creating web link for FMP field (automated)

[Flanzy]

We have almost 40,000 books for sale in a fmp data base. I created a FMPcalculation field that generates the specific URL address for each title. (I upload that info to froogle to be listed there.) We have moved our inventory to a shopping cart site. I am under the impression that if I create a list of all our titles, linking each title to its URL and post it as part of the sitemap at the shopping cart site, eventually search engines like google will pick up the titles. I use Claris Home Page to create html. It would be painfully time-consuming to make a link for each title. Because the URL address is in a field in the same database as the titles, there must be a way to automate this process (And e.g. Froogle does it somehow because I send them the info in various fields and it turns each title into a link to the URL.) Can anyone tell me how to do this? Thank you. Flanzy

[comment]

Will not export records as HTML table work for you?

[Steve T.]

Howdy, Flanzy! I see a few options here, including comment's suggestion of an HTML export, but it depends on a few things and how your site is set up. I'm not sure if you're up to it, but if comment's suggestion does not give you what you want, I think you can make FileMaker do most of the HTML coding for you...

1. create a calculation field called "link" where

link = "<a href=' " & urlfield & " '>" & titlefield & "</a><br>"

This should create a link like

<a href='http://www.mysite.com/books/book1.html'>Book One Title</a>

2. export data as text file with link field ("mybooks.tab")

3. change .tab to .html

4. open mybooks.html in Home Page and modify as needed (dress-up, logo, etc.)

Of course, this would be just a list of titles with links to the correct URL but you could add other info to the list, too, if you wanted. If you do not know HTML, just kinda make what you want in Claris Home Page and then look at the source code. You should be able to figure it out. Or post your question in the FileMaker Online forum and someone should be able to help you even though you aren't "serving" fm on the web.

Good luck!

--ST

P.S. someone fix my code for Flanzy if you see any typos or mistakes!!