I have a peculiar and unanticipated problem involving Container field behavior in Go.

 

The situation is that I have an Artwork database being used on a laptop computer.  There's a table for Artists and the layout includes a Container field for a picture of the Artist.  These images are being stored (embedded) in the database.  For the Child table of Artworks, I am using External Storage for a picture of the Artwork, since these image files are much larger and more numerous.  All good.

 

Now I have developed a FMgo interface for the database. The idea is that the user can periodically click a button that saves a 'Self Contained' copy of the database that can then be loaded onto the iPad, where scripts recognize the platform and direct the database to open up in the iPad layouts.  This all works fine.  This is not a hosted solution -- the idea is that a Self-Contained copy of the database can be 'spun off' from the 'real database periodically to update the iPad version.  (The iPad database is for viewing only -- no data entry allowed).

 

I've completed the whole design and imported all the records from the 'old' database into the new one.  When the Self-Contained version is spun off, it is an appropriate size -- 14 Gigs -- for all the images now stored in it. (The database file with External storage is only about 150 MB).   When we open up the new file,  on the desktop, all looks fine -- the images in both tables display appropriately.   Ok!

 

But . . . when we plug in the iPad and transfer the file into FMgo via the iTunes App panel, the database file that appears on the iPad is only showing a size of 13 Gigs -- and the Images in the Artworks table are *not* displaying!   What the heck?  We erased the file and re-imported it to the iPad in case it was a copying glitch, but got the same result.

 

I'm really at a loss over how to troubleshoot this.  Is there something going on during the saving of the 'Self-Contained' copy that is making that container field dysfunctional on GO?  What could account for the peculiar loss of 1 Gig in file size during the copying to iPad?

Wickerman,

    Did some looking around the web on this issue and this is what I found:

 

    "Understanding Container Fields With Managed Storage
The option to “store container data externally” lets FileMaker Pro copy
files to a central location. The Edit > Export Field Contents
command lets users retrieve externally stored data. Database files
with managed container fields are smaller than those with embedded
files and backups are quicker. Plus, external storage adds the ability to
store files securely, in a form that only FileMaker Pro can decrypt.
Note: In FileMaker Go, managed storage is supported only for
databases that are hosted by FileMaker Server. See the section,
“FileMaker Go and Enhanced Containers,” later in this document
for more details on using enhanced container fields in FileMaker
Go."

 

You can find that and more at http://www.netcastersolutions.com/in-depth_container_fields_fm13_en.pdf.

Thanks for that reference -- will come in handy!

 

As it turns out, this was just an iOS glitch. I had her reinstall the system and it worked fine!