Guide to Updating Plug-ins

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.
This guide assumes that you know how to define fields and scripts and use plug-ins in FileMaker Pro
database files.
When you distribute FileMaker Pro databases in a server and client environment, any plug-ins required
by your database can be installed on each client computer that accesses the database. If you make a
change to a plug-in, the updated plug-in should be distributed to all client computers that access the
database. In a large organization, manually updating many client computers can be time consuming. You
can use the Auto Update feature, available in FileMaker Server, to download updated files
automatically.
The following illustration shows one way to use Auto Update to check both the client and server
computers for the existence of a plug-in required by your database.
Is the Auto Update plug-in enabled on
the client computer?
Error: Plug-in
is missing or
disabled
Is the required plug-in installed on the
client computer?
Is it the correct
version of the
plug-in?
Is the required
plug-in installed
on the server
computer?
Do nothing
Is it the version
of the plug-in
required by the
database?
Download the
plug-in to the
client computer
and enable it
No
Yes
Yes No
No
Error: Plug-in
is missing
No
Yes
Error: Plug-in
version is
incorrect
No
Yes
Yes