David Burton shows you how to convert a Mac FileMaker Runtime folder into a single file/application by turning it into a Package. Then David will show how to create an Installer for the Package so that it is installed in the Applications folder.
In addition to FileMaker Pro Advanced you will also need AppleScript Editor and a 3rd party application called Packages. I had mistakenly assumed you could download the AppleScript Editor from Apple, but you can however find the it in your Applications/Utilities folder. Finally, the script came from this MacOSX forum post.
The AppleScript used to convert the Runtime Folder into a Package follows. You’ll need to change the appPath in the script after your Runtime Folder and App Title.
– Path to the runtime in the Appset appPath to (((path to me) as text) & “Contents:Resources:CampSoftware:CampSoftware.app”)– Convert path to a POSIX pathset newAppPath to POSIX path of appPath– executing the script filetryset command to “open ” & newAppPathdo shell script commandend try
View the video on YouTube to view a higher quality version.
Thank you again for watching and we look forward to your feedback!
Hi, very nice. but there are also other solutions for this (for example with Platypus and FileStorm), and all of that is better than to copy the runtimes only on the client’s mac.
But there is one thing what I am thinking about:
How to prevent the user to RE-INSTALL the whole filemaker package after he has created data in FileMaker.
Maybe an applescript could handle this and rename the old application…
Any better ideas?
karo.
Platypus seems to be a tool to let you run terminal commands via a GUI app where David’s AppleScript Editor solution turns a FileMaker Mac Runtime ‘folder of stuff’ into a simple double-clickable app. Does Platypus do that?
FileStorm seems to do what Packages does and more, but costs $80. I think I prefer a simple Package and then provide a Zipped file. No need for a Disk Image file. When the user downloads the Zipped file, it it auto extract, leaving the Package ready to install.
I don’t think it can get much simpler than that, but we’re interested in other ideas!
Hi Karo,
As far as uninstall you could invoke FileMaker scripts with AppleScript or control the download, record export/import from the Runtime. There are several ways to approach this procedure.
Thanks again for your comments!
Hi again,
I tried this out yesterday and it makes me a little crazy about this.
The app “Packages” always gets an error while building, because of the locked “FMStrs.dls” files in the languages folders.
If I unlock these files, there are no errors.
Did you have the same problem?
I also tried PackageMaker, which comes with XCode. The installer-building process went fine, but the installing process failed, when it comes to install the fm-runtime-app. If I choose min. target mac os x 10.4 instead of 10.5, then PackageMaker build bundles instead of flat installers and this works. But there are still some trouble with rights.
I had really no troubles to build a VISE X installer, but it is ugly old and too expensive to distribute only a few runtimes.
Another trouble I had was with the AppleScript bundle package:
The saved AppleScript with the FM-files and runtime within starts but do not launch the runtime. If I copy the package to a different volume all is fine with the copied version without any change…
karo.
Hi Karo,
I created apps with the language folders and without and didn’t get any errors. I’m not sure what could be causing them. I tried with PackageMaker also but I found that it wasn’t as intuitive as packages. I made several attempts but it never quite worked right for me and I too found VISE X to be overkill.
Regarding the problems with your bundle could it be that the path to your runtime in the script:
“set appPath to (((path to me) as text) & “Contents:Resources:CampSoftware:CampSoftware.app”)”
isn’t set correctly? That’s the only reason I can think that you would be getting the bundle error.
Again, we really appreciate the comments!
Karo is right, I almost go crazy with the build errors and the solution is to unlock .dls files in the language folders. Thanks Karo and thanks a lot David for the article!
Thanks David, your screencast was invaluable!
The only problem I came up against (as a relatively new developer) was when I copied and pasted the AppleScript into the editor. It took me a while to work out that the comments should be prefixed with “–” and not “-” and the italicised quotations cause the editor to throw a wobbly.
Your windows runtime screencast was also excellent …. saved me hours of work!
Cheers!!!
I am having your same problem. Got rid of the italicised quotations and that worked but Icannot figure out what you mean by the prefix symbol. I see no difference in the two you show and I cannot get anything to work. Please advise. Thanks!
Hi David,
I’m having problems with this. The package I created installs and works fine on the Mac on which it was originally created (as in your video). However, when I move the package over to another identical Mac, the application installs fine and opens as expected but I am unable to add or amend records in the FM database app. A dialogue appears saying ‘File is not modifiable’. It’s obviously a permissions problem and I’ve tried all manner of settings in Packages but to no avail. Interestingly, if I move the runtime to the second Mac (without packaging it using Packages) and place the runtime in the application folder, the application works without problem. Packages appears to be changing permissions somehow during build. I followed the instructions in your video to the letter. Any ideas?