Auto-dial Script

[Jarvis]

I have a database that compares required materials with inventory on hand.

I would like to have this database be able to produce a purchase order and automatically fax an order to specific vendors.

I am using Filemaker 6 on an Apple G4 running OSX.

The filemaker help file indicates that the auto dial script is not supported with OS X.

Is there another way to accomplish this?

Could I automatically email this work order?

Would a developer's version of filemaker make this happen?

Thanks in advance

[Ugo DI LUCA]

Sure, this can be done.

Print your FM document with PrintToPdf, than use SMTPit for the Mail task and attachments.

The whole task could be performed by a script, depending on the situation where you want it to happen (at opening, when processing a customer order, at field "Quantity sold" exit...)

Automatic procedures is a cool device, but for this kind of "sensitive" task, I'd trap errors first though.

[ernst]

Hi Ugo, hi Jarvis,

>>Automatic procedures is a cool device, but for this kind of "sensitive" task, I'd trap errors first though.

This is my experience as well! You can quit easily make a ordering system that automatically makes (a) new order(s) when the quantity of some material or product is low, but I would always at least want to have a look at the orders it generates before faxing or mailing them to the supplier.

About the 'auto dial' function not working: I think that refers to the 'dial phone' script step via the internal modem. That script step is used for dialing a phone number in stead of having to dial it by hand, and not for faxing, as far as I know.

You could check out 'Page Sender' (http://www.smilesoftware.com/ ) which is a Faxing / Emailing printer driver for OS X. Their website contains some examples on how to automate faxing (and emailing) from within Filemaker.

regards,

Ernst.

[Ugo DI LUCA]

Experience, experience....

A friend of mine got fired just one year ago when he accidentally sent a Price offer to his leading customer, while he wanted to send it to a new prospect.

The prices were 15% lower than those communly paid by the leading one.

Guess what. It was an automatic faxing procedure.

[ernst]

>>A friend of mine got fired....

Funny, if it was not so sad...

When I was developping our shop's ordering system I had to add the following text to the very first line-item:

"Don't order this item"

Due to a 'small' bug in the system I had made...

Regards,

Ernst.

[Ugo DI LUCA]

"Funny, it was not s sad"...

Forgot to say. The leading customer represented 40% of the business. It was no more a customer the day after.

Just the bad button click.