Hello, Awhile back I asked about marketing databases in general and if ACT could be considered a marketing database in particular. I was sent a couple of good websites about database marketing but .... but I cannot find them. Here is a website that use what appears to be a very modular approach (all backed by MS SQL server) http://www.pivotal.com/ Of course the idea came to me to write an online marketing database and as time permits i am doing it. I am not saving data from online forms directly into a rdbms. I fear that the rdbms might refuse to start up in time. I am saving all data in flat files. Gee ... I really hate that. I have been thinking of running a script every night to move data from flat files to a rdbms. Also, if you use Perl and did not know it, you can use the XBase to work with dbf files. I was able to use the dbfdump script to get info about the dbf file (our ACT person never had a clue what I wanted) Filename: name.dbf Version: 0x03 (ver. 3) Num of records: 302 Header length: 2497 Record length: 2706 Last change: 1998/11/16 Num fields: 77 Field info: Num Name Type Len Decimal 1. UNIQUE_ID C 12 0 2. CTIME C 6 0 3. ETIME C 6 0 As I am usually out in left field I came up with the bizarre idea that salespeople could update the primary database (a real rdbms) via a webform. I am amazed at everyone's seeming understanding and coddling of people who are "computer shy" or "not computer savvy". My idea was that the salesperson would go to a url, enter username/password and then he is presented with a form he can use to upload his act dbf. As we know who he is we could help him find the dbf file to upload. He uploads it (just needs to find the file and click on upload) and that activity is of course recorded (and I would send salesperson an email until he did the upload). After it is uploaded the data is then inserted into the rdbms (that which is new - -- not sure how I would do that or just update everything ... could get tricky there). But I hardly got a chance to even describe this. PS, for Perl people who use it on NT. I downloaded the latest NT update and now I cannot use DBI to access MS access databases. Perl just crashes when performing the query. It is the oddest thing. I un- installed the update but that didn't help. I switched from the Guar.. Perl to Active-State but that did not help (just thought it might). I cannot install any DBI via standard procedures. Anyone hear of this? Peter -------- The enduring goodness of the American military character over the past two centuries does not automatically derive from our nation's nutritional habits or from a good job benefits package. This character must be developed and supported, or it will die. -By Daniel J. Rabil http://www.wbap.com/marknote/note111298.html ____________________________________________________________________ -------------------------------------------------------------------- Join The Web Consultants Association : Register on our web site Now Web Consultants Web Site : http://just4u.com/webconsultants If you lose the instructions All subscription/unsubscribing can be done directly from our website for all our lists. ---------------------------------------------------------------------
