SmartAddresser 5
Support
SmartAddresser 5
What Service Type ID should I pick with Standard Mail?
If I have additional site licenses, do I have to certify each separate PC as well?
Do we have to use Service Type 271 or is 301 acceptable - and does it get the discount?
If I process 5 jobs, is the statement sequence 1 through 5?
This error reads the .pbc barcode must be unique
The validation of a record says it is coded but it doesn’t get a plus4. Why?
Selecting All Addresses Within An Nth-Mile Radius
Required Merge/Purge Files Could Not Be Opened
Re-installing The SmartSoft PDF Driver
Presort Window Asking For Registration Serial Number
Mailsplit.dbf Errors When Presorting
Adding ANK Data To The NCOALink Results Report
Editing Container Tag Templates
Disabling the Open/Create Window at Startup
I know this address is good, but SmartAddresser 5 is not coding it, why?
Adding To The List Of Field Mapping Names
Problems Activating SmartAddresser 5 (Button Grayed Out)
How to Export your Data in Presort Order
Walk Sequence/Saturation Mailing - How To
Parse First, Middle, Last names into separate fields
Window Titles and/or Borders are cut off in Windows Vista, or Windows 7
Why am I getting Single Piece Rates?
Expressions For Endorsement Lines, Container And Bundle Numbers
Processing Lists With House Numbers In One Field And Street Names In Another
NCOALink FTP And Port Settings For Your Firewall
Suppressing Blank Lines On Label Templates
Installing/Running SmartAddresser 5 On Windows Vista, or Windows 7 Machines
Error: Array dimension are invalid.-Line 183
Operator/Operand Type Mismatch Error when Presorting
Program Name: "INITPSFORMS" - Line: 343 Error #12
What Service Type ID should I pick with Standard Mail?
In TEM Full Service Instructions sent to you, we presorted for Standard Mail Letters using Service Type 271 – Destination Confirm (Full-Service IMb Tracing).
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If I have additional site licenses, do I have to certify each separate PC as well?
No, but please make sure that each one has the same SmartAddresser 5 5.6.1 or higher version installed on it.
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Do we have to use Service Type 271 or is 301 acceptable - and does it get the discount?
No. You do not have to use 271; however, Service Type 301 is not compatible for use with Full-Service mailings. Instead use 261 – No Services (Full-Service, No IMb Tracing).
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If I process 5 jobs, is the statement sequence 1 through 5?
SmartAddresser 5 will “auto sequence” each job for you automatically. To turn this function ON, use your Windows Explorer and navigate to the “C:Program Files (x86)DatatechSmartAddresser 2020 5.0iPresortINI Defaults” folder. Open the “AdvancedSettings.ini” file with any Text Editor, like Notepad. If the “AdvancedSettings.ini” file is missing, you can create one using Notepad.
After the “AdvancedSettings.ini” is opened, type these two lines:
[STATEMENT]
AUTO STATEMENT SEQ NO=1
Then Save and Close the window.
In the Mailing Statement Setup window in SmartAddresser 5, enter your starting number in the “Statement Seq.#” box, e.g., 1 and click Continue to print. The next time the Mailing Statement window appears for a new presorted job, the statement sequence number will increment by 1.
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What happens with non ZIP+4 addresses? Can they not be mailed at all or do they have to go out First Class or will there still be a Non-Automation Machinable rate?
You can simply check the “Include non ZIP+4 Records” in the Presort Setup screen in SmartAddresser 5 before presorting to include them in the Mail.dat files. The non ZIP+4 records will not get the Full-Service IMb discount, but they will be included in the mailing.
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If there are changes to the number of trays or the single piece weight, do we need to rerun the presort again?
Yes. If the presort parameters change, e.g., Tray Size, Piece Size, etc…, and not just the Mailing Date, you should presort again so that PostalOne! matches what you are actually dropping at the BMEU.
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This error reads the .pbc barcode must be unique
This error indicates that you did not click the Print Labels button in the Print Presort window or you did not have Intelligent Mail Barcode selected. To correct this follow these steps:
1. Open the Demofile.dbf
2. Select File | Print Presort
3. Click Labels
4. When the Print Settings window appears, choose “Disk File” from the Output drop down, then check Print Barcode and Intelligent Mail and click Continue.
5. Close the windows and upload to PostalOne! using the Mail.dat Client
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In the PostalOne! system the following error is shown: The .pbc Barcode field must be populated with 31 characters when the associated .cqt service level indicator field is populated with F (Full Service)
This error occurs if you do not generate the Intelligent Mail Barcode data before uploading to PostalOne!. Before uploading make sure to do one of the following three things: either Preview Labels, Print Labels or Export the presort data.
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The validation of a record says it is coded but it doesn’t get a plus4. Why?
There are two “tests” made in order to assign a plus4. The first test is whether an address can be found to fit into a range of addresses for a street in a particular zip code. If it does, this is seen as a “coded” address. Then the record is passed to the second test which is whether the specific number in the address matches the Delivery Point Validation database. If the address is matched, a plus4 is assigned. If the address is not matched as a valid delivery point, then no plus4 is assigned. The non-matched records can be located by doing a search for a beginning value of “N” in the field DPV_.
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NCOALink Connection Issues
If you are either having trouble processing files through the NCOALink service or are having trouble connecting, please look at some of the more common issues.
Connecting to the FTP:
1. Make sure your firewall in Windows is turned off for troubleshooting the connection. You can find this setting under the Control Panel.
2. Make sure if you have a 3rd party firewall, (like Symantec or MacAfee) they are disabled temporarily while troubleshooting the issue.
