Textpattern CMS

#133 2007-01-17 06:11:58

benbruce

Plugin Author

Registered: 2006-01-13

Posts: 328

Website

Re: [archived] Postmaster -- A simple email-on-post / newsletter manager

maniqui,

Can you go here (a few posts back) and do me the favor of following the instructions in that post?

First, see if there is a missing “listSubjectLine” column in the table “bab_pm_list_prefs”. If you are missing the “listSubjectLine” column in your table, can you tell me what version of Postmaster you installed initially (0.1 or 0.2)? You can simply follow the directions laid out here, which is exactly what you had in mind.

I’ll have to post a note about this upgrade path.

Thanks,

• Ben

#134 2007-01-17 09:39:19

gerhard01

Plugin Author

Registered: 2006-12-07

Posts: 108

Re: [archived] Postmaster -- A simple email-on-post / newsletter manager

benbruce,

congrats to your excellent postmaster manual. IMHO, if you added some screenshots it would just be perfect.

(E.g. that would surely answer my dull question I could not figure out from the text:

regarding list forms: in postmaster > list > forms, do I have to directly define the form there or do I have to specify the form name defined under TXP > presentation >forms?)

figured that out: TXP > presentation >forms for list forms

Last edited by gerhard01 (2007-01-17 19:10:43)

#135 2007-01-17 10:21:50

infusion

Member

Registered: 2005-08-04

Posts: 19

Re: [archived] Postmaster -- A simple email-on-post / newsletter manager

Ok I’ve read through this forum and I still can’t seem to be able to send customized “Welcome to the newsletter” emails sent out to the subscriber. What I did was to first create a form called “New Retailer Email” with the content being:-

<code>
<p>Thank you for subscribing with us.</p>

<p>We might occassionally send you emails on the latest products that we have. If you do not wish to receive these emails, please click on the link below:-

<txp:bab_pm_unsubscribeLink type=“text” />
</code>

Then I created a new article and filled it up like so:

<code>
<txp:zem_contact to=“myemail@myemail.com” redirect=“Info/registration-received” copysender=“yes” subject=“New Subscription” thanks_form=“New Retailer Email”>
<txp:zem_contact_text name=“zemSubscriberName” label=“Your Name:” required=“yes” />
<txp:zem_contact_email name=“zemSubscriberEmail” label=“Your Email:” />
<txp:zem_contact_text name=“zemSubscriberCustom1” label=“Phone:” min=7 />
<txp:zem_contact_text name=“zemSubscriberCustom2” label=“Fax:” required=“no” />
<input type=“hidden” name=“zemSubscriberLists” value=“ONE OF MY LISTS” >
<txp:zem_contact_submit />
</txp:zem_contact>
</code>

But this doesn’t work and the subscriber is still just getting a response with the details he/she just keyed in i.e name, tel, etc. Could someone tell me what I’m doing wrong?

Also, the subscription works in the sense that the user is added into the database and is sent a copy of the fields that he/she just filled up. However, the admin (me) does not receive a copy of the subscription. I understand that this may be because my host blocks BCC fields? Is there a work around?

#136 2007-01-17 18:25:20

Zanza

Plugin Author

Registered: 2005-08-18

Posts: 699

Website

Re: [archived] Postmaster -- A simple email-on-post / newsletter manager

infusion wrote:

Ok I’ve read through this forum and I still can’t seem to be able to send customized “Welcome to the newsletter” emails sent out to the subscriber.

Neither did I. I followed Ben instruction (at the best I could understand) and read ZCR help. Tried different attributes (thanks, thanks_form, form, subject_form…), none of them affecting the response email to the subscriber.

Different from Infusion, I do receive the admin email, though.

Z-

#137 2007-01-17 19:06:55

benbruce

Plugin Author

Registered: 2006-01-13

Posts: 328

Website

Re: [archived] Postmaster -- A simple email-on-post / newsletter manager

Guys,

I think the best place to ask your question about customizing the email is here, as this is really a question about how ZCR works. Sorry my help didn’t do the trick …

Maniqui,

You’re right about screenshots. I’ll add that to the to-do list.

• Ben

#138 2007-01-17 19:18:48

gerhard01

Plugin Author

Registered: 2006-12-07

Posts: 108

Re: [archived] Postmaster -- A simple email-on-post / newsletter manager

benbruce,

when I change txp tag in the subject line from the default <txp:site_url /> to <txp:sitename /> I got the following warning upon sending a test mail:

“Warning: unknown_tag: sitename in /home/[…]/textpattern/publish.php on line 968”

Plus, the subject line as cut for the unrecognized tag.

Is there a list of (un)allowed txp tags?

