FM finding the RIGHT slave-files

[harryk]

An FM application is often used more than once. For instance covering a different year, or covering a different subject using the same setup.

So a set of files related to eachother can occur more than once on a computer, though stored in different folders with appropriate folder names covering the subject. At least that's what I intend.

I am using Developer 5.5.

I have some observations, and some questions. At first an observation. When opening a set of files belonging together, or in better words, when opening the master file, the related files are opened also, which can be seen in the Mac-Finder under 'Windows'. (Not the operating system Windows..the menu option..) When closing these files and after that opening a master file in another folder, but with the same name, Filemaker gets mixed up and opens more related files with the same name as intended. Then you see under 'Windows':

master.fp5

(slave.fp5)

(slave.fp5)

This is confusing and setting the door open for problems concerning related files to be used.

But at least this does NOT occur when the application Filemaker is quit and opened again, and then choosing the intented master file. Then the right slave files are opened.

I double check this by a calculation field in each slave file showing status(currentfilepath) so I see what is happening and can see that the right slaves are opened.

Now my questions:

1)

This is what the FM-help says.

"You can save the relative path of a relationship, by accepting the default checkmark in the Save relative path only checkbox. This allows you to return to the related database."

The last sentence is unclear to me. It's still unclear to me what the Save Relative Path checkmark exactly does, and what the consequences are of checking/unchecking this.

2)

Can FM be relied on for 100% if after launching FM and then choosing the master, that the opened slaves are the right ones? Which is in my case, the slaves in the same folder as the master?

3)

If this is not a 100%, is there a way to force FM to open the right slaves, eg pointing at a path?

At least with status(currentfilepath) there is some possibility of control to check whether the right slaves are opened.

Any remarks on this are welcome.

And do not tell me I should not keep more then one file with the same name on the same computer, and that I should binhex or zip them. I know that story.

Might be true..hope not..

Harryk

[Mike D.]

Harry, I've experienced this problem also. What I found was that I still had a relationship established to the "wrong" slave file. Double check your relationships and see if that is causing the problem.

HTH, Mike

[Pupiweb]

The "Save relative path" option only tells FM where to look *first*

Leaving duplicate files in your computers you're looking for troubles and serious ones: FileMaker is horrendously avid in searching for files by their name and will find them no matter how far/deep you'll put them. I've had myself experiences of FM files opened in the wastebasket or attempts by FM to open same-name files created by other apps (in my case FaxSTF).

The conclusion is: DO NOT DO THAT, EVER

[harryk]

Still, I am persistent on this. Am I the only one using database-setups that are basicly the same for different purposes, different years etc?

Let me put it another way. If I keep the files belonging together always in different folders, and if I keep the application 'clean', that is to say, I do not open the different master files subsequently (see my observation in previous message),

AND I open the slave files in a start-up script where I check the correctness of of the slave with the status(currentfilepath) method,

AND this is all correct, the right slaves are open, is there then still any change that an additional WRONG slave can be opened next to an existing correct slave?

And when I, everytime I use scripts involving connection to the slaves, repeat this filepath-check, while working on the files?

When this is not secure, I should indeed do other things.. always binhexing the databases not used and delete the originals, or renaming the relationships..but it does not make me happy..

Hope for understanding for my persistence and comment from guru's..

Harryk

[Ugo DI LUCA]

Well I also use a year to year backup*, and I also had bad experience with duplicates.

I renamed both folder and filenames with the year at the end. Using FM 5.5 with a Mac took me an hour updating all relationships (at least 300 messages "could not be found", then show FM which folder and filename to use) but I think it is easier with Developper.

* It's not really a year per year, but mainly 1999-2000, 1999-2001, 1999-2002. I did so much updates to my files from years to years (layouts, scripts, Y2K, tax rates changes, even the big mess of changing from French Franc and Italian Lira to Euro...) that I wouldn't delete 1999-2000 and 1999-2001 to keep only 1999-2002. I'm just not confident. Don't ask me why !

I even kept a copy of fm4.0 to open 1999-2000 files

[Pupiweb]

What's the value of your data, how important are they ?

If they're important I wouldn't go anyhow near to messing with them ... the measures you mention are fine and do work but IMHO they aren't 100 % error proof

Given your needs your best choice would be the FileMaker Developer Tool: it can rename files and repoint scripts/relationships and so on ... An absolute must-have for developers and probably very useful in your case

[Ugo DI LUCA]

Yes I agree with you. He already has Developer 5.5. Isn' the Developper Tool included ?

[Pupiweb]

Yes, it surely does

[harryk]

Up till now the method I described works fine, but as I am the proud owner of Developer 5.5, i will certainly use that option, that I apparently overlooked. Thanks.

Harryk