Creating links to files

[puterco]

I'm developing a project management system and document management features have appeared on the wish list. People want a field where they could store aliases, shortcuts, or links or whatever.. to different files regarding the project so that one could launch the file by clicking on it in FM. I asked couple of days ago how to do this and someone pointed out that this could be done via applescript, or a thirdparty windows scripting system (whitch is not possible because this database will be used on PC and Mac, and the server just might be linux) I was thinking about using the "go to url" function (file:///MACHD/File1.txt) etc. But since browsers only know so many filetypes they fail to open them in their correct applications. So is there a way to launch items from Filemaker via "go to url", or something similar so that it would bypass the netbrowser? Does FM 5.5 offer any new solutions to this prob or am I doomed to start playing with the MIME etc types in the browsers. Thanks...

[markpro]

Have you explored the "Specify Message" script function?

[puterco]

Were you just sarcastic about my message or is there actually a "specify message" script that might help? I haven't seen too many solutions with document management so I'm wondering how to do that. In a nutshell I want to create a field where to store store links/addresses to local files so that I could easily launch them from filemaker but I don't want to open these files through a netbrowser (can't use "go to url"). I want similar functionality as if I directly double clicked them in the OS.

[DykstrL]

One way to do this is with container fields. Containers fields can hold files, such as shortcut or alias files that can be launched right inside the field. You could have a field for Mac and for PC. Then create the appropriate shortcut/alias pointed to the related file, then place the alias in the Mac field and the shortcut in the PC field. It won't work for every situation - the files would have to be located in a common mounted drive for the Macs. For Windows, you can use "servernamefolderetc." in the shortcuts. This method works really well in a Windows environment right out of FileMaker. For Macs, unless you are using the common mounted volume/drive, you can create a script that does an applescript on opening to mount the drive/volume.

[ July 27, 2001: Message edited by: dykstrl ]