#139 2007-01-17 19:46:20

benbruce

Plugin Author

Registered: 2006-01-13

Posts: 328

Website

Re: [archived] Postmaster -- A simple email-on-post / newsletter manager

gerhard01,

In the TXP > EXTENSIONS > POSTMASTER > LISTS > EDIT screen, you enter the name of the form which you created in TXP > PRESENTATION > FORMS tab. Make sense?

I don’t have a list of allowed or un-allowed tags. We’ll begin one in the documentation now, how about.

• Ben

#140 2007-01-17 19:56:53

gerhard01

Plugin Author

Registered: 2006-12-07

Posts: 108

Re: [archived] Postmaster -- A simple email-on-post / newsletter manager

benbruce wrote:

In the TXP > EXTENSIONS > POSTMASTER > LISTS > EDIT screen, you enter the name of the form which you created in TXP > PRESENTATION > FORMS tab. Make sense?

yeah – figured that out and that makes perfectly sense. How about replacing the textareas in the TXP > EXTENSIONS > POSTMASTER > LISTS > EDIT screen by input fields? IMHO, that would be more intuitive and the stuff going in there (e.g. subject line) should not exceed one line anyway.

I don’t have a list of allowed or un-allowed tags. We’ll begin one in the documentation now, how about.

If I can help you out in any way, just tell me.

Thanks,

Gerhard

#141 2007-01-18 13:18:42

RussLipton

Member

From: Spokane, WA

Registered: 2005-02-17

Posts: 36

Re: [archived] Postmaster -- A simple email-on-post / newsletter manager

Latest on Firefox cycling on Macintosh:

1. Can send a Test mail to myself on default list – works (mail completed message appears).

2. When I send a mail to another list, Firefox cycles. After I know the mail has been by inspection of actual email in Gmail, I click ‘refresh’ as you have proposed. This hangs the browser tab entirely; must close tab. Mail completed message never appears.

Any tips on how I would be able to tell that a batch has completed under this scenario – I need to send, 1000 at least once a month? It seems like a bit of a show-stopper for that – not sending but being confident a batch has been delivered?

I ‘spose I could use Bootcamp (which I have) and mail under Windows for now … but for one scenario in which emails would be routinely sent to 20 team members, it’s a bit nasty; don’t want to work routinely in Windows if I don’t have to ;-).

#142 2007-01-18 15:38:40

benbruce

Plugin Author

Registered: 2006-01-13

Posts: 328

Website

Re: [archived] Postmaster -- A simple email-on-post / newsletter manager

Russ,

This is obviously a workaround and the real fix needs to be made in the code somewhere [or in browser preferences], but here’s how you can tell if the mails were sent:

As each mail is sent by Postmaster, a note is written into the database table, in the column “flag.” If you have Rob Sable’s database plugin, you can easily check this by going to TXP > EXTENSIONS > DB MANAGER and clicking on “bab_pm_subscribers” and making sure that each email has “mailed” in that column.

It’s a bit awkward since you have to scroll over to the right to see the column, etc — it’s meant to be used internally — but it’ll do the trick.

Postmaster cleans this column out the next time you send mail, before beginning.

• Ben

PS. Thanks for your continued efforts on the recycling issue.

Last edited by benbruce (2007-01-18 15:39:13)

#143 2007-01-18 16:18:09

RussLipton

Member

From: Spokane, WA

Registered: 2005-02-17

Posts: 36

Re: [archived] Postmaster -- A simple email-on-post / newsletter manager

Ben – Yes, I do have the database plugin; this solution, once tested, will work fine for now – if this is the biggest glitch for me, um, like … ;-). On a positive note: though I am only testing it with very simple cases, subscribe and unsubscribe (including email notifications to me) are working well to this point.

This is a world-class plug-in; if (when?) I cross the hump of confidence and can start sending large batches of mail successfully, PayPal will be receiving a visit on your behalf. Obviously, it ain’t Mailman, but then again, Mailman isn’t usable by ordinary people like doctors and mothers and musicians (my son’s Austin band needs the upcoming calendar plugin and this one desperately; when you’re in Austin sometime, let me know and I’ll suggest they network with you).

FR (perhaps already requested and/or do-able): convenient subscription to multiple lists at one time and/or solid performance of multiple subscription forms on one page.

#144 2007-01-18 20:03:52

gerhard01

Plugin Author

Registered: 2006-12-07

Posts: 108

Re: [archived] Postmaster -- A simple email-on-post / newsletter manager

benbruce,

1) when you change the timestamp of an article that you publish to a past or future date, I still could send a (test) newsletter, but I encountered the following warning in the “bulk mail” pop-up:

Notice: error_article_context in /home/[…]/textpattern/lib/txplib_misc.php on line 1821
Your mailing is complete. You may now close this window.

2) Is there an option to switch from 1 article per newsletter to a bunch of article per newsletter? E.g. Say, I put 3 articles online, but want to inform subscribers about that update in a single newsletter instead of 3 individual ones?