ProMaker Utils is copyright 1997 of Troi Automatisering. All rights reserved.
Note: text added or changed since the previous version is marked dark blue.
Getting started
How can I use an International FileMaker Pro version?
ProMaker now detects which version of Filemaker is running. So you can switch more easily between different languages of Filemaker. When importing from Print2Pict files you have to specify the correct language version. Select your preferred International FileMaker version like this:
• Choose "Preferences" from the Edit menu.
• Click on the "Set Version" button.
• Locate your FileMaker in the standard open dialog that follows.
Note 1:
The unregistered version will alert you that Preferences can not be saved until you register. However the selected International FileMaker will be remembered the first 30 days of use.
Note 2:
We are not in a position to test all International versions. We have at this moment tested British, Dutch, Italian, and US versions.
How do I paste a Script into FileMaker?
- Open FileMaker Pro.
- Open ScriptMaker and the script you want to paste the steps in. This may be an empty script or an existing one.
- If you want to add to an existing script: click on the script step under which you want ProMaker to enter the extra steps.
- Use ProMaker Utils to open a TEXT file with the script-steps in it (some sample text files are included).
- Start the Entering of a complete script by selecting "Enter All in ScriptMaker" from the Edit menu. You can also press command-E.
ProMaker will now start pasting the steps into the script. When it is done a small sound is produced.
Note 1:
You can stop the process by pressing the CONTROL key.
Note 2:
If you want to paste only a portion of the opened TEXT file do the following:
- Make a selection in the TEXT file.
- Select "Enter Selection in ScriptMaker" from the Edit menu. Or press command-H.
Most Script Options are set
ProMaker pastes most of the options for the script steps. Below is a listing of each type of option and if they are handled:
Option Type Handling Example step
Checkbox option all handled Go to Field [Select]
Radio button option all handled Allow User Abort [On]
"Specify Calculation" option all handled (See below) If[“number = 1”]
Pop Up options mostly handled (See below) Go to Record/Request/P.[First]
"Specify Field" options not set Go to Field [“field”]
Pause/Resume Script option not set Pause/Resume Script
Replace options not set Replace
How to specify the Options
You can use 4 sets of balancing begin- and end-quote charactes for options:
Open Quote Close Quote
“ ”
" "
' '
{ }
With Promaker you can follow the quoting conventions for options used by FileMaker. So scriptstep options can be between curly quotes like this:
Set Field [“text field”, “If(test > 1 , "foo" , "bar")”]
As an extra possibility you can use the more easy to type { and }, like this:
Set Field [{text field}, { If(test > 1 , "A" , "B")" } ]
You can also use plain double quotes if no other quotes are present, like this:
Set Field ["text field", "If(test > 1 , 3 , 4)"]
It is quite complex to find the correct parameter with plain quotes here:
Set Field ["test field", ", test" & If(test > 1 , ", " , ",") "]
ProMaker always looks for the first balancing quote character from the right. So this would result in ") " as 2nd option in the last example. As a general rule always use a quote char that is not present in the option itself.
When when you are pasting scripts which use the "Specify Calculation" dialog it is possible that you are pasting a calculation that does not work. Examples:
Calculation Problem
Middle(textField , 1) missing parameter
Invoice::Date the Invoice relation is not present in this file
PattrenCount(text, "test") typing error
Left("test , 3) missing close quote
ProMaker doesn't know if the calculation will be accepted by FileMaker, so this is what ProMaker does:
- ProMaker tries to paste the original calculation.
- ProMaker checks if FileMaker accepts this calculation.
- If FileMaker can't paste the calculation, ProMaker will get rid of the alert and paste a modified calculation that will always work.
Modified Calculations
When ProMaker has to modify the calculation it will do the following:
- Replace all double quote chars (") with single quotes (').
- Put the calculation between the following:
Length("••• <original calculation> ").
This way the calculation has become a text string and will always be accepted by FileMaker. Examples:
So if you have pasted calculations with ProMaker, look trough them to fix possible problems with them. The ••• will make finding them easier in the total script. It's not perfect, but hey, it's better than nothing.
Pasting of Pop Up menu Options
Scriptsteps: Go to Record/Request/Page [], Go to Portal Row [], Scroll Window [], Toggle Window [], Toggle Status Area [], Toggle Text Ruler [], Set Zoom Level [], View As [].
Most Pop Up options are now set. Only the script steps with variable pop-ups (Goto Layout and Perform Script []) are not set at all. Below a list is given describing for each relevant step what values are set.
Step Pop Up values Set Pop Up values NOT Set
Perform Script - all not set
Go To Layout - all not set
Go to Rec./Request/Page First/Last/Next/Previous By Number/By Field Value
Go to Portal Row First/Last/Next/Previous By Value/By Field
Scroll Window Home/End/PageUp/PageDown/To Sel. -
Toggle Window Zoom/Unzoom/Maximize/Hide -
Toggle Status Area Show/Hide/Toggle -
Toggle Text Ruler Show/Hide/Toggle -
Set Zoom Level 25%/50%/100%/150%/200%/300%
400%/Zoom In/Zoom Out -
View As View as Form/View as List/Toggle -
Note 1:
If the pop up menu does not have enough room to pop up, it will scroll before pasting, which will give wrong results. Always make sure that there is enough room below the dialog box to paste.
Note 2:
For this pop up pasting to work the CursorDevice Manager needs to be present. This is usually the case with system 7.5 and higher. In the startup flash box it is indicated if the CursorDevice Manager is present.
Note 3:
On some machines the pop up menu will not pop up reliably all the time. This causes no harm. At this moment we know no solution to this.
How can I make a script more readable?
There is a flexible comment structure:
- You may add empty lines
- You may indent the steps
- Anything after // is ignored.
How do I get a Script from FileMaker?
At the moment ProMaker Utils can not get a script out of FileMaker. This can be done by the excellent Text Capture FKEY from James W. Walker.
You can get it from our site or at the following source: <http://hyperarchive.lcs.mit.edu/HyperArchive/Archive/text/text-capture-23-fkey.hqx>
If you have installed the Text Capture FKEY proceed as follows:
- Create a new file in ProMaker (Select "New" from the File menu or press command-N).
- Open FileMaker Pro.
- Open ScriptMaker and the script you want to get the steps from.
- activate the FKEY by pressing SHIFT-COMMAND-6 (or another number if you have put it under different number).
- Drag a rectangle around the steps of the script.
- Switch to ProMaker and Select Paste from the Edit menu (command-V).
How can you Edit and Select Text?
ProMaker behaves like FileMaker in editing:
Wanted action: Press Keys:
Move insertion point to start of line Command Left
Move insertion point to start of text Command Up (or HOME)
Move insertion point to end of line Command Right
Move insertion point to end of text Command Down (or END)
Extend selection to start of line Shift Command Left
Extend selection to start of text Shift Command Up
Extend selection to end of line Shift Command Right
Extend selection to end of text Shift Command Down
Select a word Double-click
ProMaker now can UNDO modifications of text.
Known Problems:
- There is a known problem with Faxmenu from Fax StF 3.2 on 68k machines., where the menu will not display properly.
- The step "Goto Preference" is changed to "Goto Application Preferences" in FMP 4.0. To make ProMaker recognize this step please change the source accordingly.
