CSV File Mismatche with webpage

Hey there,
There are several discrepancies between csv and manual entry.
It is almost as if the export concatenates some values into one ‘field’ that in fact can be entered manually and separately. Why don’t you try a test upload with all columns filled and see where they land? This is what I did to find out where the field ‘notes’ would end up.

I think that this plugin was created NOT with all current users in mind, big smile. The success is overwhelming and like you my thanks to the developers are eternal!

Hi osnicky59, I imported a record with all fields filled in, Test Field Name.

The entered data from the Sub District field [Test Sub District] does not display on the website.

I downloaded the CSV file again and these fields were blank:
Sub Region; Sub District; Venmo; Group Notes; Last Contact; Author.

Please see: https://www.fortworthaa.org/meetings/arlington-group-21/?tsml-day=any&tsml-region=arlington

It’s weird.

Eric B

It is. Interested to hear back from the plugin people. Maybe these are fields for the app rather than the general plugin?

Hi @ebartoletti,

The import & export feature was initially set up to help people transition to the 12-step-meeting-list.

Obviously we’ve made some change to the main app and haven’t kept the exporting up-to-speed. So it appears this is a bug.

If you would, please come over to our Dev Site and initiate a bug report issue.

Thank you!

Ok, Thank You.

The reason the CSV file is important to us: we can use it as a repository for all our Group/Meeting Info. We can then import into printable templates; keep track of group numbers; keep track of which group is in which district, etc. We don’t have that ability today, it’s currently a kludge of incomplete / scattered data.

I’m not a developer nor an I.T. person, so I truly appreciate all the kind and patient support those of you have provided to Central Offices and volunteer web servants.

Eric,

We suggest not using CSV as the main repository for your meeting info, although we understand the challenge and need to make printed meeting lists. Are you familiar with the 12 Step Meeting PDF Generator? It is another plugin that works with our 12 Step Meeting List and allows for a fair amount of customization. It may not be idea, but a number of groups are using it successfully.

The advantage of this approach is that you have one proper data source and you’re not doing a lot of import/exports that can lead to problems.

If you have tried the PDF Generator and found it doesn’t meet a specific need you have, would you please let us know that requirement?

tech2serve,

Thanks for that info., it’s helpful to know.

The app has fields that do not currently export to the pdf generator, nor should all the feilds be posted publicly. However, it would be great to have a pdf generated with all stored data.

Hi Eric,

I am not a plugin developer, nor do I speak many program languages. But I do use an offline database for exactly the reason you are indicating. I am in service for a large area with over 300 active meetings. I also keep track of events and contacts. Not all of that is for public consumption but for management reports I do have to be able to produce data from time to time. And, of course, there is a big need for District Meetings lists. I have 30 Districts, so 30 lists and then some.

In my regular job I am a Claris FileMaker developer and I have built a custom solution to do all that I need to do. I am still working on this app, but eventually it will reach a stable point and if people are interested and willing to learn FileMaker I can certainly make it available.

I use the FileMaker app to produce the csv formats needed for both meetings and events. I do not have to touch my data for that, they just flow into the csv. If the csv changes, my database does not have to change, just the csv format.

The lists have always been an issue. I have accepted the challenge to offer them online. They come from FileMaker, as PDFs and have a generic design.

If you are interested in seeing them, they are here:
https://al-anon.alateen.on.ca/meeting-frontpage/meeting-prints/

I am not trying to sell you on anything, by the way, although the app is easy to use and Claris FileMaker is also not that hard to learn.

It saves me a lot of time. FileMaker is excellent at any kind reporting, sorting and searching and I really do benefit from the choice to have it as the main repository of my details. If push comes to shove, I can refresh all my meetings in less then 10 minutes from the database. I have had to do this several times already and I am so relieved that I do not have to go through WordPress pages one at a time.

Wordpress is made for publishing on line, not to be an active content management system. On top of that, if the internet goes offline, I still have access to my data.

I do hope that we will get a bit more information about what is in the export.

Developers: if there is a way to include into that export the WP Post ID that would be fanTAStic. Why? Because I can use it to create the URL of the details page and update it from FileMaker without ever going to my adminpage, choose meetings, find meeting, click to edit details. It would be a one-click action for me… Possible?

Oh and as a by the way:
the PDFs you can generate from the Import/settings page of the plugin are totally useable when you only manage one district. But it does not give you the output per district so for me it is not useable. New feature possible to give us a couple of options to order them by? Split per district, per region (=city/town) perhaps?

Other than output by District, what other configurations do you need for PDF output?

Like I said: it might be good to be able to have it per region, but for me a grouping per district would be nice.