Hi,

I have a weird issue with some global fields.

I use a handfull of globals to store VAT percentages etc across my db files. For some reason, some globals retain the data I have entered while others are reset to _blanc_ when I shut down and restart. It is not dependant on type (text/number) or other settings (they are all the same). My application runs on FMP6 and is hosted by Server 5.5 on a Mac running OSX.

Anyone know what's going on?

NB: Yes, there are records in the db that holds the globals in question.

Jim

Globals are local to the client machine, not part of the actual hosted file. Are you opening the files on a different machine on your network than the one you last saw the correct values?

For hosted files, it is more stable to set up a one-record "preferences" database. Make actual number and text fields and store the information in those instead of globals.

There are various ways of retrieving and using the data. I use a constant relationship (a field in the pref file containing a one, related to a calc field in the primary file that always contains a one). Scripts can pass the info back and forth across this constant relationship using globals.

Basicly, in a hosted environment it is best to think of global fields as local variables, not as places to permanently store data.

Steve Brown

Hi,

I'm opening on the same machine. just closed the app, then re-open and the value is gone. I didn't know the global was local only, haven't had problems so far over the four machines using the hosted files. Nice thing to know. Thanks!!!

I'll have to make a seperate db then. I actually had this before using globals but found globals to work more efficiently. Apparantly there is a limit to the number of retained fields or something...

Jim