Confused on instruction on how to check for plugin

[FossilFM]

The document on how to check and update plugin is a bit confusing to me. It says that to check

the version of the plugin on the client computer, run the external function of the plugin's version.

It then says that if the version is not returned then the plugin is either disabled or missing.

My question is how do I run the external function of plugin's version if I don't even have the plugin installed in the first place.

As a developer I would have them and I can do

Set Field [Plugin::VersionNo, ExternalPluginVesionFunction]

but if the user opens up the database for the first time wouldn't they get

Set Field[Plugin::VersionNo, <Function Missing>]

This seems odd to me...

The FMSAUC_FindPlugIn (PluginName) checks the one located on a server but none for the client computer..

So how exactly do i check for the clients plugin vesion if they do not even have the plugin installed the first time?

Thanks.

[SteveB]

I checked the plugins that I use, which are not in a server environment so my situation maybe different than yours. In some cases, I pass the plugin the registration string provided by the plugin developer, through a call to the plugin. In other cases, I test the version # and then pass the registration string. The changes were based on what the plugin developer provided in his documentation. I have one script that initializes all the plugins at once as soon as my solution starts up.

Does this help?

Steve

[bharti01]

If you are using the plugin in a stane-alone application then u have to

put the plugin inside the extension Folder of the the application directory.

If you have hosted your file on filemaker server then you dont need to install

plugin in the client mechines.AutoUpdate will automatically download the lugin into your client mechine .

For that what you have to do is you have to enable AutoUpdate

in both Clinet and server mehine.Now you can update the plugin by by calling FMSAUC_UpdatePlugIn("plug-in name version").This downal load the Plugin to Client Machine.

Does this help??

Bharti

[Fitch]

I usually check it in a script like this:

If[ External("TrFile-Version", "-GetVersionNumber") < 2700 ]

.. Show message[ "blah blah" ]

.. do something etc.

End If

I know what you mean, you would think that the If() would become nonsensical when the plugin is missing, but this must be a "feature" of External functions. It works, just try it.