Filemaker Pro Lesson
Creating an e-mail list
from the Banner Datawarehouse
and sending mail to a selected found set
Step 1. Launch your BI/Query Software and login to the Banner Datawarehouse. Click on the All Terms Students Model 2. Double Click the "All Students" object. Click on the "Qualify" box to the right of the field "Term" and enter the current term. Scroll down and click on the "Qualify" box to the right of the "Hours Registered" field, set your operator to "not equal to" and enter "0". Now scroll down and select the field "Major 1". Then check the qualify box to the left of the field "Major 1 College" and enter the appropriate College code (ED).
Step 2. Now close the "All Students" window and double click on the "Person (2)" object. Scroll down and select the "Preferred EMail" field. Now click on the menu option "Query" then "Submit Query".
Note: If you wish to update existing student records in your own Filemaker Pro database, you will also need to select "match" fields. With the university in the middle of transitioning from a student's SSN to a generated 950 ID number you may need to use Last Name and First Name. You will then need to create a calculated match field.
Step 3. Now Select "Results - Options" from the menu.
Place a check in the box to the left of "Column Headings" and click OK.
Step 4. Select "Results -> Save Results", enter an appropriate filename, and click OK.
Step 5. Launch Filemaker Pro and create
a new file with a text field named email and another text field named
major. Then create a number field named Record Number.
Click the Options button Number option and
and select the AutoEnter tab. Check the Serial click OK.
Step 6. Select File, Import, and select the file you created from Banner.
Step 7. Be sure the Filemaker Pro fields email and major are lined up directly across from your input file's email and major fields and an arrow is displayed between them. If you see only a circle, click it once to turn it into an arrow.
Step 8. Select the Add Records radio button and click Import.
Step 9. Now select File -> Define Fields and create a Global field called Message 1, select the contents to be text, then click OK and Done.
Step 10. Enter the text of your email message in your new Message 1 field.
Step 12. Now Select Script->Scriptmaker, enter a name like "Send email" and click Create.
Click the Clear All button to erase the default commands.
Then scroll all the down to the bottom in the left hand window and double click "Send Mail".
Step 13. Click the Specify button
and click the Field Value button in the To: portion of the dialog box. Select the email field and click the Use all records in the found set option and click OK.
Step 14. Enter an appropriate subject in the Subject section then select the Field Value button in the Message portion of the dialog box. Select the Message 1 field and click OK, then OK.
Step 15. Check the "Perform without dialog" checkbox if you don't want to have to approve each message before it is sent then click OK and Done.
Step 16. Many mail systems have a limitation on the number of characters they can handle in the message address. For this reason, I recommend sending no more than 50 messages at a time. This can be accomplished by selecting View -> Find and enter the value 1...50 (that's three periods) in the Record Number field and pressing enter. Select Script and your script name from the list of available scripts to send your message. Then select View -> Find and enter 51...60 in the Record Number field and press Enter. Select Script...etc.
If you wish to send a different message later, either overwrite the message in the global field Message 1 or create a new global field and enter the new message. Then select Script ->Scriptmaker. Select your email script from the list and click Edit. Click the Specify button and change the designated field for the message in the Specify dialog box.
If you have an RSS feed that
would be of interest
to faculty and students at the College of Education
please contact Mary Harrsch.
Last updated: 03/12/2003