iOS SDK 17. Use custom URL to send commands from FM file to app?

Discussion created by wjackson on Oct 8, 2018
Latest reply on Oct 30, 2018 by wjackson

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I have an Xcode project that I made from iOS SDK 17. I am trying to use the FileMaker file as a point of sale system and interface with a card swiping device on the iPad. This card swiping device comes with an SDK, available in Swift or Objective-C.

This is the workflow I would like to achieve: the user is on a payment screen in the FM file, presses a button to swipe their card, the button uses open URL with the app's custom URL to send a command to the Xcode project to be received by the app delegate, the app delegate captures this and runs commands in the payment SDK, then I send those results back to FM using FMX_Queue_Script.

I have correctly connected my Swift app delegate class to the iOS SDK but I can't get this to work. Instead, the app's custom URL scheme behaves exactly like fmpurl. Is there any way to override this behavior? Can anyone else think of a different way to do this? To send commands from within a FileMaker file to an SDK in Xcode?

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mikebeargie

Oct 8, 2018 6:31 AM

The iOS SDK will always utilize the fmp URL responses for your app's custom URL responder. As far as I know you can't override that action.

They added plugin support to the iOS SDK in version 16, so it's possible that you could create a card processing plugin and then include the plugin instead. This would open a script step or function for you to utilize instead of URLs.

This may be a helpful place to start:

iOS App SDK Plug-In References

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schamblee @ mikebeargie on Oct 8, 2018 7:08 AM

fmpurl does not work in the iosSDKApp. fmpurl is for FMP or FMGo.

From this iosSDKGuide iOS App SDK 17 Guide

Step 10: Specify a URL scheme for your app

To allow your app to respond to custom URLs, configure a custom URL scheme for your app.

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mikebeargie

@ schamblee on Oct 8, 2018 7:18 AM

schamblee, yes, the syntax is not fmp://, you register your own scheme. However (and more importantly), the behavior of what actually happens when that URL is called is the same as the fmp URL. It will launch your embedded .fmp12 file. It will run the triggers associated with opening that file, and you can't bypass it launching your file.

The only thing that's different is the URL syntax, all other functionality is similar to FMGo.

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schamblee @ mikebeargie on Oct 8, 2018 7:38 AM

That's the purpose of the url in any application. Just like telephone area codes use the wrong one you get the wrong number.

Defining a Custom URL Scheme for Your App | Apple Developer Documentation

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wjackson @ schamblee on Oct 8, 2018 7:42 AM

The thing is that I want to communicate with my app delegate and not my embedded FileMaker file.

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mikebeargie

@ schamblee on Oct 8, 2018 7:44 AM

schamblee I'm not disagreeing with you. I'm just pointing out that it doesn't matter in wjackson's use case WHAT the url scheme is. The behavior of the embedded file would be the same as if he was using FMGo.

1 person found this helpful

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schamblee @ mikebeargie on Oct 8, 2018 7:58 AM

The iOS SDK will always utilize the fmp URL responses for your app's custom URL responder.

Your statement insinuates that the fmpurl will work in an iosSDKapp, I was pointing out that it will not work. The question has been asked before from other user, about using the fmpurl in the iosSDKapp. These post are read all the time by people looking for an answer to their question. I was clarifying so other would not make that mistake.

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schamblee @ wjackson on Oct 8, 2018 8:01 AM

The CC company may have an app that will respond to a custom url or see if they have an API.

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mikebeargie

@ schamblee on Oct 8, 2018 8:02 AM

Thanks, I appreciate it!

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schamblee @ mikebeargie on Oct 8, 2018 8:04 AM

Your welcome.

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sfpx Oct 29, 2018 1:37 PM

1.It seems that , for now, we can not use a swift app delegate file. It works fine with the objective-c files though.

