Losing script link

[brianrich]

I have a network of Macs running OS9 with Filemaker Pro 6, networked using TCP/IP. One of the Macs is always started first, and provides a set of hosted databases. All the users log on by running a small FMP database on their Mac which contains a start-up script which contains an OPEN FILE step, which opens the menu file in the hosted datafiles. After this open step is completed, the file closes itself down, leaving the menu file loaded from the host running. Each user does this once, perhaps twice a day to get started with the database.

This works OK most of the time, but once a month they call me to say that the local file doesn't work any more. Invariably when I look at the file, the OPEN FILE steps now seems to call the local file itself, (it doesn't get itself into an endless loop though?) and thus doesn't launch the hosted menu file.

Can anyone cast any light on this behaviour for me - why should this file get corrupted?

Is there a more reliable way of connecting to the host menu file?

Thanks

[bruceR]

You do have file sharing turned OFF on the host machine, right? And you are using the hosts button or open remote menu choice?

[John Caballero]

I had a similar problem with a client of mine. For some reason every once in a while, the network protocol preference in a user's local FileMaker application would get set to "none". The user was adamant that she wasn't mucking with those preferences, and I was inclined to believe her. She was on an IMAC and I couldn't for the life of me figure out what was going on. Eventually they migrated to an all PC network and that seemed to fix the problem. I don't know if that little story is very useful to you, but that could be a first place to start looking - are the network settings getting changed?

Good luck,

john

[BobWeaver]

If the script fails for any reason such as a network hiccup, then the file reference in the script will get reset to the name of the startup file. It's a known problem. The solution is to begin the script with a "Set error Capture [on]" step. That way if the network connection fails it won't corrupt the script.

Vaughan wrote a detailed explanation of how to set up an opener file here:

http://www.fmforums.com/threads/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=84596&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=31&fpart=1