I use a related database consisting of 5 files. The main file contains a startup script that opens 4 hidden (Mac) Minimized (Win) files. It works beautifully on the Mac and except for that extra second of hesitation while the script is executed, you'd never know the other 4 files were open. On the Windows machine it's a different story. Even though the script ends with the supplemental files opening minimized, they continue to open in front of the main file before disappearing from view. It's distracting at the least and confusing to users unfamiliar with what's happening. Shouldn't minimized/hidden files open in the background? Any idea why it works on the Mac but not on Win or what I can change in the script so the hidden files remain hidden until called up?

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Originally posted by tmac:

I use a related database consisting of 5 files. The main file contains a startup script that opens 4 hidden (Mac) Minimized (Win) files. It works beautifully on the Mac and except for that extra second of hesitation while the script is executed, you'd never know the other 4 files were open. On the Windows machine it's a different story. Even though the script ends with the supplemental files opening minimized, they continue to open in front of the main file before disappearing from view. It's distracting at the least and confusing to users unfamiliar with what's happening. Shouldn't minimized/hidden files open in the background? Any idea why it works on the Mac but not on Win or what I can change in the script so the hidden files remain hidden until called up?

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It is an issue with how the two applications were developed. The Windows system uses an MDI interface, in which all sub windows open as children of the main window/application. This is not the case on the Macintosh, or with older versions of Visual Basic on the Win systems.

Just a difference in the design specifications and interface rules for the two systems.

What I did on Win applications was set a layout on the main files which basically was a wait and watch me layout, then I froze the window, but did not maximize it. This made it less obvious as to what was happening, but this is the way Windows applications work, so you are kinda stuck.

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Kurt Knippel

Senior Filemaker Developer

http://www.database-resources.com

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