Problem with External Data sources

[Unnsteinn]

I'm running a server using FMS 9 and the client is running Filemaker pro 9 advanced. The solution works by starting a startup file that accesses a file on the server which then activates databases both on the client side and the server. These interconnections happen multiple times throughout the solution.

My current problem is that I can't get the databases server side to connect to the client databases without hard coding the path to said folder, e.g. when I ask the database on the server to use the relative datapath (file:.fp7) in External Data Sources it simply searches for said file in the server's folders. For now I've managed to fix the problem on Windows by simply hardcoding the path to the client files (ex. C:/Client/FileName.fp7), but then I hit the roadblock that the Mac OS has dynamic root (volume) names. So instead of hardcoding a separate line in the server files for each MAC user is there a way to universally solve the problem for mac that would work akin to using "filewin:/c:/FilePath/FileName.fp7" for windows.

Or if you know of another way that would solve this problem I'm open to suggestions.

Thanks in advance

[bruceR]

Sounds like a pretty bad idea. Normally this kind of thing - if done at all - uses one way references from the client files to the server address. In your case you'll need to turn on file sharing on the user's computer and use the computer's IP address for each client.

[David McQueen]

Sounds like a pretty bad idea. Normally this kind of thing - if done at all - uses one way references from the client files to the server address. In your case you'll need to turn on file sharing on the user's computer and use the computer's IP address for each client.

Further on this:

If your data lives in two, three or more places, it is really homeless - There is no "real data", or there are many instances of "real data".

Better design: Code the data to the individual user so that when they enter the program, only their data shows up.

Multiple local files pretty much defeats the purpose of a networked database.

[Unnsteinn]

No actual data is residing in the client, the client has the interfaces, progress bars and other things which I prefer to keep on the client. Well technically that would mean data is in the client, but I'm hoping you understand what I mean.

But like I said in the original post I've fixed my problem for windows clients, just need to find a way to solve the joy of VolumeNames in MAC OS X (I have tried the unix's ~ and and /, though either I'm placing the client files wrong or FM doesn't support it (my guess is the latter rather than the former )).

The reason I wish to make it work like this is that I'm updating an old solution that used to be in .fp5 wherein the relative datapath (file:FilePath/FileName) was fixated on the folder where you launched Filemaker from . But it seems that in the newer versions of Filemaker the relative datapath is from where the open database is.

Edited June 7, 2010 by Guest

[bruceR]

But it isn't working. Give it up. It is pretty well established that there is no real benefit to this approach and your results are common.