Formatting as text - not fields!?

[mattlight]

Hi guys,

I've got a problem that I see alot of others have had which is regarding formatting a set of fields to then be emailed to someone.

I know that there is a way of formatting name and address using the <<name>>, and to get the date it's // and to get page number it's #.

If I simply enter all the fields using the <<>>'s and format it like that, is it possible to select all and then paste into Outlook?

I'm asking because I'm hoping that if it won't work, sompeone might be able to suggest another way without all that HTML stuff.

Filemaker is using a Mac Server to run it which services a cross platform network, Outlook sends emails via ADSL which is connected to our 'everything else' Compaq server.

Thanks you! Speak soon

[BobWeaver]

The trouble with merge text is that while it will display and print just fine, you can't really do anything else with it. But, you can create your own calculated field version of a merge field using the Substitute function. Create a basic text field called BodyText with the all the body text that you want, and use merge field tags like <<name>, <<address>> etc. wherever you want these to appear. Then create a calculated field with the following formula:

Substitute(Substitute(Substitute(Substitute(Substitute(Substitute(BodyText,

"<<Name>>",Name),

"<<Address>>",Address),

"<<Date>>",Date),

"<<Time>>",Time),

"<<Yadda>>",Yadda),

"<<Etc>>",Etc)

Your calculated field will then have all the body text with the data from the appropriate fields inserted where necessary.

[dr magic fingers]

I am having a similar problem, and could not get the substitute idea to work. I am trying to create a simple e-mail message that is a combination of static text and 4 or 5 merged fields. Whenever I create a field for the body text (such as here, using the calculation field and substitution formula) the body comes up blank in the e-mail text. The "bodytext" field displays perfectly in its layout, but the calculation field is blank as well. Any sage advice would be warmly welcomed!

Thanks

Matt

[BobWeaver]

Just so there's no confusion here, the body text will be a plain text (or global text) field that contains data like this:

"<<Date>>

<<Address>>

Dear <<Name>>:

I think I'm thinking what you're thinking, but how are we going to get the <<Yadda>> to wear the <<Etc>>?

Yours Truly,

Pinky"

The calculation field (let's call it 'FormattedEmail') will be the one using the formula that I gave in my previous post. So, if the following fields have the values shown here:

Name = Brain

Address = 123 Maple Street

Date = Feb. 16, 2002

Yadda = chicken

Etc = fishnet stockings

then FormattedEmail should come out looking like this:

"Feb. 16, 2002

123 Maple Street

"Dear Brain:

I think I'm thinking what you're thinking, but how are we going to get the chicken to wear the fishnet stockings?

Yours Truly,

Pinky"

[Rebecca Gordon]

There's a great shareware plug-in called SMTP-It that makes it easy to send email directly from a FileMaker database. You can get it from Comm-Unity Networking Systems at http://www.cnsplug-ins.com/

Hope this helps!

[philcoates]

This is great... BUT

I am doing something similar - I want a flexible mail merge.. this is what I'm doing... create a letter in a text field, format it nicely, sometimes individual words or lines maybe bold, include my own "tags" ie <<firstname>> and then use the subtitute script command on the field to change <<firstname>> to whatever...

Unfortunately - when you use any of these type of commands - they remove all the formating that you have put in and set it to the default for that field.... any ideas how to workaround this?

[Fitch]

Formatting? Email doesn't have formatting! Unless you're sending... [shudder] ... HTML Email !?!?

In that case, have your Substitute function also manufacture the HTML tags <b>I'm bold</b> etc.