Remote Server Script Calling/Emulating Perform Script on Server in FMP12

Oct 29, 2014

Charles at Delfs Engineering has come up with a way to call a script on FileMaker Server when the Perform Script on Server command is not available.

The Perform Script on Server command that was introduced in FMS 13 is very powerful but there is a serious limitation – it can only be called from a client running FileMaker Pro/Advanced 13. Many deployments have upgraded their servers but not their clients so this new command remains out of their reach. And of course there also deployments running FMS 12, in which case Perform Script on Server simply isn't an option.

At least not using native scripting. But you can call a script on the server using CWP and the Insert From URL script step. Charles provides more details and an example on his FileMaker blog.

There are other advantages as well:

• allows for the remote server to be called without an active FMP connection to that server
• connecting in this way does not count as an FMP connection for licensing purposes
• you can, with caution, create multiple threads running on a server

Some things to keep in mind:

• calling the remote script using the InsertFromURL script step will pause until the remote script completes
• calling the remote script from a web viewer allows the foreground application to carry on without waiting for the remote script to complete
• web publishing must be turned on and XML enabled at the server
• any local context (layout, active fields etc.) are not carried through to the remote script – it will run like a brand new client session

Charles Delfs is an outstanding software engineer and FileMaker developer and he has come up with a great technique here.

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