X-Plat if Remote?

[LaRetta]

My solution is designed for Windows. I was assured we would not be using Macs on it. Of course, I didn't totally believe it but it made my job simpler. We use script-fired popup menus which works wonderfully.

We now have a new Sales Rep working remotely. He will be signing in to GoToMyPC and opening a licensed copy on a system only he will use. He will be clicking the 'Opener' FM file on the desktop.

Two questions please:

1) Is there a problem opening FileMaker this way? I realize it will be a bit slower but this is just a temporary thing until we get him set up.

2) He uses a Mac. How will my popup menus fire for him? As if he's a Mac (thus break), or as if he's Windows (because he's accessing a Windows system).

I can't test this and would just like to be prepared. If I need to stack popup list w/popuup menu, I want to do it before Monday. Thanks in advance for any advice.

LaRetta

[Wim Decorte]

Seems like the people at GoToMyPC should be able to answer you the underlying question: is the system accessed a Windows box or a Mac box? If it is a Windows box then there will be no issues except speed...

[IdealData]

FYI LaRetta

I have a similar situation, but I tackled it by donating a "spare" machine to VPN users. Then they use Timbuktu to connect to the "VPN" machine. Obviously I setup a VPN service, and the performance is quite realistic as there is only any screen drawing happening, no data running down the net, although printing is a no-no.

At the worst you can map a public Ip address directly to the internal address of the "spare" machine.

[SteveB]

LaRetta: I also make heavy user of script fired popup menus.

Are you using v8 or v7 with the script fired popup menus? V8 seems to have a bug, and I managed to get around it by increasing the Pause from 0 or 1 second to 2 or 3 seconds. Its not perfect and users can still crash the system.

Steve

[LaRetta]

Thanks for the input, Mark. Figuring out remote connection has been on my plate for quite some time; but I'm scrambling to keep up with version (FM and SecureFM) and hardware changes and now find myself in a tight spot. Thanks, Wim. I will also talk to the folks at GoToMyPC. Last I spoke to them, they knew less than I did (which is quite sad).

I'm still on 7, Steve. Can't move to 8 because I'm waiting on SecureFM (won't run on 8) and we're short vs. 7 copies at the moment. Thanks for the tip about vs. 8 and popups. Scripted popup menus have worked so well on prior-8 versions that I haven't bothered field triggering with SecureFM. I was considering it for my vs. 8 rewrite. It's difficult with all the revisions and upgrades to know what is a feature, what is a bug, and what SecureFM will come out with. I've planted myself firmly in vs. 7 until the dust clears (and SecureFM Advanced comes out). I feel like I'm swimming in uncertainty on our design future but our present is stable (if I can keep us in vs. 7 copies).

LaRetta

[SteveB]

LaRetta, have you read my last posting in the Custom Menus Forum? You can make the Exit fairly invisible, and I think you can also remove Tools by setting Account Privileges.

The Custom Menus, while far from perfect (like most things FM just implements) are very easy to use, and I might not go back to Dacons Menu Control.

Steve

[LaRetta]

Hi Steve,

I haven't played with vs. 8 yet but I've read all posts about it (and added your thread to list of considerations). Like you, I question how I will write in vs. 8. I like ... no, NEED total control and lockdown (we're Windows, for goodness sakes and we like lean accurate data!). [spoilerq:1]... (Off Topic) ...[/spoilerq]

[spoilera:1]

Ever notice that most people who don't understand why we have so many problems with Windows are Mac people? ROFLMAO!! [/spoilera]

And we also share the same 'plugin' boat. The verdict is still out for me ... I don't see FM elegantly replacing everything SecureFM w/Menu Magic can do - not with this first version anyway. On the other hand, being left straddling a picket fence isn't pleasant either. I question whether I'll ever allow myself to be stuck waiting for plugin manufacturers to design (have control over) a piece of my solution. We are being held up ... and that costs us money ... and every day we wait, the pendulum swings a bit further to FM's side.

I'm a control freak and not ashamed of it.

LaRetta

[SteveB]

I'm also a control freak, and I bought but refused to use v7, and as you might remember I have knocked Filemaker repeatedly over the years for what I regard as very sloppy (and stupid) work. However, v8 is compelling.

The Tab Control is poorly implemented, but it still allowed me to remove 60+ layouts from a file with 220.

While I'm not happy with the Exit on the 1st menu, its not likely that the user will stumble upon it (no menu title), and less likely that they would click it given a message (DO NOT USE THIS COMMAND) that I inserted as the only Menu entry. The menus are easy to set up and work with and sub-menus are trivial. What they don't do is allow you to diable an entry, but you can change the menu text with a calc. They also don't pop-up valuelists, but neither did the version of Dacons that I was using. I resorted to the script driven popup when the actual menu closed...this worked just fine.

Data value tracking throught the debugger is a real pleasure and makes finding and fixing a snap.

You ought to give it a try.

Steve

Edited October 2, 2005 by Guest