Exporting From FMK4/FMK 5.5 to Excel97/2000

[juventino10]

I have been working on my major project for IT which consists of a relational database. In order to achieve an outcome that I have defined I would like to find the most automated way i.e. scripting/macros to get data fields from either filemaker 4 or 5.5 and then export to an excel template which may be either 97 or 2000. I need a script that first finds certain records depending on the criteria asked for when the script is run, sorts them and then exports them. What I would really like is a method for excel to be launched and the template opened with the data imported into the correct area after the data has been exported out of filemaker.

The reason I ask for assistance with multiple versions is that I personally own Filemaker 4.1 and Office Professional 2000 on a pc, my school instead uses Filemaker 5.5 and Office 97 on an iMAC therefore I am assuming it must work best with the fmk5.5/excel97/iMAC combination. I apologise for such a picky list of demands it is just that I wish to have the most accurate answer for my problem.

If you are worried that giving me this information is in some way giving me an unfair advantage than do not worry as our class has been allowed to seek 'guidance' not someone to create it for us.

I welcome any replies. Thankyou.

[LiveOak]

It's probably going to take three elements to do this:

1) A FM script to locate, sort and export the data to say an SYLK file.

2) Scripting in the native language of the machine you are on (AppleScript, etc.) to launch Excel and trigger macros.

3) Excel macros to move things around and perform final formatting. You might avoid this with proper links.

-bd

[juventino10]

Thankyou. Will use your advice tomorrow at school.