Exporting from multiple users to one file

[Meese Scott]

Our law firm is on Macs. Unfortunately, we need to use a Windows-only time-billing program. We've decided to go with TABS.

I'm writing a small database to "capture" the time at our users' laptops and desktops. I need to figure out a way to export that data from each computer, combine it to a main data repository file, then import that data into TABS.

Any suggestions as to handle the process where we export from each computer and combine into a main repository file? I'd like to leave the data at each user's station intact, so each user can run basic reports (timekeeper productivity, etc.).

I'm quite new to FMP, so basic explanations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, of course!

[stanley]

Are you running a networked system on FileMaker Server or FileMaker Unlimited, or is everybody running local files? If you're running Server it's fairly simple; if not, it's going to be more complicated.

I'm not familiar with TABS, so another important question is this: what kind of data does TABS want during the import (i.e., tab-delimited text, comma-delimited, etc.)

-Stanley

[Meese Scott]

Hey there, Stanley:

We are not running networked on FMP Server or FMP Unlimited. Our attorneys are on laptops and need to be able to capture their information while out of the office. We do have the option of having the staff, on desktops, run on FM Server, but I didn't think that would be very helpful: if I've got to find a solution for the laptops, I might as well standardize everything.

TABS simply takes a comma delimited text file; I have designed the FMP database so the actual transfer of data will very clean, if I can just figure out how to do it.

Again, thanks.