I am considering using Magic Merge to send out E-mails to several recipients.
I would like to create a subitem for all people to which an E-mail was sent. This is easy to do with LUA rules.
 
1. However, I would like the LUA rule to be triggered after doing the Merge. Is this possible?
 
2. Alternatively, can I trigger the Merge from a LUA command somehow..?
 
3. Third possibility would be for MagicMerge to create a checkbox in a folder after running the merge. However, I am not sure if that would trigger the LUA rule (I have had problems in the past to get that to work: External application creates a folder value, but that doesn't trigger the rules). IF this is the case, maybe MagicMerge Could also somehow send: ++:L:trigger_rule(item_id,"IF") to trigger the rules?  

Quote from Admin on 11/16/08 at 15:09:23:

 
I am writing a template with LUA scripts for a volunteer organization with members. Each member is an item (in the phonebook and in other contexts).  Any notes about this member are placed as subitems below the member.  Sometimes an E-mail is sent out to selected members. When this happens, I want to place a subitem-note below those members, e.g. "E-mails about xxx sent".  I already have a LUA script that does this; clicking on a button places a note below the selected members. However, I want this script to execute when clicking on merge.
 
Otherwise, we run the risk that the E-mails are sent out, and the person clicking the merge button forgets to execute the script or vice versa. Then the notes would not match what actually was done...  

Quote from rb on 11/16/08 at 18:05:46:

 
I wish we could get yours (and everyones)   scripts and rules posted at the SRules board,    it likely would inspire a lot more slang rulers....
 
 
 

 
so, a slang specific feature,
 
toggle a field value.
 
 
 
something like,
 
if you file has a field "MagicMerge Check ME",  it will be toggled on merge,
 
and folder based rules will be triggered.
 
 
something like that ?
 

Quote from Admin on 11/17/08 at 21:11:47:

 
Exactly!
 
However, I have never been able to get this to work. When an external application modifies a folder value, the rules are not triggered (only when I manually change the folder value in Ecco). Thus, it may be best to also send the LUA trigger command.
 
p.s. I would make a much short field/folder name though, e.g. "_MM"

Quote from rb on 11/18/08 at 03:49:07:
 
 
the special symbols can vary depending upon the view mode of Word.   Set view mode (options) to show Field CODES.
 
 
the curly brackets are special Word symbols.  You get a pair by pressing control+F9 (if memory serves).
 
 
Quote:
 
 
use ctrl+F9 for word fields.
 
 
since 1 is never = 2, the document never prints the E_mail folder contents.    
 
But,  if you include the field at start of file, using *any* E_mail folder,  you can create a per file default folder to use for email address.
 
 
note: similar with "subject" field of document being default.
 
 
Quote:

 
 
A. Either one works fine.  Personally save word doc templates INSIDE the relevant ecco file so is 100% portable.  (and easy,  when need to print report,  go to 'reports' folder,  pull the desired form (ie. double click to open it in word), and click Merge...
 
B. OPEN the inserted word object,  select items in Ecco, and merge to "Active Word Document".
 
ie. you can merge ON-THE-FLY from *ANY* word document (and *any* ecco file).
 
C. if your PHONE book view (for example) contains the desired records to merge,  you can select SINGLE WORD FORM (link or actual) in ecco, and then activate merge.  The *single* selected Word template will be automatically used for merge (eg., as Active Word Document).
 
 
 

Are there any Command Line Switches?
Can I start MM and open the MM Merge Window for E-mails right away?
 
Now it is necessary to first start MM, next click on the icon while holding down shift-key.
 

Quote from Admin on 11/18/08 at 22:07:38:

 
Activating E-mail merge from LUA script would be great (better than the other way around where MM starts LUA script).
 
I haven't had a chance to try MagicView yet.

what specifically do you mean by 'call' ?
 
 
to bring up the MM click to merge window,
 
or to actually input options and directly merge ?
 
 

 
so tool to :
 
 
1. launch the MM press button to merge screen,
 
2. wait for merge to be completed,
 
3. release back to the LUA.
 
 
would that do it ?
 

Furthermore, and this would be very useful:
 
I can now only insert fields that are associated with the items to be Merged.
However, I would also like to insert values from other items (that are not being merged).
 
Using a LUA script, I could get these values and then pass them to MM in the LUA command that starts MM:
 
Launch MM(arg1, arg2, arg3...)
 
The arg1, arg2, arg3... would then be fields that could be inserted into the document.

I am not sure if that would work. I tried the option, but must not have understood because the merged docs looked the same with or w/o the option enabled.
 
In any case, here is a simple example of what I want.
 
I have a separate itemX with folders F1(number) & F2(Text)
 
I have 2 items to merge with Folder F3 (text).
Note that the F1 Value is changing during the execution of the merge (by a LUA script)
 
Template
{F1}
{F2} {F3}
 
Results:
100
"Some Text" "Company1"
===== Section Break=====
105
"Some Text" "Company2"
 
A workaround is to transfer the Folder values from F1 & F2 to the the items to be merged (using a LUA script), and then execute the MM using these moved fields.  Simpler, but would add a lot of duplicate data in the file.  
 
In any case, would be very useful to be able to start MM in that LUA script (as originally suggested in this thread).