Limitations of Run Script File

[macmanjc]

Here is the simple problem that I need to solve:

I have a large database with a lot of fields that are calculated using multiple scripts. It can take hours to loop these scripts on the full database, so it would be best if these scripts could kick-off overnight and do their thing. It would seem to be a pretty straightforward request, especially since the database is hosted on FMS7.

Well, after trying in vain to get this working, and then after combing through these and other forums for hours over the past couple of days, it seems that this is much more cumbersome than I would have expected! Finally, out of desperation I called FM support this morning to confirm my suspicions. Now that I know the answer I wanted to pass on what I have learned and save others the hassle of trying to figure this out, especially since I have seen that some people are having similar issues to what I am experiencing (most notably ibiubu who posted this: http://fmforums.com/forum/showtopic.php?tid/136433/post/new/#NEW).

Basically the Run Script File tells FMS to launch an Applescript that has been properly located within the FMS folders. This Applescript can do all sorts of things TO the database, but it can't do anything WITHIN the database; put another way, FMS provides a conduit between the client and the database, but FMS is not a client itself, so it can't access any functionality within your database.

So, the most efficient way to do what I want is to write an Applescript that tells FMS to close the database, then launch a copy of FM client locally on the server, then have the client open the database locally, trigger the scripts that I need run, and then quit when it is finished. Finally, FMS needs to reopen the database for sharing.

BTW, I am assuming that it is more efficient to run the database locally with the client instead of having the client connect to server; it should be much faster to access the files locally than to have the client, which is living on the same machine with the server, go out of the box, over the network, and then back into the box again to access the database. If this proves simply too painful to script, I might take the easy route and have it connect "Remotely".

Obviously, this is a major opportunity for improvement in FMS 8. Let's hope that FileMaker decides to correct this in the future.

Hope this was helpful to someone else!

-John

P.S. If I am wrong, and there is a way to make this work without this kludge-y workaround, please let me know!