Hi- I have inherited a large database with over 1000 scripts. I can find the name of the script by the button but It takes a real long time to locate the script in the scriptmaker window. Is there a faster way to find a script or to alphabetize them.

Also- Can a script be reused and exported to another file. I think it can but how to change the fields quickly? to fit the new file?

Thanks

STAN

Stan:

If I remember right, in Windows, when defining what a button does, you can scroll through the list of scripts by hitting a letter, and it will bounce down the list according to the first letter of the script. Not at all what you were asking, but that's the only place in FileMaker (that I know of) where you can do anything resembling searching through the script list. I think you're going to have to organize them by hand (which is what should have been done in the first place, especially with such a large number of scripts.)

As far as exporting scripts... I'm not sure you can. Maybe someone knows, but not me.

-Stanley

Question one.

Put your cursor in the list of scripts and type the name fast (usually about the first three characters will work).

If you want to alphabetize them, there is a utility by New Millenium called ScriptOrganizer

Sorry Stan, I forgot the second part of this question.

[color:"blue"] Also- Can a script be reused and exported to another file. I think it can but how to change the fields quickly? to fit the new file?

You didn't state what version you are using, so the answer depends on that. If you are using a version 5.x and above, you can import a script from another file (also has to be new than 5.x, but you can convert an older file to 5, and then import it). However, if you are using a older version (i.e. 3.x or 4.x), you can only do this via a utility called AutoScript.fm Pro available at www.fmfiles.com. (I think) [color:"red"] Note: you also have to be on a Mac and be using system less then OS 10

HTH

Lee

Thanks very much for the answers Lee, I am on a mac on System X but the old files were i n Filemaker 4.1

Thanks again

One of the things that I've been doing for a while is putting in numerical dividers. That way I can make mental note of a script's position when using the button specify-script feature. Like this. This is just a list of phony script names:

Do this

------------

1 --- STARTUP SCRIPTS

------------

Do that

Do something else

------------

2 --- REPORT SCRIPTS

------------

Do that

Do something else

------------

3 --- SORT SCRIPTS

------------

Sort by Name

Sort by Categore

Sort by Invoice Date

Obviously in real life you'd have a longer run of scripts between numbers. But it makes it easy to say, oh yeah, that script was in section 12. And as mentioned previously, you can type "12" and go immediately to section 12. You can name the sections, as shown. But even without names, if they just have a section number, it's immensely helpful.

Adding this to an existing list of 1000 scripts would be very tedious. But once added, it would make it easier to locate a script.