Stupid FileMaker Tricks

Hammerton · March 4, 2002

Don't ask why, but I need to insert pauses of variable lengths after submit requests in a sequence of pages. I have noodled around with javascript solutions but the syntax is impossible. Before I get further on down that road, does any one have a suggestion for inserting the pauses using cdml. Loops perhaps?

Fitch · March 4, 2002

Well, first I looked here ... and found this ...

I'm not a CDML guy, but could your Submit automatically insert a random number of mm:ss into a time field? Then you could return a layout with the contents of that field in a form field, and count it down with the above js? ... not sure how you envision using this. I'll let the online experts take it from here.

Garry Claridge · March 4, 2002

I'll need to delay a submit shortly because on some occasions the results appear before the frames have loaded; hence, a new page is created.

Just an interested by-stander.

Garry

Hammerton · March 4, 2002

Hey Guys

Fitch - I thought about that, or at least something similar. I thought about using an intervening page that said please wait and paused for a set amount of time. It's easy to make a timed redirect type thing using canned javascript. But....since you have to pass at least someinformation from that pause page to filemaker - CDML thing - that solution simply moves my current problem to another page.

The bottom line is that there has to be a way to execute the appropriately named submit request automatically.

I'm afraid that the only way to do this to write the javascript - with the setTimeout function - so that it creates a function that instructs the browser to pause, name the submit button - Name = "-edit" - and then pass the submit request. Maybe this can be done using a URL to pass all the info to FM.

Garry - I'll definitely share the solution if/when I arive at one.

slstrother · March 5, 2002

An intervening page with a meta tag might do what you need.

The code looks something like this:

code:

<HEAD>

</HEAD>

The number 5 in the code is the time of the pause in seconds. You should be able pass other information to the DB within the tag.

Hope this helps

Keith M. Davie · March 5, 2002

What occurs if another request is made while a client is in this pause mode?

Hammerton · March 5, 2002

SL - Thanks for the tip. To be quite honest, I don't know what meta tags are or what they do. But I'll try your solution.

Keith - in this case I am using the solution to perform an experiment in which people are led to believe they are in a chatroom. The point of the pause is to make it seem like the participant is waiting for the other -non-existent- participants to finish. When the subjects' response is 1st out of five they wait a long time, when they are 5th there will be no delay. The result file returns the participants contribution plus display fields containing the 4 fake responses.

For this particular solution participants are tested one at a time, so there can be no crossing of the lines. If this were one the web for anyone to do, the javascript solution would have the advantage of pausing before the submit.

[ March 04, 2002, 10:23 PM: Message edited by: Dr.J. ]

Keith M. Davie · March 5, 2002

Thanks for the info Dr. J. Knowing the scenario is limited eliminates that concern.

I recommend a search engine -> "meta". I think it was a link to vancouver which was most helpful to me.

The redirect page will display during the pause and it can have a hard coded message to the client and other junk.

[ March 05, 2002, 08:04 AM: Message edited by: Keith M. Davie ]

Keith M. Davie · March 5, 2002

I might add that the meta refresh is part of the solution to a problem which one can encounter from a client who creates a new record and on the success.htm clicks the browser's reload or refresh button. Without a meta refresh this will allow a second (etc.) record to be created containing the same data. With the meta refresh you change the action from a -new to a -find. Then a reload from success.htm merely performs a find.

[ March 05, 2002, 08:10 AM: Message edited by: Keith M. Davie ]

Hammerton · March 7, 2002

SL... and Gary - The code below works like a charm. Thanks SL... Note that if the pause occurs in a sequence of edits, the recID must be passed and that requirees an -edit action, not a -view.

Sadly, my IPNetSentry packet inspection for FM hacks is triggered by this. I have to talk to the guys at sustainable softworks about tweaking the program. For those who care, I can get IPNetSentry to trigger on the FMPro? code, and even the -db= code, but nother farther down the line. Ideally it would screen for stuff like -raw, which is usually farther into the packet. Should be doable for them.

Garry Claridge · March 7, 2002

Thank you.

Garry

slstrother · March 8, 2002

Dr. J. I am glad it worked out for you, and thank you for the tip on -recid and -edit.

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Stupid FileMaker Tricks

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