Target Lists - Automatically Use Subset of Contacts

[getchai]

Within my Contacts Module I have created an additional multi-select field "Contact Type". Types include Student, Alumni etc.

I'm want to send out mailing campaigns to certain Contact Types.

My first issue is the following: I have roughly 2000 "Student" contacts that need to be added to a target list. As far as I can tell I have to do this page by page. There must be a better way to do this.

Since this list is updated fairly often, I need a way to have the list updated often which is very impractical with the page by page method.

I'm not sure if there is any way Sugar supports this as isb though it seems like it should. If this is something I must code in PHP I am comfortable doing that however I need some a some help starting it. I'm well experienced in PHP but still new to Sugar's structure.

Thank you in advance!

[parkera]

HI,

We have the same issue and have resolved in the following ways.

Firstly the simple way. Add your drop down box to be in the allowed advanced search list in Admin. Then you can filter your search by this criteria. Once visible you can filter on this selection. Take the option to select all records and add to a Target list for a one time ehot.

Second way is to create a subscription to an eshot. This is the preferred text book option and simplest if you are doing frequent eshots. Read the manual for this one

Third option is to create a bunch of target lists that are role related and and add an association to them at the CONTACT level NOT via Campaign.(as the relationship will not show up)..

You will then have a live target list. You will need to run a query to check that you have memberships set up for each status of each of your students. We are now having to do this as our contacts have more than one role depending on how we dice and slice them. it is I fear the only way to do it if you have many to many role attributes. ie one person can have more than one role of each type at a time.

This will give you a lot of control and once setup becomes easy to maintain.

if anybody know an easier way I'd like to know....