Hello,

Thanks again to those here who've given helpful suggestions in the
past.

I'm in the finishing/cleaning up stage of converting a multi-file
database from FM6 to FM8.5... a database solution I did not originally
develop. I made an honest attempt at combining the files into a single
file, but there were too many peculiarities in the way the solution
was originally programmed and I ultimately had to stay with the multi-
file arrangement.

I've learned that the original solution was doing two unexpected and
undesireable (and related) things which I'd like to fix.

The first involves the scripts that run automatically when a file is
opened. The original developer had set these scripts to disable the
status bar, go to the initial layout, set the zoom to 100%, resize the
window to fit, then hide the window, etc. However, since only the main
file is actually opened by the user (the rest are opened by scripts
and/or relationships), those startup scripts were being bypassed... so
the users had access to the status bar and could get to inappropriate
layouts, etc. in every file except the "main" file.

Since most of these files have many different entry points from the
rest of the database, I wanted to try to do all these interface
settings from the main file's startup script. A second, different
problem happens in this case. Each of the windows flickers/flashes
onto the screen for a split second before being hidden. (For 9-10
windows, this looks pretty bad.) I have tried all sorts of Freeze
Window/Hide Window combinations, but it seems unavoidable. Please tell
me there's a good way to initialize all these windows and hide them
without the flicker. ?

Barring that, is there a solution-wide way to lock toolbars, status
bars, etc.?

Thanks for any tips!
-Rob Steward

P.S. Is it just me, or does it seem like there are a lot of
"undocumented features" in FileMaker... like the fact that when a file
opens another file, the password is "inherited" and the second file's
startup script is completely ignored?

Sadly none that I'm aware of. There are things you can do to mitigate
it a bit. But really filemaker 8 wasn't really designed to use the
sprawling file sets we were stuck with in earlier versions.

You can specify 'hidden' as part of an open file script step. And
provided you open the file via this script step, before it gets
automatically triggered to open by a relationship or script call it
shouldn't flicker. However, if you immediately start resizing, setting
the zoom level etc, that will bring the window to the foreground and
cause a flicker.

You simply can't resize a window, set layout, lock status area etc,
without bringing it to the foreground.

You can disable the window menu though, and design the solution such
the user can't switch windows at will, but this typically requires
some non-trivial effort.

Have the startup file in the main file call the start-up script in the
other files. Either by calling it directly, or opening the files
explicitly, before they are 'triggered open' by a relationship or
script call.

It is in fact documented. But like with many things, you need to know
where to look.

-cheers,
Dave

I would remove the script steps that open the other files. FileMaker
will open each file -- hidden I might add -- as it needs access to it.
This would greatly reduce the flicker. Unless there are routines that
need to be run in a particular file there really is no reason to open
all the files at start up.

If you want to limit the ability of users to actual go into these files
then there are two options. The first is to have opening scripts which
should be triggered if the user navigates to them using the Window >>
Show Window menu option. The second is to use FileMaker Advanced to
actually remove the Window menu option thus preventing the user from
opening those files. (Well unless they use the File >> Open menu
option.)



On 2007-06-30 23:57:53 -0500, robdsteward (AT) gmail (DOT) com said: