File References Update Issue In FMP6

[coolcat]

Prior to migration ... I thought it might be a good idea to relocate all my fmp6 files for one particular solution, into one directory ( I wanted to do this anyway - and now is a good time) ... but I'm having this problem...

Using FMP6...

I'm trying to modify an existing solution...

- previously, the menu file resided outside of the folder with all the solution files in it... All of the file reference links were working fine with that basic set up...

- now I am trying to take the menu file - and place it inside the main folder with all the other files... So I quit FileMaker ... Moved the menu file ... And booted up with the menu file in the new location...

- in the past ... I remember " fixing/updating " all the file reference locations ...

1 - By either clicking on a button script - (that involved that file reference) ... and the message would come up "we cannot find that file" - and then I would relocate it with a dialog menu - and then it would be updated and remembered throughout that file...

2 - the other way I remember updating file references - was to open the relationships window - and find the related references and update one of them by hand - locating the new file location - and that would also fix everything for that file.

- then with either procedure 1 - or - 2 above - I would go through all the solution files and update everything...

- * my problem now is that - I am doing these procedures - and things will get fixed - and the solution will work fine ... But then I will log out - and quit FileMaker completely (even reboot the computer) - and open everything up again - and it did not remember any of my changes for some of the files - and then forced to do the whole thing over and over - but it does not retain my updated file references...

*Question: - maybe there is a better way to update these file references - or am I doing something wrong - or is this some kind of FMP6 bug?

Edited November 5, 2005 by Guest

[Ender]

Look into MetadataMagic from New Millennium Communications.

[coolcat]

Look into MetadataMagic from New Millennium Communications.

Thanks - I know this can help - but this simple problem should not need an outside app to fix... and FM used to fix this by itself... maybe I'm doing something wrong?

[gdurniak]

FileMaker's "File Spec" (where it looks for files) has always been somewhat of a mystery

It was explained at DevCon that no one document describes it completely, since it's behavior is slightly different for each FM version and OS combination

One work around is to put all the files directly in FileMaker's folder (not a sub folder). Supposedly, FileMaker always looks there for files.

You are correct that once you "point" FileMaker to the new location, it should "stick". It also helps if this new location is "hosts" (hosted files), and not a specific folder

[Wim Decorte]

Who says it's a simple problem?

If you use MetaDataMagic you'll see that FM stores all file references for every location/computer you ever used the files on. How it resolves those file references to try and open the files is the mystery.

You could convert the files to 7 as they are and clean up the file references there, but cleaning them up with MdM in 6 first will save you a lot of trouble...