Best way to edit .docx files in SC / time uploaded stamp?

[labyrinthian]

What is the best way to edit files (i.e. .doc, .docx) from SuperContainer? Please pardon this newbie question, but the process I'm using now seems too circuitous to be the best way. I double click a .docx file from its SC web viewer. The browser (Firefox) opens a new tab and a pop up dialog says 'You have chosen to open the file XXXXX.docx, which is a binary file. Would you like to save this file?', and then you select a destination to save it to. Then you have to go find that file, open it and do the edits. With .doc files, the dialog box allows you to 'Open with MS Word', and will open the doc straight away (preferable). Safari will just save the file to downloads and leaves it at that.

I imagine there is a way to streamline this process for .docx files? What browser settings would address this issue? Is this a fundamental glitch with Firefox and Safari? Does it work better with Internet Explorer or Chrome?

Also, is there anyway to display time/date uploaded in the SC web viewer, so that users can ensure that they have uploaded the most recent version?

Any and all thoughts appreciated.

[using FMP 11, MacOSX Lion, Firefox 9.0.1, Safari 5.1.3]

[Ocean West]

If you setup a field onthe table knows the filename and path to the document using the PatternCount ( GetValue ( SCGetInfo ( path/to/file ) ; 1 ) ; ".docx" ) function you could test to see what the extension of the name is .docx then a button on the layout to "EDIT" the document.

Use the SCGetContainer on a calculated container field then use filemaker to Export Field Contents to any directory or desktop. If your mac based you perhaps could pass the path to an apple script to open the document in Word, or Pages.

SCGetInfo shows the time it was uploaded.

If you need to keep all version of the document you can do so by adding version numbers

http://360works.com/plugins/SuperContainer/documentation.html#section47

The issue you are seeing is a known issue with Safari browser.

[labyrinthian]

Thank you so much for this feedback, it was infinitely helpful.

If you setup a field onthe table knows the filename and path to the document using the PatternCount ( GetValue ( SCGetInfo ( path/to/file ) ; 1 ) ; ".docx" ) function you could test to see what the extension of the name is .docx then a button on the layout to "EDIT" the document.

I am still trying to work this out. Your solution below for Exporting field contents might somewhat serve this purpose, but I haven't quite sorted out how best to track multiple versions.

Use the SCGetContainer on a calculated container field then use filemaker to Export Field Contents to any directory or desktop. If your mac based you perhaps could pass the path to an apple script to open the document in Word, or Pages.

Brilliant. This worked great. When you do the Export Field Contents script, the FMP dialog box allows the user to set the destination, and then check if they want the doc to open after saving, or be emailed as an attachment. Great suggestions.

SCGetInfo shows the time it was uploaded.

Thank you, also worked well.

If you need to keep all version of the document you can do so by adding version numbers

http://360works.com/....html#section47

This has ended up to be more complicated than I thought, so I'm still figuring it out how to implement.

The issue you are seeing is a known issue with Safari browser.

What is the preferred browser to use?

Thank you for your response, and I welcome any further feedback.

[Ocean West]

I use safari - however with relationship to FileMaker's web viewer - its core engine references WebKit on Mac and Explorer on windows.

So there are times when the desired result is not achieved because of limitation of an engine that you can't programmatically change.

- with regards to versioning...

After user EXPORTS the file you can set a flag that the file is "checked out" and perhaps who checked it out..

When you are ready to upload a new version then increment a version number ( a field ) in your record.

If the filed is not empty you can add that to the path to your file...

http://yourServer.com:8020/SuperContainer/Files/Asset/4321/v2/

It would change the reference to the path making the web viewer blank ready for you to add the new file back in.

after it is successfully uploaded - you can check in the document.

You could create a script or report to look for items not checked back in - so you or the user could still have access to the

current version.

If you desire complexity - you could even add a version table - if that is the nature of your documents.

[labyrinthian]

Thanks for the versioning ideas. I like the idea of tracking 'checked out' files; I'll explore that further.

The trick with this path

http://yourServer.com:8020/SuperContainer/Files/Asset/4321/v2/

is that all subsequent versions come up as v2. I'm now evaluating the cost/benefit of setting up a related version table...

I also wanted to note that with SCGetInfo the results don't show up until the layout has been refreshed, so I had to set up a refresh/reload button in order to view the upload time.

Thanks again for your help!

[Ocean West]

with version you would increment the version number 2,3,4,99 etc and the calculation you use for the url would just append that field to the url so each version would have its unique url.

As far as SCGetInfo - instead of making it a calculation (unstorred) you should make it a text field and either set the value with a script or use auto enter calculation option so that the values entered are indexed or searchable - and not have to be a plugin call on each record.

SD