Opening PDF files in a Container Field

[Jarvis]

I have a container field that holds PDF files of cabinet drawings.

To conserve space, these are stored as only a reference to the file.

To open the file the user has to double click onto the PDF icon in the container field.

Is there a way to open the PDF file via a scripted button or a calculation rather than clicking onto the file?

Thanks in advance!

Jarvis

[transpower]

You could launch a URL by script with the URL referring to the file path to the PDF.

[Jarvis]

Transpower,

Perhaps I was not real clear about what I am trying to accomplish.

I am not trying to locate PDF that are living at some URL.

The PDF files that I want to launch are already stored in a container field.

To activate them right now you put the cursor over the field then double click.

What I would like to do is find a way to have the PDF open without having to do the double click.

If I could have this be a scripted event , life would be good.

Does this seem doable?

Jarvis

[dblezard]

I have been checking into this for storing resumes in a database in Word, PDF, and other formats.

The solution is to 1) store a reference to a file (which you are already doing), and 2) use the following script step: Go to Field [select/perform; my_container_field]

If you embed the file, this doesn't work. In fact, I can't figure out much of any real advantage to embedding the files since all you can do with them is import and export them. There is no way to open them, edit them, save them, attach them to e-mails, etc, etc using the built-in scripting. If I'm wrong, please let me know!

-David

[Fenton]

I think you are right to some extent. There is no way to open them without a dialog which asks you where to save them; and visa versa, no way to reinsert them without a dialog to navigate to and choose them.

On a Mac both of these dialogs can be bypassed, and the processes handled with AppleScript. On a PC they can be handled with a plug-in, such as Troi File. The processes are similar, basically renaming the exported file, which is at a known accessible location. I imagine you could use command line on either platform; but if you ask the question, then that's not likely one of your hobbies :-/

If you are handling the location of the file after it is exported, you cannot then move it around and expect an automated "re-insert" to work. This would be more used for files you want to keep inside FileMaker, just edit occasionally outside.

It could be exported to a "temporary items" folder, so the exported file would exist to be worked on and re-inserted, but would then be deleted without user intervention. The changes would be lost however if the user did not re-insert it, which would require a FileMaker script and button (unless you AppleScripted an auto-save and re-insert at intervals, yikes :-).

It would be wonderful to be able to script the File References of FileMaker, especially for these import and export steps; though I can understand if they are wary to open that up. And there are the cross-platform issues. But there are good tools on either platform to handle files.

The advantage to embedding files is organization, and a portable, unbreakable tie to the relevant FileMaker records.