3. Make sure your IT department has not blocked your access to either ports 20-21 or the ftp://12.68.179.41.
4. If you are receiving an error while processing a file or testing the connection (error 127...), make sure your username and password are typed in correctly into the ftp connection setup under Additions>FTP Connection Setup in the software. This information was sent in the original setup email. If you have lost the username, you can call 800-578-8324 or email support@smartsoftusa.com to retrieve it. Be sure the Username is entered using the number keys across the top of the keyboard. Do not use Num Lock number pad feature.
5. Some firewalls must have an "Active" connection to the FTP, if this is the case navigate to the C:\Program Files\Datatech\SmartAddresser 2020 5.0\Support\_Support.ini file and add the following line to the file.
PASSIVEMODE=1
Processing files:
1. "There must be at least 100 unique names..." error message. The most common cause for this error is that your name information is not assigned to the field called "FIRST”. The second most common cause is that you do not have 100 addresses that have plus4s (i.e., deliverable addresses) in the list.
2. If your file comes back and does not update, one issue may be the file is stored in an area on your network that SmartAddresser 5 cannot write back to. Try moving the file to your local hard drive and rerun the list.
Also make sure the path+file name does not contain any characters (#,^,',!,/) , this can cause an issue with MS Visual FoxPro reading the path.
Make sure the path+file name is not more than 150 characters in length.
3. If the NCOALink process hangs on “Generating reports”, check the following items
a. Go to the Additions menu, select MUV Update. Click on “Monitor iNCOALink folder”. This will open the Monitor window. Uncheck the Create reports box. The NCOALink Processing Summary report will print as the last page of the Mailing Statement after you presort the list.
b. Go to the Additions menu and select MUV Update. Click on “Delete pending files” and then delete all pending files. You may need to rerun the list.
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Why is SmartAddresser 5 not able to recognize some XLS or XLSX files and returns the error “Unknown File Format”?
Excel files have formatting and structure issues that Excel can easily pick up and work around, but when you leave that environment and bring it into another application (like Microsoft Visual FoxPro, which SmartAddresser 5 is written in), a lot of the built-in error correction and formatting language is lost. The best way to import this data is to open the file in Excel and SAVE AS a .csv format file. The reason why saving as a .CSV and importing works is because it gets rid of the Excel structure entirely, leaving the unformatted data.
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I do not have a Company field in my list and I removed it from my label template, but I get an error “The variable AZCompany is not found”. Why?
Any field name that starts with AZ is a system variable that has formatting preset automatically. If you delete any AZ field from you label template, you also need to remove it from the list of variables. To remove the field from the variables list, in the Edit Template screen, click on the Reports menu and select Variables. On the Variables window, select the azCompany line and then click the Remove button. See the screen dump below...
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Why are mail pieces returned as undeliverable by the post office after running them through NCOALink?
There are several reasons why mail may be returned to the sender after running through the NCOALink process.
a) It is important to know that the NCOALink returns two types of matches. The first is COA or address changes made within the last 18 months. These result in new addresses. The second is ANK records which are addresses that are identified as being moves from the prior 19-48 months. It is known that these addresses are bad and should be removed from the mailing list. Returned pieces may include ANK records
b) CASS rules allow an assignment of a plus4 to a highrise building level (i.e. an apartment building). NCOALink matches require an apartment level match. It is possible to have an address certify to the building without an apartment number, but then no match is found because the apartment number is missing , so no new address is matched.
c) NCOALink vendors have only the NCOALink database from which to discover new addresses. The post office has additional sources (such as previous neighbors) who may supply changes of address.
d) Some mailing lists may have very old data (such as a high school reunion list), where the addresses may be over 48 months old. The NCOALink database has records that are no more than 48 months old so the old address is no longer in the NCOALink database for a match to be made.
e) While individual names do not have to be exact to be matched, if a mailing list uses a nickname (i.e. Sunshine Williams), and the NCOALink database has a given name (Suzanne Williams), it is possible for a match to not be made.
f) Finally, since the NCOALink database is made and maintained by people, the possibility of errors exists.
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Selecting All Addresses Within An Nth-Mile Radius
How do I select all of the records within an nth-mile radius of a specific zip code?
To select all of the records within an nth-mile radius of a specific zip code, do the following:
- Go to the Select menu and choose Search Editor
- In the Search Editor window click the button with two red “X”'s on it (in the lower right corner area) to clear the parameters of the previous search
- Double-click on the Zip field in the list of Fields
- Double-click on Within A Radius Of Nth Miles in the list of Conditions
- Type the zip code at the center of your search in the box labeled Look For, followed by a comma, then the Mile Radius, then another comma, and finally the maximum records you wish to select. If you want to select all of the records within the radius, input only the zip code and the number of miles
- Set the desired options for what happens both before and after the search
- Click the Search button
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Required Merge/Purge Files Could Not Be Opened
I am trying to run a Merge/Purge, but I get an error message stating that the Required Merge/Purge Files Could Not Be Opened
To resolve this issue do the following:
- Close SmartAddresser 5
- Browse to the folder where SmartAddresser 5 is installed. On most computers this will be C:\Program Files\Datatech\SmartAddresser 2020 5.0
- Open the folder named Support
- Delete all files whose names begin with either the words Merge or Purge
- Re-open SmartAddresser 5
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Re-installing The SmartSoft PDF Driver
When I try to print reports I get an error message that the SmartSoft PDF Driver cannot be loaded (or found)
To re-install the SmartSoft PDF Driver, do the following:
- Close SmartAddresser 5
- Download http://www.smartsoftdownload.com/downloads/support/SA5/Amyuni_Install.zip
- Extract the contents of the file downloaded in the previous step to a temporary folder, and then run the file named Amyuni_Install.exe from that location.
