Broad question for serving files with "clickable" email fields

[robmcmumbi]

Hi Folks, having scanned these fora for answers, and finding some gems of information, I still find myself at a loss. Please help, knowing that I have only beginner's knolwedge.

What I have:

On Mac OS 9.1 platforms, a FM Server 5 machine, serving files to a FM Unlimited machine, which makes them accessible and viewable on the internet. One database that is being served and viewed is a contact database that includes a field with the email addresses of individuals.

What I believe to be true:

One can make the email address data clickable, similar to how HTML does with <a href="mailto:[email protected]"></a>. I think this can be done with CDML, but one can only use CDML if (1) Web Server Connector is operational, or (2) one has FM Developer. Am I warm?

What I don't know:

Must I use Web Server Connector to make the email links work? Must I have FM Developer to use CDML properly?

Thank you one and all...

Rob McDonald

newbie

[Anatoli]

The <a href="mailto:[email protected]">email</a> is the standard HTML. I am confused about your request

What do you need to do in CDML?

[AndreasBoehmer]

I think if I understand Robert correctly, he wants to do this:

<a href="mailto:[FMP-field: emailAdress]">[FMP-field: emailAdress]</a>

The field that is holding the email address in your FMP database is called emailAdress in this case. And that's the code you would have to put on your website in order to view the content of the field and make a "clickable" (hyperlink).

And you are not sure whether you can use CDML? Well, I think you probably are using CDML if your database is displayed on the internet (which you said it was). So shouldn't be any problem to insert the code above.

Or did I misunderstand?

[robmcmumbi]

Hi folks,

Still baffled, I'm afraid. Yes, the standard HTML tags would work, but they don't for my FM database. Somehow the email fields are not hyperlinks. I think that Andreas' reply is closer to the solution, but I do not know how to incorporate that sample CDML code into my existing page. (http://138.26.20.115/FMRes/FMPro?-db=cfarmembers&-op=bw&Last%20Name=Hunter&-lop=and&-format=zFormVwCSS.htm&-lay=Basic%20Information%20Form&-max=1&-skip=0&-token.0=25&-token.1=&-fi nd)

Perhaps it helps to say that I am not developing my own web pages. Rather, I am using the one of the default layouts provided with FM.

Many thanks to all and any advice.

[Keith M. Davie]

You wrote your link is: http://138.26.20.115/FMRes/FMPro?-db=cfarmembers&-op=bw&Last%20Name=Hunter&-lop=and&-format=zFormVwCSS.htm&-lay=Basic%20Information%20Form&-max=1&-skip=0&-token.0=25&-token.1 =&-fin d

First thing is to drop this -op and -lop. They are worthless at best and can be problematic.

...&-op=bw&Last%20Name=Hunter&-lop=and... <-erase this

Next thing is to go to FileMaker's Searchable Technical Support library and read the two articles on performing an exact find. Those articles are referenced elsewhere on these forums.

Next you should consider using a basic structure in your links. http://138.26.20.115/FMRes/FMPr o?-db=cfarmembers&-lay=Basic%20Information%20Form&-format=zFormVwCSS.htm&Last%20Name===&Last%20Name=Hunter&-find

To help yourself when writing a basic structure you might do what I do. Note I have arranged it in the order db, (db)layout, format.htm, field-and-data involved in the action, action tag. When I need to edit a line, having it in a syntactical order makes it easy for me to locate exactly what I need to edit.

You can insert your tokens (I would place them just before the field(s) involved in an action), however you need to look carefully at token.1 as it should not equal &-find. You are just passing the tokens and not using them to accomplish your -find.

Using an exact search you should get just one record. That being the case ...&-max=1&-skip=0... are useless tags and can be removed also.

Also, in future developments, you might consider eliminating spaces from field names and layout names. I would take layout Basic Information Form (which you must code as Basic%20Information%20Form for html) and name it bif. Your can always make a layout named info and list your abbreviations and their meanings. And field Last Name (Last%20Name) I would call lastname. It makes it easier on you, the developer. The only thing reading this data will be the computer, and it cares only about consistency. And since html is not especially case specific, you can also write everything in lower case. Thus if this were my code it might be written: http://138.26.20.115/fmres/fmpro?-db=cfarmembers&-lay=bif&for mat=zformvwcss.htm&lastname===&lastname=hunter&-find

[ August 16, 2001: Message edited by: Keith M. Davie ]

[ August 16, 2001: Message edited by: Keith M. Davie ]

[Vaughan]

Nobody has asked whether you are using Instant web publishing.

What you are asking for can only be done with custom html format files. It cannot be done with Instant Web Publishing.

[Simon]

Unfortunately Keith he is obviously using instant publishing just by looking at the format file he is getting. He then has no control over the url so can't do as you say.

You need custom publishing. To answer some of your real questions.

You do not need to web server connector to make the email links work, or Filemaker developer either. You just need to begin learning Custom Web Publishing which can be done with any version of Filemaker. The only thing developer helps with is a CDML (custom web page language) Reference file that gives you a list of the replacement tags available for web page proccessing. But this is downloadable from websites (search this forum to find out where). This will enable you to make your email links clickable and a whole lot more.

Simon

[robmcmumbi]

BINGO!!!

sp, Vaughn, et al. Thank you. I have been using instant web publishing, and sometime in the middle of the night I realized that I have to create my own html pages to incorporate the CDML utility.

Thank you all for your help!

Rob

[Anatoli]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Vaughan:

Nobody has asked whether you are using Instant web publishing.

What you are asking for can only be done with custom html format files. It cannot be done with Instant Web Publishing.

---

The "What do you need to do in CDML?" question is not related to Instant Publishing

So I guess I DID asked

[Keith M. Davie]

"Unfortunately Keith he is obviously using instant publishing just by looking at the format file he is getting."

I was responding to: " I am using the one of the default layouts provided with FM."

I was responding (once again) to the failure of the cdml -op and -lop as effective tags/tools. In this instance those tags were "...provided with FM.". They weren't working. Gee. I am truly sorry I responded with the information which I provided. I note that Mr. McDonald has decided that he needs to learn about Custom Publishing. Now that you have pointed it out, I doubt very seriously that what I wrote will be of any use to Mr. McDonald as he begins to learn about Custom Publishing. I am truly sorry for wasting so much of this forum's space and your very valuable time. And I have probably lead Mr. McDonald astray.

[Simon]

Keith,

As i started my reply with unfortunately I thought I was implying that your information was very useful but not something he could make use of unless he started to use cdml. No offence meant.

By the way I use -lop alot and it always works for me in every instance al;though I agree with you that -op is very unpredicatable and it is better to put in the straight forard filemaker characters such as ==. Could you state properly why you believe -lop is useless.

Simon

Simon

[Keith M. Davie]

My experience has been that unless one is using JavaScript the -lop may be ineffective. Not all developers are familiar with JavaScript. Heck, many of the developers are unfamiliar with basic html and rely on editing applications. Further my experience has been that one can use other techniques which are reliable and which function quite effectively using strictly html/cdml. I don't use the -op or -lop in conjunction with the -find tag. I don't even use them with If conditionals on the format file, which is where they have their greatest chance for success without additional languages.

[ August 20, 2001: Message edited by: Keith M. Davie ]