File Paths for XML Imports

[Kent Searight]

Hi all,

 

I'm trying to import XML into FileMaker 11 and I can't get a few things to work for me.

 

• First, in the import dialog when I specify an HTTP request it doesn't resolve properly and I have no idea what it resolves to because there doesn't appear to be any way of viewing the result within FileMaker. So what I've done is set the URL to field which is referenced by a web viewer and then I get the source which is XML using GetLayoutObjectAttribute ( "myWebViewer" ; "content" ), which I then set to a field and export it as an .xml file. Then I refer to that as my data source. Kludgy, I know, but it works.

 

• The second issue is that I can't get the import into FM to work if I define my paths to the xml data source and my xsl stylesheet in variables which I then put in the calculation option. I have to use the "file" radio button/dialog to define the file paths. This is less than desirable because I want the paths to be dynamic. I'm currently testing by saving my xml and xsl files to the desktop, but I'll eventually save them to the temp folder. I've tried every file path syntax I've ever used in FM and none work (file:, filemac:, no prefix, just the path, etc.).
•  

Long story short is that I can get the import to work but the amount of hard-coding and workarounds make me think I'm doing something very wrong. Hopefully someone else has dealt with these issues and can shed some light on what's happening and how I can make the process less kludgy. 

 

Thanks in advance!

 

-Kent

[Kent Searight]

Scratch the HTTP request off the list. I was putting the variable with the URL in the HTTP field instead of the calculation field 

 

I'm still stumped on why file paths in variables aren't working.

 

The path structure/syntax I expect to work is filemac:/Mac HD/Users/Me/Desktop/MyStyleSheet.xsl, but I get the error dialog:

 

XML Parsing Error

unable to open primary document entity ''

Line Number: 0

Column Number: 0