2.If you want to communicate with your app delegate from your FIAS database file you will have to create a second url scheme

Ex:

"myapp"is your first url scheme. If you open "myapp://test" from your filemaker database, it will try to load a .fmp12 and the url will not be passed to your custom app delegate

"myapp2" is your second url scheme. If you open "myapp2://test" it will not try to load a database and the url will be passed to your custom app delegate

2 people found this helpful

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wjackson @ sfpx on Oct 30, 2018 7:55 AM

Oh cool. I will have to try that and I'll let you know how it goes.

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12 Replies

mikebeargie Oct 8, 2018 6:31 AM
The iOS SDK will always utilize the fmp URL responses for your app's custom URL responder. As far as I know you can't override that action.

They added plugin support to the iOS SDK in version 16, so it's possible that you could create a card processing plugin and then include the plugin instead. This would open a script step or function for you to utilize instead of URLs.

This may be a helpful place to start:
iOS App SDK Plug-In References
2 people found this helpful
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schamblee @ mikebeargie on Oct 8, 2018 7:08 AM
fmpurl does not work in the iosSDKApp. fmpurl is for FMP or FMGo.

From this iosSDKGuide iOS App SDK 17 Guide

Step 10: Specify a URL scheme for your app

To allow your app to respond to custom URLs, configure a custom URL scheme for your app.
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mikebeargie @ schamblee on Oct 8, 2018 7:18 AM
schamblee, yes, the syntax is not fmp://, you register your own scheme. However (and more importantly), the behavior of what actually happens when that URL is called is the same as the fmp URL. It will launch your embedded .fmp12 file. It will run the triggers associated with opening that file, and you can't bypass it launching your file.

The only thing that's different is the URL syntax, all other functionality is similar to FMGo.
1 person found this helpful
Like • Show 1 Like1
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schamblee @ mikebeargie on Oct 8, 2018 7:38 AM
That's the purpose of the url in any application. Just like telephone area codes use the wrong one you get the wrong number.

Defining a Custom URL Scheme for Your App | Apple Developer Documentation
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wjackson @ schamblee on Oct 8, 2018 7:42 AM
The thing is that I want to communicate with my app delegate and not my embedded FileMaker file.
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mikebeargie @ schamblee on Oct 8, 2018 7:44 AM
schamblee I'm not disagreeing with you. I'm just pointing out that it doesn't matter in wjackson's use case WHAT the url scheme is. The behavior of the embedded file would be the same as if he was using FMGo.
1 person found this helpful
Like • Show 1 Like1
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schamblee @ mikebeargie on Oct 8, 2018 7:58 AM
The iOS SDK will always utilize the fmp URL responses for your app's custom URL responder.
Your statement insinuates that the fmpurl will work in an iosSDKapp, I was pointing out that it will not work. The question has been asked before from other user, about using the fmpurl in the iosSDKapp. These post are read all the time by people looking for an answer to their question. I was clarifying so other would not make that mistake.
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schamblee @ wjackson on Oct 8, 2018 8:01 AM
The CC company may have an app that will respond to a custom url or see if they have an API.
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mikebeargie @ schamblee on Oct 8, 2018 8:02 AM
Thanks, I appreciate it!
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schamblee @ mikebeargie on Oct 8, 2018 8:04 AM
Your welcome.
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sfpx Oct 29, 2018 1:37 PM
1.It seems that , for now, we can not use a swift app delegate file. It works fine with the objective-c files though.
2.If you want to communicate with your app delegate from your FIAS database file you will have to create a second url scheme
Ex:
"myapp"is your first url scheme. If you open "myapp://test" from your filemaker database, it will try to load a .fmp12 and the url will not be passed to your custom app delegate
"myapp2" is your second url scheme. If you open "myapp2://test" it will not try to load a database and the url will be passed to your custom app delegate
2 people found this helpful
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wjackson @ sfpx on Oct 30, 2018 7:55 AM
Oh cool. I will have to try that and I'll let you know how it goes.
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iOS SDK 17. Use custom URL to send commands from FM file to app?

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Step 10: Specify a URL scheme for your app

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