>I'm wondering if there's a special reason I should be using ebase's output >process rather than FMPro's because: > >When I merge using ebase's output layout (comma-delim) I get all the data >but no field names. So the fields show up in the data merge manager as "Tim" >"Jones" instead of "firstname" "lastname"--the problem is that then I lose >the data on that person and have had to type it in separately. I've tried >adding field names to the file but I get error messages like "this file is >locked" or "data file has not enough fields in row one". > >What has worked is going through FM's export process, I get the field names >and everything works fine--I get all the letters I need. > >Does using ebase's process vs FMP make any difference? TIA
The difference between the two results you are getting is that the one you want, with field names in the first row, is called "merge" by FileMaker, and the other is called "comma-separated text", and has data in the first row. Both have fields delimited by commas, and quotes bracketing text in the fields. You can get the result you want (a "merge" document) from an ebase export by specifying a file type of Merge, rather than comma-delimited, in the dialog box where you say what the export file name should be and where it is to go. The export part of the ebase file export script is no different from the FileMaker process. The additional functionality of the ebase script is to give you the option to post contact records for the people to whom you are sending this communication so you have a record that you sent it, and can later assess its effectiveness. -- -- Dave Shaw H4 Consulting tel: 206-954-7526 fax: 206-625-1338 ------------------ Reminder to each recipient: To change your list account preferences, go to http://email.sparklist.com/scripts/lyris.pl?enter=support and enter the email address you used to subscribe to the ebase support list:: [email protected] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ebase - Relationship Management for Nonprofits, http://www.ebase.org ---------------------------------------------------------------------
