How do I set a global variable as an external file reference without opening the data file as hidden?

[cat traveller]

My issue here is this: I use the data separation model. I am opening a starter file and am creating the global variables for all my files here. Works fine. Now I want to pass the other file locations to all my files in a global variable so that in the external file references it reads file:$$locationofthatfile/file.

My way of doing this would be to call a script from say datafile a from within my starter file (passing the global variables as a script parameter (in my case with assign). 

My problem is that calling the script, before it executes will open the file (hidden), all the $$locationofthatfile variables will fail and filemaker will lock in these "erreneous" paths. 

Then, even when the script runs, the newly created global variables will not work.

How would I best be able to resolve this. 

Thank you so much.

[rwoods]

Hello

Not sure if you have tested this at all, but my understanding is that so long as those file references in your other files are not called (i.e. you are not a on a layout that shows data from them, and not calling scripts that use them), then FileMaker will not attempt to open them.

Therefore, so long as you set the global variables before you first make a reference to the files, FileMaker will not attempt to open invalid file paths.

 

Edited June 27, 2019 by rwoods

[cat traveller]

Hi Rwoods,

thank you for taking the time to reply on this. 

Yes, I have been trying to get this to work for several hours. I am creating the global variables first in my starter file. Now here comes the problem. I am trying to set the datasources for the interface file that is opened via the starter file. For this I need to somehow pass the variables for the data sources over to that file. For this I tried:

- calling a script from the interface file to create those variables. This opens the file hidden (and that happens before the parameters can be passed. hence, the global variables dont work.

- open the file (and then passing the parameters) also does not work.

Maybe you have a way to archieve this?

 

Thank you.