360Works RemoteScripter User Guide

RemoteScripter allows you to remotely trigger FileMaker scripts on another computer. It can be triggered either by RemoteScripter running on a different computer, or by an HTTP URL. This plugin can safely be triggered from within the Web Publishing Engine, which makes it an ideal way to trigger non-web-safe scripts on a separate script processing computer. For example, let's say that your Instant Web Publishing (IWP) application needs to be able to generate downloadable PDF's. You would define a script called "Generate PDF" which is designed to be run on a computer running regular FileMaker Pro at IP address 10.0.0.25. It might looking something like this:

Enter find mode
Set field Customer::customer ID to Get(ScriptParameter)
Perform find
Save as PDF
RemoteScripterSetResult("Success")

Now pick a random port number to run RemoteScripter on. We'll pick 4546, but it can be anything that does not conflict with another service running on the same port. You would have a startup script which calls:

RemoteScripterStart(4546, Get(FileName), "Generate PDF")

This tells RemoteScripter to trigger the Generate PDF script if it receives any requests on port 4546.

On the computer running IWP, you would have a button that the user clicks on to see the PDF. This button triggers a script which would look something like this:

if( RemoteScripterTrigger("10.0.0.25", 4645, Customer::customer ID) = "Success" )
Go to Layout (Download PDF)
else
Go to Layout (Show PDF generation error)
end if

You could also trigger the PDF generation script directly from a user's browser, without going through the IWP web server. Just have a URL that looks like this:

<a href="10.0.0.25:4645?35">View customer record 35</a>

This will trigger RemoteScripter to run the script and return whatever is set with RemoteScripterSetResult().

Error Handling/Reporting

When something unexpected happens, a plugin function returns a result of "ERROR". This makes it easy to check for errors, but it's not terribly informative. If a plugin function returns "ERROR", call the RemoteScripterLastError function to get a detailed description of what went wrong.

Here is an example of basic error reporting:

Set Variable [ $result = MyPluginFunction("x" ; "y" ; "z") ]
If [ $result = "ERROR" ]
    Show Custom Dialog [ "An error occurred: " & RemoteScripterLastError ]
End If

Chaining Multiple Functions Together

Since the string "ERROR" evaluates to false when evaluated by FileMaker, and most plugin functions return a 1 when successful, you can chain multiple dependent plugin operations together using the "and" operator. However, in this case the result will be a 1 or a 0, not "ERROR". For example:

// chain multiple calls together
// if any of the functions fail, the calculation will 
// short-circuit with a result of false,
// and none of the subsequent function calls will be evaluated.
Set Variable [ $success = 
    FirstPluginFunction("x") and 
    SecondPluginFunction("y") and 
    ThirdPluginFunction("z") 
]
If [not $success]
    Show Custom Dialog [ "An error occurred: " & RemoteScripterLastError ]
End If

Note: the above only works for plugin functions which return 1 on success! Check the documentation for each function used in this manner.

Additional Error Checking - Plugin not installed

If a plugin is not installed correctly, calls to a plugin function will return "?". As part of your startup script, you should check for this occurrence and display a warning accordingly that the plugin needs to be installed. Note: when treated as a boolean true/false value, FileMaker will treat ? as true.

Installation

Requirements

FileMaker version 7 or higher.

Java Virtual Machine (JVM) version 1.4.2 or later. If you are running a JVM earlier than 1.4.2, you should upgrade. Download a JVM from http://www.java.com/en/download/. If you are not sure what version of Java you have installed, you can do java -version on the command line in Windows or OS X.

Windows, or Mac OS X version 10.4 or higher.

Note to intel Mac users: running this plugin under Rosetta is not supported. Upgrade to FileMaker 8.5 to run our plugin in native Intel mode.

Install Steps for FileMaker Pro

Drag the plugin from the MAC or WIN folder into your FileMaker extensions, and restart FileMaker.

This will also enable the plugin for use with Instant Web Publishing from the FileMaker Pro client software.

If the plugin does not load correctly, double-check that you meet the system requirements.

Install steps for FileMaker Web Publishing Engine / Instant Web Publishing

You do not need to do this step unless you plan on using the plugin with Instant Web Publishing or Custom Web Publishing with FileMaker Server Advanced. You will need an Enterprise License to use this feature.

For installing into the Web Publishing Engine with FileMaker 9 Server or FileMaker Server Advanced, drag the plugin from the MAC or WIN folder into the FileMaker Server/Web Publishing/publishing-engine/wpc/Plugins folder. If there is no Plugins folder inside the wpc folder, then create it manually. Restart FileMaker Web Publishing, and now the plugins should be ready to go.

