AppleScript equivalent under Windows

[FMguest]

Hi,

I want to move a FileMaker 5 application using "AppleScript" from MAC to PC(Windwos XP Pro and FileMaker 6).

What is the Windows equivalent for Mac's "Perform AppleScript"...

Thank you for your help in advance!

[Fenton]

[Disclaimer: I'm primarily a Mac guy, so can only give general advice on this.]

What is it using AppleScript for, and how extensively? If it's just moving/renaming/getting files (the most common operations), then you might try the Troi File plug-in. It costs a little bit, but otherwise you're going to have learn more serious tools, like command line (which is not hard, if someone else tells you what to write -)

There are also macro programs on Windows. But Troi works really well and fast. It's main limitation, from an AppleScripter's point of view, is that you have to move all the logic back into FileMaker itself. Troi is not a programing or scripting language, it's just an extension of FileMaker, running one line at a time. It requires a more extensive infrastructure within FileMaker, more fields, more script steps. But many can be Unstored, so it's not a big deal.

So it depends what you're doing. If you're working with image files you'd do better with FileMaker 7, which opens up the possibility of calculating the file paths.

[FMguest]

I have FileMaker files already on Windows platform, but unfortunatelly I do not have MAC...

Browsing FileMaker's scripts (on my Windows machine) I see just statements like "Perform AppleScript[]"

So I cannot tell what actually is being executed ...

[Fenton]

Well, you're going to have to either get hold of a Mac, find someone who'll open them on a Mac, or guess what the steps do. Perform AppleScript could contain a very short script, or it could be many steps, with all kinds of setting and logic.

Can you guess approximately what the step is supposed to be doing from its context in the script?

It's rather curious, because most FileMaker developers only resort to AppleScript when they need to deal with external files. You don't generally see a lot of AppleScript in plain business files.

If your file is not all that complex, you could Save As Clone, then post that here. It must be smaller than the file size limit (?). Remove any graphics that could bloat the size. All we're going to do is try and read the AppleScript step(s) and tell you what they're doing. We probably don't need most of the layouts. Also, please do not post a file that rightfully belongs to another developer.

[stanley]

FMguest:

To find out what's happening in those scripts, you can print them out, and see what commands are included. Also, you can hand the files off to someone with a Mac & get them to look for you. That's about it.

-Stanley

[FMguest]

Thank you all for the help!

As far as I can tell just by browsing FileMaker scripts,

"Perform Aplescript[]" is called by FileMaker's script that suppose to

place an image file or sound file or video file in a container field.

Most probably ApleScript[] returns the name of the file or the file itself to be stored in the container field.

Can this be achieved on Windows by using filemaker's scripts only?

Unfortunatelly I cannot submit the file because of the confidentiality...

Thank you for your help !

[Fenton]

AppleScript is probably reading the file path from a field in FileMaker, then getting that file and setting it into a container field. You can do this with the Troi File plug-in on Windows fairly easily. I don't know whether you can do it with command line or not; I can't. In any case Troi File lets you do many things, well worth the cost for cross-platform file management.

You could also obtain the same result in FileMaker 7 by just creating a calculation field for the container; much simpler. Hence, unless you're stuck in 6, it would be a good time to upgrade.

What you need to do is to look and see whether the image file's path is already specified in FileMaker; if that is what the step is doing. Because if it's not, if it's putting up a dialog and asking where the file is, then you can do that with straight FileMaker. Just Insert Picture, or Insert Object (a Windows-only option).

There are a lot of posts here, in the "Container Fields" forum, about getting images.

[FMguest]

Thanks!

What is TroiFile and where can I find and try it?

[Fenton]

It's a FileMaker plug-in:

http://www.troi.com/software/fileplugin.html

[FMguest]

Thank you Fenton!

[Franco]

i use for windows platform Autoit3, http://www.hiddensoft.com/

It is free, you can create some simple .exe application (compile it self), it has a very powerful editor, also is possible to record windows action and more and more, it is a basic like language.

Troi is the best choise to be cross- platform, more professional.

By

franco