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Presort Window Asking For Registration Serial Number
When I try to run a presort SmartAddresser 5 is asking me for a Registration Serial Number
This is happening because you are trying to run a type of presort that is a part of a Premium Add-on package. These include mail on Pallets, Manifesting, Bound Printed Matter and others. For more information on Premium Presort Add-ons for SmartAddresser 5, please contact our sales office at 888.227.7221, or sales@smartsoftusa.com
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NCOALink Hanging
When I run a list through NCOALink, the data uploads, is processed, and then downloads. I receive a summary window stating how many COA Matches there were, and how many records were updated. After clicking OK, the program hangs and the Monitor window never closes.
This is almost always caused by there being pending files that NCOALink is trying to resolve. The best course of action is to close SmartAddresser 5 (you may need to do this through the task manager, available by typing Ctrl+Alt+Del), then re-open it. Next, go to the Additions menu, select Move Update, then Delete Pending Files. After this, re-run your list through NCOALink.
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Mailsplit.dbf Errors When Presorting
When I run a presort I get the error “Not Found In Mailsplit.dbf”
This error occurs when the presort settings you are using are not within USPS regulations. In most instances, the problem ends up having to do with either the piece weight or measurements, so they should be checked first.
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Adding ANK Data To The NCOALink Results Report
How can I add the ANK matches (records that have a change of address more than 18 months old) to my NCOALink Results Report?
To add ANK matches to your NCOALink Results Report do the following:
- Close SmartAddresser 5
- Download the following update: http://www.smartsoftdownload.com/downloads/support/SA5/ANK_Setup.zip
- Extract the contents of the file downloaded in the previous step to a temporary folder, then run the file named ANK_Setup.exe from that location. This will install the command and template files used to create the report
- After you run a list through NCOALink, go to the Edit menu, select Commands, then run the command named Add ANK Data To Matchflag_
- Go to the File menu, select Print, then Reports
- Choose the template named NCOALink Results Report With ANK and print
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Editing Container Tag Templates
When I print container tags, the size/layout does not match my blank stock.
To edit the templates SmartAddresser 5 uses for printing container tags, do the following:
- Go to the Edit menu and select Labels
- Click the Up One Level button on the Browse window that opens (the one with a picture of a folder with an up arrow on it). This will take you to the SmartAddresser 2020 5.0 folder
- Double click the iPresort folder, then double click the Reports folder
- Open the template you wish to edit. The ones named Sacktag and Traytag are for continuous-feed printing, and the ones named Sacktagc and Traytagc are for cut-sheets
- In the Label Designer, double click the bar titled Page Header and input the header measurement for your blank stock.
- Double click the bar titled Page Footer and input the footer measurement for your blank stock
- Double click the bar titled Detail and input the distance from the bottom of one tag to the bottom of the one below it (on your blank stock)
- If you need to adjust the left and right margins, you may do so by going to the File menu and selecting Page Setup, however this is almost never necessary
- Save your changes by going to the File menu and selecting Save
- Close out of the Label Designer
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Disabling the Open/Create Window at Startup
How can I keep the Open/Create window from opening when SmartAddresser 5 first opens?
To keep the Open/Create window from opening when SmartAddresser 5 first opens, do the following:
- Close SmartAddresser 5, then re-open it
- Close the Open/Create window
- Go to the File menu and select Properties
- Select the tab labeled Startup
- In the section labeled When The Program Opens... select Display Main Menu
- Click OK
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I know this address is good, but SmartAddresser 5 is not coding it, why?
Sometimes an address which should be valid will not code in SmartAddresser 5. The address must be checked against the USPS website to determine if the address actually exists. Follow these steps to determine the validity of the address:
- Check to see if the address is in the database by performing a Lookup in SmartAddresser 5.
- If the address does not exist, and you think it is a valid address, check the USPS Zip code lookup on their website
http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/welcome.jsp - If it exists on the USPS website, but not in SmartAddresser 5, then the USPS has addressed the problem and it is just a matter of time before the address will appear in the SmartAddresser 5 database.
- If the address does not exist on the USPS website, you need to
call the local AMS (Address Management System) office for the address
that does not code. This number can be found by going to the website
http://www.usps.com/ncsc/lookups/ams_office_locator.html
Enter the zip code for the address in question and note the phone number provided. - Tell the Address Management System (AMS) representative at the phone number provided that there is a problem with the address and they will investigate your request.
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Adding To The List Of Field Mapping Names
I am trying to map the fields in my database, but some of the names I need are not in the list of choices.
To add items to the list of field mapping names, do the following:
- Open SmartAddresser 5
- Go to the File menu and select Properties
- Select the tab titled Fields
- Click the button titled Default Field Names And Attributes For A New Database
- Click the Insert button
- Change the name NewFld to whatever you need to add to the list
- Select the appropriate field type (Character, Numeric, Currency, etc.)
- Set the Width to the maximum number of characters you want the field to allow
- Click OK
- When asked if you want to Make The Changes Permanent, select Yes
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Problems Activating SmartAddresser 5 (Button Grayed Out)
I am trying to activate SmartAddresser 5, but when I type in the Registration Serial Number, the Activate button remains grayed out.
To resolve this Product Activation problem, do the following:
- Close SmartAddresser 5
- Delete the C:\Program Files\Datatech\SmartAddresser 2020 5.0\License.dat file
- Re-open SmartAddresser 5 and activate as usual
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Minimum System Requirements
- Operating System: Windows 2000 or higher, including, Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2003 Server, Windows 2008 Server,
- Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7
- Processor: Pentium 2Ghz/or faster
- RAM: 1GB Ram/2GB or greater
- Hard Disk Space: 8GB/or greater
- DVD Rom drive
- High speed Internet Access is recommend for iSite (Remote) technical support and/or training.
- High speed Internet Access is required for NCOALink ® and ANKLink™ service.
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How to Export your Data in Presort Order
To export your data in presort order, do the following:
1. Run or re-open Presort as per normal.
2. Click the Print Labels button on the Print Presort window.
3. Set the Output Type drop-down on the Print Settings window to Disc File.
4. Click the Continue button (this button reads Print when the Output Type is set to Label Format, and Continue when it is set to Disc File).
