Stop moving windows

[mdroyal]

I have sn FM solution that we use in our small business on a small LAN w/ 7 clients served by FM server 5.5. The solution has several window and rather than use the navigation buttons that are there, some of the users are physically moving the windows out of their way to view a window behind it. This is very annoying if they are using a machine that is for public use and I am curious if there is a plug in or script that might stop a user from moving windows and forcing them to use the navigation buttons.

Thanks,

Mike

[John Mark Osborne]

The only plug-in I could think of was SecureFM but it doesn't appear to prevent you from moving windows. You can use a script to keep them in a Window. It's not completely fool proof but it does a pretty good job of keeping the user in the current window. 99% of users won't be able to bypass it. Here is a link to a file that demonstrates the technique in FileMaker Pro 3 but you can convert it to 6:

http://www.filemakerpros.com/Never_Abort.sit

Here's a more recent version in FileMaker 7/8 format:

http://www.filemakerpros.com/Demo_PopUp.zip

The biggest issue with this technique is you always have to have this script running. It can run in the background while other buttons are clicked or data is being entered but you have to run it each time you navigate to a new file.

Another solution to your problem is to always switch to a blank layout when moving from one file to another. It might have one button for the main menu on it, but that's all. This requires you to change to this layout each time you navigate to another file but the benefit is clear. If someone attempts to navigate manually to another window, all they will see is a blank layout.

To further control the user environment, use a script on open to hide and lock the status area. This will prevent users from possibly using the layout popup menu.

[IdealData]

The Developer version can enable kiosk mode which does exactly what you want. You could have kiosk mode on the "public" systems and full mode on the private systems.

[John Mark Osborne]

I thought about kiosk mode but I didn't think it worked over the network. So, I tested it and what do you know. It works! I learn something new every day. Thanks.

[SteveB]

I didn't think kiosks worked either. John Mark, do you think that a runtime, which really isn't a whole lot different from a kiosk, will work with Server 8?

Steve

[Inky Phil]

Hi Steve

As an enthusiastic amateur I hesitated before stepping in and disagreeing with someone with your experience but your statement that a runtime 'isn't a whole lot different from kiosk' couldn't be much further from the truth and might mislead others so here goes.

Kiosk is a mode which affects only the display of a solution. It removes all frames, menus and sidebars thereby giving the user only such navigation and functionality as is provided by the developer by elements (ie buttons, both hidden and visible) that are placed on the layout.

I use kiosk mode extensively because my typical end user would only find the native menus buttons and sidebars distracting. Also I want to strictly control where they can go and what they can do without them even realising that I am doing it. They just don't realise that there are other options because they never see them.

One further element of kiosk modes display control is that it 'blacks out' any area of the screen that surrounds the layout thereby hiding the users desktop. This can be seen as a disadvantage as much as an advantage.

Once again the user is not distracted by extraneous items that are lying around his desktop but also he has very limited access to the desktop.

(If, as if often the case, he/she wishes to check his email while a kiosk mode solution is running for instance.)

In ALL other respects other than display a solution with kiosk mode invoked has exactly the same properties as any other un-kiosked version. A kiosk mode solution can also be opened in normal mode by the use of a password.

A RUNTIME however is a different kettle of fish altogether. This is where Developer version of FM allows you to prepare a copy of your solution and bind with it a copy of filemaker itself thereby allowing the user to run your solution without the expense of buying FM.

This is an obvious boon if you are trying to sell your solution but FM Inc, as we all know, are not stupid. The main restriction that is applied to runtimes is that they cannot be networked under any circumstances. It is for single user customers only. There are a few other smaller restrictions to do with runtime but I cannot recall them right now.

So you see Kiosk and runtime are two completely different animals. One deals with display and the other deals with deployment.

Please forgive me if I have gone on at length about this but from other posts it would seem tht there is some confusion around about this subject and I just thought I would help to clarify a little.

And God forgive me if someone comes in now and corrects me....as usual !! :

Phil

[SteveB]

I think we're going to need some experts here.

I agree that kiosks look different from runtimes. My solution for its first 3 years was a kiosk, but when I found Dacons Menu Control the kiosk went out the window (no pun...). Since my solution scripted the navigation, the conversion was pretty easy. Users had their desktops back, and the solution looked like every other standard solution, albeit with my menus not Filemaker's. The plugin can remove the Window widgets on the sub files, and I prevent them from clicking the Close Window on the main window.

Both a runtime and a kiosk have the database engine 'mounted' to the .exe, and I'd guess that both eliminate the same set of features, e.g. no 'Save As PDF', no ODBC.

I don't see the differences (other than the above) being so vastly different. If a kiosk can run as part of a network to a server, can a runtime???

Steve

[comment]

Both a runtime and a kiosk have the database engine 'mounted' to the .exe,

You can enable kiosk mode for a file (or an entire solution) WITHOUT turning it into a runtime. See the attached example.

---

EDIT: I don't know if this is true for versions before 7.

Kiosk.fp7.zip

Edited May 4, 2006 by Guest

[Vaughan]

I have Developer 5.5. Kiosk and runtime are completely separate and independent features.

[mdroyal]

Just wanted to say Thanks for the ideas. Please keep them coming. I don not have a developer copy, but am looking at the Never abort plug in. And will look at anything you all send.

Peace,

Mike

[Inky Phil]

Mike

Being a great advocate of kiosk mode leaves me in a distinct minority (possibly of 1!) within the Filemaker community and since you don't have developer is an academic point anyway.

It strikes me that Steve's conversion from a kiosk user (thats how I got down to 1) by discovering Dacrons Menu control means that it is probably worth investigation. In fact I should maybe go and have a look at it myself!!

Good Luck

Phil

[IdealData]

The main restriction that is applied to runtimes is that they cannot be networked under any circumstances. It is for single user customers only.

Runtimes were allowed to be hosted with FMS7+, albeit in single user mode.