Export field content

[sedekk]

Newbie level question:

I have a found set of MP3's inside a container field.   2 things I need to do:

FIRST

Export field content to an existing folder on the computer  C:/Playlist/

Using GetDesktopPath  is useless to me, unless I could export to  ../Desktop/SomeFolder/

GetFolderPath seems good, but even after watching examples, I still don't understand the syntax.

Has the script step GetDirectory vanished in FM Pro 18 ?

THEN

Later, I will delete all MP3 files inside the folder  C:/Playlist/

I remember how to do it with DOS commands but not launched from  Filemaker.

I suppose Send Event should be used, but I don't get how the syntax works.  Watching examples did not help so far.

 

 

 

 

[comment]

I don't understand your question. If you know that you want to export the files to a specific folder, then what else do you need? Why can't you simply hard-code the path to the target folder in your script and be done? 

 

1 hour ago, sedekk said:

Has the script step GetDirectory vanished in FM Pro 18 ?

I believe it has been renamed to Get Folder Path in version 18. I cannot find any mention of the change in the documentation, but the descriptions are identical.

 

1 hour ago, sedekk said:

Later, I will delete all MP3 files inside the folder  C:/Playlist/

Wouldn't it be more convenient to use the temp folder then, and have Filemaker delete the files for you at the end of the session?

 

[sedekk]

Thank you for your input.

I was finally able to make the script go to Desktop/Playlist. That first part is now OK and I can keep the folder permanent if I wish so.

Part Two:

I downloaded a sample file with a script that deletes the content of a permanent folder on the desktop.

However, when I replicate it, nothing happens.  (no error message either)

The only difference  is the name of the folder on the desktop.

(See attached image)

 

Any hint ?

 

[comment]

AFAICT, the script you show does NOT delete the contents of a folder. 

There are several methods to delete individual files. If you want to delete all files in a folder, I believe the simplest way to do this would be by using the Send Event script step. I am not a Windows user myself, but here are some previous posts that you might find helpful:

https://fmforums.com/topic/93922-how-to-delete-import-file-after-processing-records-into-fm13/

https://fmforums.com/topic/78237-delete-file-in-windows/

 

 

[sedekk]

Thank you for the links.

One question:

For other fields, I might later have to export a Found Set to let's say:           c:/SomeFolder/      which is already created and not to be deleted 

When I create  the GetFolderPath step, I have Default folder where I enter a calculation. I supposed the path  "c:/SomeFolder/"  should be it.    Trial & error  has I don't master the syntax.

Then, the Export Field step:  it has many options.   I tried anything I could think of.

When I run the script, it will always ask to choose a folder. Whatever I do, I have the message ".. could not be created on this disk."

Endless causes of error to search.  Maybe Default folder should remain empty.

Could you give me a simple script using c:/SomeFolder/

Thank you.   

   

 

Quote

 

 

 

[comment]

9 hours ago, sedekk said:

Could you give me a simple script using c:/SomeFolder/

It is difficult because you didn't post your own script - so I don't know if you're exporting a found set or field contents. You speak of both interchangeably, which is quite confusing. I also don't know what you want to use as the name of the exported file. I suspect it's actually the fie name you're missing, not the folder.

Try something simple like this:

Set Variable [ $path; Value:"/c:/SomeFolder" ]
Set Variable [ $filename; Value:"test.mp3" ]
Export Field Contents [ YourTable::ContainerField; “file:$path/$filename” ]

This should export the file from the container field in the current record to the SomeFolder directory located at the top level of the c drive, and give the name test.mp3 .

To clarify: in the Export Field Contents step, for the 'Specify target field' option you should select the container field, and for the 'Specify output file' option you should enter exactly this:

file:$path/$filename

 

Untested, because I am not on Windows.

[sedekk]

Thank you for the script you gave me.

It works fine.  I will have to modify it, since I have to copy my found set instead of a single record.

Also, I must find a way to keep the original name of the copied MP3's intact.

Clearly,  GetFolderPath  does not belong in my script.

 

[comment]

1 hour ago, sedekk said:

I must find a way to keep the original name of the copied MP3's intact.

If you want to use the original file's name when exporting a container field's contents, then set the $filename variable to:

GetContainerAttribute ( YourTable::ContainerField ; "filename" )

 

1 hour ago, sedekk said:

I will have to modify it, since I have to copy my found set instead of a single record.

It's just a matter of looping over the records of the found set. You have an example of that in your 2nd post above.

 

1 hour ago, sedekk said:

Clearly,  GetFolderPath  does not belong in my script.

Indeed. You only need it if you want the user to select the target folder at runtime.