Hosting files with duplicate names

[Matthew F]

Filemaker Pro can open two databases with the same names. Obviously the operating system requires them to be in separate folders, but FM Pro doesn't object. I'd like to be able to clone a set of templates for different groups of users and host them from the same server. The advantage would be that updates could quickly be disseminated without having to rename a lot of files and rename all of the external file references.

However, unlike FM Pro, FMServer refuses to host two files with the same name. Simply putting them in a different folder doesn't work. Filemaker Server's Admin console even refuses to list the duplicate file name if a database with that name is already being hosted. I realize that this must be a conscious design decision and it would create difficulties specifying files on a remote host if they have the same name.

I'm wondering if anyone has suggestions on a way around this, or tips on how to manage this kind of situation.

[Steven H. Blackwell]

Files can be renamed with a prefix. For example:

GroupA_Contacts

GroupB_Conatcts

Then use privileges and database visibility to filter who can see what.

Use the developer utilities to rename sets of files. [color:red]DO NOT changes the names of existing files at the OS level. Things will break.

Steven

Steven

[Matthew F]

Perfect. I didn't realize that the Developer Utilities could do that.