How to know if an OnTimer script is running

[Andreas T.]

Hi.

Is there any way I can detect if a window is running an OnTimer script without manually controlling this in the relevant script?

I would like to be able to check if the automation is running as planned, either in the Data Viewer or within other scripts.

Cheers,

Andreas

[bcooney]

Can't you check the fields that are affected by the script, last modified? Or have the script set a timestamp?

[Andreas T.]

Thanks for the suggestions, bcooney.

It is a sync script that runs a few times each hour, and sometimes there are no changes. Setting a timestamp will work, but will not actually tell me that the script is running at this moment, only that it ran on the last timestamp.

What I'm driving at, I guess, is some insurance that everything is ok at the time when I leave the database unattended. A status function that informed on the next scheduled exceution would be nice.

Cheers,

Andreas

[uberfy]

What I'm driving at, I guess, is some insurance that everything is ok at the time when I leave the database unattended. A status function that informed on the next scheduled exceution would be nice.

Andreas, I agree, something like a tiny clock icon in the menu bar to let us know that the OnTimer is still counting down in the background. I made this solution to give me some visual feedback that the OnTimer is running, and how much time is left before it triggers again. It uses a Web Viewer with a customizable interval and color. See attached file: OnTimerProgressBar.zip

[IdealData]

What we are missing is Get (OnTimerScripts) to return the Window name, script and interval.

[comment]

What we are missing is Get (OnTimerScripts) to return the Window name, script and interval.

Indeed - and while you're at it, a next trigger [timestamp] would also be useful.

[Andreas T.]

Very nice, Uberfy.

Useful while we wait for Get (OnTimerScripts)

Cheers.

[uberfy]

What we are missing is Get (OnTimerScripts) to return the Window name, script and interval.

Exactly. I imagined something like Get (OnTimerStatus) that would return a value list of all running OnTimer scripts with the information: Window name/script/interval/and seconds until next trigger.

[bcooney]

Could you use a Server script instead?

[comment]

Well, you could do one yourself by setting a $$variable when you install the OnTimer trigger. However, there are still some gotchas:

• There is no WindowID (at least not one you can get at), and Filemaker does not enforce unique window names;
  
  
• If you do a New Window[] from a window that has an OnTimer script, the new window has the same script installed, too. This, BTW, is something to watch for in general.
  
  
• There is no way I can see to store the triggered script's name other than as a string - so it will break if you rename the script.