5. Export as per normal.
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Walk Sequence/Saturation Mailing - How To
Walk Sequence Mailings
Walk Sequence is not the same as Line of Travel (LOT or ELOT) though both are related to the order that a mail carrier delivers his/her route.
Line of Travel (ELOT) codes are assigned by AccuMail/Smart Addresser 5 during validation. In general the ELOT code organizes delivery points (houses, apartments, businesses) within a ZIP4 code to reflect the order (ascending or descending) that the carrier travels through that ZIP4 as they deliver the mail.
For example, 100 to 200 Main St may have one ZIP4 for the even side of the street, and a different ZIP4 for the odd side of the street. Let the ZIP be 44444, and the even side of Main St (for house number ranges 100-200) get assigned ZIP4 = 5555, ELOT = 0056, AscDesc = D, while the odd side of the street gets ZIP4 = 5554, ELOT = 0055, AscDesc = A. Given...
100 Main St
105 Main St
112 Main St
118 Main St
121 Main St
175 Main St
180 Main St
183 Main St
188 Main St
These would sort using ELOT as follows
ZIP ZIP4 ELOT Delivery Point AscDesc Street Address
zip (zip) Lot_ dp_ Ascdesc_ address
44444 5554 0055 05 A 105 Main St
44444 5554 0055 21 A 121 Main St
44444 5554 0055 75 A 175 Main St
44444 5554 0055 83 A 183 Main St
44444 5555 0056 88 D 188 Main St
44444 5555 0056 80 D 180 Main St
44444 5555 0056 18 D 118 Main St
44444 5555 0056 12 D 112 Main St
44444 5555 0056 00 D 100 Main St
For this part of Main St, the mail is delivered up the odd side of the street and then down the even side of the street. Note that in this example each ZIP4 has only one ELOT code, but a ZIP4 may have many ELOT codes which gives a finer degree of ordering within the ZIP4.
Smart Addresser 5 uses fields Lot_ and Ascdesc_ to hold the ELOT information. These fields are filled during validation if the option to assign Line of Travel is selected. Lot_ is four characters. Ascdesc_ is one character A or D.
ELOT is only limited by the fact that ZIP4s do not necessarily correspond to the overall order that the carrier delivers the route. For example, they don't necessarily drive to the lowest ZIP4 and deliver those pieces first and then drive to the next lowest ZIP4 and deliver those pieces. Walk Sequence accomplishes this overall ordering of the entire route. A Walk Sequence number is in general a one to six digit value that organizes delivery addresses (houses, apartments, businesses) within a carrier route (CRRT).
Walk Sequence is only available in Standard Mail. There are two types of mailings that use Walk Sequence data - High Density and Saturation. Each has a certain "density" requirement before a mailing qualifies, so simply getting Walk Sequence data may not qualify a mailing for the rate. The density requirements are. . .
- Saturation: Minimum 90% total active residential or 75% total active deliveries per route (100% if simplified address DMM E630.1)
- High Density: 125 piece minimum per route unless route has fewer than 125 deliveries.
For an overview of the presort rules see USPS Quick Service Guide #642 (Enhanced Carrier Route Letters) or #643 (Enhanced Carrier Route Flats)
Using the same example from above, let the Carrier Route (CRRT) be C032.
These might walk sequence sort as follows...
ZIP Carrier Route Walk Sequence Street Address
Zip CRRT walkseq_ Address
44444 C032 000001 100 Main St
44444 C032 000002 112 Main St
44444 C032 000003 118 Main St
44444 C032 000004 105 Main St
44444 C032 000005 121 Main St
44444 C032 000006 175 Main St
44444 C032 000007 183 Main St
44444 C032 000008 188 Main St
44444 C032 000009 180 Main St
In this example the carrier starts up Main Street on the even side of the street, then switches back and does all the odd side, and comes back down the remaining even side. Some of this may be accomplished with ELOT, but the ZIP4s won't necessarily support it.
Smart Addresser 5 will presort the mail to Walk Sequence specification; however, AccuMail/Smart Addresser 5 does NOT assign Walk Sequence numbers. This data is not covered by license agreement with the USPS. The Walk Sequence data comes from the Delivery Sequence File (DSF) and can be applied by the USPS or a DSF vendor. If a customer wants walk sequence data they may contact their list vendor or their local USPS. The local USPS may even assign Walk Sequence codes to a list.
Walk Sequence Mailing and SmartAddresser 5 Fields
Once a list has Walk Sequence numbers assigned there are some "tricks" to be sure it sorts properly within Smart Addresser 5.
I] Do Not validate the list
This is counter intuitive but necessary. The CRRT data is very tightly coupled with the Walk Sequence data. Every record in the list has a Walk Sequence number, but many will have the same number, for example 000001, is the first piece that a given carrier within a given ZIP will deliver. If the list is validated, a CRRT may be assigned that is somehow different than when the Walk Sequence was assigned (by USPS or DSF). The reason for the difference could be a change in the Carrier Route Scheme and our program is using different dated USPS data, or it could be a "coding" difference between AccuMail and the USPS/DSF vendor. In any case, since our validation isn't assigning Walk Sequence numbers, that record is no longer in Walk Sequence order . i.e. the Walk Sequence number may match another one to the same carrier.
II] Map Walk Sequence data WalkSeq_ field
The incoming Walk Sequence data must be mapped during open list/import to the reserved SmartAddresser 5 field WalkSeq_. This is a character field. Of course, ZIP, CRRT, etc. must also all be mapped to the correct SmartAddresser 5 field.
