Let's talk about scripting. In general. And a bit more specific as well. We're not talking about the latest and greatest, just about scripting in everyday life.

A hopefully interesting session for those among us that are less experienced in scripting, and a refresh for the veterans. This is intended as an "old school dotFMP style" session, with a minimum amount of slides and a maximum amount of idea exchange.

I am writing down some things we could be talking about, as they come to mind…  much too much for our 45 minute time frame, but a break-out session in another room will follow, for those who want to pursue this a bit more. No AI was used while compiling this list.

• How do we organise our scripts? 
  • - In folders? 
  • - Specific names based on functionality, layout, base table, privileges? Numbering? Short or elaborate?
  • - Anything else?
• Parameter passing?
  • - Historically, custom functions and workarounds to pass multiple parameters, like e.g. global fields
  • - JSON as a way to pass parameters, advantages and limitations of JSON
  • - Modern alternatives to pass parameters (e.g. dictionaries, XML…)
  • - Subscripts and script results
• Script documentation
  • - Script headers?
  • - Documenting parameters and (initialising) variables
  • - Documenting what is calling our script… scripts, buttons, events, plug-ins, other? Tips and tricks
  • - Header documentation, inline documentation, references to support and development tickets,, authors, History of changes… Tips and tricks
• Variables
  • - Naming conventions?
  • - $ versus $$ variables versus globals or even plug-in variables ($$$)
  • - Arrays of variables
  • - Tips and tricks
• Managing Scripts
  • - Readability, maximum size and subscripts, tools to make your scripts more readable
  • - Reusable scripts, and maybe discuss context as well here
  • - Over engineering
  • - Multiple developers editing the same scripts
  • - Commenting out script steps, why and when
  • - Copying and pasting scripts and script steps, tips and tricks, duplicate script vs new script
  • - Searching - and replacing - in scripts, tools available for this
  • - Shortcuts to make your life easier, and why they sometimes fail, careful with donations
  • - Script step defaults, bugs
• Debugging
  • - Using the Debugger, tips and tricks, problems
  • - Using the Data Viewer, also tips and tricks, and problems :-)
  • - Pause On Error (maybe pun intended), not always useable
• Scripting techniques
  • - If-elseif-else
  • - Loops
  • - Transactions
  • - Error tracking, capturing, reporting
  • - Plug-ins versus the purist approach
• Server side scripts
  • - Compatible script steps
  • - Parameter passing
  • - Debugging, error tracking and reporting

This list will be modified in the next few months, as I think about stuff and get feedback from folks.