Andy wrote:
I agree -- total pain for conversion. It would have been nice if the
converter simply added the Commit Records step at the end of any script
where fields were set (or pasted or inserted). This might not resolve
all 'commit' issues, but it would handle most of them. For example if a
script sets a related record and then goes to related record in another
window (another file), FM7 would tell you that related record is locked
by another window. So it wouldn't be perfect, but it would help.

No one -- other than FileMaker's marketing department -- would ever have
the naiveté to tell you that conversion from FM6 to FM7 or FM8 is easy.
There are tools like Metadata Magic that are of huge help in managing
the conversion. I will say that the automated conversion from 6 to 8 is
a lot easier and more complete than is the conversion from 6 to 7.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Howard Schlossberg (818) 883-2846
FM Pro Solutions Los Angeles, California

FileMaker 7 Certified Developer
Associate Member, FileMaker Solutions Alliance

OK, so for my 82 file company-wide solution I'm in a world of Set Field
hurt. Let's say I can accept that.

But what is the behavior for when you do a Set Field for a related
field? Do I have to go to the related file and do a commit there too?

I see an overall lack of documentation about this change but maybe I'm
looking in the wrong places.

The Commit Record step (as with the Revert Record step) will act upon
the parent record and all related children edited through that parent
record.

Paul Bruneau wrote:
--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Howard Schlossberg (818) 883-2846
FM Pro Solutions Los Angeles, California

FileMaker 7 Certified Developer
Associate Member, FileMaker Solutions Alliance

OK, that's a relief, Howard. Thanks for that.

Also thanks to 42.

I've been following this thread (and similar threads in many places) with
trepidation. My own 80+ file solution (served to two dozen users) will
inevitably have to be converted someday.

But I post because I saw an offhand comment somewhere that was never
followed up on. The comment was that it is much easier to convert from 6
directly to 8, rather than going from 6 to 7, then later to 8. Perhaps
the Set Field/Commit Record issue is being dealt with more automatically
in 8?

I have also decided that when the time comes for me, I'll have to invest
in FMRobot and Metadatamagic. Though pricey, both look like they are not
only very useful conversion tools, but useful in the long term as
post-conversion development tools.

Steve Brown

In article <eyebrown-1210050735260001@216-10-174-
116.earthlink.wispnet.net>, eyebrown (AT) mindspring (DOT) com says...
IMO That is the main reason conversion from 6 -> 8 is so much better.
FM8 supports copy/paste of script steps, field definitions (import
tables), etc... so a number of the key features FMRobot are now
integrated into Filemaker 8 but still missing in 7.

The database report feature of FM7dev/8advanced doesn't obsolete
metadatamagic but it does go a long way towards getting you the
information you need.

Yes, New Millenium is continuing to try to add value to their offerings,
and I'd say that they've succeeded, but I'd also say that FM8 covers the
basics pretty well now, and the 3rd party tools are certainly more
"optional" than they used to be.

I didn't see support for copy/paste script steps in FM 8, but I saw a
hint from a screen shot that the feature might be in FM 8 Advanced, for
which there was no demo yet.

Is the feature in FM 8?

Is it in FM 8 Advanced?

Thanks.

Signed,

Long time script-copy-paste-bitcher,

Paul

Paul Bruneau wrote:
It is a feature of FileMaker Pro Advanced only.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Howard Schlossberg (818) 883-2846
FM Pro Solutions Los Angeles, California

FileMaker 7 Certified Developer
Associate Member, FileMaker Solutions Alliance

In article <11kqb43si4s0mbb (AT) corp (DOT) supernews.com>,
howard (AT) antispahm (DOT) fmprosolutions.com says...
Yes, what Howard said: 8A supports copy/paste of script steps.

I'd implicitly been comparing comparing FMRobot / Metadatamagic to whats
in 8A not 8 as anyone considering shelling out for FMRobot/Metadatamagic
should (and probably is) working with 7D/8A for the database report,
custom functions, and script debugging.

At this stage in the game, anybody doing any semi-serious development
with filemaker should be using 8A. Even if your developing for FM7Pro...
the table import, copy paste of field defs, and script steps, better
script debugging make it worth it.

I beilieve Filemaker planning to following 4D's model... where the
'regular' version is pretty much just a network runtime environment, and
you need the 'developer' version to actually build applications.

The gap between what you can do with 8 and 8A vs. say 5 and 5D has
widened immensely.

-regards,
Dave