III] Make sure WalkSeq_ field has leading zeros
Since the WalkSeq_ field is a character field, sorting is "alphabetical" or ASCII collating sequence. For example, "1, 100, 110, 2, 3." For numbers, 2 should sort before 100. For character fields this is sensible as in sorting "a, add, ads, b, c." As with other areas of SmartAddresser 5 there is more than one way to solve this. We could make the field numeric or add an index/tag. Those methods tend to have other problems later since SmartAddresser 5 expects it to be a character field in other places. The best solution is to pad the field to the left with zeros. Since we can rely on the Walk Sequence data being in the walkseq_ field use the command. In the Edit->Command dialog…
Replace all walkseq_ with padl(allt(walkseq_),6,"0")
IV] Set Status_ to V for Validated
Since we did not validate (see step 1) the records must be manually set to "validated" to ensure automated discounts. The presort will run without this step but the postage rate will be slightly higher. The pieces will be treated as "non-letters" even though they may be letters. Part of the requirement to get the letter rate is to be auto compatible which SmartAddresser 5 relies on the Status_ field being set to V (for validated). This may be done from the Special->Fill menu or with the following command. In the Edit->Command dialog...
Replace all Status_ with "V"
V] Make sure Delivery Point and Check Digit are populated
Continuing the theme from Step IV this normally is accomplished during validation. We are working towards building a barcode field and for convenience will populate the delivery point and check digit fields the same as SmartAddresser 5 does to reduce the combinations of commands later. SmartAddresser 5 validation contains an option to combine the Delivery Point and Check Digit in the character field DPC. The Delivery Point and Check Digit will be provided similar to the CRRT, Walk Sequence, etc. by the list provider. View the imported data in SmartAddresser 5 and look at the field name(s) that hold the delivery point and check digit data. If during import the Delivery Point and Check Digit data were…
- Combined as one field and correctly mapped to DPC there is nothing to do for this step
- mapped to dp and chkdg, use the following command
replace all dpc with allt(dp) + allt(chkdg)
- not mapped to any SmartAddresser 5 known fields and the Delivery Point and Check Digit are one field from the original list supplier. The data will still be in the same original field. Use the following command but replace the name of their field in the command
replace all dpc with OrigDeliveryPointCheckDigitField
- not mapped to any SmartAddresser 5 known fields and the Delivery Point and Check Digit are two fields from the original list supplier. The data will still be in the same original fields. Use the following command but replace the name of their fields in the command
replace all dpc with allt(OrigDeliveryPoint) + allt(OrigCheckDig)
VI] Make sure ZIP-ZIP4 field is properly populated.
The ZIP-ZIP4 data is normally populated during validation and is relied upon for automated discounts and printing barcodes. Be sure the ZIP field is a character field and is at least 10 characters. The list provider will provide the ZIP and ZIP4 fields similar to the CRRT, Walk Sequence, etc.. View the imported data in SmartAddresser 5 and look at the field(s) that holds the ZIP and ZIP4 data. If during import the ZIP and ZIP4 were...
- Combined as one field and correctly mapped to ZIP, there is nothing to do for this step
- mapped to the ZIP and ZIP4 fields use the following command
replace all zip with left(allt(zip),5) + "-" + allt(zip4)
Vll] Populate Barcode field
The Barcode is normally populated during validation and is relied upon for automated discounts and printing barcodes. Be sure the barcode field exists in the list and it is a character field of at least 14 characters. This command relies on steps V] and VI] above.
Replace all barcode with “/” + left(allt(zip),5) + right(allt(zip),4) +allt(dpc) + “/”
Preferred Walk Sequence Mailing Preparation
SmartSoft has created a command named Process Walk Sequence List that accomplishes all of the above steps!
Download the command from http://www.smartsoftdownload.com/downloads/support/SA5/ProcessWS.zip and install it by extracting the contents to your C:\Program Files\Datatech\SmartAddresser 2020 5.0\Commands folder. *It should be noted that this command relies on specific field mappings, which are:
- Address
- City
- St
- Zip5
- Zip4
- DP
- Chkdg
- Walkseq_
- CRRT
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PreSort Settings
Once the data is properly in the respective fields, the PreSort settings are as follows…
In addition to your size, weight, drop-off zip, etc. choose...
- Machinable
- Print Barcode
- Include CRRT Level
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Parse First, Middle, Last names into separate fields
If you are bringing in a list for the first time:
At the 'Open Setup' window, after you have selected the file to import, make sure the field with the names in it is mapped to 'First', then check the 'Parse First' option. Now when you import you will have new fields Sal (Dr., Mr., Ms., etc.) First, Middle, and Last.
If you already have a list imported or work directly with a DBF file:
With the file open in SmartAddresser 5, first go to Edit->Fields... and make sure the field which contains the names is named 'First'. Now, go to Special->Parse->Name, and the 'First' field will be parsed to the Sal, First, Middle, Last fields as above.
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Window Titles and/or Borders are cut off in Windows Vista, or Windows 7
In
either Microsoft Windows Vista, or Microsoft Windows 7, you may notice that your windows in
SmartAddresser 5.0 are cut off at the top where you would normally
see the X button to close the window.
The Title Bar
disappearance occurs because when you open SmartAddresser 5.0, you
are opening as “Run as administrator”. When you open
SmartAddresser 5.0, you should always see the Cancel/Allow dialog box
from the Vista OS. To ensure that this dialog appears when you Open
SmartAddresser 5.0, please follow these steps to setup Vista
properly.
1. Click Start > Control Panel
2. Click
“Control Panel Home” in the left corner
3. Click “User
Accounts”
4. Click “User Accounts” again
5. Click “Turn
User Account Control on or off”
6. Click “Continue” when
prompted
7. Check “Use User Account Control (UAC) to help
protect your computer”
8. Click “OK”
9. You may have to
Restart.
