, he will want to transport all the FMP info to mySQL. However, for me to do what I plan in FMP to deliver web-ready results, there will be complex portal work that I will need help with. Since I am investing in FMP skills, I’d rather do it here if possible rather than learn a second language. I am basing the design of the data-driven site on an existing static site that will be a sibling: http://filmsfolded.tedgoranson.com The design of the data-driven site is attached. FF Site design.pdf

Because: 1. It gives me a chance to test that scripts I make on the client work on the server. 2. It allows my eager readers an interim solution while I work on the junky programming model of php/css/html. 3. It enforces a discipline (as described above) of doing all the computations in FMP, and delivering simple strings via PHP. Meanwhile, I am worried about the “user limit” on FMP. Does this effectively rule out a general purpose data-driven website with expected 1,000 users per day (to start)?

I am developing a database in FMP 12 because the content is rather dynamic and I plan to use many desktop capabilities of FMP. However, the whole idea is to publish it on the web. This question is about whether my strategy - as described below - is wise. I plan to master FMP to a degree and build a layout (using Classic theme) that emulates the final web page design as much as possible. I plan also to build a web page in a Mac program called Freeway, something I know how to do. If this were a PHP/mySQL project, I would need someone to do some heavyweight coding to build elements. My supposition is that I can find a FM hosting company (probably ODITech.com) and put the FM database up there. A very short term testing period would use IWP. Once I know all is working, I’d ‘connect’ my web template with the database by simple PHP. This assumes that it is wise to do as much as possible in FMP scripts and calculations rather than in PHP assembly. For instance, instead of the IWP layout presenting raw fields to be assembled by PHP, I would assemble much larger synthesized blocks. An example: I have film comments that have many components (film title, year, possible foreign title, comment title, comment date, comment text...) The block of the combined comment presentation with styles would be assembled in the layout, rather than by the PHP server. I hope this is clear. Is it a wise strategy?

Goodness me, I really am embarrassed. I worked with FMP 6 some years back, and it will take some time for me to re-calibrate to the FM way of doing things. Thanks.

A rank beginner here but a fast learner with a simple query. I have a field that constructs a unique URL for each record. I want a button that uses a script to open that URL. The open URL function is flummoxing me. What is the script? Thanks, Ted

Help. I am completely flummoxed by the web publishing options, and can't grok the docs. I have built a nice little FM6 database of film info that I need to publish on the web. I need it to be a real database, searchable by the user. My ISP will not allow me to serve from my machine, so it has to be on an ISP server somewhere. I do not understand what instant web publishing orthe web companion are, and think they might not apply to me. As I understand it, my server options are --to find an ISP that sells FM services --to translate to mySQL and use php on any of a million linux servers In the second case, I know what needs to be done to generate the webpage part. In the first case, I have no idea except that lasso and/or cmdl serve the same role as php. Is this right? How do IWB and WC fit into this? Thanks in advance, Ted