Development Guide
Table Of Contents
- Chapter 1 Introducing FileMaker Pro Advanced
- Chapter 2 Creating database solutions
- Chapter 3 Customizing database solutions
- Chapter 4 Debugging and analyzing files
- Chapter 5 Developing third-party FileMaker plug-ins
- About external functions
- About the example plug-in
- Installing, enabling, and configuring the example plug-in
- Description of the FMExample plug-in’s external functions
- Using the example plug-in
- Customizing the plug-in example
- Requirements for writing external function plug-ins
- FileMaker messages sent to the plug-in
- Avoiding potential Mac OS X resource conflicts
- Providing documentation for your plug-in
- Appendix A Feature comparison of the runtime application with FileMaker Pro
- Index
Chapter 5
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Developing third-party FileMaker plug-ins 45
GetString message
The GetString message, kFMXT_GetString, is sent to the plug-in when FileMaker Pro, FileMaker Pro
Advanced, or FileMaker Server want to retrieve one of the following strings from the plug-in. The plug-in
developer can decide where to store the strings.
Avoiding potential Mac OS X resource conflicts
Problems can occur on Mac OS X machines if your plug-in has the same ID for a resource that
FileMaker
Pro, FileMaker Pro Advanced, FileMaker Server, or another plug-in has for the same type of
resource.
To avoid potential resource ID conflicts with your plug-in and other applications or plug-ins, follow these
guidelines:
1 Use ID numbers between 23,000 and 24,999
Use hard-coded IDs from this range for your dialog boxes, sounds, icons, and other resources to avoid
conflicts with FileMaker
Pro, FileMaker Pro Advanced, or FileMaker Server resources. FileMaker does
not use any of the IDs in this range for the application resources.
1 Set the current resource file to your plug-in
To avoid conflicts with other plug-ins that use the same resource IDs, use the Mac OS X toolbox call in
the Resource Manager to set the current resource file to your plug-in before getting any resource objects
from the resource file.
Include the following line before any line that references or uses a resource:
UseResFile (pb -> resourceID) ;
When FileMaker Pro, FileMaker Pro Advanced, or FileMaker Server loads your plug-in, the application
gives the resource ID. This is located in the parameter block near the param2 and param3 variables in the
FMExtern.h file. For more information, see
“API code files” on page 41.
Providing documentation for your plug-in
Include an example database file with any special fields and scripts necessary to demonstrate the use of your
plug-in’s external functions. In addition, make sure you provide documentation that describes each external
function and its parameters.
String Meaning
kFMXT_OptionsStr = 131 The option string
kFMXT_NameStr = 12 The plug-in name
kFMXT_AppConfigStr = 129 The help text to display in the Preferences dialog box