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.

Type of path	Description	Format
Relative	The path to a target file specified from the current database’s location or from the user’s Documents folder (see notes, below)	file:directoryName/fileName filemac:directoryName/ filewin:../fileName
Full local or remote (macOS)	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

The path prefix determines how FileMaker Pro interprets the rest of the path. Cross-platform prefixes work on all supported platforms but only in relative paths. For platform-specific file paths, FileMaker Pro searches only the file path that corresponds to the operating system on which the FileMaker Pro application is running.

Path prefix	Platform support	Used for
file	Cross-platform	FileMaker data sources; files inserted into container fields using the Insert File script step
filemac filewin	Platform-specific
image	Cross-platform	Image or PDF files inserted into container fields using the Insert PDF script step or Insert Picture script step, respectively
imagemac imagewin	Platform-specific
movie	Cross-platform	Audio/video files inserted into container fields using the Insert Audio/Video script step
moviemac moviewin	Platform-specific

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 a macOS system that accesses local macOS files. On both platforms, the database must access a local file named 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.

You can use variables in file paths. Variables let you specify file or folder paths dynamically in many script steps, such as the Insert File script step and Import Records script step. See Using variables.

$fileName = "test.xlsx"
$username = "JohnSmith"
$targetDir = "Documents/Clients"
$chosenType = "filewin"
$$source = "file:Documents/2019/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/$targetDir/contacts.txt imagemac:../$targetDir/photo.jpg movie:$targetDir/movie.mp4	filewin:/G:/Documents/Clients/contacts.txt imagemac:../Documents/Clients/photo.jpg movie:Documents/Clients/movie.mp4
Specify a path type prefix dynamically or as part of a longer path	$chosenType:/$driveLetter/$targetDir $$source/$fileName	filewin:/G:/Documents/Clients file:Documents/2019/demo files/test.xlsx
Specify one or more complete paths	$searchList	file:old results.txt file:../archived/old results.txt
Specify a directory (not a file)	file:$targetDir/ $$source/ file:$targetDir/$username/	file:Documents/Clients/ file:Documents/2019/demo files/ file:Documents/Clients/JohnSmith/

•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 macOS volumes or FileMaker Network sharing.

•To access a file located on a remote macOS 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.

•If the current database is opened locally, a relative path is to a target file specified from the current database’s location. If the current database is opened remotely, a relative path is to a target file specified from: