Use the on site MLM DataBase TOGETHER with other uses

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flyonearth

New Member
Hello,

I am new with MaxBulk Mailer and MLM.
I am presently designing a dynamic site where registered people will be able to :
* Register for workshops ( then in the database there will be some other tables, at least to describe the workshops and the registrations)
* access some other private html pages.
* AND with MBM, they will receive regularly some mails.

My question is then : can the MLM database :
* be created through MLM , AND THEN : be extended to integrate the other tables that are necessary for the site (i.e. workshops and registrations)
* or : use the existing "person" table of the existing database (presently in the creation phase but already quite advanced)... As the fields of this table may be not the expected ones by MLM !

In brief, what has to be done to be sure that a "person" table (or any other name ?) of the on site database can be used for all the purposes presented at the top of this post ?

I have looked at the infos you give in the site : very interesting, may be enough for a professional person, but I have'nt found an answer that gives light to me (see the end of the post : my competencies)

All the best to you, merry christmas and happy new year !!!!

Jean Christophe

My competencies to understand your answer :
It will be my first dynamic site, for whom I will be the one that pay for it (don't know wow to call that guy that in English ! ).
My webmaster of course knows about it, but I need to understand a minimum about MBM and MLM to know what and how to specify what has to be done.
This dynamic site is already being built... I have just discover MBM a few days ago.
I am somehow competent in html and static site. And I know about SQL, but not at all about SQL applied in website.

All the best ! (;o)))
 
stanbusk

stanbusk

Administrator
Staff member
MLM includes 20 unused fields you can use for whatever data you need to store. You could try to use them and if it works for you no needs to modify anything except perhaps the subscription form. The provided subscription forms only use minimum data.
 
F

flyonearth

New Member
A big thanks for your reply !
... Except that I don't understand it. Here are my questions :

1/ I have looked in the maxprog site, and didn't find what are the "20 Mailing List Manager (MLM) unused fields" : are they the same as the 20 unused field of MaxBulk Mailer (MBM) ?

2/ In fact I need 3 tables in my SQL model : the "persons" , the "inscriptions" and the "workshops". The table "inscriptions" creating an n:n link between the "persons" and the "workshops". It is then NOT possible to store the workshops and inscriptiosn infos in the 20 other fields of the persons table....
But as this "persons" table is very similar to the one that uses MLM (and MBM) , here come the questions :
2.1/ how does MLM (and MBM ?) manage correctly a database with several tables ? How does it recognize the correct table it has to adress (the "persons" one) in the database ?
2.2/ do I MUST use the MLM names for the fields, or can I change them ?

3/ I have looked in the maxprog site, and didn't find what is the subscription form you speek, neither the "provided subscirption form"...

Hope my question are clear. I have the feeling we haven't yet undestood what the other wants to express... Hope this time will be the good one !

All the best.

Jean Christophe
 
stanbusk

stanbusk

Administrator
Staff member
Those fields are labeled 'opt1' to 'opt20'.

MaxBulk Mailer and MLM works together automatically. MaxBulk Mailer doesn't know anything about tables, only lists. MaxBulk Mailer simply asks MLM to do things, it never deals with tables directly, only MLM does that. MLM acts as a intermediary between MaxBulk Mailer and the mySQL tables.

Indeed you have to use MLM names fro the fields.

The subscription forms are inside the 'lm/html' folder.
 
F

flyonearth

New Member
Hello,

Again big thanks for your replyies.
I think I start to correctly understand what happens, and I have just a few more questions (may be the last ones (;o))) !

0/ As far as I have understood, MBM will ask MLM some infos using the names of the fields that are internal to MBM... I guess that these requests are done only with the english names of the fields, and that it is not language related !...

1/ Then, if 0/ is true, I feel I need a list with the exact names of all the fields that can be used, to be sure that we will create a data base that is absolutely correct regarding MBM (for instance, what about the date, the first names, the name, the mail, ... and all the opt1 to opt20 : are they used only with theses optX name ? and not the user-design name ?... And so and do... All the details you may have (;o))))

Also, I have not understood if there is a specific name for the table itself, or can whichever name be used ?

2/ It seems is should be possible to create a table that contains some other fields, for our private other uses ?

3/ again if 0/ is true, If we create such a table with all the correct fields, MBM will display correctly on my mac the user-design names for each opt1 to opt20, but our other private php scripts on the site will have to adress them with their optX names... Which will be quite complicated to maintain...
Am I right with that ? And if yes, do you feel there is a way to go around that quite ennoying problem ?


Big thanks ! I hope these may be my last questions ! Yes (;o)))
 
stanbusk

stanbusk

Administrator
Staff member
0/ As far as I have understood, MBM will ask MLM some infos using the names of the fields that are internal to MBM... I guess that these requests are done only with the english names of the fields, and that it is not language related !...
Click to expand...
Yes, MLM uses parameters, those parameters are in english.
1/ Then, if 0/ is true, I feel I need a list with the exact names of all the fields that can be used, to be sure that we will create a data base that is absolutely correct regarding MBM (for instance, what about the date, the first names, the name, the mail, ... and all the opt1 to opt20 : are they used only with theses optX name ? and not the user-design name ?... And so and do... All the details you may have (;o))))
Click to expand...
The accepted parameters are: firstname, lastname, company, opt1,.... opt20.
Also, I have not understood if there is a specific name for the table itself, or can whichever name be used ?
Click to expand...
Yes, tables names are set using the mlm_preferences.php file.
2/ It seems is should be possible to create a table that contains some other fields, for our private other uses ?
Click to expand...
Of course, MLM is provided with the full code so you can do whatever you need. However depending on what you modify you will perhaps have to stick to that version.
3/ again if 0/ is true, If we create such a table with all the correct fields, MBM will display correctly on my mac the user-design names for each opt1 to opt20, but our other private php scripts on the site will have to adress them with their optX names... Which will be quite complicated to maintain...
Am I right with that ? And if yes, do you feel there is a way to go around that quite ennoying problem ?
Click to expand...
You will have to get a PHP programmer to do the modifications for you and as I say above you will probably have to stick with that version.
 
F

flyonearth

New Member
Big big thanks for your clear explanations and availability.... Things are clear now.

And have a very happy new year !

Jean Christophe


I have a last comment regarding the documentation :

Now that everything is clear regarding the choice I have to do, I have spoken with my webmaster, to check if and how to integrate MLM in her code... Timing is not good : the code is already being developped...
And I can only agree with what she told me :
As she will have to use the database for some other uses (mainly managing workshop registration), there is badly the need for a precise MLM documentation (see some proposals at the end of this post ; also : do you have any idea of the coming out date of this documentation if you plan to do it ?).

She is presently developping some kind of an MLM duclicate... Which is a pity as MLM has years of experience... But without documentation, how can she find in the existing MLM php code if, what, where, and how to modify it ?

Anyhow, very big thanks, all the best. Bravo to continue on MBM and MLM that are very very nice and usefull !

This precise MLM documentation could present the following :
* the basic principles
* the general functionnalities, how they are organized, and how they are implemented, so that we can "easily" understand if, what, how and where we have eventually to modify the MLM code.
* the organisation and the role of each function (and a list of all of them somewhere). And what are the principles used, to understand "who call what".
* some basic "how to", for instance regarding all the previous exchanges of this post : is it possible, and how, to change the names of the fields in MLM, so that :
** they are explicit in the php code (and no more opt1 to opt20)
** AND that the exchanges with MBM still works
I guess it could be possible by changing the fields names just when exchanging between MBM and MLM ?... But you know much much better ! (;o)))

Again big thanks !
 
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