Mailing
List Export
IBID
provides mechanisms for "exporting" your store’s customer
mailing list in two basic formats. The first is called a fixed
length ASCII (pronounced ass-key) file and the second is an
ASCII comma-delimited file. In either case you must begin by
creating a fixed length ASCII file. The procedures for creating
these files are identical through Step II. The last part of
Step II tells you what to do next, depending on what type of
file you need. So, before setting out to create an export file,
make sure you know which format is required by the service to
which you are sending your data.
CREATING
A FIXED LENGTH ASCII FILE FOR EXPORT
I.
Generate the Customer List
1. From
the Main Menu, select <F4> Customers and then <F2>
Customer Profile.
2. Enter
your customer selection criteria on the screen (or leave
the screen blank) and then press <F13> Print.
3. When
IBID prompts with the "Set Up System Printer"
query, type F for Format and press <Enter>.
II.
Save the Customer List to a File
1. On
the Report Formatter Screen, use the up arrow to locate
the cursor in the FORMAT NAME field.
2. In
FORMAT NAME, press <F5> Next or <F6> Prior
until MAILMERG appears.
3. Check
the REPORT FILE field in the upper right hand corner to
be sure it says MAILM.
4. Press
<F13> Print.
5. IBID
will respond with "Set up File MAILM001. RF[#]
?" Answer <Y>es. (The number at the end of
the file name corresponds to your store number. Single
independents will usually see 001 as part of the file
name. Stores in a chain will see their own Store Number.
The pound sign # on the file extension corresponds to
the station at which you are working. For the purposes
of copying the file to a floppy disk later in the process,
make sure you write down the precise file name.)
6. IBID
will then ask if you want a MEMO. Answer <N>o.
7. IBID
may ask if you want to APPEND. Answer <N>o.
- When
the list has been filed, answer <N>o when IBID asks
if you want another copy and press <Esc> to return
to the Customer Menu.
- If
you do not need to convert your file to a Comma-Delimited
file, to copy the file to a diskette, proceed to the section
V titled "Copy the Fixed length ASCII file to a Floppy
Disk." If you do need to convert the file to
Coma-Delimited, proceed to the next section (III. Creating
the Comma-Delimited ASCII File) and continue only through
section IV.
III.
Converting the fixed length ASCII file to the Comma-Delimited.
1. From
the Customer Menu, choose <F4> Export Data.
2. Press
<F4> on the Format Name MAILMERG to fill in the
screen details.
3. Press
<F12> Process. IBID automatically exports the list
to an ASCII file named MAILMERG.ASC.
Press
<Esc> to exit all the way out off IBID to the C:\IBID>
prompt.
IV.
Copy the Comma-Delimited ASCII file to a Floppy Disk.
With
a formatted, blank floppy disk in the A: drive, type the
following at the C:\IBID> prompt:
COPY
MAILMERG.ASC A: (There is one space after COPY and one
space after MAILMERG.ASC)
When
the process is complete, you will see the message "One
file copied" on the screen.
NOTE:
Your MAILMERG file may exceed the storage capacity of one floppy
disk. To determine the size of the file, at the C:\IBID>
prompt, type DIR MAILMERG.ASC and press <Enter>. If the
file is larger than 1.20MB (1,200,000 bytes) it won’t fit onto
one 5.25" floppy. If the file is larger than 1.40MB (1,400,000
bytes) it won’t fit onto a 3.5" floppy.
You
can compress (or "zip") the file so that it will fit
on one floppy disk: most commercial mailing list companies have
the PKUNZIP program which "unzips" a compressed file.
First, make sure a formatted floppy disk is in your floppy drive.
Then, to zip the file and copy it to the floppy, at the C:\IBID>prompt
type:
PKZIP
A:MAIL MAILMERG.ASC
When
the process is complete, you should have a "zipped"
file on your floppy disk with the name MAIL.ZIP.
V.
Copy the Fixed length ASCII file to a Floppy Disk.
With
a formatted, blank floppy disk in the A: drive, type the
following at the C:\IBID> prompt:
COPY
MAILM[#].RF[#] A: (There is one space after COPY and
one space after the file name. The file name in this case
should be identical to the name IBID reported when you saved
you customer list to a file in Step II, number 5.)
When
the process is complete, you will see the message "One
file copied" on the screen.
NOTE:
Your MAILMERGE file may exceed the storage capacity of one floppy
disk. To determine the size of the file, at the C:\IBID>
prompt, type DIR MAILM[#].RF[#] (the file name) and press <Enter>.
If the file is larger than 1.20MB (1,200,000 bytes) it won’t
fit onto one 5.25" floppy. If the file is larger than 1.40MB
(1,400,000 bytes) it won’t fit onto a 3.5" floppy.
You
can compress (or "zip") the file so that it will fit
on one floppy disk: most commercial mailing list companies have
the PKUNZIP program which "unzips" a compressed file.
First, make sure a formatted floppy disk is in your floppy drive.
Then, to zip the file and copy it to the floppy, at the C:\IBID>prompt
type:
PKZIP
A:MAIL MAILM[#].RF[#]
There
is one space after PKUNZIP and one space after A:MAIL.
When
the process is complete, you should have a "zipped"
file on your floppy disk with the name MAIL.ZIP.