Now each time you open SmartAddresser 5.0, you will
be prompted with a Cancel/Allow dialog. Click Allow and everything
will appear as normal. The reason for this is that both Vista and Windows 7 have two
levels of Administration: Global and Local to the application you are
running.
Alternate Solution.
You can also change the
windows theme to "Windows
Classic" to resolve this issue.
1. Click Start >
Control Panel
2. Click “Control Panel Home” in the left
corner
3. Click "Appearance and Personalization"
4.
Click "Personalization"
5. Click "Theme"
6.
Select "Windows Classic" from the Theme drop down menu
8.
Click “OK”
9. You may have to Restart.
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Introduction to Commands
In this article we will be addressing the ability of SmartAddresser 5 to execute custom commands written in the language Visual FoxPro.
We will be introducing:
Reasons to use Commands
The Command Window
Reasons to use Commands
Why do we want to run commands? It's true that much of what can be accomplished with the command window can also be accessed through the graphical interface, and for most simple things it makes sense to use the graphical interface. However, what if we were presented with a situation like this (taken from an actual support request we received not long ago):
"I have two lists, one is my master list with names and addresses, and the second list has the updated information for some of the records in the master list. What I want to do is take the updated information from the updated list and copy into new fields on the master list, i.e. "newFirst, newLast, newAddress, etc.""
Normally, we could just take the two lists, and if the fields are the same use the Merge function found in the Select menu, and then run the Show Duplicates function from the same menu, however this does not work when you want to copy the fields from one list into new fields on another list. So how can we accomplish this? Well, we have several options through the graphical interface, but it would take many steps to perform and we're more likely to make a mistake somewhere along the way.
Thankfully for this customer, we have the command window and the solution was not difficult at all. These were the only steps necessary:
1) Make copies of the two lists. Because in this case we were working directly on database (DBF) files, we made new copies so our originals would be untouched just in case.
2) Use File->Open Database to open both of our copies so the program "sees" them in its current scope. The names of the files were "main.dbf" (for the master file) and "final.dbf" (for the updated file).
3) Having followed steps 1 & 2, go to Edit->Commands... and run the following code:
Code:
SET SAFETY OFF
SELECT("final") && Selects the "final.dbf" file if it is currently open in SmartAddresser 5
INDEX ON Customer TAG mytag
SELECT("main") && Now working on "main.dbf" if it is currently open in SmartAddresser 5
ALTER TABLE (ALIAS()) ADD COLUMN NewAddress C(50)
ALTER TABLE (ALIAS()) ADD COLUMN NewCity C(50)
ALTER TABLE (ALIAS()) ADD COLUMN NewState C(2)
ALTER TABLE (ALIAS()) ADD COLUMN NewZip C(10)
REPLACE ALL NewAddress WITH final.Address1, NewCity WITH final.City1, NewState WITH final.St1, NewZip WITH final.Zip1 FOR SEEK(Customer, "final")
Explaining what this bit of code is doing step by step goes beyond the scope of this article, but suffice to say we are copying the info from the 'final.dbf' file into brand-new fields on the 'main.dbf' file. Perhaps the best part of this solution was that the customer did not need to know step-by-step what this code was doing either! All he needed to know was where to change the file names if his were different, then copied and pasted and ran. Voila. Most if not all of the commands that you will find referenced will be the same: other than where indicated, just copy, paste, and run.
The Command Window
The first thing you'll see when you start the Command Window is the last command that you ran, or if you have no saved commands, a blank window. To start a new Command, click the button that looks like a blank page. The cursor will automatically move into the box below "Save As" where you MUST give it a name. Once you have given your new command a name, you can start typing in the text box below 'Command Statement Input'. The command will be saved automatically while you type.
The Command Statements drop-list contains all the commands you have run previously, unless they were deleted using the big orange X button.
Once you have finished writing your command, simply hit the Run button and away you go.
Some common commands are:
Add a Column to your database using the command feature
NOTE: Replace "fieldname" with the name that you would like to use. The "c(75)" represents a character type field with a length of 75 spaces wide.
ON ERROR com_message=message()
alter table alias() add column fieldname c(75)
Eliminate multiple spaces between words
The command below will eliminate double spaces (and more spaces) in between words in a field, so there will only be a single space in between words:
REPLACE ALL fieldname WITH REDUCE(fieldname)
Delete a field if the field is blank for all records
Here is the command to delete a field (column) from the database if all of the records are blank in that field.
*!* Get Field Name
com_FieldName="myfield"
*!* Count records that are not empty
COUNT FOR !EMPTY(&com_FieldName) TO com_Count
*!* Create a Delete Column String if Count is 0
com_AlterString=IIF(com_Count=0,[ALTER TABLE (ALIAS()) DROP COLUMN &com_FieldName],[])
*!* Run AlterString line
&com_AlterString
Mark Invalid ZIP Codes in a database
Use this command to mark Invalid ZIP Codes in your database. This makes it so you can identify Invalid ZIP Codes in a script, as you won't have to pull down Select to Show > Invalid ZIP Codes.
Code:
com_alias=alias()
USE IN IIF(USED('USZIP'),SELECT('USZIP'),0)
SET SAFETY OFF
USE (ADDBS(XDEFFLDR)+"DMM\_USZIPS.DBF") IN 0 ALIAS uszip
SELECT("uszip")
INDEX ON LEFT(zip,5) TAG mytag
SELECT(com_alias)
replace all X with ""
replace X with "X" for !SEEK(LEFT(zip,5),"uszip")
USE IN IIF(USED('_USZIP'),SELECT('_USZIP'),0)
When you export your data or when you show Marked records, look for a capital X in the x field. These will be your Invalid ZIP Code records.
Sorting a Number in a Character Field
This command will allow you to sort the numbers in a character field. Ordinarily if you have sequence numbers in a character type field, the numbers that begin with a 1 (1, 10, 115, 1000, etc) will all appear before records that begin with a 2, which would make sorting pointless. This command puts the numbers in a character type field in a correct numeric sequence.
