HTML/CDML Creator

[EddyB]

Hi all,

For those of you who rememeber Claris Home Page's FileMaker connection wizard, then this is basically my FileMaker version. For those of you who don't know what this is:

CDML Creator will create simple HTML/CDML pages you need to put your database on the web.

Before starting a new project, please make sure of the following:

1) The database you are going to create pages for is saved in the Web Folder of the FMP Folder

2) The database you are going to create pages for is open

3) The database you are going to create pages for has web companion turned on

IMPORTANT NOTE:

When CDML Creator creates the files for you, I am not sure where they will be saved, this is one of the features I'm hoping I will get some feedback on.

I am working on W2K and the files get exported to my desktop.

I am not sure where your files will be exported to if you are working on a Mac.

If you have existing pages with names such as new.htm, search.htm, record_detail.htm please be careful, the pages created from this database may overwrite your existing ones and I don't really want to be responsible for that!

Once I have some feedback on what happens with these files, I will remove the warning note and repost the sample file so you know it is safe.

The pages that this creates are at the moment very basic. Soon, after some feedback I will build on this and add some nice features to be able to automatically create nice web pages from templates.

Any testing/feedback/constructive criticsm will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

BTW This will only work on FM 6 as it uses the custom dialog script step.

Ed.

CDMLCreator.zip

[Robert Schaub]

Pretty Awesome,

The HTM's get saved to the unpacked folder (or could it be the last folder opened.

This pretty Greek to me. I get the pages to open but when I tell to do a command

I get page not found. Am I just being dense or did I do something wrong?

[EddyB]

Hi Chopper,

Sorry, I should have added instructions for this.

Create a folder in the web folder of FMP - call this TEST

Put your database in this folder along with the pages you created

Open the database

Open your browser and type http://localhost/TEST

If you have set web companion to run on a different port than 80 e.g. 591 you will need to type:

http://localhost:591/TEST

Hope this helps, if not please let me know.

Thanks

Ed.

[Unable]

Interesting. And very ambitious. Thanks for posting your demonstration

1. On my Mac the format files were saved to desktop.

2. I used a (renamed) copy of a database I used in an example I posted on Sample Files.

3. In my db file I do not show my calc_fields on my layout because that is not necessary to a successful solution. In this application it must be necessary to include calc_fields on a layout, since they did not appear in the pop-up.

4. I set Web Security for all users > browse

5. I used the App to create web pages for a simple search on one field with a valuelist.

6. I got a message on a couple of occasions during format file creation that a ScriptMaker script was "unknown" and to clear that message I selected "Continue"

7. I put the format files from desktop into Web. In running the format files which the App created, the pop-up search list (abreviations of state names) showed a curved arrow before each choice.

8. The search (two choices - "start search" and "find all records") returned an error: "There was an error searching the x database. [# ERR: 5] Please check your submission and try again."

9. I went to the db file and performed a "Modify Last Find". This showed that when I selected AZ from the list, what was entered into the search field was "=[square symbol]AZ".

10. I went to the format file "search.htm" and removed (Ouch) all the square symbols from the code and saved.

11. I then refreshed the browser (NN 7.x) and tried another search on DE. Again both buttons returned the "[# ERR: 5]" message. However, the curved arrow did not appear in the pop-up list.

12. I next closed everything and reopened, using IE. In IE both buttons returned the "[# ERR: 5]" message. And I closed IE and reopened NN and tried it one more time to no success.htm.

13. I did notice (both IE and NN) that the button "start search" did return a found set in the db file (while returning the error page to the brower), while the button "find all records" did not return a found set. In looking at this latter instance (set db file to show all records and then perform from browser), no find was performed and no data was entered.

14. Everything was loose in my folder Web (and worked except for the problem described). Upon reading your note I made a folder TEST. I got the same results as described above.

I hope you find this useful.

[EddyB]

Hi Unable,

Many thanks for testing this for me and for your very useful comments.

Unable said:

1. On my Mac the format files were saved to desktop.

[color:"blue"]Oh good! I was a bit concerned over that!

2. I used a (renamed) copy of a database I used in an example I posted on Sample Files.

[color:"blue"]OK

3. In my db file I do not show my calc_fields on my layout because that is not necessary to a successful solution. In this application it must be necessary to include calc_fields on a layout, since they did not appear in the pop-up.

[color:"blue"]Yes, it is necessary to have the fields on a layout, as I use a calc field to pick up the fieldnames for the valuelist. This is only possible by selecting the layout on which you wish to use the fields from. I understand what you are saying though about calc fields, hhmmmm...

4. I set Web Security for all users > browse

[color:"blue"]OK

5. I used the App to create web pages for a simple search on one field with a valuelist.

[color:"blue"]Very wise!

