FileMaker Server 7 Guide to Updating Plug-ins
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Updating plug-ins This guide describes how to use the Auto Update feature in FileMaker® Server. Auto Update ensures that FileMaker Pro database clients always have the most current plug-in software installed on their computers. You can download plug-ins from FileMaker Server by including Auto Update functions in user defined scripts saved with FileMaker Pro database files. The following describes the Auto Update feature, an example script, and the Auto Update functions.
Guide to Updating Plug-ins For automatic update to work properly, you must: 1 Install and enable the Auto Update plug-in on each FileMaker Pro client. Set up your database to call the external functions provided by the Auto Update plug-in. These functions verify the existence and version of required plug-ins on both the client and server computers and download plug-ins, if needed.
How automatic downloading works 5 Notes 1 Ask for plug-in by name and version number, separated by a space. because spaces are used as function delimiters, plug-in names and versions cannot contain any embedded spaces. 1 Do not attempt to use the Auto Update function to update itself, or the environment may become unstable and crash. When the required plug-in is out of date on the client computer The client starts FileMaker Pro and attempts to open your database hosted by FileMaker Server.
Guide to Updating Plug-ins A client uses FileMaker Pro to open a hosted database containing scripts, fields, and calculations that check client and host plug-in status. The FMSAUC_Version function verifies that the Auto Update plug-in is installed and enabled on the FileMaker Pro client computer. The plug-in is not installed or enabled. Error: The Auto Update plug-in is missing or disabled. The Auto Update plug-in is installed and enabled.
Where to store plug-ins on FileMaker Server 7 Where to store plug-ins on FileMaker Server You must store plug-ins in the following folders on each platform: The plug-in parent folder must have the same name as the plug-in AutoUpdate folder The subfolder containing the plug-in must have the same name as the plug-in version number Plug-in parent folder Subfolder containing the plug-in file Plug-in Overview of the plug-in folder structure Windows To store plug-in files on a Windows server, create a fold
Guide to Updating Plug-ins Mac OS To store plug-in files on a Mac OS server, create a folder in the AutoUpdate folder named after the plug-in, and a subfolder for each version of the plug-in. Store the plug-in file in the version subfolder. Examples: /Library/FileMaker Server 7/Data/Databases/AutoUpdate/FMS_Sample_PlugIn /1.0/ /Library/FileMaker Server 7/Data/Databases/AutoUpdate/FMS_Sample_PlugIn /1.0/FMS_Sample_PlugIn.fmx /Library/FileMaker Server 7/Data/Databases/AutoUpdate/FMS_Sample_PlugIn /1.
Setting up Auto Update in your database 9 To set up plug-in version checking in your database 1. Open your database using FileMaker Pro and enable the Auto Update plug-in in the Preferences dialog box. 2.
Guide to Updating Plug-ins External functions Auto Update consists of the following external functions. Note These functions are available in FileMaker Pro only if the Auto Update plug-in is installed on your computer and enabled in the Plug-ins tab of Preferences. This function Does this FMSAUC_Version Returns the name and version of the Auto Update plug-in that exists in the Extensions folder on the client computer.
External functions Example 11 The following example shows how to specify the external function FMSAUC_FindPlugIn within a Set Field script step. The Set Field script step allows you to return the result of a calculation in a single field. For more information about script steps and FileMaker Pro functions, see the FileMaker Pro onscreen Help. Set Field [dbname::Remote Versions; FMSAUC_FindPlugIn("SamplePlugIn")] This example returns versions in the following format: 1.0 1.2 1.5 2.0 3.3...
Guide to Updating Plug-ins Error code Description –1 The file to be downloaded is missing from the temporary folder –2 The Extensions\Saved folder to contain the backup of the outdated plug-in or support file couldn’t be created on the client computer –3 The file to be replaced on the client computer couldn’t be deleted from the Extensions folder –4 The file to be replaced couldn’t be moved to the Extensions\Saved folder –5 The downloaded file can’t be copied to the Extensions folder –6 Th
