One Data Field copied, pasted into email?

[JoeyG]

Hi,

Brand new FM user. I have converted 15 years of Appleworks files to FM and am managing them. I have tasks I would do in Appleworks that were easy and I need to figure them out now.

One of my data fields from a specific database--or city where we sell advertising--is a field that contains the clients email addrersses. I used to be able to click at the top of the field in Appleworks which would select that field. I could copy and paste into an email BCC field.

Now when I try to select the one field it sorts the entire database by that field. I click again and return it to the original sorting, that's not my problem.

I need to select, copy, and paste just the email addresses to an email program.

Help!

Thanks in Advance.

Joe

[bcooney]

Take a look at the Send Mail script step.

[JoeyG]

Wow,

I am really a starter here, just started barely using FM 2 weeks ago. What is a Script?

I see a pulldown tab and it says Manage Scripts. Show All shows no Scripts.

Am I that hopeless?

Joe

[bcooney]

Um, well you need to do a little studying. We'll point you in the right direction. Start reading here

[JoeyG]

Will do.

Thanks so much.

I'm still surprised that Apple choose to drop Appleworks, make it so much less capable in Numbers, Pages, etc. and essentially force people into buying FileMaker or Bento. The Geniuses at the store in Columbus, OH. aren't quite sure why this happened either. Seems very Microsoftian to me.

This was so much easier in Appleworks. Select--Copy--Paste--Done. Waaa.

Joe

[bcooney]

If you create a layout with just the email field on it and set it to a list view, you could use Copy All Records. This'll put all your emails on the clipboard.

It's not as good a solution as skipping the email client entirely. Sending emails in a blast might just get your domain blacklisted as a spammer.

FM's Send Mail script step allows you to send an individualized email to each of your recipients, rather than using bcc.

[JoeyG]

Ah,

So there is a benefit?

I generally have 50-125 clients per city that I send emails to. I send them about 4-5 emails over a 90 day time period.

Am I understanding you correctly that by going through the Mail Script you were kind enough to point out to me, they will go out INDIVIDUALLY to all of the email addresses I load at one time, thereby having a lesser chance of being caught in Spam filters?

The thought of an additional layout with just the one field had occured to me, however I still didn't know how to get that one field into an email. I do now, thanks

Unbelievably, I still use AOL. The wife doesn't want to change 15 years of website registrations and I'm not pushing it. Do I need to set up a different email program? Will gmail be better?

Joe

[bcooney]

AOL email is not supported by Filemaker. Who is your ISP? Perhaps you already have a SMTP outgoing server, ie outgoing.verizon.net?

With FM11, you configure the SMTP settings within FM and do not need an email client.

[JoeyG]

My Internet connection is cable, through Insight. As I mentioned, I have a gmail account if that is helpful?

What email programs are supported by FM Pro for Mac?

[JoeyG]

Ok

I use Roadrunner through Insight cable.

Is this it?

SMTP-server.columbus.rr.com?

My other question: Does using this email Script and SMTP address send the emails individually rather than in a bundle? If so, there appears to be a clear benefit. If not, doesn't creating a new layout with one field, copying it into any email program, and sending it that way seem to be easier and yields the same results?

[bcooney]

Yes, you can create individualized emails by using Send Mail and a looping script. You can use data from the current record in the email text. For example, the body can be, "Dear " & FullName & ", " etc.

[comment]

A looping script is not necessary. Select the 'Multiple emails (one for each record in found set)' option.

[bcooney]

A looping script is necessary if you want to customize the body of the email, isn't it?

and...you don't need a loop, if you set the Message text to a calc field.

[JoeyG]

Hi,

Perhaps I haven't fully explained what task I need to complete. I will send the exact same email to 50-125 businesses, all located in one city. This announcement doesn't require personalization or salutation other than what is already in the letter.

I need to send this out with a minimum of fuss and clicks. When someone mentioned I could send individual emails off of a Mail Script, I thought that meant once I loaded or imported the 100 email addresses, it sends them out in an individual fashion, so as to not get caught by spam filters. That would be great and the best of both worlds.

If not I'm still ok with it, I just need to be able to copy or import these addresses to an email program and send them out.

I asked earlier about an SMTP address. Googling that term came up with the address I out in my earlier email. I assume that is the SMTP address I would use when setting up a Mail Script?

Thanks for helping someone who is clearly so clueless. When you're 55 and don't work for a company that has a tech or IT dept, everything is self taught.

Joe

[comment]

The Send Mail script step can do both - send individual mails or one mail to multiple recipients. I suggest you read the relevant help section:

http://www.filemaker.com/11help/html/scripts_ref2.37.64.html#1029642

You don't have to set up SMTP. Filemaker can send the mails using your default mail application.

[bcooney]

The default mail application must be MAPI-compliant. That precludes AOL. See this link, the same applies to FM.

[comment]

AFAIK, AOL is not a mail application. It's a mail provider, and it seems to supports both POP3 and IMAP protocols. I see no reason why Filemaker couldn't send mail through an AOL account, using either a standard mail application like Apple Mail, or directly through SMTP configured to AOL settings.

[JoeyG]

Would a gmail account make more sense than AOL or be more compatible?

I'm on the road right now but will try to send a bulk email this weekend. I will let you guys know how it works out.

[comment]

Would a gmail account make more sense than AOL or be more compatible?

There should be no difference - both being a web-based mail service that can also be accessed through a mail client application. There may be differences in how easy it is to setup SMTP - if you want to send directly from Filemaker.

