How to make windows shortcut to hosted database?

[BowDown]

I'm running FM8 Pro that connects to a FM8 Server database.

How can I make a windows shortcut to automatically tell FM8 to open a remote database?

Right now people have to open FM8 Pro, click "Remote", then click the Host, click the database, Open, then enter login information.

Thanks.

[Mike D.]

What you really want is a small filemaker file to be used as a short cut. When they open the "shortcut" it runs a script that opens the remote database.

HTH, Mike

[Ted S]

BowDown,

You can just make a desktop shortcut without the need for an "opener file".

Create a shortcut with a syntax like this:

fmp7://10.20.30.40/Filename.fp7

Even if you're using FM8 use the fmp7:// syntax. In the example 10.20.30.40 is the IP address of your server and Filename.fp7 is the name of the file that you want to connect to.

Be aware, if you have upgraded to 8.0v2 the internet protocol (fmp7) was broken. I can provide you with a script that will fix the Windows registry

[BowDown]

I'm running 8.0v3. I will try your script.

[BowDown]

fmp7://10.16.89.3/mainmenu.fp7

Says it's not valid.

[BowDown]

Got it! Thanks...

"C:Program FilesFileMakerFileMaker Pro 8FileMaker Pro.exe" fmp7://10.16.89.3/mainmenu.fp7

[Wim Decorte]

I would still prefer an opener file for the simple reason that it will be able to detect if the hosted file is not available and give the user a meaningful message and some logging options.

[LaRetta]

In addition, a shortcut - if it can't find the file, opens file manager and allows the User to select their own. Then you'll get a call at 3 AM because "every time I click FileMaker, my Calculator opens instead." A good Opener will provide a clear message (as Wim pointed out) and then gracefully close without losing the file location.

LaRetta

[BowDown]

If the database can't be found with that path windows will not ask to redirect to a new exe. FileMaker opens then it says it cant connect to the database or it just opens up blank and you have to click open.

Edited May 3, 2006 by Guest

[Ted S]

Yeah, BowDown is correct. For me (running XP, FMP8A & FMS8) it just opens Filemaker but does not load a file. My people seem to be able to figure out something is wrong without the need for a message that states that something is wrong. It seems pretty intuitive that if one clicks on a shortcut and the application come up blank, then something is wrong. We have high availability so the user hardly ever encounters this situation.

I think the opener file was necessary about 6 years and 4 Filemaker versions back but since FMI has provided us with a more conventional and straight forward method for opening hosted files I'm willing to let-go-of-the-past.

Edited May 3, 2006 by Guest

[LaRetta]

If you create a shortcut the 'normal way', it will break. If you don't know what I mean, place an FM file on your desktop then right-click drag/create a shortcut of it to the side. Zip and delete the FM file. Then click the shortcut. Windows will display "Windows is searching for blaBla.fp7 file. To locate the file yourself, click BROWSE or CANCEL." If you click Browse, it will open File Manager so the User can hunt. If you don't do anything, it will eventually display another dialog offering to Fix It, Delete It or Cancel. If you select Fix It, it opens ANY FM7 IT CAN FIND. This is the default behavior on creating NORMAL shortcuts that most people would use.

The difference is the path specified. BowDown, be SURE to write that path down because, just as you had problems getting it right, if a User deletes the shortcut you may be back on this Forum hunting for this post again if you don't. I prefer User-friendly message over blank screen (and include Owner and my phone number). Host not opening is so rare that a blank screen is unexpected! The User may be new! There is nothing old-fashioned about caring about the user experience in that moment.

I guess the bottom line is that they are using FileMaker and not some other solution. How they open it is less important than the fact that they ARE opening it and using our solution.

LaRetta

[BowDown]

Well we have about 40users total between 2 plants. The shortcut only gets used during work hours in which im here anyway. Unless somehow I'm on vacation. Everyone is using roaming profiles with login scripts. So I pretty much put the shortcuts and shares onto their desktop on login. If the shortcut doesn't work then I have some other serious problems because it would be company wide. LOL

[Ted S]

LaRetta,

I'll agree that method I describe is not totally conventional but then what about Filemaker is?

The simple fact is that I can create an icon (manually keying the target, not browsing) and place it on the desktop of all users and it will open a hosted file if it is available. If the user has problems they will log a call with the help desk which is what they do for everything Filemaker & non-Filemaker related anyway.

Bowdown probably has lost the FMP7 internet protocol in his system and doesn't realize it. He should not have to specify the path to the Filemaker application on the local machine. The Windows registry normally holds this information but the FM8v2 upgrade killed the registry entry and the v3 upgrade didn't fix it.

I'm digging in. I can see no compelling reason to add the needless complexity of an opener file.

[Wim Decorte]

Bowdown probably has lost the FMP7 internet protocol in his system and doesn't realize it. He should not have to specify the path to the Filemaker application on the local machine. The Windows registry normally holds this information but the FM8v2 upgrade killed the registry entry and the v3 upgrade didn't fix it.

I'm digging in. I can see no compelling reason to add the needless complexity of an opener file.

And I'm still with L. on this :

The problem bowdown is seeing is fairly typical: that protocol does not get set properly on all machines and it's very fragile. Sure, a registry fix solves it every time, but it doesn't look very good to the customer.

In short: it works and I've used it but I find the opener file to be a lot more robust solution.