Bind Runtime for both PC and Mac

[sabino]

I would like to check with this group for explicit detailed directions & clarification about binding an FM 8 Adv source file into a runtime solution for cross-platforn use. (I do not wish to use Virtual PC)

When the initial binding is completed on platform-1 (either Mac or PC), does one have to take the entire folder of the new runtime solution and copy/transfer it to the OTHER platform-2 and then use an installed copy of FM 8 Adv. on that to re-bind the same runtime ??

Must I take the original source file over to plat-2 also ?

... and if so, do i actually do the second re-binding on the source file or do i perform the second bind on one of the files already in the runtime solution folder ?

If i have this correct, doesn't this process create a number of extraneous .DS files visible when viewed on PCs ?

Thanks in advance for your time & assistance.

sabino

[Inky Phil]

ok Sabino as far as I am aware you have to bind your master file twice to create 2 seperate runtime files for your solution to be x-platform.

So open your original file on a mac, bind it and that will give you a mac version of the runtime.

Then open your original file on a pc, bind it and that will give you the pc runtime version.

To the best of my knowledge there is no such thing as one runtime file that is x-platform. You need 2 variations prepared as above

HTH

Phil

[IdealData]

The source file is interchangeable between Macs and PCs provided you use the same binding key. The binding process must be performed on the appropriate operating system.

A runtime solution effectively has 2 components:

1. The FileMaker file(s)

2. The FileMaker engine

The engine is platform specific, but the file(s) can still be opened directly in FMP, so you can continue to develop your solution AFTER you have performed the binding.

If you don't want to use Virtual PC, then get an Intel Mac, Parallels and XP Pro - absolutely flies on my 2.16Ghz iMac!

[sabino]

To the best of my knowledge there is no such thing as one runtime file that is x-platform.

You need 2 variations prepared as above

HTH

Phil

Phil & IdealData, thanks for taking the time to offer your comments & assistance.

I must admit, however, there for me is still some ambiguity about the specific aspect of whether one needs to have two complete and separate Runtime versions of a particular .fp8 solution.

As "IdealData" noted in his response (Post 238352):

[color:red]> A runtime solution effectively has 2 components

and

[color:red]> The engine is platform specific, but the file(s) can still be opened directly in FMP, so you can continue to develop your solution AFTER you have performed the binding.

As pointed out, Runtime solutions have two components:

• the platform specific runtime engine (app & resources)

. . . . AND

• one or more data files (.USR files)

While the Runtime engine is platform specific,. . .the .USR data files are not.

In fact, a particular .USR file can be readily opened by FM Pro on either a PC or Mac.

So . . . couldn't one construct a Runtime solution folder that contained both the sets (Mac & PC) of Runtime app engine files and just ONE set of .USR data files ?

This way, the same Runtime folder could be distributed to all users. An end user would simply click on their platform specific engine (.app or .exe) to startup the solution on their respective machine.

They could even take the solution with them back & forth across platforms if they had to change machines.

What do others think about this ?

sabino

.

[wintergreen]

very interesting point, i will have to try that out

Edited February 8, 2007 by Guest

[hbrendel]

So . . . couldn't one construct a Runtime solution folder that contained both the sets (Mac & PC) of Runtime app engine files and just ONE set of .USR data files ?

This is how I do it all the time.

[wintergreen]

I tried this today, and it seems to work without any issues, except I've noticed that there seems to be a problem if you copy the .app files on a windows system, i even tried sticking a database on a usb disk and swapping between a pc and a mac without any problems