Automatic Database download and install from web

[mberding]

I have 2 runtime solutions that include a seperate database file with 400,000 records that is updated weekly. The database size is currently around 100mb.

I'm looking for a solution that will let my clients using my runtime solutions simply click on a button and update the data.

Currently, I have the data available as a download on my website, and the user must manually download the file, then open up the runtime, click on a button to update, and choose the downloaded file. Apparently, this isn't easy enough for some of my users.

I've looked at a couple FM plugins that use FTP to transfer files, and I'd prefer not to use FTP because of its security concerns and possible firewall blockage. There are also URL Plugins (like Troi-URL Plugin) which don't seem to fit the bill either.

I need something that will download a file from a website, and tell FM when it is done downloading and where the resulting file is. Any ideas?

[Stuart Taylor]

Have you considered exporting the data as fm xml and writing an inport script to import the data from the web into the existing file ... when complete the old data could just be deleted.

Edited November 19, 2006 by Guest

[mberding]

I use XML for a lot of other things, but I don't think it would be able to download and parse 100MB and 400,000 records very well.

[Genx]

2 things

1) Does the old data have to be kept?

2) Zipping files really does compress them you know... Zipping XML files on the other hand... compresses even better than zipping .fp7 files.

E.g.

I have a 30mb File

It zips to 7mb

The data in an xml file will zip to 1.5mb (i'm actually guessing this figure cause i havent looked at exported version of the db in a while)

[mberding]

The old data does not have to be kept.

Yes, compression is a great thing, but that's one more step for the user. Given that the user doesn't want to have to do anything, and this should be fully automatic, compressing it doesn't seem like an option.

[Genx]

... Don't understand why it has to be a step for the user... automate extraction -- have a search online for cmd line (equiv on mac.. applescript i suppose) zip/unzip utilities.