A good approach to refs in containers over a peer-to-peer network?

[Kent Searight]

Hi all,

I'd like to get opinions on my approach to storing references of images and files in containers in a peer-to-peer, cross platform environment.

Here's the problem (at least, as I see it...please correct me if I'm wrong)

When you store references to files or images in containers in a peer-to-peer environment, they can only be seen in a container at the machine from which the insertion took place. All other machines in the peer-to-peer network display "The file cannot be found:filename.ext".

Here's my idea for a solution:

1) Make a container field for inserting references to images or files, regardless of machine

2) Make a machine-specific container field for each machine

3) Make a machine-specific layout for each machine that has the machine-specific container for that machine

4) Strictly control image or file reference insertion by script, i.e. no inserting with menu or mouse

5) Store all physical files in one protected location on a drive in the host machine

then...when a user inserts a reference via script, a path for each machine-specific container will be parsed from the original container and used to set the image or file for each machine's container. The layout for each specific machine will show the reference in its specific container.

Make sense? I've already made this work and it seems to be solid. But I've got some concerns about how solid this "reference-from-a-reference" is. Is there a better way to do this? Any file corruption issues you can think of?

Any and all input is welcome and appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

[Søren Dyhr]

Tell me why you discarted blob (Binary Large Object) storing as an option, to avoid messy references and orphaned links??

--sd

[Kent Searight]

Hi Søren,

I chose to store references because of the sizes of the files (images & videos) that will go in the container and the quantity of anticipated records (~10,000).

How would you handle this?

BTW Additional hardware or software is out of the question, at least for the time being.

[J]

What is the best way to keep track of these?

I don't want to include the images in filemaker. I assumed the best way is to put them on a shared folder (ex. drive Z:graphics). That way you only have one copy of the graphic to maintain. If you change the graphic in that folder, it updates every time it is in the system.

Also, how can you assign a graphic to a container field via a calculation? I have the graphics stored in one table and want to show the correct graphic based on a calculation. I am new to filemaker, so please don't think I am just plain old dumb if the answer is obvious.

Jason

[Kent Searight]

No one can see any potential pitfalls with this method? I guess I'll take the lack of response to mean "no". :