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Creating a database
F
ILEMAKER PRO HELP 212
Notes
• If a plug-in has been disabled in the client’s plug-in preferences, it will install but will not be
accessible to FileMaker
Pro until it is manually enabled by the user.
• You cannot install multiple versions of a plug-in to support multiple versions of
FileMaker
Pro.
• If your solution requires a specific plug-in version that cannot be shared with other versions
of FileMaker
Pro, instruct users to manually place plug-ins in the Extensions folder inside
the FileMaker
Pro, FileMaker Pro Advanced, or FileMaker runtime folder.
• If a plug-in is intended for all installed versions of FileMaker Pro, you must manually install
the plug-in in each user’s Application Support/FileMaker/Extensions folder.
• The search order for loading plug-ins starts with the Extensions folder inside the
FileMaker
Pro application folder, followed by the folder that the Install Plug-In File script step
uses. The last location checked is the Application Support/FileMaker/Extensions folder.
• FileMaker Pro will not load a plug-in if it has already loaded a plug-in with the same plug-in
ID.
• OS X: Plug-ins stored in container fields are compressed by default.
Related topics
Creating custom plug-ins
Updating plug-ins
You can use calculations and scripts to check the version of installed plug-ins, then update plug-ins
with plug-ins stored in container fields in a FileMaker Pro file. To see examples of script and
calculation syntax, see
Plug-in update example.
To update plug-ins:
1. In the solution file, create a table to store plug-in information.
2. In the table, define:
• a text field for the plug-in name
• a text field to store the description of the plug-in
• a number field for the plug-in version currently required by the database
• unstored calculation fields for the version and enabled state of the plug-in that is installed in
the FileMaker
Pro file.
• a container field to store the plug-in file
3. Create a layout in which to display the stored plug-in and, optionally, descriptive information
about the plug-in, then add to the layout the appropriate fields you created in step
2.
Note While you need only the container field on the layout, you might consider adding the plug-
in name, description, and version number fields so you have access to this information.
4. Create a script that compares the version of the installed plug-in with the version of the
required plug-in, then uses the Install Plug-In script step to update the plug-in, if needed.
5. Create a script that alerts users to possible plug-in installation error conditions, if the plug-in
cannot install.
6. Create a script that checks to ensure the installed plug-in is enabled.