EN - Comments for the EventScript plugin (FileMaker Pro 7)
Hello dear collaborators !
I’ll like to collect on this "blog" your comments, suggestions and ideas regarding the use of my 'EventScript 1.0' plugin natively build for FileMaker Pro 7.
Would it be positive or negative, what I like is constructives texts who will give me the opportunity to make the product better. EventScript is free of charge for every human FileMaker Pro users.
I particularly like to hear you about the uses which you make of my plugin. When, why and how are you making use of EventScript? Without too much details, some testimonials would be really appreciated.
I’m please by your participation and for the time and knowledge you grant to the plugin’s tests.
My personal salutations !
P.S. Please click on the "Comments" button below to post your messages.
Gaston Forgues
S4HU_EventScript creator
Web Site
27 Comments:
Bonjour Gaston! Enfin Filemaker converge avec la 4ème dimension. Mon système a des conditions quand de l'argent en surplus est reporté à la période suivante ou pas. Le bouton idiot pour calculer la situation a été rendu désuet par votre invention. Merci beaucoup : Paul signé Jacobson: ali_paul@iinet.net.au
Thanks for the great work! Your Plugin works really fine.
But:why can´t this be done by Filemaker itself?
Even FM 7 is not usable without having a large collection of plugins.
Good luck that there are alternatives...
Oliver Gatzki
studio@gatzki.de
Where can I find documentation on how to use this? I looked at the demo file that came with the plugin, but I didn't quite understand it.
I am fairly new to Filemaker Pro and am having a hard time understanding the scripting part of it.
I am fairly new to programming as a whole, so I need some basic instructions to get me started.
thanks
Darron
At last! This is what every developer has been waiting for - why Filemaker have never incorporated this feature is beyond comprehension. Top marks for releasing this tiny but perfectly formed plugin which works brilliantly.
Shame on you Filemaker and Ha Ha to those greedy people at Waves in Motion who charge $89 per copy licence for a similar product.
Gaston you are a star - keep up the great work
Great idea! Filemaker desperately needs some sort of trigger handling!
It would be great to have EventScripts fired off server-side for shared databases, but it appears that it has to be handled by the client. Not too surprising, given how Filemaker works, but that does mean that every user needs to install EventScript before using certain databases.
Pretty much finished the first beta of my little task tracking program. EventScript made it SOOOOO much easier.
I'm still having trouble getting scripts to fire off because of failed validation, but doing on via Auto-Enter calculations seems to handle it just fine.
Very nice tool. Would love to see it easier to use (e.g. "Trigger every time these fields update and pass the field name and value as script variables"), but as a plug-in, I don't think that's possible.
Great work! Thank you so much!
Many thanks to Gaston Forgues for EventScripts. There are several FileMaker plug-ins available for triggering, but EventScript is very fast and reliable. I have tested all of the trigger plug-ins and only found the FMExample-plugin (distributed with FileMaker) a tiny bit faster - but with less versatility. Some other plug-ins are 10-20 times slower. Plus EventScript is free to use.
I wonder why Mac-version and Win-version is so different in size (resp. 1.630.461 and 15.872 bytes)?
I appreciate the work and effort you have put in this excellent product. I am using your plug-in in an administrative solution for the Danish Court.
Best regards Mogens Brun, Filemaker Center Denmark A/S (www.filemakercenter.dk)
Looking for a little advice...
Plugin works well in my solution. I have a number of fields on the layout that will prompt user if the field is changed. Plugin triggers from Auto-Enter Calc tab.
But... if the user changes a field and then mouses to "Next Record" (a button on the layout) without clicking out of the field, the Plugin triggers *after* the next record script, meaning that it updates the next (wrong) record.
Commit, Go To Next Field steps etc don't seem to affect this timing.
Any clues?
Thanks,
Juz_P@Hotmail.Com
Mr. mrosales.
Since august 2004, an average of 50 unique visitors came every day to my web site and most of these visitors are downloading EventScript. On these hundreds(maybe thousands) of EventScript users, you are the really first one ever to say that this product doesn't trigger everytime or can have any kind of malfunction. Really, you are the first one ever !!
So your post gets all my attention for sure ! I'm not saying Eventscript is perfect since this is only a free workaround to a weakness in FileMaker Pro. But I bet your problem is not the plugin itself...
For the After-event example, you first have to understand these things.
1. The current account has to be a member of a specific privileges set. Please, read the red instructions on the top of every sample layout (an 'admin' user won't trigger anything in the after-event sample).
2. To trigger the script, the user has to change the content of the field called "cost price". You can enter the same value in it or erase a modification but the content has to be updated... The idea is simply to get FMPro to recalculate the auto-enter option for triggering the script by the same occasion.
