Rodney, You've got a start on how to modify the letters, but a few instructions:
First, the Thank you letters live in the payments file. To get to them, you need to navigate to the Payments file. Thats a filemaker task (you can do this by clicking on the Window menu item and selecting the Payments file. The letters you modified are the letter templates that are used for generating standard letters from the Names file, usually used for sending appeals and such. Second, once you have the letter you want to modify, you select the text portion of the letter (layouts are divided into several sections, and to understand how it works, you'll have to read the Filemaker manual). If, when you paste text into that box, your text runs off the page, you'll have to click the text box once (don't select the box af if editing the text using the selection tool), navigate to the edge of the text that's off the page, select one of the "handles" for the box, and drag it back to within the layout margins. You'll have to learn all this by trial and error. For merging fields into the text, you'll have to use the filemaker insert merge field option - read the manual to figure out how to do this - and then select the correct field to merge. Beware of which field you use. Hope this helps get you started. Carl "Elin, Rodney" wrote: > > > Hi Rodney, > > > > You can't change the runtime using FileMaker. If you want to customize > > ebase, then you always need to run ebase using FileMaker. I > > suggest that you > > read the ebase manuals to find out more about how this works. > > I'm sorry Robin, I was not more specific, I am using FileMaker Pro version 5.5 to >try and customize the thank you letter text. I open FileMaker and then load ebase. >When referring to the Admin manual for v1.03, the section on customizing thank you >letter layouts begins in chapter 9 (page 114 in the PDF file), but the instructions >in the PDF file seem to be referencing a previous version of FileMaker (version 4 or >5 presumably) Page 9-1 talks about going to the mode menu to change the view to >Layout mode, yet in my version (5.5) I do not have a "mode" menu option. I only have >a "view" option on my FileMaker Pro menu > > Thanks, > > > > > Robin > > > > Robin Mathias > > Mathias Consulting > > http://www.MathiasConsulting.com > > mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > voice: 707.636.0418 > > fax: 707.636.0419 > > > > 485 Horn Ave > > Santa Rosa, CA 95407 > > > > Database and Web solutions for nonprofit organizations, small > > businesses and > > healthcare payers. > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: Elin, Rodney [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > > > Sent: Wednesday, June 05, 2002 6:53 AM > > > To: TechRocks Support > > > Subject: [support] updating built in thank you letters in 1.03 > > > > > > > > > Hi there, > > > > > > I am using ebase1.03 and I have filemaker pro 5.5 which I have > > > used successfully to modify the data entry screen on my data. > > > > > > I am attempting to modify one of the standard thank you letters > > > that is built into ebase so that I can print out a customized > > > thank you letter. > > > > > > I am having difficulty actually entering the new text. > > > > > > > > > so far, I have tried the following steps: > > > > > > I go into FM Pro and I open my names.103 file and enter the > > password. > > > > > > Then I select view- Layout mode from the main menu > > > > > > at the top left hand corner of the screen, right below the file > > > open icon is a drop down that says "LETE..." > > > > > > > > > I select the box, then drop down to LETTER #4, so the screen now > > > says "Letter 4 One page format FOR COPY AND PASTE. Below that in > > > red it says "adjust the size of this title header to fit > > your letterhead" > > > > > > In the address portion of the thank you letter, it lists an > > > incorrect date and the name of the last person I was > > viewing in ebase > > > and it says Powerful scripts one the next line, then > > > "customizable buttons" below that, then the address of the donor. > > > > > > Below that it says dear firstname, > > > > > > > > > I have double clicked in the data screen at this point and typed > > > in my custom thank you text, but I am unable to correctly insert > > > the field code for last donation amount. to provide a record for > > > tax purposes. > > > > > > The text I enter (two paragraphs) is not formatted properly, it > > > runs of the right edge of the screen until I hit enter > > > > > > At the closing, I have typed in our organization's name and address. > > > > > > At this time, I need to save the changes, so I go to file and > > > close, then file and exit. > > > > > > When I load ebase runtime after I go through this procedure and I > > > try to print out thank you letter number 4, I get only the built > > > in text for thank you letter number 4 that prints the name and > > > address and starts off saying "Thank you..." and then nothing else. > > > > > > > > > What am I doing wrong, and what steps do I need to take to update > > > the text of thank you letter number4, or any of them? And how do > > > I enter a field code for Last donation amount in the thank > > you letter? > > > > > > Thanks, > > > > > > ~Rodney > > > > > > ------------------ > > > 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 > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > > ------------------ > 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 > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > > ------------------ > 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 > --------------------------------------------------------------------- -- Carl Paulsen New Hampshire Rivers Council 54 Portsmouth Street Concord, NH 03301 603-228-6472 603-228-0423 Fax [EMAIL PROTECTED] ------------------ 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 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
