There is definately more to it, unfortunately. I'm one of the main ones who has suggested that it is easier to "make everything new". The problem is that Witango/Tango looks at FM Pro data sources as columns and layouts. It was done this way because of either AppleEvents or AppleScript (I've forgotten which one). So by default when you look at a search action with a FM Pro data source you see results come back for the layout_0 rather than for the 'contact' database. Therefore all of your <@COLUMN> values are <@COLUMN layout_0.firstname>, etc. rather than <@COLUMN contact.firstname> and everything in the search action (or any action) also displays layout_0.firstname, layout_0.lastname, etc.
Now with the search and replace feature of the editor, it is certainly much easier to make the global changes necessary. There is another issue that comes into play if there are more than one databases involved in the FM Pro solution. For those that aren't aware, FM Pro doesn't have multiple tables in a database. Each database is the equivalent of one table and you can have multiple databases that are related to each other but the relationships cannot be made by joins in the way that a SQL based database is done. If the current FM Pro solution is one table, you could probably use the search and replace to change all of the existing TAF files by searching on layout_0 and replacing with the name of the new table in MySQL. However, this assumes that the original Tango developer used the layout_0 which they weren't restricted to using. If they used a different layout, you need to find out what it is and use that as your search string. If they used a variety of layouts in different places or in different tafs, then it gets trickier and you need to begin to look at whether it would be better to start with fresh TAF files. There are other issues as well. There are some data types that are not supported in FM Pro or that aren't treated by the combination of Witango and FM Pro the same. If you don't address the differences, and leave them as whatever FM Pro sends the data out as, you risk being unable to use Witango tags in the future. I liked what Dan said (and he and I used to butt heads about the FM Pro vs. SQL thing). Look at what your new database needs, then work backwards from that. The main reason that I suggested starting from scratch is that through my days in support, I saw more customers getting frustrated and taking MORE time to change and debug tafs than it would have taken them to rewrite the application from scratch. I've been through it myself and it was easier to look at the existing FM Pro/Tango solution, determine the strengths, find the weaknesses, and work out a new solution that took the best of the old (and whatever could be salvaged in the way of blocks of HTML, actions, logic, etc.) and added the new stuff to make it better. If you would like to discuss your own situation, I'd be happy to discuss this with you off of the list. Hope this helps, Steve Smith Oakbridge Information Solutions Office: (519) 624-4388 GTA: (416) 606-3885 Fax: (519) 624-3353 Cell: (416) 606-3885 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.oakbridge.ca > -----Original Message----- > From: Beverly Voth [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: February 26, 2003 1:50 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: Witango-Talk: Converting FileMaker Databases to MySQL on > MacOS X > > > Is it a matter of changing the datasource?? Have you tried that? > or is there more to it? > > Beverly > > > Hello, [EMAIL PROTECTED] On 2/26/2003 7:24 PM +0100, you wrote > in whole or part: > >Sorry, I have forget to say, that we also must convert the TAF - > Files and > >in the past I have read that it will be the best to make everything new > >:-((( > >So, maybe know a good and fast way to convert the TAF files. The > Apps. are > >writen on MacOS, but a way tat work on Windows will also be welcome ! > > > >The data's are allready in the MySQL Database... > > > >regards > > > >Daniel > > > >----- Original Message ----- > >From: "Beverly Voth" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Sent: Wednesday, February 26, 2003 7:04 PM > >Subject: Re: Witango-Talk: Converting FileMaker Databases to > MySQL on MacOS > >X > > > > > >> Hello, [EMAIL PROTECTED] On 2/26/2003 6:56 PM +0100, you wrote in > >> whole or part: > >> >OS: Mac OS X (or Windows) > >> > > >> >Problem: How can we convert a FileMaker Database on a easy > wav to MySQL ? > >> > >> Export as .mer (merge) format. This is .csv (comma-separated > values) with > >the field names as the first record. > >> > >> *** You may get funky results if you have field names with > anything other > >than alphanumeric characters. Spaces may convert to "_", for example. *** > >> > >> Beverly > >> > >> > ________________________________________________________________________ > >> TO UNSUBSCRIBE: send a plain text/US ASCII email to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >> with unsubscribe witango-talk in the message body > >> > > > >________________________________________________________________________ > >TO UNSUBSCRIBE: send a plain text/US ASCII email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > with unsubscribe witango-talk in the message body > > > ________________________________________________________________________ > TO UNSUBSCRIBE: send a plain text/US ASCII email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > with unsubscribe witango-talk in the message body > > ________________________________________________________________________ TO UNSUBSCRIBE: send a plain text/US ASCII email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with unsubscribe witango-talk in the message body
