Open a Word document from FileMaker

[stanley]

Hi all:

I've just picked up a job completing an unfinished FM Server solution, and one of the things the client asked for was to integrate all their legacy data into the new solution. This data consists of a ton of Microsoft Word files, and what I would like to allow the user to do is to enter a PO number into a field in FileMaker, which would then launch the correct Word file. All the Word files have the PO number of the record in the file title, so this seems fairly straighforward to me - however, I wonder if anyone has done this with Word, and if there are any pitfalls I should avoid.

This would all be done on OS X.

Thanks

-Stanley

[DanBrill]

You're right -- this is pretty easy. I haven't done it with word docs, but I have with excel. And not on a Mac, but on a PC. But other than that, exactly the same. I don't really recall how path names work on a Mac, but you'll get the drift.

I'll assume that the PO number is the name of the Word file and that all of the docs are in the same folder for simplicity's sake.

Create a global field called PO where the user will enter the PO, and a calc called Path such that:

Path = """C:Documents and SettingsUser NameMy Documents"&PO&".doc" & """"

If the user enters 1234 in PO, the result of Path will be

"C:Documents and SettingsUser NameMy Documents1234.doc"

Then create a script Send Message [open document, field value = Path, bring application to foreground]

I just now recalled that Send Message is Windows specific too. But there is a Mac equiv.

So, if you can wade through the translation to Mac, this will work.

Hope I haven't been more confusing than helpful.

Dan

[kenneth2k1]

Hi:

The Mac step you want is the Send Apple Event step. In a script, specify the application to use and the name of the file.

If you say you have a ton of word docs, then this sounds like a pretty big job to input all that data!

As with any external files, I suggest using the Troi file plug in to manage them.

Ken

[stanley]

Thanks guys. That all is about what I imagined. I won't start the job until the new year, but I wanted to get the idea early...

-Stanley

[bruceR]

stanley said:

Hi all:

I've just picked up a job completing an unfinished FM Server solution, and one of the things the client asked for was to integrate all their legacy data into the new solution. This data consists of a ton of Microsoft Word files, and what I would like to allow the user to do is to enter a PO number into a field in FileMaker, which would then launch the correct Word file. All the Word files have the PO number of the record in the file title, so this seems fairly straighforward to me - however, I wonder if anyone has done this with Word, and if there are any pitfalls I should avoid.

This would all be done on OS X.

It is quite simple, and plugins are in general not required on the Mac. Use the perform applescript statement. If the files are all in one folder then it's simple:

property docFolder: "Disk:Folder:OtherFolder"

-- will need to be modified to handle network path

copy cell "PONumber" of current record to PONum

tell app "Finder" to open file (docFolder & PONum)

[stanley]

Bruce:

Thanks a bunch. That looks like what I was after.

-Stanley