Script doesn't run equally when not networked

[Ugo DI LUCA]

Hi,

I'm trying to debug a script, that turned, when printed to be a 25 pages of sub-scripts on 5 different files, and I have a "stupid" question.

When printed, some of the Perform Script have the I.P stored, some not, some have an "*" and others "Ethernet Zone"....

Like

Perform Script [File:ThisFile.fp5(0.0.0.0), "The Script Name"]

or

Perform Script [File:ThisFile.fp5(*), "The Script Name"]

or

Perform Script [File:ThisFile.fp5(xxx.xxx.x.xxx), "The Script Name"]

or

Perform Script [File:ThisFile.fp5(Ethernet zone), "The Script Name"]

Why these differences.... ?

The customer have this habit to make a copy of the files, then use this back-up to produce the invoices, but they "complaint" that the Invoicing procedure is now not equally running when done from the network or on a local machine. The numbers shown are different !

When looking at the script, I could see that the developer (I didn't developed it) extensively used the Replace Contents command, as well as some relookups. I therefore suspected that the script would not run on locked records.

But they keep saying the figures aren't equals when nobody is on the network.

So while looking in depth all steps, I encountered this IP addresses mistery. Could this be a problem ?

[DykstrL]

I'll tell you what I know of the differences.

When the IP address is shown (your third example), the IP address of the server (or other hosting client) was 'hard-wired' when the external script step was setup. This is done when specifying the file you click the host button then unchecking 'Save relative path only', clicking 'Hosts', then clicking 'Specify host...', then entering the IP address of the server or hosted client. This forces FM to look there first. If it can't find the specified file there, it starts looking elsewhere, such as the current active folder, then network drives or mounted volumes. This is the method I prefer as it is less likely (but not impossible) that the wrong file (backup copy?) is found.

The same methodology can be used, except specifying the server name. It's almost the same except the server name must be resolved to an IP address.

Your second example (*) is when 'Save relative path only' is checked and the file was found by scrolling through the list of hosted files. With this option, FileMaker goes through its folder list (active FM folder, default system folder, network drives or mounted volumes, then, lastly, local hosts) to find the first instance of the file with that name.

Your first example looks like it is referencing a file on the local drive. Usually, the internal default IP address is either 127.0.0.0 or 129.0.0.0 - I'm guessing that that default IP address was changed to 0.0.0.0 on that machine.

The last example I have never seen, unless that is the name of an FM server.

Hope this helps...

[DykstrL]

I'll tell you what I know of the differences.

When the IP address is shown (your third example), the IP address of the server (or other hosting client) was 'hard-wired' when the external script step was setup. This is done when specifying the file you click the host button then unchecking 'Save relative path only', clicking 'Hosts', then clicking 'Specify host...', then entering the IP address of the server or hosted client. This forces FM to look there first. If it can't find the specified file there, it starts looking elsewhere, such as the current active folder, then network drives or mounted volumes. This is the method I prefer as it is less likely (but not impossible) that the wrong file (backup copy?) is found.

The same methodology can be used, except specifying the server name. It's almost the same except the server name must be resolved to an IP address.

Your second example (*) is when 'Save relative path only' is checked and the file was found by scrolling through the list of hosted files. With this option, FileMaker goes through its folder list (active FM folder, default system folder, network drives or mounted volumes, then, lastly, local hosts) to find the first instance of the file with that name.

Your first example looks like it is referencing a file on the local drive. Usually, the internal default IP address is either 127.0.0.0 or 129.0.0.0 - I'm guessing that that default IP address was changed to 0.0.0.0 on that machine.

The last example I have never seen, unless that is the name of an FM server.

Hope this helps...

[DykstrL]

I'll tell you what I know of the differences.

When the IP address is shown (your third example), the IP address of the server (or other hosting client) was 'hard-wired' when the external script step was setup. This is done when specifying the file you click the host button then unchecking 'Save relative path only', clicking 'Hosts', then clicking 'Specify host...', then entering the IP address of the server or hosted client. This forces FM to look there first. If it can't find the specified file there, it starts looking elsewhere, such as the current active folder, then network drives or mounted volumes. This is the method I prefer as it is less likely (but not impossible) that the wrong file (backup copy?) is found.

The same methodology can be used, except specifying the server name. It's almost the same except the server name must be resolved to an IP address.

Your second example (*) is when 'Save relative path only' is checked and the file was found by scrolling through the list of hosted files. With this option, FileMaker goes through its folder list (active FM folder, default system folder, network drives or mounted volumes, then, lastly, local hosts) to find the first instance of the file with that name.

Your first example looks like it is referencing a file on the local drive. Usually, the internal default IP address is either 127.0.0.0 or 129.0.0.0 - I'm guessing that that default IP address was changed to 0.0.0.0 on that machine.

The last example I have never seen, unless that is the name of an FM server.

Hope this helps...

[Ugo DI LUCA]

Thank you.

From what I understand then, although the developer did use several techniques, it shouldn't be a problem when only one instance of the files are present on the Server.

They are using a Linux based server by the way.

Thanks again for this enlightment.

[Ugo DI LUCA]

Thank you.

From what I understand then, although the developer did use several techniques, it shouldn't be a problem when only one instance of the files are present on the Server.

They are using a Linux based server by the way.

Thanks again for this enlightment.

[Ugo DI LUCA]

Thank you.

From what I understand then, although the developer did use several techniques, it shouldn't be a problem when only one instance of the files are present on the Server.

They are using a Linux based server by the way.

Thanks again for this enlightment.

[DykstrL]

I don't have any hard data, but I think that 'hard-wiring' the IP address in performing external scripts and opening related files on the server is just a little bit faster than the other methods. My reasoning is FM doesn't spend any time hunting for the file and there isn't any DNS resolution that needs to happen.

[DykstrL]

I don't have any hard data, but I think that 'hard-wiring' the IP address in performing external scripts and opening related files on the server is just a little bit faster than the other methods. My reasoning is FM doesn't spend any time hunting for the file and there isn't any DNS resolution that needs to happen.

[DykstrL]

I don't have any hard data, but I think that 'hard-wiring' the IP address in performing external scripts and opening related files on the server is just a little bit faster than the other methods. My reasoning is FM doesn't spend any time hunting for the file and there isn't any DNS resolution that needs to happen.