Exporting Field Contents to a Variable File

[transpower]

The export field contents script step requires a constant file name (as far as I can figure out). So if I wish to copy field contents to a variable file I first need to export the contents to a fixed file name and then I need to copy this fixed file name to the desired variable file name using Send Event with either the cmd /c method or a batch file routine. Has anyone figured out a more elegant solution to this problem? Or do versions later than 7 Developer allow the use of variable file names for field export?

[LaRetta]

Or do versions later than 7 Developer allow the use of variable file names for field export?

Yes. We can [color:green]name files by variable and even specify paths by variable. Vs. 9 rocks.

Edited December 6, 2008 by Guest
Added green word - it was very early for me!

[transpower]

Thanks, LaRetta. I suppose it's time to upgrade...

[Mark Welch]

> Yes. We can name files by variable and even specify paths by variable. Vs. 9 rocks. <

I am bashing my head against the wall now, because I just spent several hours and finally confirmed, in another thread here, that this is something that FM simply cannot do.

What am I missing? The "import records" script step clearly requires a fixed parameter, not a variable, unless there is some undocumented syntax for the parameter?

I'm dealing with a surprisingly complex problem: I need to import from several hundred different tab-delimited text files, which are updated erratically. Because there are tens of millions of records total, I cannot simply "re-import everything" whenever there is an update to one file. I have a table which I intend to use to list the file names and their locations (both the original on a remote ftp server, and locally for the most-recently-downloaded version). I know I need to impose an extra step to convert the pipe-delimited files into CSV; but right now I am stuck because I simply can't seem to find any way to reference files dynamically for import.

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Bang, bang, there it is: I found the information by looking in FileMaker Help -- not using the search function (completely and utterly useless) but going to the "Reference" section for "Script Steps." Sure enough, there is a very strange specific syntax for referencing a file, which differs based on OS.

Edited January 18, 2009 by Guest
Answered my own question!