FileMaker Function of the Week: GetContainerAttribute

GetContainerAttribute: This function has 35 different arguments that you can send to it to get specific information about the item in a container field.  FullCity Consulting gives us the use of the few of the more fun ones, and the full list is below:

New in FileMaker 13, and previously fawned over in this very blog, is the GetContainerAttribute function. Prior to this, when you dropped a file in a container field, you had few options for getting information about it. There wasn’t even a foolproof way to determine what kind of file was in there. Imagine setting up a container field for storing audio only to find out later that people had been dumping images and spreadsheets in there. You just had to hope everything was being used as intended.

With the advent of GetContainerAttribute, we can now reliably get the name, size, and a few dozen other bits of info about the contents of a container field. But let’s start with the fundamentals.

GetContainerAttribute ( field ; attribute )

To invoke the function, two parameters are required inside those parentheses. First is the name of the container field. If you point the function at a non-container field, the function will fail and simply present a question mark for a result. The second parameter is the attribute you wish to obtain. It’s important to put the attribute name in quotes or FileMaker will think you’re referring to a field here.

The last argument listed in the FileMaker documentation is “All”, and it will return a list of all of the previous 34 commands.  Just for fun, here’s the full list:

General

filename

The name of the file inserted into the container field.

text

MD5

The result of applying the cryptographic hash function MD5 to a file inserted into the container field or a file referenced by a container field.

text

storageType

The method used to store the data in the container field: Embedded, External (Secure), External (Open), File Reference, Text.

text

fileSize

The size (in bytes) of the file inserted into the container field.

number

internalSize

The amount (in bytes) of the space inside the database file that is occupied by the container field.

number

externalSize

The amount (in bytes) of the space that is stored externally by the container field. This is either the size of the referenced file or the total size of all files in the container field (set up for open or secure storage).

number

externalFiles

A list of the external files associated with the container field (either files using open or secure storage or a file reference).

text

Images

width

A number representing the width of the image in pixels.

number

height

A number representing the height of the image in pixels.

number

dpiWidth

A number representing the horizontal DPI of the image.

number

dpiHeight

A number representing the vertical DPI of the image.

number

transparency

1 if the image has an alpha channel, otherwise returns 0.

number

Photos

orientation

A number representing the orientation of the photo:

1(Normal) 

2(Flipped horizontally) 

3(Rotated 180 degrees) 

4(Flipped vertically)

5(Rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise and flipped vertically) 

6(Rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise)

7(Rotated 90 degrees clockwise and flipped vertically) 

8(Rotated 90 degrees clockwise)

Note: Photos that were inserted using earlier versions of FileMaker Pro are not automatically oriented; for such photos, not applied is appended to the result. For example, 3 (Rotated 180 degrees), not applied.

text

created

The earliest available timestamp for the photo.

timestamp

modified

The latest available timestamp for the photo. If the photo has never been modified, an empty string is returned.

timestamp

latitude

The latitude of the location of the photo.

text

longitude

The longitude of the location of the photo.

text

make

The manufacturer of the camera used for the photo.

text

model

The camera model used for the photo.

text

Audio

Note  Only MP3 and M4A files return results.

title

The title of the audio.

text

artist

The name of the performer of the audio.

text

album

The name of the album containing the audio.

text

year

The year the audio was released.

text

track

The track number and count of the audio. For example, 3/12, or 3 if the track count is not available.

text

genre

The genre of the audio.

text

composer

The composer of the audio.

text

coverArt

An image of the album cover.

container

duration

The duration of the audio. For example, 0:03:16.

time

bitRate

The number of kilobits per second (kbps) used in the audio.

number

Bar Codes

barcodeText

The content of the bar code.

text

barcodeType

The type of the bar code.

text

Signatures

signed

The timestamp when the signature was inserted.

timestamp

Groups

general

Attributes listed in the General category above pertaining to the container field.

text

audio

Attributes listed in the Audio category above pertaining to the container field.

text

image

Attributes listed in the Images category above pertaining to the container field.

text

photo

Attributes listed in the Photos category above pertaining to the container field.

text

barcode

Attributes listed in the Bar Codes category above pertaining to the container field.

text

signature

Attributes listed in the Signatures category above pertaining to the container field.

text

all

Attributes in all the categories listed above pertaining to the container field.

text

FileMaker Function of the Week: GetContainerAttribute.

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