Guide to Updating Plug-ins

Table Of Contents
Administering FileMaker Server (Windows and Mac OS) 7-21
Tip You can avoid using the Today function by creating a calculation
field that uses the Status(CurrentDate) function in FileMaker Pro.
If you have the Server Administration plug-in installed on a client
computer, you can use the FileMaker Server remote administration
capability to recalculate the Today function as described below.
Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1: You can alternatively open and close the database
using the local administration capability as described on page 7-14.
To recalculate the Today function:
1. Log on to a Windows client computer or a computer running the
Mac OS located on the same network as your FileMaker Server
computer.
2. Click the Start button > Programs > FileMaker Pro 5.x (Windows) or
double-click the FileMaker Pro 5.x application icon (Mac OS).
3. Click Open an existing file, then click OK.
4. Click Hosts and select the name of your FileMaker Server
computer.
5. In the Remote Administration window, select the database
containing the Today function in the Files or Folders tab, then click
Close File.
6. Click Open File, select the file that you just closed, then click OK.
Closing and reopening the database in FileMaker Server causes the
Today function to be recalculated by the next FileMaker Pro guest
who opens the hosted file.
7. Choose File menu > Close to close the Remote Administration
window.
8. In FileMaker Pro, choose File menu > Open, then click Hosts.
9. Double-click the file containing the Today function to access it as
a guest.
A message appears stating that the Today function is being
calculated. This process may take some time depending on the
number of records and other database calculations in the file.
Tips
1 You can automate the process of opening and closing files by
setting up a schedule in FileMaker Server to run a .CMD script
(Windows) or a system-level script (Mac OS). For more information
about running scripts on a schedule, see chapter 8, “Scheduling
administrative tasks (Windows and Mac OS).”
1 Windows: You can use the Schedule service provided with
Windows to perform these steps each day. See the sample files in the
RCToday folder in the Examples folder, inside the
FileMaker Server 5.5 folder, and the Windows documentation for
more information about the Schedule service.
1 Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1: You can automate how you recalculate the
Today function in hosted databases using the sample AppleScript
named Recalculate Today Function located in the AppleScript
Examples folder inside the FileMaker Server 5.5 folder.