Importing persons

[flyonearth]

Hello,

I want to use MBM to manage all my contacts... BUT, but, but, I have frequently to add in the data base some persons who are already in the database, for instance:
* I want to add the fact they have made a new workshop
* Or some new infos have to be added
*...

Then, during the import process, I would very greatly appreciate to have the following options in case of duplicates :
* keep the existing persons
* Erase the existing persons and place the new
* MIX THE 2 ones :
** in case a field is blanck : add or not the new info
** In case a field is already filled, choose if I keep the old info or the new one
If possible, that mix could even be decided for each field !!! The greatest of the greatest !

Big thanks ! It would be very happy if you could tell me if these options are already possible (as far as I have checked : not) and if not, if you plan to make it.

Jean Christophe

 

[stanbusk]

Is that a request for a pull-down menu with that list of options?

 

[flyonearth]

Hello,

Big thanks for your reply.

Re-reading what I wrote, I see I wasn't enough precise.
In fact in my view, these options would be available before the importing process, and only (at least?) for the "import from text file" menu.
From this menu, MBM displays presently a window to define the matching between the imported and the affected fields.

That same window would now offer some new possibilities, to define the behavior of MBM in case the mail a person to import, already exists in the Database.

There would first be a general choice :
A/ keep the whole existing person without any modification
B/ Erase the existing persons and place the new one
C/ mix of these 2 first ones by selecting the behavior for each field, according to each following situation :
C.0/ in case the field is already blanck and there is no new info : nothing !
C.1/ in case the field is already blanck and there is a new info:
** add the new info
** do NOT add the new info
C.2/ In case the field is already filled, and there is no new info :
** keep the old info
** Delete the old info
C.3/ In case the field is already filled, and there is a new info :
** keep the old info
** Delete the old info (not sure that choice is very useful, but I feel interesting to offer ALL the possible choices)
** replace the old info with the new one

As far as I could guess, an implementation could be :
Choice A-B-C at the top of the window
3 more colums to have the possibility to define the choices C.1/ C.2/ and C.3/

Re-big thanks !

Jean Christophe

 

[flyonearth]

Hello,

I re-launch the topic, as your answer is finaly really important for me.
Re-tinhinking to my needs, I definitely need these features, and I haven't found them anywhere.
As I explained, I offer different knid of seminars, whose registations are made through internet and/or papers, and alll these options in maxbulk seem necessary to automatize correctly my mailing list....

Do you have any idea if you plan to offer them ?
And if not where I could find them elsewhere ?

Big thanks !

Jean Christophe

 

[flyonearth]

Hello,

Sorry to re-re-launch the topic, but Maxbulk mailer is THE app I use very efficienty, and THE APP that is the closest from my need (as far as I have found ! ). And I would greatly like to know if my request seems possible or not, and if possible, planned for when.


As a summary of my request, I would enjoy if the presently offered choice (Add, Replace, Updtae, Nothing : choice ARUN) could be possible for each field, depending on its context ( that would add 3 more columns in the import window, with the ARUN choice for each field) :

* column 1/ Initialisation : field not already filled and is there is a new info : choice AN among ARUN

* column 2/ in fact, very little use : Field already filled and there is no new info : choice RN among ARUN ; In that case, R means : set back to nothing

* column 3/ updating : Fiel already filled and there is new info : choice RUN among ARUN ; If it is a number, U would mean : increase by the value of the new field (what is R for a field which is not a number ?)


I can give you an exemple of my wishes : I have people that register for seminars. And to manage my mailings and have a general view of my clients, I want to know :
* the first time they register,
* their last registration,
* and their number of workshops.

I would then have 3 fields in MBM, whose settings would be (if my wishes are set in maxbulk o)))) :
Name of the field : action for column number (see above)
1 / 2 / 3
First date registration : A / N / N
last date registration : A / N / R
Number of workshops : A / N / U

Big thanks to tell me if that proposal seems interesting for you !

Jean Christophe



Also : I have searched "everywhere" in the web-site, but I haven't found the definition of replace and update in the presently offered choice : is it that update means "replace each field, one by one, with the new value if there is a new value"? And replace means : "replace all the fields of the old item with all the fields of the new item" ?

 

[flyonearth]

Well, well, well... My previous post was sent TOO TOO quickly !...
Which is a pity as I saw lately a great simplification.

Then, I write the simplification in that post, so that there is no need to read the previous posts.

My simplified request would be, for each field, to have the folowing behavior :
* If the existing field is blanck, always filled it with the value of the new field.
* If the existing field id is already filled, just offer the choices : Replace, Update, Nothing (then, only 1 colum added, instead of 3 columns in my previous posts ! )


I can give you an exemple of my wishes : I have people that register for seminars. And to be able to manage my mailings and have a general view of my clients, I want to know :
* the first time they register,
* their last registration,
* and their number of workshops.

I would then use 3 fields in MBM, whose settings would be (if the existing field is already filled) :
* First date registration : Do Nothing (once the field have been filled for the first time, it must not be changed)
* Last date registration : Replace (each new seminar replaces the old date with the new date)
* Number of workshops : Update the existing value with the new value. As I would set "1" in the value of that field, it will increase by 1 at each import.

Big thanks if you think that feature is possible !

All the best.

Jean Christophe