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Chicago ACT! USER GROUP
Meeting Notes
Meeting: March 14, 1995
Tips and Techniques from Open Forum.
During our monthly open forum we discussed writing macros
and purging an ACT! database of duplicate records.
Macros are great when you need to condense a regularly
executed series of keystrokes into one simple command. To record a macro in ACT!, execute
the commands: EDIT, MACRO, RECORD MACRO. Once you're in the record mode, each keystroke or
click of the mouse is recorded up until the EDIT, MACRO, STOP MACRO command is given.
The most reliable results can be obtained by using the
keyboard, rather than the mouse, to enter the commands you want recorded. For this reason
it is advisable to select the Ignore Mouse option under "Mouse" in the Record
Macro dialog box. To run a macro, execute the commands: EDIT, MACRO, RUN MACRO.
Purging duplicate records is an important aspect of
database management. Regular purging saves money in postage when doing mailings and speeds
up database searches. It also eliminates the confusion that results when updating a
contact record with notes or an address change!
Unfortunately, there is no easy, automated way to
accomplish this. However, the following procedure has proven effective. The first step is
to perform a lookup by last name (LOOKUP, LAST NAME). If no name is entered, the contacts
in the database will be conveniently sorted alphabetically by last name. Then VIEW,
CONTACT LIST to search the database for duplicate entries. Make sure to consolidate notes
for duplicate contacts in one record. (The CUT and PASTE commands will come in handy
here.)
Next, perform a lookup by company. Leave the company name
blank and again search the contact list for duplicates. Finally, perform a lookup by phone
number. Search the contact list one last time for duplicates.
By following this three-pronged approach to purging on a
regular basis, you'll be assured of a streamlined database.
MEETING FEATURE: MapLinx for Windows.
MapLinx is a software package designed to give the user a
visual representation of a database. Any group of ACT! contacts can be viewed in the form
of a U.S. map. MapLinx represents individual ACT! contacts as dots located at the post
office location for a particular zip code. The zoom feature enables MapLinx to display a
full U.S. map or a chunk of a metropolitan area.
MapLinx can map up to 10 databases at one, display U.S.
state highways and interstates, and calculate distances between any two points. You can
shade regions of the map so you can see where business is hot - and where it is not! For
instance, all counties with more than 10 customers might be shaded green. Those with 5 to
10 customers might be shaded yellow, and so on. MapLinx files (maps) can be saved and
printed so they can be included in letters and reports.
Aside from the ability to view contacts graphically,
MapLinx offers the user the option to query an ACT! database graphically. It is possible,
for example, to select all contacts within a 50 mile radius of any city. This would be
helpful if you were planning a trip and wanted to use ACT! to create letters notifying
customers of your upcoming visit. Alternatively, you can select contacts by just circling
them on the screen using the mouse.
Since MapLinx is designed to work with ACT! (as well as
with a variety of other databases, spreadsheets, and word processors) transitions between
MapLinx and ACT! are seamless and can be executed by clicking on an icon.
MapLinx is designed to run on a PC with an 80386 or higher
microprocessor and Microsoft Windows 3.1 or higher with 4 MB RAM and requires 13MB of disk
space.
© Copyright 1995 by Alan M. Lee, all rights reserved.
Other nonprofit computer user's groups may reprint this material providing credit is given
the author and C.C.S. Future rights for publication reserved by Alan M. Lee. ACT! is a
registered trademark of Symantec Corporation.
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