HTH
This is a reply for the message from Mr. Andy Hedley.
EventScript is working in separated files. All you have to do is to make sure your distant file is already open and the "remote triggers" will works.
Look at the small example file I've just uploaded to my web site. The demo is called "EventScript_InSeparationModel".
HTH.
At the time of my latest works on this matter, EventScript like many other plug-ins wasn't working thru IWP. (FileMaker 7 is currently revision v3 for Pro, Dev, Server and Advanced.)
EventScript version 1.0(the actual version) is installing correctly on a FMPro server and it is enabled on the server but unfortunately, it is not running from this location.
Actually, I don't know any plug-in right now who can really be executed on the server-side using the Web or the FMnet protocol...
To run correctly, the corresponding .fmx or .plugin file should be placed in the FileMaker Pro/extensions folder directly on the workstation using FMPro(or Dev, or kiosk or Runtime). But once again, EventScript is not IWP compliant.
I hope a future update of the server and/or the advanced server will fix this "server-side" problem.
HTH
Hi Charlie!
Since the question mark sign is sent by the plug-in to signal a problem while triggering the target-script, your problem can have three possible causes.
1. Maybe EventScript is not correctly installed!? Make sure it is enabled under the plug-ins tab in the preferences for your FileMaker 7.
2. Second possible cause, your 1st script called "THIS IS THE SCRIPT TO RUN" doesn't exists or is not exactly named in ScriptMaker as typed in the calculation.
3. Final possible cause from my point of view, the 2nd script called "OkForAfterUpdateConsole" doesn't exists or is not exactly named in ScriptMaker as typed in the calculation.
If the filename and the scriptname are correctly placed in the calculation, then your target-script will be triggered for sure when this calculation will be evaluated by FileMaker.
I guess you can use a simpliest approach to accomplish a basic "after update" trigger by simply typing :
TheNameOfYourField & S4HU_EventScript( Get ( FileName ) ; "THIS IS THE NAME OF THE SCRIPT TO RUN" ; "" )
This is an "auto-enter" option calculated value with the "do not replace existing value" UNCHECK.
(no parameter is passed to the script in this simple after-update example.)
You can send us an email directly if you still have problems. :O)
Thanks Gaston
This is a great plugin I plan to use in all my FileMaker databases.
One thing I'm curious about: If a script is already in progress and EventScript triggers a new script to run. Is the currently running script paused, exited or halted? Is there anyway to control this?
Thanks again,
Duane
Hello Duane. Your question is very interesting because FM7 and FM8 doesn't handle triggered scripts on the same way.
FM7 is executing triggered scripts at the last priority. It means, if you have 1 or more script(s) already running at the time the trigger happens, then every older scripts will get executed BEFORE the triggered script.
Whereas FM8 is actually placing triggered scripts at the highest execution priority. So the triggered scripts will be executed right away BEFORE older scripts.
For some processes, this different behaviour between FM7 and FM8 is an important thing to remember...
For myself, I prefer to see my triggered scripts executed as soon as possible and I do appreciate a lot this new behaviour under FM8.
But, by the way, EventScript has no merit in this "improvement". This is directly in the FM8 code...
For other scripts running when the trigger is fire, they are paused then executed in the same priority as before the trigger.
And no, the current EventScript functionalities doesn't allow you to control the behaviour of these other scripts(no direct Halt, no direct Exit). Sorry for that.
Hi Phil !
I just put online some days ago(2005-09-21) a new Frequently Asked Question) page on our website.
Look at : http://softs4humans.com/support/eventscript_faq.htm
This is a bit like a tutorial!
Sincerely.
Thanks for your excellent work!
I was wondering if it was possible to trigger a script every time the user clicks the "next record" button?
I want to display a different layout based on the value of a specific field. I have written a script that does that well, but how can I trigger it to perform every time a record is displayed?
Thanks!
Timtom! A suggestion will be to create a calculation field that includes your EventScript invokation. The idea here is to use the fact that FileMaker is re-evaluating the calculation fields every times a record is "entered".
A simple calc :
S4HU_EventScript ( Get(Filename); "TheNameOfYourScript"; "" )
will do the trick but depending on your file, you should need to add some additional conditions like :
If ( InvoiceDate <> "";
// Then
S4HU_EventScript ( Get(Filename); "TheNameOfYourScript"; "" );
// Else
"" )
Placing additional conditions will prevent this calculated trigger to happen too often. When the InvoiceDate is empty for example (meaning this is a new empty record and the trigger shouldn't happen on new records).
HTH.
Gaston,
Any word on a universal binary compatible version of EventScript?
We've used it for our FM7/8 development, but haven't yet released the converted solution. Now with Intel Macs we're a little stuck.
