FileMaker Pro 13: The Missing Manual

Chapter 17. Advanced Scripting

Being familiar with FileMaker’s lengthy list of script steps is a great foundation, but putting together a workable script takes practice. Although some scripts are simple affairs, many scripts require forethought, planning, and organization. FileMaker gives you tools to help you write scripts and troubleshoot them when they aren’t working. Plus, you can organize and document your work as you go. In this chapter, you’ll pull these concepts together to learn how to write and manage complex scripts.

Note

Download this chapter’s sample file from this book’s Missing CD page at www.missingmanuals.com/cds/fmp13tmm. Use Invoices_START.fmp12 to work in and use Invoices_FINISHED.fmp12 to see the completed examples.

Commenting Scripts

When you look at a script someone else created—or you created a long time ago—you can’t always tell what the script does. To help keep things clear, add comments to your script. You add each comment by using a Comment script step. This step has just one option: the text of the comment itself. The Comment step is special for two reasons. First, it doesn’t do anything. Second, it appears in bold when you view your script in the Edit Script window.

Use comments to document anything important about the script. Here are some things you may want to include in a comment or set of comments:

• What the script does

• Who wrote the script

• The date the script was written

• The date, if any, the script was last edited

• Who edited the script

• Anything special ...