Applescript for filemaker pro

[CSR]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel
Email Client: Exchange

Hi all

I have been playing around with some applescripts to use in Filemaker Pro 10 to launch Entourage and open the new message window (given the send mail script that comes with filemaker leaves the message unopened in the drafts folder).

I have it working no problems on my server however i am sharing my database via Instant Web Publishing and the script is not working when I open the shared database in a browser. I understand why its not working (there is no filemaker on the machine i am running the script from ) however I am wondering if there is any way to make it work.

All feedback greatly appreciated!!

Thanks

Cameron

 

[Diane Ross]

I have it working no problems on my server however i am sharing my database
via Instant Web Publishing

It's unclear....is your database on a server or your computer? Entourage
does not work well on a server.

 

[CSR]

Sorry, I should have been a little clearer. Filemaker and the database reside on the server running OS X Server. I then have the database shared over our network using Internet Web Publishing. We then access the database via our client laptops running OS X Leopard and each of us (4 in total) are running Entourage on our machines. Obviously the native Filemaker Scripts run ok as they are referencing files on the server but I am wanting the email script to open up a new message window in my laptop when i execute the script running on the shared database......

does this make sense?

Thanks again

 

[Diane Ross]

Sorry, I should have been a little clearer. Filemaker and the database reside
on the server running OS X Server. I then have the database shared over our
network using Internet Web Publishing. We then access the database via our
client laptops running OS X Leopard and each of us (4 in total) are running
Entourage on our machines. Obviously the native Filemaker Scripts run ok as
they are referencing files on the server but I am wanting the email script to
open up a new message window in my laptop when i execute the script running on
the shared database......

Not really. It sounds more like a Filemaker problem than an Entourage one,
but again this is totally confusing to me.

Again, using Entourage off a server is not a good way to use Entourage.
Sorry I' can't be of more help.

 

[CSR]

am not using entourage off the server it is local on all machines.... only the filemaker pro database that contains the send mail script written in apple script is on the server and shared via IWP...

 

[Diane Ross]

am not using entourage off the server it is local on all machines.... only the
filemaker pro database that contains the send mail script written in apple
script is on the server and shared via IWP...

OK, progress. Now when you select the script, is it in the Entourage Script
Menu Items folder or in FM?

This is the part that needs more detail.

 

[CSR]

the script is in filemaker....it is a simple button with an applescript command that tells Entourage to open a new message and populate the "to" field with the email address of the current record selected in filemaker.

It works fine when i have the data base opened natively in filemaker on my machine but as soon as I share it via the server via IWP the script no longer works. I understand this may be due to filemaker being on one machine and entourage being on the other..... Just dont know if it is a thing that is fixable

 

[Diane Ross]

It works fine when i have the data base opened natively in filemaker on my
machine but as soon as I share it via the server via IWP the script no longer
works. I understand this may be due to filemaker being on one machine and
entourage being on the other..... Just dont know if it is a thing that is
fixable

Since the script is in FileMaker you would have to ask them.

 

[William Smith [MVP]]

Sorry, I should have been a little clearer. Filemaker and the
database reside on the server running OS X Server. I then have the
database shared over our network using Internet Web Publishing. We
then access the database via our client laptops running OS X Leopard
and each of us (4 in total) are running Entourage on our machines.
Obviously the native Filemaker Scripts run ok as they are referencing
files on the server but I am wanting the email script to open up a
new message window in my laptop when i execute the script running on
the shared database......

Basically, you'd like your web browser to launch Entourage and compose
messages when you click a button on the page, right?

I doubt that's ever going to happen. This would be a prime target for
spammers or virus writers to exploit if this were possible and Apple is
doing more and more to sandbox applications rather than allow them the
ability to interact this way.

I'd suggest you write your FMP application to allow your users to
compose their messages within the browser and then send from the FMP server.

Hope this helps!

--

bill

Entourage Help Page <http://entourage.mvps.org/>
Entourage Help Blog <http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/>
YouTalk <http://nine.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/youtalk>
Twitter: follow <http://twitter.com/meck>

 

[CSR]

thanks all for you help. I solved my problem (with something I should have thought of earlier, however I am new to this game). I linked the button to a simple Open URL script with a "Mailto" command and it works a treat. Once again thanks....

Cam