passing a script variable to applescript

[eyeguy]

Can some one please help me.

I have a filemaker script which is used to scan documents into a folder.

I do not have any applescript skills and don't know how to pass FM script variables to applescript.

I have a variable $Scanpath which determines the path to the file and another $Filename which gives it a name

How can I pass these values to Applecript

My attempt which does not work is:

set theScannerSetup to "Scan SS 1 BW US Letter Page"

set pathToFolder to "$Scanpath"

set fileNameBase to "$Filename"

set fileNumber to 1

tell application "ScanTango"

-- Scan a document

scan with setup (scanner setup theScannerSetup)

-- Create the filename

set fullPath to pathToFolder & fileNameBase & fileNumber & ".pdf"

-- Create the path to the save file

set theSaveFile to fullPath

save front document in theSaveFile

close front document

end tell

Can some one tell me the right syntax

Joseph

[comment]

You cannot refer to Filemaker variables inside AppleScript. You need to either define the variables in AppleScript, using references to Filemaker fields or switch to calculated AppleScript.

[eyeguy]

Thank you

I have very little applescript skills so I don't know how to do this.

How can I tell applescript to grab a value from say gFilename?

[comment]

How can I tell applescript to grab a value from say gFilename?

Try:

set fileName to cell "gFilename"

The field needs to be on the current layout.

[eyeguy]

A thousand thank you's for your help

Joseph

[Rick Whitelaw]

I highly recommend using calculated Applescripts in FM. I have printing routines that have AppleScript calling bash routines that get complex , understanding that AppleScript evaluates text is an important concept to grasp, and calculated Applescripts, as much as they're a real pain to write (what with the necessity of enclosing text in the Quote function and other issues), work quite well once written properly.

RW

[eyeguy]

Try:

set fileName to cell "gFilename"

The field needs to be on the current layout.

This didn't work

I got a syntax error

Joseph

I highly recommend using calculated Applescripts in FM. I have printing routines that have AppleScript calling bash routines that get complex , understanding that AppleScript evaluates text is an important concept to grasp, and calculated Applescripts, as much as they're a real pain to write (what with the necessity of enclosing text in the Quote function and other issues), work quite well once written properly.

RW

Unfortunately I have little if any applescript skills so this is beyond me

joseph

[bruceR]

Try:

set fileName to cell "gFilename"

The field needs to be on the current layout.

No; that's one of the great things about applescript and globals.

They do NOT need to be on the current layout; or any layout.

You need to know the name of the field; and the name of the table occurrence.

The table occurrence does not need to have ANY layouts based on it.

If a valid table occurrence name is "Contacts" then

set fileName to cell "gFileName" of table "Contacts"

[comment]

set fileName to cell "gFileName" of table "Contacts"

Thanks, that's very useful (and entirely undocumented, AFAIK).

[comment]

I highly recommend using calculated Applescripts in FM.

I don't know of any advantages a calculated Applescript might have as such. I use it out of necessity, not by choice.

BTW, writing a calculated Applescript is easier if you do it in a text field, then use the Quote() function to "encode" it for you.

Another useful technique is to use a generic template and insert variables into it, e.g.

Let ( [

template = "display dialog \"message\"" ;

message = Get (CurrentDate)

] ;

Substitute ( template ; "message" ; message )

)

[comment]

This didn't work

I got a syntax error

There's no possible answer to that.