Instant Web Publishing Guide
Table Of Contents
- Contents
- Chapter 1 About publishing FileMaker Pro databases on the web
- Chapter 2 Publishing your database on the web
- Chapter 3 Working with FileMaker databases on the web
- Requirements for accessing FileMaker databases on the web
- Accessing a FileMaker database on the web
- Working with data in Instant Web Publishing
- Logging out of a database and closing a web session
- Displaying a database with the status area hidden
- Differences between FileMaker Pro and Instant Web Publishing
- Using external ODBC data sources in Instant Web Publishing
- Using external FileMaker data sources in Instant Web Publishing
- Chapter 4 Designing a database for Instant Web Publishing
- Tips for designing layouts for Instant Web Publishing
- Tips for working with data in a web browser
- General database design considerations
- Working with graphics, sounds, and movies on the web
- Setting the initial layout and view
- Hiding the status area to customize the interface
- Specifying the sort order for web users
- Web viewer design considerations
- FileMaker scripts and Instant Web Publishing
- Hosting databases with FileMaker Server Advanced: an overview
- Documenting your solution
- Chapter 5 Testing, monitoring, and securing your site
- Index
14 FileMaker Instant Web Publishing Guide
Using a custom home page
To replace the default Database Homepage, place an HTML file named iwp_home.html in the Web folder
inside the FileMaker
Pro folder. Web users are returned to this page when they log out of a session or the
session times out.
Note If you are hosting databases with FileMaker Server Advanced, place the custom home page in the
Web Publishing/IWP folder where FileMaker Server is installed (Windows) or in the /Library/FileMaker
Server/Web Publishing/IWP folder (Mac OS).
You can use the iwp_home.html file that is on your product CD as a basis for your custom home page.
Be sure to make a copy of the original file before modifying it. Or you can create your own home page, such
as one that redirects web users to another page on your web site.
If there is no file named iwp_home.html in the Web folder (FileMaker Pro, FileMaker Pro Advanced) or
the iwp folder (FileMaker Server Advanced), Instant Web Publishing uses the default Database Homepage.
In order to prevent a custom home page from loading into the Instant Web Publishing layout frame when a
user logs out via a script or a session times out, the following JavaScript should be added to the head section
of the
iwp_home.html file:
if (window != window.top) top.location = "/fmi/iwp/cgi?-home";
You can set top.location to the home URL or any other URL.
Publishing FileMaker Pro data on static web pages
With Instant Web Publishing, data is updated in a web browser window each time the browser requests data
from FileMaker
Pro. This is called dynamic publishing. With static publishing, the data you publish from
FileMaker Pro doesn’t change with each new request.
Static publishing might be a good option for you if:
1 your data doesn’t change often.
1 you don’t have full-time internet access.
1 you don’t want users to connect directly to your database.
To publish static data, you need:
1 a web site hosted on a web server (you can enable Instant Web Publishing to have FileMaker Pro be the
web server for items in the FileMaker
Pro Web folder)
1 FileMaker Pro, and one or more databases with data
1 a computer connected to the internet or an intranet (you only need to connect when you upload your web
page to a web server)
1 an application for copying (uploading) files to your web server application
1 a text-editing or web-authoring application (optional)