Is it a simple recompiling or something more complicated?
Thanks,
nick
Hello Nick! Last week, I compiled a beta version for EventScript 1.1 on the Mac. This version is in Universal Binaries meaning it can run on new Intel-based Macintoshes AND also on older PowerPC Macintoshes. ES 1.1 for the Mac is gonna work on Pro(v7, v8 and v8.5), on Developer(v7), on Pro Advanced(v8 and v8.5), on Runtimes and Kiosk distributions.
The testing phase is almost finished so we can expect an official release in the next hours/days. I'm still waiting for FileMaker version 8.5. :O)
Sincerely.
G'day Gaston,
I was mortified when I realised my much loved eventscript plug in didn't work under FM 8.5. Thankfully, I found the update. I use the script to update graphs in a record as soon as the user enters data in a partuclar field. This gives the user a 'real time' effect when the graph updates as they change the data.
For Mac, the Universal Binaries version of EventScript (v1.1) was released the day after FileMaker 8.5. This version run on powerPC processors and also on Intel processors. It is compatible with FM7, FM8 and FM8.5
For Windows, there is no changes.
The scope of the plug-in and thus the support is to trigger scripts from a calculation that re-evaluates (with or without user actions).
Once your script is triggered correctly, I cannot really help you with the details of your script.
In your FileMaker script, I'm sure you can use commands like: If statements, set field, show custom dialog, custom functions to get the validation entries you are looking for.
Either to assist your users for entering weight (as "10 lbs. 6 ozs.") or hours (as 9:30 PM). You get the script, you get the power!
Dear Gaston,
I would like to ask you almost the same questions as Peter Wagemans.
Is it possible to trigger script on the server when accessing the database through the ODBC? Are you working on this? Please give an answer.
Thanks you for your great job. Good "coup" and all the best for you and your family.
Hi
I have been using your plugin for quite sometime now....thanks. I have come accross something strange. FMP 9 will not recognise the plugin on a Vista Home edition machine. I have tried reinstalling filemaker and also downloading a new plugin from your website with no success....Have you heard of this or know what i can do to solve this....thanks again
Hi Gaston. First of all, i have to admit, that i think no bigger or dynamical database would ever run without your Eventscript. Here is my question - I have like 25 databases variously connected to themselves. I am using eventscript on many places. But - when i trigger script by it, and have some scripts to run on stack, sometimes due to jumps between databases Filemaker crashes. Is there a possibility that when script is trigerred by Eventscript, it will run immidiately (like Perform Script step)? If not, will you be making new versions? And if even that not, is it possible to download sources and write that function manually? That would be a function which many people woul use.. Thanks a lot for your answer and help, please! :)
Matej Kminek
Hi Gaston
Great work keeping the pulgin going. Very glad it will now run in FM11.
I am looking at your plugin to run a script when records get deleted as this is not something Filemaker will trigger on. The plugin is firing off the script as expected but there is a slightly odd behaviour. I wonder if you could explain/advise.
If have a separation model in operation, or at least I have 3 files, each containing a layout that uses a table in a 4th file. I have edited "delete" the privileges in the "data" file to use EventScript to fire off a script in that data file to do some checking before the record gets deleted.
My intention is that the EventScript call passes a parameter identifying the record being viewed in the interface file so the data file script knows which one to find and check. Now, the interface files have more than one layout using the relevant table and not all of them are using the same table occurence and therefore the same table name, so I use the expression
getfield ( get ( TableLayoutName ) & "::_k_ActionID" )
to get the ID I will search by, regardless of the table occurence I am on.
Unfortunately, the Get ( TableLayoutName ) function evaluates in the context of the data file, not the interface file, so the field name in the inner part of the calc makes no sense, and the parameter to be passed evaluates to "?". However, if I hard code the parameter to be
Actions::_k_ActionID
then the parameter to be passed is evaluated in the context of the interface file as I would like and everything works.
What I find odd is that the Get ( TableLayoutName ) call is evaluated in one context but the evaluation of a field is in another...
Any thoughts on why this is and how I can workaround?
Many thanks
Michael
Greetings Gaston!
Happy to find EventScript works in FileMaker 13. With the movement towards modular FileMaker code, this plugin fills a great niche, as a plugin is the only way to run a script via reference. In FileMaker, you can go to layout by calculation, set field by name or go to layout object by calculation, but when you perform script, you HAVE to hard link to a specific script. Not with your plugin.
I especially like the error messaging. Some of the other script execution plugins essentially throw the command over the wall, and regardless of whether the script name was correct or not, no error is given. EventScript has this crucial feature, so bravo to you.
BTW, your paypal link is broken.
Regards,
Chris Moyer
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