getting files out of container fields after using insert object

[janedoe]

hello,

i have a curly one for you :

we have a filemaker file in which we store inserted objects.

this file has a container field, and files have been inserted using the "Insert Object" script step.

the options specified in the Insert Object dialogue are: Create from File, a file is then selected (JPEG/TIFF/PDF/DOC), and Display as Icon has been selected.

and here comes the curly bit...

we want to export the files that have been inserted into the container fields.

we can't use the export field contents step as we have used the Insert Object command, as opposed to the Insert File/Picture commands.

we don't appear to be able to use File, Export Records with any of the files types and this Container field.

we looked into using FMPro Migrator but it only works with JPEG.

i am looking into possibly using the DDE Execute command, but the documentation on this seems poor, and given that we have a number of different file types, it only adds to the complexity.

we can of course double click on each inserted file, and then manually click the save button in the program in which it opens, but we would like to avoid this since we have 10,000 records.

are there any other methods you can recommend we try?

thank you,

jd.

Edited June 27, 2008 by Guest

[Wim Decorte]

Now that is a tricky one...

shouldn't have done that :

I've had some success with this: note that in the context menu and the menu edit (under "Object") there is an option to "edit package package". This brings up a tiny app and from that app you can "save contents". Using the same app you can get the filename and type (extension) using the "label" menu item, get that filename before saving the contents.

So manually it can be done. To automate this you'll need to use VBscript or something similar to perform all the keystrokes like you would do manually.

There may be plugins that can extract from a container but I'm not sure that they will work on inserted objects.

[janedoe]

hello,

thanks for your reply. i wasn't aware of the edit package package, label option, so that's useful.

we've learnt our lesson with insert object, trust me!

so, has anyone written a VB script, or can help us write a VB script for this purpose?

thanks heaps,

jd.

[janedoe]

hello,

it turns out that a lot of their inserted objects are PDFs, and when you use the Edit Package Package option, it opens directly in Acrobat Reader.

in any case, we have a guy who should be able to build a macro for us that will cycle through all of the records and open the inserted object, and then call the file, save as dialogue for each inserted object's native program.

fingers crossed!

jd.