-Script not working (Dates)

[DanJR]

Hi all,

We have a web based survey, using 4 computers setup on a private LAN. One computer is the server (Mac OS-9 with FMP v5 installed) and the other are clients (IBM and Mac's) using Internet Explorer 5 or higher.

I have several web pages within the survey that require an FMP script to run when the user clicks the continue button. One of the scripts is used to randomised the participant into a group by copying the value from one field to another and incrementing a global field - the other scripts are used to record the current data and time.

The problem....: On day 1 of the survey, we tested the survey and all scripts worked perfectly. On day 2, the randomisation script worked, but none of the date scripts worked! (ie no data value or characters were written to the date field, the field remained NULL) - I haven't touched the html pages which invoke these scripts. I had played with the database but did not touch the scripts or the respective date fields. On day 3, I turned all the computers on and did a test run of the survey - none of the date scripts worked. I then edited the first html page that contains the first date script and changed "-Script" to "-SCRIPT" within the embedded url of the javascript function. Now all the scripts work as expected!!

Why did my date scripts stop working?

Why did editing the html page "fix" the problem?

Thank you kindly for any thoughts....

Cheers,

Dan

[Steve T.]

Hi, Dan! I do not have an answer for you, but here are some observations I hope will help...

(1) web-based survey using FMP scripts

This is a controversial subject you can read about in the forums... if I am remembering correctly (help me out, gang!) scripts do not properly run through the web because FMP cannot distinguish one web user from another; sometimes it's okay, but simultaneous users can experience problems. Some say you cannot use them safely at all, others say you can but you have to do additional things.

(2) dates are not as straight forward as one would think

There are numerous posts pertaining to dates and formats and platform, country, and software all play a role. I think I remember something about FileMaker not having it's own data format, per se, and that it gets it from whatever computer that is hosting it... I think. Check the posts, though.

(3) -Script > -SCRIPT

I could be wrong, but my guess is that it was probably the circumstances or conditions of the server/client changing in between tests rather than the actual act of changing MixCase to CAPS. Sometimes, caches can trick you into changing perfectly fine code into something else... and then you don't know if it was the cache or the code that made a difference. Or maybe you zapped a gremlin / invisible character when you retyped it.

Good luck! Maybe some of the pro's will see something I don't.

--ST

[Garry Claridge]

Dan,

I've often had problems with date formats with Filemaker and WebCompanion. That is, the mix between Aust/NZ and US. Did the problems begin to occur on the 13/7/2003?

Maybe a computer on the network reverted to US date format, then came-good later on (as you were editing the page)! Could be Sun-Spots

All the best.

Garry

[DanJR]

Hi guys.....thank you so much for responding. You both have given me some good leads on what to look at....country codes & dates (NZ vs US), cache...etc - much appreciated.

Interesting,....our biostatistian mentioned to me that a previous web-survey, using FMP and delivered over the internet, recorded some participants as having a finish time less than the start time of the survey. Your comments about web based surveys make interesting reading and I will definiately search the forums for more info.

Thanks,

Dan.