[bcooney]

AFAIK, AOL is not a mail application. It's a mail provider, and it seems to supports both POP3 and IMAP protocols. I see no reason why Filemaker couldn't send mail through an AOL account, using either a standard mail application like Apple Mail, or directly through SMTP configured to AOL settings.

Technically, you are correct. AOL has SMTP info. Most people, though, don't have a mail client accessing AOL's servers, but rather use the AOL application to send/receive their AOL email. FM can't talk to that.

[JoeyG]

OK,

Tried to send the email to about 70 addresses, tried various ways. Had to Copy and Paste the Word.doc file, it wouldn't allow me to click and import to Message.

Tried the E Mail Client just for the heck of it-----no go

Tried setting the SMTP server. I had already searched my ISP for a SMTP address and got different instructions completely than the link you guys provided. Tried the results from the Google search------no go

Tried the link you suggested to set the SMTP and noticed when I clicked "Specify", a different port # than what my ISP suggested was already there. Tried the ISP port #---no go

Tried your link suggestions with the port # that was already there by clicking "Specify". Clicked and it seemed to go.

Curious?

No notification of Mail Sent

Not found in Sent Mail tab on AOL

No Mailer Daemon as I usually get when sending 70 emails. Someone has changed their address or a transcription error has always occured, never had 70 go through without a hitch.

Not sure if the ******* thing even went through or not.

This is still way too involved for something that Appleworks, (the much maligned Appleworks) did easily, with out dropping $$$ on it either.

No way to select a Field and Copy/Paste it? This should be elementary. I thought the people who wrote Filemaker had an Apple background? Doesn't look that way to me.

Joe

[comment]

Tried the E Mail Client just for the heck of it-----no go

Can you send mail from your AOL account manually using your "E Mail Client" (which application is that)?

This is still way too involved for something that Appleworks, (the much maligned Appleworks) did easily,

Filemaker is not the successor of AppleWorks. Perhaps you should check out Bento. Or keep using AppleWorks - AFAIK, it should still work until Lion comes out.

[JoeyG]

Yes, I can send e-mail manually throughout AOL.

When I refer to E Mail Client, I mean one of the rwo choices offered to me when setting up a Mail Script on FM, the other being SMTP. I don't have to specify an E Mail Client when I send a regular e-mail.

As for AppleWorks, Bento, FM:

Bento lacks a simple command to output a report in page fashion, in columns, without grid lines. I went to the Apple Store and it took the guy about 20 minutes to figure out a workaround. Even he admitted it was clumsy. Everyone I spoke to mentioned that Filemaker was the next coming and the obvious replacement/upgrade. I wasn't thrilled about dropping 3 bones on it until I noticed that after buying Filemaker Go, Fikemaker was half price. Apple store employees and Geniuses pointed out that Filemaker is affiliated and was designed by former Apple people.

The first FM tech person I spoke to told me I had to import AppleWorks to Bento first, then to FM. That didn't make sense so I hung up, called back and got a different tech person. It took her 1 minute to show me how to save an Appleworks file as an ASCII file and then directly import to FM. Guess I'll call tech support again about this email problem, see what happens.

Thanks for trying to help.

[comment]

When I refer to E Mail Client, I mean one of the rwo choices offered to me when setting up a Mail Script on FM, the other being SMTP. I don't have to specify an E Mail Client when I send a regular e-mail.

I'm afraid we are not on the same page here. When I say "mail client application" I mean one like Apple's Mail.app (found in your Applications folder). If you configure Mail.app to send mail through your AOL account - see:

http://help.aol.com/help/microsites/search.do?cmd=displayKC&docType=kc&externalId=19208

you will then be able to use Filemaker to send mail via "E-mail Client". Using this option, Filemaker will create new message/s in Mail.app and tell Mail.app to send them. This has the advantage of receiving feedback on any problems as incoming mail in Mail.app.

Using the other option, "Send via: SMTP Server", Filemaker plays the role of a mail client. However, Filemaker is NOT a full-fledged mail client application. It can only send mail, not receive it.

[JoeyG]

If you create a layout with just the email field on it and set it to a list view, you could use Copy All Records. This'll put all your emails on the clipboard.

It's not as good a solution as skipping the email client entirely. Sending emails in a blast might just get your domain blacklisted as a spammer.

FM's Send Mail script step allows you to send an individualized email to each of your recipients, rather than using bcc.

Hi,

Back from vacation and trying your suggestion as it seems the cleanest, easiest way to do this.

I created a new Layout with just the e-mail addresses.

Can not find the "Copy All Records" command you mention? It's not under the Records pulldown. When I go to Edit, the Select All command is grayed out. I selected Copy, then Paste on my email program and it Pasted only one of the 90 emails in the field.

I solved it but would hope there is an easier way, less clicks?

I went to Export Records, exported them to the Desktop. Interestingly enough, when I clicked on the saved file, Pages/Numbers opened it for me. I could then Select All, Copy, and Paste. Pasted it into the email and off it went.

When you use the pulldown on a field you get a multitude of choices and ways to sort the entries in that field. Wouldn't Copy/Paste make sense to add to the choices?

[bcooney]

Copy All Records is a script step. I thought it was also under Edit (but you'd need to not have any fields selected).

[comment]

I thought it was also under Edit

It is - but you need to hold the Option key (on a Mac).

[JoeyG]

It is - but you need to hold the Option key (on a Mac).

Thank you, this eliminates the Export steps and allows me to Copy/Paste directly into a BCC section of an outgoing e-mail.

Joe