Losing Links

[Oldfogey]

Does anyone know the sequence in which FMP searches for a linked file, when it can't find it in the correct place?

[CobaltSky]

To the best of my knowledge, this is not documented anywhere - and I understand that it has varied between versions of FMP and also between plaforms/operating systems.

As a result, it's long been one of the deeper mysteries, and it's safest to assume that the answer is 'anywhere and everywhere'. In practice, the locations generally include:

1. any locations that the sought file has been opened from as part of the current solution

2. among recently opened files (of the same name, with or without the extension)

3. in the current file folder

4. in the folders/locations of other currently open files

5. in the application folder

6. in the folders/locations of other recently opened files

7. in any other folders that a file has been saved to

Whilst that seems to be the most common set of places FMP looks, and (more often than not) in that order, I've seen enough apparent exceptions (including files opened that don't appear to qualify against any of the above seven criteria - and also files that do appear to qualify being ignored) to caution against making assumptions.

Let's hope that a future version of FileMaker will bring a greater degree of control and predictability to this feature of the application.

[Oldfogey]

Thanks for that, Roy. At least I know now that I'm not going insane - it's FMP.

[Vaughan]

http://www.filemaker.com/ti/104302.html