In article <[log in to unmask]>, "Bartram, Chris
(Contractor)" <[log in to unmask]> writes
>Janie Shuman <mailto:[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>> We download a file of students from our Image database into EXCEL and
>> from this file send emails.  Many of these emails are rejected for bad
>> addresses.  We are trying to find a cost and time-efficient way of
>> deleting the addresses from the database.  Is there a way to have
>> rejected addresses feed into a file?  I was told that you can
>> purchase software for this task, but that it is very expensive.
>>
>> At present they are printing the returned ones, using a "find"
>> command in the EXCEL file, coding them to be deleted in the EXCEL
>> file, and then looking them up on a screen that accesses the IMAGE
>> database in order to delete them.  For various reasons, we need to
>> find a better way.  I The EXCEL file allows only 1 person at a time,
>> and the data entry people are not accustomed to EXCEL.  They are more
>> comfortable with their usual screens which access the Image database.
>> I explained that I could transfer the EXCEL file to the HP, and
>> automatically delete the records from the database.  But they've
>> asked for a screen on which to look them up using just the email
>> address, which isn't a key.  And they'd like to be able to use only
>> part of the email address if possible.  Presently we only have key
>> lookups on our screens, and I'm not sure how to do this.
>>
>> If I could just get the rejected email addresses in a file, I'd be
>> able to automate the solution entirely.
>>
>> Anyone have any ideas or knowledge of resources for this issue?
>>
>> THANKS!
>>

Chris's suggestion of validating the email address is a good one, and
perhaps worthwhile considering adding something like that to your system
when details get added in the first place. i.e. stop the Garbage In.

But I guess your main problem is cleaning up the Garbage Out.

Without going to huge expense or effort, and as you say if you could get
a file of the rejected ones you could automate the deletion. Someone may
be able to suggest a clever way that you could get all rejected mail to
go into a separate Mail Box, and have your mail client build a separate
Address book from that Mail box only. You could then export that address
book, transfer it to the HP3000 and use it as an input file.

However there seems to be a less laborious way to achieve the same thing
manually. Rather than printing the emails, looking it up in excel, and
flagging the records. Why not just get them to open the email on-line
cut and paste the email address into something simple like notepad,
several people could do the same thing and you could just merge them
when ready.

You could just transfer this file to the HP3000 to use as input to a
delete procedure.

If the email address isn't an existing key field, and your not happy
with making it an Auto Master so that you can do keyed retrieves, then
why not look at adding a standard Image BTREE index and using that. It
shouldn't have any effect on the rest of the application at all. If you
need some simple instructions on setting up BTREE's let me know.

One other approach you could do for the clean up, is just write a
program that builds a KSAM file of a Valid Key in the dataset, and a key
of the email address. Your delete program could then read the input
file, do the look up in the KSAM file, get the Image Key, and then go
and update the correct database record.

I know none of these are high tech, but they are simple and inexpensive,

Alan
--
Alan Yeo
[log in to unmask]    Just because you're paranoid
Phone +44 1684 291710   it doesn't mean someone isn't!.
Fax   +44 1684 291712

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