I know i can trigger a script from a menu item. Is there a way to trigger a menu item from a script from Filemaker without a plug-in. I assume I could do it with AppleScript, but i hate the ideal of scripting a application from within the application.

FMP 8.5 Advanced has Custom Menus which allow you to attach a script in place of a menu command.

To "trigger a menu from a script" you'd just call the script that you've attached to the custom menu.

Thanks but what I need to do is trigger an existing menu Item.

I'm not sure if there's a "menu item" out there that can't be replicated via a script. Why don't you tell us what the menu item is.

Just about every menu item is a command that has an equivalent scriptmaker step.

I don't understand what the problem is....

Thanks guys...NOw that you said it that way its sunk in that I can do it in a script. I was doing some formating of selected text in a text field and just wasn't thinking about the text formating functions I can access when doing a calculation.

I have however decided the simplest method as far as the user will be concerned is to us one button and a applescript script to open the text formating dialog. Perhaps thats something they should add to the "open menu item" list.