Copy this command, then paste it into the large text area of the command window:
INDEX ON VAL(cnumber) TAG cnumber
In this command, the cnumber field represents the field that you'd like to sort by. Replace cnumber with your actual field name. After clicking RUN, close the Command window then pull down the Select menu to Show All. You'll notice the field is properly sorted. Also, when you choose ...By Other from the Sort menu, you'll notice cnumber (or whatever word you added after TAG in the command) will appear as an index. Any time you choose to sort by that index, your list will be put in numeric sequence by that field.
Merge address fields
The Merge Address Fields command is designed to combine data from two or more fields into the address field.
Copy this command, then paste it into the large text area of the command window:
Code:
Replace all address with alltrim(address)+" "+alltrim(address2),address2 with ""
After clicking RUN, SmartAddresser 5 will combine the address and address2 fields, placing the contents of both into the address field, and blanking the address2 field.
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Activating SmartAddresser 5
To activate SmartAddresser 5, go to the Additions menu, select Activate Product, then click on the Activate button on the Product Activation window. SmartAddresser 5 will then connect to the activation server and register itself. If you receive a message requesting you to contact the technical support office for a Registration Serial Number when you are activating SmartAddresser 5, please send an email to activation@smartsoftusa.com and include the following:
• your name
• your company name
• the Customer Account Number listed at the bottom of the Activate Product window
• the Unique ID Number listed at the bottom of the Activate Product window
We will then email you a Registration Serial Number.
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Don't Know Your NAICS Number?
http://www.naics.com/search.htm
Click
on the link above, and then you can enter your type of business into
the NAICS Website search box, and easily find your 6 digit NAICS
Code.
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Why am I getting Single Piece Rates?
There are a few reasons that one might be getting single piece rates. Here are the normal reasons one might see their mail pieces come out at these rates:
1. The mailing list has not been CASS/DPV Certified. When you look at your list, you will see a field called 'Status_'. If this field only holds 'N' or is blank, the list is not validated and thus ineligible for the better Presort rates.
2. You are doing a Standard Mail presort, and the mailing list has less than 200 pieces of deliverable mail. In order to qualify for Standard Class Mail, a mailing must have at least 200 pieces of deliverable mail or weigh more than 50 pounds.
3. You are doing a First Class Mail presort, and the mailing list has less than 500 pieces of deliverable mail. In order to qualify for First Class Mail, a mailing must have at least 500 pieces of deliverable mail.
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Expressions For Endorsement Lines, Container And Bundle Numbers
In SmartAddresser 5 the container number field is named CONT_ID, the bundle number field is named GPB_ID, and the sequence field is named Sequence. If you are wanting to print/export an endorsement line with the tray, bundle and sequence numbers included, minus any leading zeros, you can use the expression:
ALLT(STR(INT(VAL(CONT_ID))))+"*"+ALLT(STR(INT(VAL(GPB_ID))))+"*"+ALLT(STR(VAL(Sequence)))+PADL(ALLT(ENDORSE),24,"*")
If you are wanting to print/export an endorsement line with just the tray and bundle numbers included, minus any leading zeros, you can use the expression:
ALLT(STR(INT(VAL(CONT_ID))))+"*"+ALLT(STR(INT(VAL(GPB_ID))))+PADL(ALLT(ENDORSE),24,"*")
If you would like to print/export the tray, bundle and sequence numbers separately (with no leading zeros), use the expression ALLT(STR(INT(VAL(CONT_ID)))) for the tray number, ALLT(STR(INT(VAL(GPB_ID)))) for the bundle number, and ALLT(STR(VAL(Sequence))) for the sequence number.
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Exporting IMB Data
If you want to use SmartAddresser 5's ability to create the Intelligent Mail Barcode, but want to export and print within a mail merge environment, that's possible as well. When exporting the data for your mail merge, you will see the two IM Barcode fields, Imbarcode and Imbdigits. The only required field for your merge is Imbarcode. The Imbdigits field is purely a guide given to SmartAddresser 5 users who want a visual representation of what data is included in the IM® Barcode. The actual characters used for the Intelligent Mail Barcode are those found in the Imbarcode field, and only that field.
TTFFDADAATFAAADTFFFAAADFFTDFDTDTAFAFTTFTFATADAFDFDDDDTTTADTAFDTAD (sample Imbarcode data)
The characters in the Imbarcode field in the sample above are the only recognized characters for the IM® Barcode itself. However, you'll notice that the Imbdigits field gives you a visual representation of what that barcode is comprised of. The only field you need for your mail merge data source, however, is the Imbarcode field.
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Exporting Presort Data
To export presort data do the following:
1. Run or re-open presort as per normal.
2. Click the Print Labels button on the Print Presort window.
3. Set the Output Type drop-down on the Print Settings window to Disk File.
4. Click the Continue button (this button reads Print when the Output Type is set to Label Format, and Continue when it is set to Disk File).
5. Export as per normal.
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Generating Zone Data
To generate Zone data in SmartAddresser 5, do the following:
1. From the File menu, choose Open Database.
2. Browse to C:\Program Files\Datatech\SmartAddresser 2020 5.0\iPresort\Templates\Presortout.dbf and open it.
3. Pull down the Edit menu and select Fields.
4. Add a new Character field named “Zone”, and set the width to 3.
5. Click OK, then Yes to save the changes. After this, close the Presortout.dbf database.
Now each time you run a Zone based presort, such as Periodicals or Bound Printed Matter, a Zone field will be created in the result file when you click the Labels button. You can then Export or Print the zone number created accurately by the presort.
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Getting In-County Rates
To get In-County rates for Periodical Sorts do the following:
1. When validating the list, check the County Name and County Code boxes in the Output column of the Validate Records setup window.
