Creating file paths

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 Advanced 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 Advanced file	`fmnet:/hostNameOrIPaddress/fileName`

About path prefixes

The path prefix determines how FileMaker Pro Advanced 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 Advanced searches only the file path that corresponds to the operating system on which the FileMaker Pro Advanced application is running.

Path prefix	Platform support	Used for
`file`	Cross-platform	Importing and exporting data using the Import Records script step and Export Records script step; 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

Examples of multiple file paths

Use multiple file paths when you want FileMaker Pro Advanced to search a list of potential files. File paths are searched in the order in which they appear. FileMaker Pro Advanced 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 Advanced database must work on two different operating systems: a Windows system and a macOS system that each accesses local 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 Advanced 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 Advanced will search for the second network file. If the second network file is also unavailable, FileMaker Pro Advanced will search for the local file.

Examples of using variables in file paths

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/`

Notes

•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.

•Do not use 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.

•Use the following characters as separators in a file path list: "/", ":", or carriage return.

•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:

•the host’s network address, if the path is to a FileMaker Pro Advanced file (any folders in the path are ignored)

•For FileMaker Pro Advanced and FileMaker Go, access to local files is limited only by the operating system.

•For server-side scripts, file access is limited to the Documents folder and temporary folder. See Paths in server-side scripts.

•FileMaker WebDirect, the FileMaker Data API, and Custom Web Publishing cannot access the server’s file system.