send mail, win2k, outlook, works SOMETIMES

[cinolas]

Hi all,

I am using FileMaker U 5.0v3 on a win2k server with Outlook.

I made a scheduled fmp script that automatically (no user interaction) sends an e-mail with attachement.

It works fine for a while. Then it stops working. The script will do everything BUT the SEND MAIL step... it seems it is simply ignored. The only way I found to make it work again is to create a new SEND MAIL step (with the same parameters) and delete the old one. Then it works again for a little while...

Any idea what the problem is

I need the process to be completly automatic and the e-mail MUST include an attachment so the Open URL trick won't work. Unfortunately it has to run on a PC so forget AppleScript :-(. I also whish to avoid using a plugin...unless it's free.

I just want to know why it works and then not !

I read most topics about Send Mail before bugging you with my question and I read somewhere that someone had the same problem and the solution turned out to be a Show Message step after the Send Mail (!??!?!). The problem is that the Show Message step requires someone to click "ok"... and FMP U stops responding until someone disposes of the Show Message.

Any help is greatly appreciated...

[Keith M. Davie]

You write, "It works fine for a while. Then it stops working. The script will do everything BUT the SEND MAIL step..."

I do not know the parameters of your script. I can only relay my experiences - and they do not involve sending email. I have found a similar problem with scripts on occassions. The solution that has always worked for me has been to break the script into two or more parts (script / subscript).

You might consider this approach, either make the attachment step be a subscript or make the send mail step the subscript.

Hope you find this useful.

[cinolas]

Thanks, I'll defenitly try that !

So you say that sometimes FMP drops a script line ! Just like that !

Any other suggestions are welcome.

[Neville]

Funny you should mention!!

I have just had the same problem with FM4, e-mail and an attachment.

Looked like it worked sometimes and not other.

As best I could determine it was to do with the file attachment. Unless I placed it in the Outlook express directory, the scrip step did just wha you said, completely inored it. I Tried all sort of things including script with just the e-mail step - same problem. Only when I went back an checked what actullay worked didI identify the file location difference.

It may work for you (I am dreading if it stops like your problem)

[Tom England]

quote:

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I made a scheduled fmp script that automatically (no user interaction) sends an e-mail with attachement

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Can someone tell me how this is done please. We run FM 5.5 and FM Server. I can't run a script at startup because it will run everytime someone opens the relevant Database.

Is there a way of getting FM Server to do it?? I would rather not use a Plug-In as I have no idea how to use them!!!

[IdealData]

I have an automated e-mailing system on MacOS 9.1 using FMP 5.0 (client) with connection to FMServer 5.0.

I use iDoScript to trigger the FM script every minute (via an applescript) - sure you could use OAZIUM events, but iDoScript is fine and cheap.

We use Eudora as the email client, but that's a restriction of FMP 5.0, you could use Outlook with FMP 5.5

I've never experienced the email showing erratic behavious - there again I'm not running WINDOZE.

[cinolas]

I unfortunately have to use Windoze .... I would prefer to use Mac but they are already setup with PC's here so...

How to schedule a script on Windows 2k server:

- Create a FMP DB called something like "ScheduledScript".

- Create a script with a "Perform Script, external, the script to run on schedule" step.

- Set this script to run at startup

- In the FMP DB that contains the script to schedule, create a script called something like "Close ScheduledScript" with a "Close File ScheduledScript" step.

- Add the "Perform Script, subscript, Close ScheduledScript" step to the end of the script to schedule.

- Then, using "Scheduled Tasks" in system tools, set a schedule that opens the FMP DB "ScheduledScript"

Hope it's clear...

The effect is

On Schedule, Win's Scheduled Tasks will open the "ScheduledScript" DB which will launch the script at startup. This startup script will launch the actual script to be scheduled (in your FMP DB) which will end by launching the "Close ScheduledScript" to close the "ScheduledScript" DB to make available for the next schedule...

Hope it helps...

[Tom England]

Are there any problems with installing Filmaker (client) on the FM Server. The only check I can think of ith that the database(s) should be opened via Hosts and not via the loocal hard drive.

Anything else that may trip me up???!!!

[Steven H. Blackwell]

quote:

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Originally posted by Tom England:

Are there any problems with installing Filmaker (client) on the FM Server. The only check I can think of ith that the database(s) should be opened via Hosts and not via the loocal hard drive.

Anything else that may trip me up???

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No problem with installing both, just don't try to run FileMaker Pro while FileMaker Server is active. This can damage the files, break links, and cause protocol conflicts.

See the Best practices White paper.

Old Advance Man

[Tom England]

What do you mean by FileMaker Server being 'Active'?

Thnks

[Vaughan]

Close the FMServer application or service before opening the files in FMPro. Never have FMPro and FMServer open together on the same machine.

[Tom England]

Can you direct me to the Best Practices White Paper.

Thanks

[andygaunt]

Hi Tom,

go to

http://www.filemaker.com/downloads/index.html

a veritable goldmine of white papers to be found.

[Tom England]

Can I have FMPro open, and FM Server just running as a service busy hosting databases???

[paullam]

I experience exactly the same problem with FMP 5.5 on (rather old) Win 95 portables. Did you come up with an adequate solution yet ? If I come accross the solution, I will let you know. Thanks for any help.