Evaluate ( ) and Text Formatting

[bcooney]

I'm attempting a technique for an email template solution whereby I'll take text with placement holders and output text for use in an email body.

However, I am losing my text formatting. Attached is a simple demo of the problem. Note that any formatting in the Input text field is lost.

Suggestions?

DemoEval.zip

[bruceR]

Scripted Filemaker email is plain text and does not support any text formatting.

[bcooney]

I suppose I should have mentioned that I will send this text using 360works email as html.

So, forget that part, I want to know how to maintain formatting with Evaluate ( ).

[Raybaudi]

"Dear " & Name & ",¶¶" & TextStyleAdd ( "This is bold text." ; bold )

[bcooney]

Thank you Daniele, for your input.

The problem is that I want to give the user the ability to format the text in FM. I will use GetAsCSS ( ) after the Evaluate and send that result with the plugin.

However, the Evaluate is killing my formatting.

[comment]

Why do you use Evaluate() here?

[bruceR]

I suppose I should have mentioned that I will send this text using 360works email as html.

So, forget that part, I want to know how to maintain formatting with Evaluate ( ).

You don't. You use substitute.

There are some more elaborate examples available that include evaluation of items within the merge brackets.

DemoEval.fp7.zip

[bcooney]

Thank you, Bruce, but I have one more level of abstraction in my techique. The placeholders are not simply field names, but rather pointers to a field that is itself evaluated.

So, back to my demo. I need to evaluate Input Text (as I have it entered in my demo) and have ResultText maintain the text formatting.

I'm playing now with applying GetasCSS ( ) and then substituting.

[bruceR]

Wrong way around.

Updated version using MergePlus custom function.

http://www.briandunning.com/cf/831

DemoEval.fp7.zip

Edited October 8, 2010 by Guest

[bcooney]

I had just discovered that CF before your post...Thank you for such a complete demo.

[bruceR]

I had just discovered that CF before your post...Thank you for such a complete demo.

You're welcome. The substitute method is pretty amazing. Formatting of individual areas can be maintained. Note in particular the tab stops and ruler settings for the portal-list result.

[bruceR]

I had just discovered that CF before your post...Thank you for such a complete demo.

Yet another variation with formats and tab stops stored in repeats and further substitutions.

DemoEval.fp7.zip

[Raybaudi]

Hi Bruce

this is an exellent practical example of the Peter Vinogradov's MailMergePlus CF.

But tab stops stored in repeats is a [color:red]great your idea !

Thank you very much.

P.S. if you insert a tab char into a reteatition of zSTyles ( or may be better into a new global field ) and consequently substitute the Char ( 9 ) with that repeatition, this example will work even on 9 .