Exporting to one document from multiple computers

[Sr.Paul]

On the server there is a document that is updated by a script that finds, sorts and exports.

(The document on the server is replaced)

The problem is, it only works from the computer that created the script.

If another computer using the same database runs the same script it finds and sorts but does not export.

Can this be fixed?

[Fenton]

Export happens on the client machine. Because it is producing an actual file. The client computer does not have (should not have) operating system access to the files on the server machine. If it does then you're not using FileMaker sharing properly and are risking eventual corruption of your files.

So, FileMaker exports to a local location. Probably the export path (file reference) you specified from the database is unavailable on the client machine. Because most paths in documents folders include the short user name, so they would only resolve correctly on one machine.

The files are probably exporting however. If FileMaker cannot resolve the path it exports to its application folder. Take a look; there's probably a bunch of extra files in there. Since you're on a Mac there are a couple of solutions. You can move the document after exporting, from FileMaker's application folder to somewhere more accessible, like the desktop. Or you can export to a location which does exist (or should) on every machine. The following folder was designed for much this purpose. This is how it would look as a FileMaker reference (actually you can only SEE the file reference in FileMaker 7, but it's there in 6).*

filemac:/Macintosh HD/Users/Shared/Export_file.extension

In AppleScript the syntax would be:

file "Macintosh HD:Users:Shared:Export file name.extension"

The move command:

move file "Macintosh HD:Users:Shared:Export file name.extension" to desktop

If you want all the documents on one machine then you'd have to either only do the export on that machine, or move it afterwards, using AppleScript, to that mounted volume.

BTW, if this is cross-platform the Troi File plug-in can do the same thing, with much the same logic; but you'd have to have 2 FileMaker export paths out, and slightly different paths. You could also probably do it with command line, if you're a whiz at that; I'm not :-]

*It is so much easier to do this kind of thing in 7. Backup your files before doing this, in either. I just crashed 6 bad recently trying to retarget an export step. The file had to be recovered and the data imported to a clean clone. Be careful.

[Sr.Paul]

More information:

The databases are hosted on a imac running Filemaker Server 5.5

The destination server is a apple Xserver

The destination path is: WEB/dbsite/exports/doc-name.txt

All the Macs and users have the same access to both the Xserver and FMS with the DBs

Thanks Fenton,

Unfortunately, moving the document after exporting to the server is not an option.

(The Main reason for the export is automation.)

I looked in the fileMaker application folder on different macs and found some extraneous exports but none of any relevance.

I ran a global search from some of the macs for the filename but no luck.

Because most paths in documents folders include the short user name, so they would only resolve correctly on one machine.

What you said about the short name Might be a key to fix the problem I'll try an idea and let you know.

It is so much easier to do this kind of thing in 7.

Will this work with FMP7? If so I might just have to upgrade.

[Fenton]

I had no trouble exporting to a mounted volume (my iDisk) from the client computer, using a script. This was a regular FileMaker 7 host, not Server, but I don't see that would make much difference. I used the Public folder. I imagine it would work the same in 6. I don't think it's a FileMaker problem really.

It could very well be an OS X permissions thing. Does everyone have permissions for that WEB folder? I would think not, by default. I'm not very knowledgeable about OS X Unix stuff, especially about Xservers.

The difference with FileMaker 7 is that you can see and edit the Export path File Reference. The Export and Import script steps allow you to see and edit everything right there in the script step, file paths, character set, fields and order. Altogether 7 is much better at anything on a LAN, and even more so on a WAN, especially from a developer's point of view.