Re: GUI Scripting Issue
Re: GUI Scripting Issue
- Subject: Re: GUI Scripting Issue
- From: "Gary (Lists)" <email@hidden>
- Date: Fri, 12 May 2006 12:06:41 -0400
"Malcolm Fitzgerald" wrote:
> I think that's the way to go to get FMP frontmost but your chances of doing
> anything with the dialog are about 3:1 against. You'll be able to do some
> things in some dialogs. If you are trying to manipulate the "define fields"
> dialog - forget it. It's cheaper to set up a windows box and use FMRobot to do
> that stuff.
Ah...was the OP trying to GUI script a _FileMaker_ dialog, like the Define
dialogs...?!
ROTFL. Those dialogs have _never_ adhered to any Apple standards that I
could determine. They are constructed in such a way that they just don't
allow the widget access that "normal" dialogs allow.
Now, I don't know about FMRobot from personal experience, but I've heard
that folks like it, especially if they don't have the Developer edition of
FileMaker, which allows some more flexibility about automating the processes
of creating and managing tables/databases.
I would say Malcolm's 3:1 odds are generous with this kind of task. It's
not the fault of the scripter, it's the fact that FileMaker is some kind of
Hell Beast regarding its user interface.
Check this out for Classic nostalgia...
Years ago I wrote and shared (and sometimes but rarely even still use) a
FileMaker auto-creation tool that uses the freebie "KeyQuencer Lite"
(remember that one?)
I still have KQ installed in Classic, and it _is_ able to access those FM
dialogs, and so that allows the auto-creation of FM fields, layouts, etc.
via AppleScript.
I wrote that thing because I needed to add the same field, over and over, to
a large-scale university database system that had just over 30 database
files (pre-multiple tables per DB, of course.)
It's AppleScript-based (AS talks with KQ just brilliantly) and allows, for
example, the user to enter a new field name in a dialog, and a field type,
and a default start value (if desired) and then proceeds to create the field
in every open DB. Same with layouts and a few other DB objects.
My little package is called "KQasFM" (oh, how clever).
If anyone is desperate enough, then I will cheerfully provide the original
free KeyQuencer Lite package (it's an OS 9 system extension, and a fabulous
Macro tool that I very much miss), and the 'KQasFM' scripts that run it.
I thought that I still had that online somewhere, but...hmm.
(Oh, did I mention that you must perform these on FM 5, FM 6 only. ;)
(So, fire up that Classic and go to town.)
--
Gary
...an historical sig, especially designed for Paul Berkowitz, c. 2001 (?)...
"9 is Fine"
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