I designed a FileMaker Pro database on a PC. It has many Show Message scripts that have 2-3 paragraphs of text each. After installing the database on a Mac, the text displayed when the show message scripts run is truncated to the first 255 characters. Why is it doing this? Is there a way to have all of the text display? Thanks for any help you can offer.

I'm afraid that 255 has been the limit on MacOS for as long as I can remember. If you are developing x-plat, you tend to get used to it.

If there's really no way you can edit your messages down to fit within the limit, there are a few options:

1. Provide more than one dialog (one after the other) for the Mac platform (not necessarily a good look - but it is an option...) and split your message up into 'chunks'.

2. Check out the range of x-plat dialog plug-ins (though, be warned, most of the dialog options offered by most of the third-party products in this area are also limited to 255 or less on MacOS...).

3. Set up a message layout to use in place of a dialog (not a professional look either in my opinion - but again, it's an option, I guess).

4. Establish a separate FMP file in your solution that you can use as a pop-up window (sized appropriately and with suitable buttons etc) and call it by script to appear like a dialog (you can force it to stay in front with a scripted pause in a loop, until the user clicks one of the buttons to dismiss it...).

Hope you'll be able to 'get some relief' with one of the above suggestions.

Thanks for your suggestions. A separate message file probably is the best alternative.