It's ALREADY open!

[McCormick]

I am using a database with several (6) files, and various relationships between them.

On opening the main file, they all proceed to open, either through script steps or because of those relationships.

A new problem has surfaced: when I open that first file, it proceeds to open all the others, and then one of the last files tries to open one that is already open. I get an error message that it "is currently in use and could not be opened". The error message says it is "not multi-user" (but it is multi-user) or that the host could not be found on the network.

I _am_ the host ... the file that "won't open" is already open, and I have no idea what the cause of this problem is. My only faint theory is that it has something to do with too many relationships going back and forth. "Agencies" links to "Addresses" and Addresses links back to Agencies, and People links to both of them ... etc.

I'm sorry if this is the wrong place to post this, but I don't even know what to call this problem. I would appreciate any help, including what to call it or where to re-post. Thanks!

[Ugo DI LUCA]

Hi,

Check back your "opening" scripts in each files.

A script in the Main file could open all other files.

[McCormick]

Okay, I've been looking through the archives, and I've found part of the answer, but I'm still stumped. I think I can phrase my question better,though:

The error message seems to be a common problem, that pops up when you try to open a file that's already open.

The advice I found was to change your script steps to only open each file once.

But the real problem for me is not when the scripts try to open files, but when they automatically open themselves because of their relationships. "Agencies" is open, which is fine, and I use the script to go to "People" ... and People tries to open Agencies because they are related, so I still get the error message, just a little later.

Is there a functional limit on these relationships? Should I try to avoid having such a web of connections?

Or should I be replacing every "go-to" script I've got with a longer series of steps that will Refresh and Maximize and Toggle everything?

[LiveOak]

I'm a little bit confused about why you are getting an error message when attempting to open (either explicitly or automatically) a file that is alread open. I'm not sure I've ever seen this message.

Tell us a little more about how your files are hosted and accessed, what platform you are on, and what version(s) of FM you are running.

-bd

[Ugo DI LUCA]

Agreed...

Do you happen to have a copy of your files that may interfere with the original ones...?

[McCormick]

Thanks for the help! I don't have any copies of these files that still use the same names (I have "Agencies Copy" as a backup, for example).

The exact error message I get is:

"<FILE> is currently in use and could not be opened. The file is single-user, or the host could not be found on the network."

The file is not single-user.

- I am running FM6 on Windows 2000 Professional.

- I am hosting a group of six files that all talk to each other on my own machine. In fact, rarely does anyone else also open this database, but we do want the capacity for that to happen. To save the cost of Server or another copy, it is set to multi-user, and hosted by whomever opens it first (usually me). There are only three of us.

- Since I started working on this problem, I have tried making some changes, but none have solved this issue (although some have spawned related problems). It seems related to a problem on the thread "multi/single user issues on single machine " (sorry; I don't know how to link to it) that Vaughan addressed.

I've removed the Open File steps from opening scripts, so it no longer happens as I open the database. Instead, it happens later, once I move to a file that itself is related to the file I was already in. I have made sure that the scripts I'm using to navigate between files don't use the Open File command, but instead summon a script inside the other file, based on Vaughan's suggestion in the thread mentioned above. Calling that script, of course, opens the file if it is not already open. As I mentioned above, this file as it opens tries to open others along with it, and if they are already open, problems ensue.

Example:

- Open the "lobby" file, just a navigation menu. Nothing else opens with this (anymore - it used to open everything by script)

- Click on the "Go To Agencies" button.

- Agencies opens with no trouble.

- Click on "Go To People" button in the Agencies file.

- People opens.

- People tries to open Agencies, which is already open. Error message pops up. Everything goes to pot.

Thanks for your help! I'm on a dial-up here, but I will keep checking back.

[Ugo DI LUCA]

I'm still confused....

Just to test, try to change the settings of your button script in the Menu Button (Pause/Resume/Exit/Halt) and see what happens....

[McCormick]

Oh, boy, I confused Ugo. I don't know which to hope - that I wrote that badly, or that this is a worse mess than I feared.

The scripts that are currently attached to the buttons (and work as Go To buttons) are all what I took from Vaughan this afternoon (actually, the buttons trigger a one-step script that calls an external script, which is below):

Allow User Abort [off]

Freeze Window

Set Use System Formats [on]

Go to Layout [whatever]

Allow Toolbars [off]

Scroll Window [home]

Toggle Status Area [hide]

Toggle Text Ruler [hide]

Set Zoom Level [100%]

Toggle Window [maximize]

Refresh Widow [bring to front]

So I could add something like Exit or Halt inside that script, if that's what your thinking. I will try it. There is no "mother" script that's always running - once the database opens, it waits for commands before doing anything, and each script is designed to end as soon as possible.

One more (frustrating) clue:

To call an external script with a button, I build a one-step script for the button that is just Perform Script (External), where the external script has the steps detailed above and is in the target file.

When I go in to triple-check these steps, I open ScriptMaker, edit that particular script, and in the Specify menu I choose External Script.

This brings up an ordinary Windows menu to choose a file in which that script exists. I click on the file I want ... and I get the exact same error message as before: "<FILE> is currently in use and could not be opened. The file is single-user, or the host could not be found on the network."

This is happening inside ScriptMaker and not even really as part of my database.

AND THEN...

The next time I try that, it works fine.

So it seems that any different action that calls on a file already open causes this error message. But not every single time. A script step does it, it happens when the files open each other because they are related, it happens when I try to work in ScriptMaker. But not every single time.

ARG!

Again, thanks for any and all help.

[Ugo DI LUCA]

OK, So forgot about my last post (well for your info, you can apply some "functions" to a button, when it is called within scripts. Check the Menu Button and look at the checkbox whic is by default Pause).

From what you said, this is definitely IMO a Muti-user /Network setting issue.

[McCormick]

Okay, thanks - how can I pursue fixing that? Today it seems to work fine, but I can't trust that to continue.

[Anatoli]

First check for some files with the same name somewhere on the network. That may cross-link and it will create havoc.

Secondly -- all relations, Open file steps and scripts MUST be always linked through HOST button, never ever directly!

[McCormick]

Anatoli: thanks - but I don't quite understand. Could you expand / clarify your second point?

[Ugo DI LUCA]

I would persist with Anatoli's first suggestion. Are you really sure no other files are there with same names....?

Also, check back your relationships definition. According to the quantities, try to redefine all relationships. Modify---->Reselect the file for right side.

[McCormick]

AHA!

I think I've fixed my error. So, for the record: I had these files saved on our server, but I was hosting them from my own machine. We don't have a copy of FMServer or even a spare copy of FMP to host on, but we try to keep all our shared files on the shared server for various tidiness reasons.

Once I moved all the files to my own hard drive (changing nothing else) the problem disappeared. So it was a network error, but it took some trial and error (as always) to find out what. Thanks for all your help!