6. I got a message on a couple of occasions during format file creation that a ScriptMaker script was "unknown" and to clear that message I selected "Continue"

[color:"blue"]I'll have a look at this, works fine on a PC, I'll have to check this on the Mac. Can't really see why it would make a difference though but will see.

7. I put the format files from desktop into Web. In running the format files which the App created, the pop-up search list (abreviations of state names) showed a curved arrow before each choice.

[color:"blue"]I guess this is a PC vs Mac thing, again I'll have a look at this.

8. The search (two choices - "start search" and "find all records") returned an error: "There was an error searching the x database. [# ERR: 5] Please check your submission and try again."

[color:"blue"]OK, very confused on this one. Error 5 - Invalid command. I have checked the html - all commands OK, I've retested on the PC and works fine. Has anyone else experienced this problem?

9. I went to the db file and performed a "Modify Last Find". This showed that when I selected AZ from the list, what was entered into the search field was "=[square symbol]AZ".

[color:"blue"]Again, PC vs Mac I think, will look into.

10. I went to the format file "search.htm" and removed (Ouch) all the square symbols from the code and saved.

[color:"blue"]Same as point 9

11. I then refreshed the browser (NN 7.x) and tried another search on DE. Again both buttons returned the "[# ERR: 5]" message. However, the curved arrow did not appear in the pop-up list.

[color:"blue"]OK, confused!

12. I next closed everything and reopened, using IE. In IE both buttons returned the "[# ERR: 5]" message. And I closed IE and reopened NN and tried it one more time to no success.htm.

[color:"blue"]As point 8

13. I did notice (both IE and NN) that the button "start search" did return a found set in the db file (while returning the error page to the brower), while the button "find all records" did not return a found set. In looking at this latter instance (set db file to show all records and then perform from browser), no find was performed and no data was entered.

[color:"blue"]As point 8

14. Everything was loose in my folder Web (and worked except for the problem described). Upon reading your note I made a folder TEST. I got the same results as described above.

[color:"blue"]OK

I guess I have some more work to do before it works correctly on a mac!

Thanks again Unable, I guess I'll have to get the old 5500 out and do a bit of troubleshooting.

Have any PC users experienced any problems please? Just so I can check if the above problems are restricted to Macs only.

Thanks

Ed.

[Unable]

Ed,

Regarding the "square symbol" ("box") which appears. Please be advised that I write in SimpleText (windoz equiv is NotePad I believe). Sometimes I have opened something of mine which I had compressed. Upon doing so I find that my SimpleText format files have been converted to Netscape (or IE documents, can't remember which - but whatever). If I just double click on one of those to read it, it opens in the browser. In order to read the code I must drag and drop into SimpleText, and if I want to save it in SimpleText I must perform a simple edit (usually I add and delete a space) and save the edit. The document will then save in SimpleText. I also have this experienced with the Sample Files which others provide here.

However, when a document is first opened in SimpleText from the NN document there are a lot of these boxes throughout - a real pain imo since they don't just erase themselves and I ahve not figured out how to do a replace of them. So this is something which happens with Mac's SimpleText, at least in my experience.

I also thought that I should try to run the solution with the -op tag commented out (<!--INPUT TYPE=hidden NAME="-op" VALUE=eq-->). Since this search is being performed in a ValueList, the operator is frankly unnecessary. However, this did not solve the problem as the ERR#5 still comes back.

In line 11 of my comments, I believe the curved arrow was somehow being generated by one of the square boxes. I don't know why I would get ERR#5 however.

Perhaps someone else using a Mac can be of assistance to you on these vagaries.

BTW, success comes before work in your claim, showing the dictionary is not the only place but just one place.

[EddyB]

Hi Unable,

After a bit of testing, I've found that notepad in Windows is doing the same in some circumstances, but the squares do not seem to affect the code on the Windows platform.

The operator appearing against Valuelist fields was just laziness on my part - it saved me having to put yet another check into the calculations (checking the field type first before deciding if the operator was needed). It was just easier to always have it there even though as you say it is unnecessary against these fields.

Error 5 is still bugging me, but I'll get there!

Thanks again for all your testing and time spent on replying.

I'll set the old mac up this week and do some tweeking! - Does anyone know what the minimum requirements are for FM 6 on a Mac please, I can't even remember what OS is on my 5500!

Cheers

Ed.

[Gbowe]

Works on FM 6 OS 10.2.6. Created a new folder "TEST" and place HTML/CDML Creator there. All files were saved in the same folder. Everything worked fine, except for the little squares (line returns). Removed all "

[bruceR]

For a very powerful static-page generator, check out FileMill at http://www.drizzle.com/~rooster/107.htm

[bruceR]

"Everything worked fine, except for the little squares (line returns). Removed all "

[Chirriras]

I'm running FMP 6 on Windows XP. I've run the program four times and am yet to find where the files went. They are not on the desktop and when I run a search, it always comes back empty. Any ideas?