[odb-help] Weekly Update on Organizers Database

[Rich Cowan]

Dear ODB Users:


1) We have 3 demonstrations scheduled in Eastern Massachusetts, August 20, 28
in the Boston area and Sept. 20 in the New Bedford area.  To see the time and
location, please see the Organizers' Collaborative e-mail newsletter:

http://organizenow.net/octech.html

And click on the Archives.

NOTE: it might be a good idea to subscribe to the email newsletter, as it 
is very
infrequent and contains information of relevance to many kinds of nonprofits,
including those that would not be able to use software like ODB.  15 issues 
per year.
You can subscribe using the URL listed above.


2) We had a question from Bill Bussey in North Carolina about customization.
The answer to most of Bill's questions is now provided on the ODB web
site.  Just go to http://organizersdb.org and then under "Printed Help",
click on "ODB Customization Help (UPDATED!)".

Thanks to our intern Jennie (who left for Missouri yesterday), this is newly
updated with additional details on features that were not fully documented.

Bill's question is included at the bottom of this email.


3) Vacation Coverage: In a few days I am going to make a formal request for
a list of people who are experienced enough with ODB that they could
answer users questions in the LAST WEEK OF AUGUST.  That's right,
I am going to be taking some vacation time, and we need to transition to
a community support model anyway.

I know several of you who are qualified to do this, and we are going to get
more than one volunteer, so please don't be shy to volunteer, even if you
don't know every answer to any possible question. Thanks!

-rich cowan
for the ODB project



At 02:37 PM 8/9/2003 -0400, Bill Bussey wrote:
>Hi Rich and Everyone,
>
>After successfully importing my 2000 names into ODB 9.3a, then going back 
>in and typing our old giving and membership history, I'm going back in and 
>fine tuning the database.
>
>Your technique to remove political fields, as you described in your.May 12 
>List post indeed works well. Thanks.
>
>I just tried the "test" trick. Wow! This is great info. Unfortunately it 
>is on a temporary box that one clicks OK on to start ODB. Is there a way 
>to print this out, so we can go back in there and explore a bit on other 
>fields we'd like to remove or modify? I tried to do a Print Screen, but 
>this doesn't work.
>
>Or could this be included in the next "Customizing your ODB Settings" 
>notes? I'll be happy to type all these in on some form, if you'll share 
>them with the group. Some of these are cryptic and take a bit of thought 
>on when and where to utilize.
>
>Also, would it be good to have an example of settings that one would type 
>in on each of the "Customizing..." instructions? Having an example of 
>entry on some of the more cryptic of these controls such asin 
>userfieldproperties and hidepeoplecontrols
>
>For example the hidepeoplecontrols explanation in "Customizing...) could read:
>
>hidepeoplecontrols - a list of form control names that should be hidden on 
>the people entry form. The control names should be separated by spaces. 
>Example:   txtCD lblCD txtHD lblHD txtSD lblSD  (Hides Congressional 
>District, House District, Senate District)
>
>Let me know if I can help. Thanks for the great work.
>
>Happy Trails,
>
>Bill Bussey
>TRTC
><mailto:billbus@gte.net>billbus@gte.net
>
>
>>HAVE YOU EVER...
>>
>>1) ... wanted to remove the Congressional and political fields
>>from your copy of ODB?  (Bill from Triangle Rails to Trails
>>Conservancy asked this question.) You can do this: go into the
>>Wrench and modify settings.  There are 3 settings documented at:
>><http://organizenow.net/odb/odbcustom.html>http://organizenow.net/odb/odbcustom.html, 
>>allowing you to hide
>>fields and labels: hidepeoplecontrols, hidesearchcontrols,
>>hidegroupcontrols.  The names of the fields (txtCD, lblCD, etc)
>>that you want to hide must be separated by spaces.  Try putting
>>the word "test" into one of these settings, exit ODB, and then go
>>back in.  This will give you additional information on what you
>>can change, which has been modified slightly over the last couple
>>of months.