AOS.595 Download Student Info to PC/Network

Transcription

1 AOS.595 Download Student Info to PC/Network AOS Download Student Info to PC/Network Ref: AOS.595P.01 Opt Download Definition Dis Sch Description () () LIFETOUCH HPS LIFETOUCH DOWNLOAD (DO NOT CHANGE!) WORD MAIL-MERGE HPS DOWNLOAD FIELDS TO BE USED IN WORD F3=Exit F4=Index Options: A=Add, C=Change, D=Delete, L=Lookup, R=Run This program creates a comma-delimited, ASCII text file of the student fields you choose. With this program, you first create and store a download definition which describes what you want to download. Then the download definition can be run at any time simply by keying an R to the left of it. With this program you can create files for use in Microsoft Word (mail merges for example), Excel, Access, etc. as well as many other programs. You can also create an export file that other software or information providers can use such as your school picture vendor or your cafeteria software provider. See the following pages to see the flexibility you are given when creating a download definition. Note(s) If you are not restricted to a particular school, you may choose to leave the school field blank when creating a download definition. This will allow you to create a file of all students in the district. 58

2 The following screen, which requests general options, is the first of three screens used to define a download process: AOS Download Student Info to PC/Network Ref: AOS.596P.01 District: HPS School: Download definition: WORD MAIL-MERGE Description: DOWNLOAD FIELDS TO BE USED IN WORD A comma delimited record will be created for each selected student. Each record will contain the fields you select on a subsequent screen. Optionally, you may create a "header" record (which contains the names of the selected fields) and print a field names list. Both of these options would be useful if you plan to use the file for Word mail merges and may be useful for importing the file to other PC applications. Create a header record? Y Print a list of field names? Y Download option: 2 1 = Automatic: DOS-based with shared folders and Organizer 2 = Semi-automatic: prompted to run interactive file transfer Below, specify the full PC path and file name of the target file. c:\download\cims kids.txt F12=Cancel This screen contains a couple general options, request your download method, and allows you to name the PC file that is being created. Note(s) For more information about a particular field, place your cursor there and press F1 for on-line help text. 59

3 The following screen, which requests sort and selection options, is the second of three screens used to define a download process: AOS Download Student Info to PC/Network Ref: AOS.596P.02 District: HPS School: Download definition: WORD MAIL-MERGE Description: DOWNLOAD FIELDS TO BE USED IN WORD Sort by: 1 1 = School, then student name 2 = Student number (only allowed if selecting whole school) Limit to: Class range: - () Alphabetical range: A - Z (first letter of student last name) Tag: () Tag category: () F4=Index F12=Cancel This screen contains a sort option and the ability to limit student selection by class, alphabetically, and by tag and tag category. 60

4 The following screen, which requests field selections, is the third of three screens used to define a download process: AOS Download Student Info to PC/Network Ref: AOS.596P.03 District: HPS School: Download definition: WORD MAIL-MERGE Description: DOWNLOAD FIELDS TO BE USED IN WORD Select desired fields by placing sequence numbers in front of them. Seq# Field Name Seq# Field Name 10 Student Last Name 130 Current Class 20 Student First Name 140 Sex 30 Student Middle Initial 150 Homeroom Number 40 Guardian Title 160 Homeroom Teacher ID 50 Guardian Last Name 170 Homeroom Teacher Name 60 Guardian First Name Birth Date 70 Mailing Address Birth Place 80 Mailing City Birth State/Code 90 Mailing State Student File ID 100 Mailing Zip Code Social Security Number 110 Current District Locker Number 120 Current School Morning Bus More... F6=Select All Standard Fields F8=De-Select All F9=Renumber F12=Cancel Make changes or press Enter to confirm selections. This screen lists a variety of available fields for downloading. Among them are some student basic information fields (including user-defined attributes), some family information fields, some registration information fields, tags, and tag categories. You may select and sequence the fields you are interested in downloading. Notes If you choose to download a tag, a value of Y or N will be placed in the download record, indicating whether or not the student has an assignment for that tag. If you choose to download a tag category, the value placed in the download record will be the tag ID of the first tag assignment found for that category. If no tag is found in that category, the dowload field will be blank. 61

5 To help you merge a downloaded file with Word for Windows, the following procedural section is offered. Procedure for Using Downloaded Data in Word for Windows Narrative This procedure describes downloading CIMS student data from the AS/400 to your PC in a format useable by Word for Windows. This would allow you to do a number of things, including: printing feature-rich and high quality "form" letters, envelopes, and labels. Timing This procedure can be run at any time. Procedural You will be running a menu item to download students onto your PC's hard drive. Once downloaded, information there is NOT automatically maintained. You may want to download periodically or just before you do new print mergings. Once the data is downloaded, you simply use Word s Mail Merge Helper to combine a document with the student data records. 1. Run menu item AOS.595 Download Student Info to PC/Network (menu AOS200). When creating a download definition, be sure to choose to create a header record and to print a list of field names, since you will be using these field names in your word processing documents. The file name you choose to download to -- usually "CIMS kids.txt" -- is printed on this report, too. This menu item will create a file of your students -- either for the whole school or for a class (grade level), for example. The records are usually placed in the downloaded file in alphabetical order by student name (unless you choose to sort them otherwise). All your letters, envelopes, etc. will print students in the order they appear in the downloaded file unless you sort them with the Mail Merge Helper. 2. To create a standard "form" letter to merge with the student data file, follow these basic steps: A. Create a new Word document. 62

6 B. Access the Mail Merge Helper by selecting Tools, Mail Merge from the menu. You will be following the instructions shown at the top of the Helper. They are also noted below. C. Click on Create. Then click on Form Letters. Then click on Active Window. D. Choose a Data Source by clicking on Get Data. Then click on Open Data Source. In the file name box, key in CIMS kids.txt. (Be sure the screen is showing the correct directory.) E. You will get a warning that no merge fields were found. This is OK, because you haven t set them up yet. Click on Edit Main Document. F. Key desired text as you normally would. When you come to a place where you want to insert a field's contents -- such as student name -- you need to enter a field code. Word makes this easy: (1) Make sure your cursor is at the location within your text where you want the field to print. (2) Insert a field by clicking on Insert Merge Field, near the top left corner of your screen. A list of available fields is shown. Click on the desired field. G. Key in the rest of your document. Insert fields where desired. H. To print the document select Tools, Mail Merge from the menu. Click on Query Options to select (filter) and sort desired student data. Click on OK after specifying filter/sort. I. Click on Merge. Review the merge options. It is recommended that you merge to a new document so that you can preview your letters prior to printing them. Click on Merge. J. The new document, containing letters with merged data, is shown. To print the letters, select File, Print from your menu. 63