2. When presorting, check the In-County box on the Presort Setup window.
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Processing Lists With House Numbers In One Field And Street Names In Another
To import a list with the house numbers in one field, and the rest of the address in another, do the following:
1. When importing the list, map the field with the house numbers to Address, and the one with the rest of the address data to Address2. Do not check the boxes for Optimize, Validate, Find Duplicates or Presort.
2. Once the list is imported go to the Edit menu and select Command.
3. Create and run the following command:
Replace All Address With ALLT(ALLT(Address)+" "+ALLT(Address2))
Replace All Address2 With ""
4. Validate and presort as per usual.
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NCOALink FTP And Port Settings For Your Firewall
The IP address NCOALink uses for FTP is 12.68.179.41 and the port is 21 (however, it is best to not specify a port unless absolutely necessary).
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Suppressing Blank Lines On Label Templates
To suppress blank lines on a label template do the following:
1. Select the desired template.
2. Click the Edit Template button to open the Label Designer.
3. Double-click the field you need to suppress blank lines for, then click the Print When button.
4. Check the box labeled Remove Line If Blank.
5. Click OK until you get back to the main grid.
6. Repeat steps 1-5 for each of the fields you need to suppress blank lines for, making sure to NOT set this option for whichever field is the upper-most one on the template.
7. Save your changes.
If the above steps do not work, check to make sure that the fields are not too close together, as that any overlap whatsoever will defeat this setting. Generally we recommend leaving a thin sliver of space between each one.
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Using Merge/Purge
The Merge/Purge feature compares two or more databases, and creates an output file as the result of the comparison. None of the databases in the Merge/Purge feature will be affected. In other words, when you use the Merge/Purge feature to subtract records from Database A that are in Database B, the merge/purge feature will create a Database C that contains records from Database A, minus those in Database B.
The first thing you will need to do is import any of the lists you will be using into SmartAddresser 2020 5.0 and validate them (the .dbf files that SmartAddresser 2020 5.0 creates are the ones that you will be using for all of the steps below).
The next thing you need to do is create an export map of the database that will be appearing in the Merge section of the Merge/Purge window. The export map is the list of fields that will be in the output file.
Open your main database (the one that will appear in the Merge area of the Merge/Purge feature, or your "Mail To" database) in SmartAddresser 2020 5.0.
Go to the File menu and select Export.
Click on the Export All Fields box.
To the right of the Export Map pull down menu, click on the diskette button, which allows you to save this export map.
Save the export map (in the SmartAddresser 2020 5.0\Field Maps folder), then close the Export window (no need to actually export this file).
Close all of your databases in SmartAddresser 2020 5.0, then go to the Select menu and click on Merge/Purge.
In the Merge/Purge window, use these basic settings:
Under Step 1, choose By Address, or click on the User Defined tab and manually choose the fields that will match between the two databases (most people like to use Address and Zip). If you end up setting up and using a User Defined match code, make sure that the only the fields that you'll be using for the merge/purge comparison are listed in the Match Code box under #3 of the User Defined tab. In order for the merge/purge to work, the information in the fields you select in this step will have to match between the databases you're comparing.
Under Step 2, click on the Export Map pull down menu, and select the export map you created at the beginning of these instructions.
Click on the Export Format pull down menu, and choose the format you'd like the output file to be in. If you want to make a SmartAddresser 2020 5.0 Database out of the resulting file, choose the SmartAddresser 5x Database format.
Click Save to return to the Merge/Purge window.
In the Merge Files area, open your main database (the list of people you want to send mail to).
In the Purge Files area, open the purge database (the list of people you do not want to send mail to).
Under step 5, decide where you want the output file to be saved.
Beneath Step 5, choose the setting labeled "Neither".
Start the Merge/Purge. The Output file will contain the records of your merge database, minus the records that are in the purge database.
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Installing/Running SmartAddresser 5 On Windows Vista, or Windows 7 Machines
To successfully use SmartAddresser 5 on a Windows Vista, or Windows 7 machine you need to do the following:
1. When installing the program (use the latest DVD only), right click on the Setup.exe file and select Run As Administrator.
2. Once the installation is complete, reboot the computer.
3. Go to the SmartAddresser 2020 5.0 folder (C:\Program Files\Datatech\SmartAddresser 2020 5.0), right click on the file named SmartAddresser.exe and select Properties.
4. On the Properties window, select the tab labeled Compatibility
5. Check the box labeled Run In Compatibility Mode For, then select Windows XP (Service Pack 2) on the list below it.
6. Check the box labeled Run This Program As An Administrator.
7. Click OK.
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Error: Array dimension are invalid.-Line 183
The error Array dimension are invalid.-Line 183 that occurs while printing addresses or exporting indicates you have too many fields in your database. A database can only hold 254 fields.
To resolve this, return to your database, go to the Edit menu and select Fields. This will open a list of all of the fields in your database. You can then delete enough of them so you are below the 254 limit (delete around 10 or more fields, as SmartAddresser 5 adds fields during presorting), then presort your list again.
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Operator/Operand Type Mismatch Error when Presorting
If
you get the error message "Operator/Operand Type Mismatch"
when Presorting, this likely means that you are attempting to do a
Standard Class presort with less than the USPS minimum requirement of
200 Deliverable pieces.
Check the number of Deliverable
records in your database (Select - Show - Deliverable) to ensure you
have the minimum of 200 Deliverable records to presort and try
presorting again.
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Program Name: "INITPSFORMS" - Line: 343 Error #12
When
receiving this error message during presorting, this usually means
that there is something wrong with the Presort Settings. Double-Check
and Re-enter all of the Presort settings in the Presort Setup
screen.
An example of a conflicting setting would be having
Non-Machinable checked AND Print Barcode.