Note that due to a bug which we and other plugin vendors have reported to FileMaker, web plugins do not work in FileMaker Web Publishing Engine 8.0v4 on Mac OS X. You will need to use a later version, like 9, or an earlier version, like 8.0v3. The Windows FileMaker Server 8.0v4 does not have this bug, and will work correctly.

The easiest way to test whether the plugin is working is to have a calculation which calls the version function of the plugin, and display that on an IWP layout. If it shows "?", then the plugin is not working. If it shows a number, then the plugin has been installed successfully.

Install steps for FileMaker Server 9

You do not need to do this step unless you plan on using the plugin with scheduled script triggering, a new feature in FileMaker Server 9. You will need an Enterprise License to use this feature.

  1. Drag the plugin from the MAC or WIN folder into the FileMaker Server/Database Server/Extensions folder (Server 8 and older versions of server use the path FileMaker Server/Extensions/Plugins).
  2. Restart FileMaker Server. In the Server Admin application, go to Configuration -> Database Server->Server Plug-ins.
  3. Check the box that says 'Enable FileMaker Server to use plug-ins', and then check the 'enabled' box for this plugin. You should now be able to write schedules that trigger scripts which use the plugin.

Auto Update

360Works has created an AutoUpdate helper database which makes setting up Auto Update much easier. This file includes pre-configured plugin files which you can place on your server, and an auto-update script for each of our plugins which you can paste into your own solution.

You can get the AutoUpdate360Works file at fmp7://theseus.360works.com/AutoUpdate360Works. Follow the instructions included in the file to either host your own Auto Update server or pull the files from ours.

Demo mode and Registering the plugin

Plugins will run in demo mode until they are registered. While running in Demo mode, the product will run for 2 hours every time you launch FileMaker / FileMaker Server / FileMaker Web Publishing Engine. The 2 hour time limit will reset every time you relaunch FileMaker. There is no expiration date when Demo mode stops working. There are no feature differences between the Demo version and the licensed version.

Once you have purchased the plugin, you can register it with the license key. Once a valid license key is entered, the product will run for as long as FileMaker is running. After FileMaker starts up with the plugin installed, open FileMaker preferences, click on the Plug-ins tab, select the plugin from the list, and click the Configure button. Enter your license key and company name in this dialog. You will only need to do this once on a given machine. Alternately, you can use the registration function to register the plugin during a startup script.

Note that if you are running the plugin with FileMaker Server / FileMaker Web Publishing Engine, you must use the registration function to register the plugin, since there is no preferences dialog on FileMaker Server to enter the license key and company name.

Feedback

We love to hear your suggestions for improving our products! If you are experiencing problems with this plugin, or have a feature request, or are happy with it, we'd appreciate hearing about it. Send us a message on our website, or email us!

Function Summary

Function Detail

RemoteScripterBringFilemakerToFront

You may optionally call this function to bring Filemaker to the front and give it focus.

Returns: the location of the Filemaker executable called

RemoteScripterGetVersion

Returns the version number of the RemoteScripter plugin.

Returns: a text version number

RemoteScripterLastError

Returns defailed information about the last error generated by this plugin. If another plugin function returns the text "ERROR", call this function to get a user-presentable description of what went wrong.

Returns: Error text, or null if there was no error.

RemoteScripterRegister ( licenseKey; companyName )

Registers the plugin.

RemoteScripterSetResult ( resultText )

You may optionally call this function with text to return as the result of triggered script. If you do not call it, it will return nothing. This is usually called near the end of the triggered script.

RemoteScripterStart ( portNumber; filename; scriptname )

Starts FileMaker listening on the specified port. When it gets any request on that port, it will trigger the script. If there are any parameters included in the HTTP request, it will pass these along as script parameters to FileMaker.

Parameters:
portNumber - the port number you wish to use for listening for events
filename - The name of the filemaker database containing the script.
scriptname - the name of the script which generates PDFs
Returns: A status message showing whether the call was successful.

RemoteScripterStop ( portNumber )

Stops listening on this port.

RemoteScripterTrigger ( remoteAddress; portNumber; parameterText )

Triggers a script on the remote computer running the RemoteScripter plugin. This waits until the remote computer finishes the script, and returns the result. URL encoded parameters (ie. "firstname=John&lastname=Smith").

Parameters:
remoteAddress - the hostname or IP address of the machine whose FileMaker instance is running the plugin.
portNumber - this should be the same port number which was passed to RemoteScripterStart by the remote computer.
paramText - Any arbitrary text to be included as a script parameter. It can be in the form of a single parameter (ie. "John"), or as multiple
Returns: the response from the remote computer is returned, if it calls RemoteScripterSetResult.