Creating file paths
In FileMaker Pro, you can specify
file paths to an external file or a FileMaker
data source. Each named file or FileMaker data source can consist of one or more file paths. Use multiple file paths when you want FileMaker Pro to search a list of potential files.
For information on adding a FileMaker data source and specifying file paths, see
Connecting to data sources.
FileMaker Pro supports the following file path formats:
Type of path | Description | Format |
Relative | The path to a target file specified from the current database’s location. If the current database is opened remotely, the path starts from the user’s Documents folder | file:directoryName/fileName filemac:directoryName/ filewin:../fileName |
Full local or remote (OS X) | The absolute path to a target file or folder, either local or on a remote volume, beginning at the top level of the file system | filemac:/volumeName/directoryName/fileName filemac:/volumeName/directoryName/ |
Full local (Windows) | The absolute path to a target file or folder in Windows, beginning at the top level of the file system | filewin:/driveletter:/directoryName/fileName filewin:/driveletter:/directoryName/ |
Full remote (Windows) | The absolute path to a target file or folder on a Windows volume shared using Windows file sharing | filewin://computerName/shareName/directoryName/fileName filewin://computerName/shareName/directoryName/ |
FileMaker Network | The network path to a shared FileMaker Pro file | fmnet:/hostNameOrIPaddress/fileName |
Note FileMaker Pro does not support URL protocols as file paths.
Examples of multiple file paths
Use multiple file paths when you want FileMaker Pro to search a list of potential files. File paths are searched in the order in which they appear. FileMaker Pro opens the first file it is able to successfully locate, which completes the search. Each file path must be on a separate line.
•Example 1: In this example, a FileMaker Pro database must work on two different operating systems: a Windows system that accesses local Windows files, and an OS X system that accesses local OS X files. On both platforms, the database must access a local file named test.xlsx.
filewin:/C:/ExcelFiles/Hosted/test.xlsx
filemac:/MacintoshHD/ExcelFiles/Hosted/test.xlsx
•Example 2: In this example for a scripted record import, a FileMaker Pro database should access a file that is hosted. However, because the host may not be available, you also reference two alternate files, one hosted by a different server, the other stored locally on your hard drive. If the first network file is unavailable, FileMaker Pro will search for the second network file. If the second network file is also unavailable, FileMaker Pro will search for the local file.
fmnet:/192.168.10.10/Databases/test.fmp12
fmnet:/192.168.100.120/Databases/test.fmp12
file:../Databases/test.fmp12
Variables
You can use
variables in file paths. Variables let you specify file or folder paths dynamically for many scripts, for example, the Export Records script step. See
Using variables.
Use the
Set Variable script step to create local and global variables.
You can also use the
Let function to specify variables in calculations.
The scope of local variables is limited to the current script. The scope of global variables is limited to the file in which the global variables are defined, for as long as the file remains open.
Examples of using variables in file paths
Assume the following variables:
$fileName = "test.xlsx"
$username = "JohnSmith"
$targetDir = "Documents/Clients"
$chosenType = "filewin"
$$source = "file:Documents/2014/demo files"
$driveLetter = "G:"
$searchList = "file:old results.txt
file:../archived/old results.txt"
To | Path list entry | Resolved path list |
Specify a filename only | file:testing/$fileName | file:testing/test.xlsx |
Specify one or more directories in a path | file:$username/$fileName | file:JohnSmith/test.xlsx |
Specify absolute paths or relative paths, with various path type prefixes | filewin:/$driveLetter/$targetDir/contacts.txt filemac:../$targetDir/contacts | filewin:/G:/Documents/Clients/contacts.txt filemac:../Documents/Clients/contacts |
Specify a path type prefix dynamically or as part of a longer path | $chosenType:/$driveLetter/$targetDir $$source/$fileName | filewin:/G:/Documents/Clients file:Documents/2014/demo files/test.xlsx |
Specify one or more complete paths | $searchList | file:old results.txt file:../archived/old results.txt |
Specify a directory (not a file) | file:$targetDir/ $$source/ file:$targetDir/$username/ | file:Documents/Clients/ file:Documents/2014/demo files/ file:Documents/Clients/JohnSmith/ |
Notes
•To create a generic, cross-platform
file path, begin the file path with the word
file.
•To create platform-specific file paths, begin the file path with either filemac or filewin. FileMaker Pro only searches the platform-specific file path that corresponds to the operating system on which the FileMaker Pro application is running.
•To access a file located on a shared Windows volume, use the network path format. This format is only compatible with shared Windows volumes. It is not compatible with shared OS X volumes or FileMaker Network sharing.
•To access a file located on a remote OS X volume, ensure that the volume is mounted first and begin the path with filemac. For example, to export records to the file named test.xlsx in the Clients folder on the Home volume on the myhost server, the path would be filemac:/Home/Clients/test.xlsx if you mounted the Home volume on myhost.
•FileMaker does not recommend using an asterisk (*) as a wildcard character in network file paths as it slows FileMaker network traffic. When possible, replace an asterisk with the appropriate IP address or use variables in file paths.
•Use the following characters as separators in a file path list: "/", ":", or carriage return.