Troubleshooting

Script Debugger Control

Even with the Script Debugger turned on, it's difficult to see what my script is doing until it's too late and the action is already finished. How can I make it more clear?

By definition, the Script Debugger helps iron out problems with scripts, but if you're having difficulty seeing how scripts and sub-scripts flow, insert some benign comments into your scripts, so that it is possible to see your script advancing and stepping into and out of sub-scripts without having to actually perform actions until you're ready to see them.

It's helpful to place the fields your scripts are interacting with on layouts so that you can visually confirm that the scripts are working as you'd predict.

File Reference Errors

I renamed my files, but still seem to have problems with missing files. How can I manipulate my file references by hand?

If you encounter problems with file references, where you get "file missing" error messages when FileMaker Pro opens your database solution or you notice such in your DDR, we recommend first working with the Define File References dialog, ( D efine, F ile References, under the F ile menu). You may be able to simply re-point a file reference to repair some issues. In other cases you may need to manually reestablish connections; to identify all such places where that will be necessary, refer to the DDR.

Again this is a symptom of a file having been manually renamed at the OS level. The Rename Files function in FileMaker Developer is a great way to rename files all you like; we encourage you to use it whenever this is necessary.

File Maintenance and Performance Slow-Downs

When should I use the File Maintenance functions?

If you find that disk access is slowing down your database, we recommend using the File Maintenance functions. It's useful to do so periodically, but you should certainly use the function after deleting a large batch of records, prior to archiving a given file, after deleting a number of fields, or perhaps after moving around large chunks of data by whatever means (import, export, a long loop, for example).

Plug-in Not Responding or Not Installing

My plug-in isn't working. Where do I start to diagnose and fix the problem?

Issues with plug-ins can be difficult to troubleshoot. If a plug-in isn't responding, check first to see that you have the latest version, and make sure that it is enabled on your client computer. Restarting FileMaker Pro (or Developer) after adding a plug-in to the extensions folder is also a necessary first step.

Beyond that, your testing has to encompass the functionality of the plug-in itself. You may, for example, be struggling with a plug-in written for a prior version of FileMaker Pro. FileMaker Pro 7's plug-in API is largely compatible with FileMaker 6 and earlier, but not perfectly .

When using the Auto Update feature, one of the most common mistakes to make is forgetting to turn on the Auto Update option at the server itself.