Verifying Addresses

[MrZed]

Message on behalf of Butch Barkman:

I recently exported my address list to .xls format. The Orlando office ran the list through a postal address checker and 'updated' the information for me. How do I go about applying that updated information to the contents of my Donor Manger database?

1. If I import the list (append mode), I'll have duplicate records ... or
2. (overwrite mode), I'll loose the categories and donation details.

Is there some way to do a import and compare like you have in the gift import routines where addresses are checked and I can choose an update?

Maybe there is some way to 'simulate' this kind of an import?

Any ideas, John?

Dan Zachary

[jmuehleisen]

Dear Dan and Butch.

What a great question! And, that's a great idea for a new feature for the program.

As the program is, it can't do what you are suggesting. But, it really wouldn't be too difficult to write a routine to do that, where it would pump the data out to an Excel file (or whatever), then import it back in and allow automatic address updates.

The key challenge would be to make sure that the program could find the right people, so that means I would need to export the Donor Manager "link" code (which acts as its own, internal record identifier (the primary key for you database jockeys!)).

I'll take a look at that. The programming is actually fairly straightforward, and I'll certainly put that on the list for future enhancements!

Anyone else want to chime in on this? What export format is best? xls, dbf, csv, what?

[MrZed]

I'm sure Butch will be delighted. (me too).

He has several hundered addresses and I'd hate to have to work through that list by hand to verify the adjustments.

Dan

[jmuehleisen]

Dan,

Does your software have any preference on file format? xls, dbf, csv, or will it handle any type?

Is it an internal organizational app or is it a generic CASS certification type program?

[MrZed]

I don't know what Wycliffe/Orlando is using. They returned the data as an excel spreadsheet, just like we submitted it to them, just the contents was updated after they ran it through a postal checker ... correcting such things as abbreviations, adding Zip+4, and such. Place became PL, Correcting 55423, should it be Richfield or Minneapolis? etc.

Dan

[jmuehleisen]

Dan,

I got a simple version of this working. It will be in 5.33.03 or later, which I will post some time this weekend.

It puts the data out as a xls, dbf, or csv, and re-imports it, matches up the data, then updates the addresses. It doesn't yet give you the chance to review them one at a time ... it's all or nothing at this point.