TM

fmSpark: Quick Start Guide

VERSION 1.0.0

fmSpark is a correspondence management module designed to

be integrated into existing FileMaker solutions. fmSpark lets
users create letters, rich emails and labels without going into
layout mode or leaving FileMaker. 

Built completely in FileMaker Pro, fmSpark is unlocked for you

to modify and extend.

© 2008 The Proof Group LLC

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doc version 2.3
 fmSpark: Quick Start Guide

Using fmSpark for the first time.

1. Double click on SampleContacts.fp7, an example file that comes with fmSpark.

2. Select a group of contacts by performing
a search. Once you’ve found the contacts
you’d like to send a mailing to, click the
“Create Letters” button toward the top of
the screen.
3. Your found set of contacts will be passed
to fmSpark where you may now select a
letter format from among the templates
that ship with fmSpark; you can edit these
templates or create your own later. Select
a the “Admissions...” template and then
click “Create” in the lower right of the
screen.
4. fmSpark will add the template to your mailing where you may alter its content if
you’d like before continuing.

5. Click “Merge” in the lower right and your found set of contacts will be merged
with this mailing, creating the letters you can now print using the “Print Letters”
button in the lower right of the screen.

6. Close the window when you’re done printing. That’s it; you’ve just merged your
first mailing.

Next: Integrating fmSpark with your solution...

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 fmSpark: Quick Start Guide

Integrating fmSpark in 10 minutes or less.

For fmSpark to work correctly, it must be 'stitched' to your solution using the
relationship graph in fmSpark.fp7.

fmSpark ships with an example Contacts database that is already attached to it,
but the quickest way to get fmSpark working with your solution is to repoint the
table occurrence away from the example database and point it at your own
contacts database.

More detailed instructions for all this can be found in fmSpark’s built in
documentation: just click the “Help” button in the upper right of most screens.

Step 1. Copy files into correct location.

Copy fmSpark.fp7, fmSparkUtil.fp7 and fmSparkData.fp7 to the same location as

the database to which they are being stitched. For instance, it might look like
this:

Step 2. Setup fmSpark.

1. Double click on fmSpark.fp7: the plugins were probably installed for you
automatically, but you may need to close and re-open FileMaker for them to
become active.

2. Click the Settings button the top right corner of the Welcome screen and fill
in your user and email server information.

Step 3. Modify the CONTACTS file reference in fmSpark.

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 fmSpark: Quick Start Guide

In fmSpark.fp7, select Manage Database > External Data Sources from the
File menu. (In FileMaker 8.5 this would be Define > File References...)
1. Re-point the CONTACTS data source to your database file containing contact
records (names, email addresses, etc).
2. Next, go to the Relationship Graph and double click on the CONTACTS table
occurrence, pointing it at the contacts table in your file. Make sure you keep

“CONTACTS” as the name of this table occurrence, regardless of what the

name of your contacts table may be.
3. Now, double click on the relationships between CONTACTS and "_ Merge
Message" making sure the right hand side of these relationships (the
CONTACTS side) uses your contact table's primary key, e.g. Contact_ID,
People_ID, Student_id, etc.
4. Follow the same steps for the “_CONTACTS Recipients” table occurrente:
keeping its name the same, double click it and point it at your contacts file,
then edit the relationship to “_Merge Batch”, making sure it uses your
Contact ID on the “_CONTACTS Recipients” side.
5. Don’t worry about the Contacts Log table for now. If you wish to track all
your correspondence in a portal on the contact’s record, search fmSpark’s
built in documentation for “Journal” to learn about this feature.

Step 4. Rebuild Merge Fields.

Since your contacts table likely has different fields and field names than
fmSpark’s sample file, the merge fields and templates in fmSpark won’t line up
with your fields.
From the fmSpark menu select “Settings” and then click the “Developer” icon in
the upper right of the screen. Select the “Fields and Functions” tab and then,
making sure that the “CONTACTS” is selected in the “Table” filter in the upper
left, click the “Rebuild” button.
This will add all of your fields as possible merge fields in fmSpark. Down the
road you can search the built in documentation for “Merge Fields” to find out
how to exclude fields from this list, but this quick rebuild will get you going.

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 fmSpark: Quick Start Guide

Note: The templates that come with fmSpark also use the field names from the
sample Contacts file. You’ll likely need to modify these after rebuilding
fmSpark with your field names.

Step 5. Modify the “Manage Recipients” layout

You will need to modify the “Manage Recipients (Contact)” layout if you want to
be able to deselect recipients from within fmSpark. There are five simple steps
involved:
1. From the Welcome screen enter Layout Mode and switch to the “Manage
Recipients (Contacts)” layout
2. Select the field now reading <<Field Missing>> and choose Field/
Control... > Setup from the Format menu. Select the appropriate name
field from the list of fields in your solution. This is likely your contact’s
name.
3. Select the field and choose Button Setup... from the Format menu. Click
the “Specify” button and ensure the Script Parameter at the bottom is the
primary key you selected in Step 3 above.
4. Next, select the field and choose Conditional... from the Format menu.
Ensure the contact ID field in the “Condition” is the primary key you
selected in Step 3 above. So the calc might now read: not MemberOf
( _Merge Batch::entityIDs ; _CONTACTS Recipients::My Contact ID)
5. Double-click on the portal to bring up the Portal Setup dialog. Click on
“Specify” to change the Sort Order for the portal to one using your fields.

Step 6. Add scripts.

The easiest way to get started here is to go to the SampleContacts.fp7 file and
copy the four example scripts from SampleContact.fp7 into your own contacts
database. Add the following scripts:

o Open fmSpark
o Create Letters Foundset
o Create Emails Foundset
o Create Labels Foundset

Tick off the checkbox to display these scripts in your menu.

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 fmSpark: Quick Start Guide

Step 7. Edit scripts.

You'll need to make a small change to each of the “Create...” scripts you just
added to your file. Edit the script "Create Letters Foundset" and you'll see a
comment “NOTE: change to use your primary key (ID) in the following line”
shown below:

Edit the Set Variable following “NOTE” and remove the comments (the /* at the
beginning of the calculation and the */ at the end). Then replace
Contacts::Contact ID with the field which is the primary ID in your table: the
same primary key you used in step 3 above.
Remember, you'll make this same change in each of the “Create...” scripts you
brought in from Sample Contacts.

Step 8. Change Merge Group Settings.

From the fmSpark menu, select “Settings...” and then click the Developer button
in the upper right, the second portal you see on the Media and Groups tab is
called “Merge Groups.” There are two settings here where you’ll need to enter
the name of the field you use for your contact’s full name:

Remember that you kept the table occurrence names (things like “_CONTACTS
Recepients”) the same in step 3 above, so you just need to change the text to
the right of the “::”. Be sure to change both field names above, leaving the table
occurrence name alone.

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 fmSpark: Quick Start Guide

Step 9. Spark away...

1. Start with a small found set of your contact records

2. Run one of the "Create..." scripts, remembering that you’ll likely need to edit
any templates so they use your new merge fields.
3. Now, grab a nice cold drink and read the rest of the built in documentation!

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