In general, you need to parse the email with BBEdit or some other powerful text editor, save as tab text or csv files, and import those into Excel.
How successful this is depends on how the Formmail output was formatted in the template. Are the fields well defined and uniquely identifiable? And the #1 question for any data import is: Is the source data consistent? That is, are First Names ALWAYS in the FirstName field, and are numbers ALWAYS numbers, etc.?
Can you upload a dummy sample (fake the data but leave the fields as they are)?
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It could be done pretty easily with a simple perl script as well too if you know any willing geeks to do that for you. Sounds like about 3-4 lines of Perl are required.
As for filemaker .. I'm not sure this is the best option if the OP is looking to just get data into an Excel spreadsheet. A lot of $$ to spend, as well as a lot of extra work where a few lines of script can do what's needed. Also I have to disagree with the "easy to script" statement from guytoronto above (although I suppose easy is a relative term.. if you consider clicking your mouse 50 times and having to jump through hoops easy then it's easy)
It's impossible to say for sure how easy because we don't know the data, or the real problem to be solved.
MacBookPro, you have a folder of Mail messages that they want converted. How many in the folder? All of the mails are to be imported into one Excel sheet? One mail record per row? Are all the mail messages consistent in their information to each other or are there multiple variations or different mail items in the folder? Do you want all the messages imported at once with one click, or are you able to do some manual selection? Is the data within the emails consistent? Is this a one-shot import, or is it something that must be done repeatedly in the future? Does logic have to be added to make sure the same email isn't imported more than once?
MG - stating simply that it could be done in x number of lines of Perl without knowing the above is not a supportable answer.
It's not the best-case scenario that is the problem, it is handling the exeptions. The more exeptions to the rule, the more complex it gets.
In the case of Filemaker, it would be used to parse the text, similarly to how BBEdit or a script could parse the text. A Filemaker developer could deliver a runtime version, so MBP would not have to buy Filemaker.
__________________ Spring Cleaning Sale email for flyer..sweet prices across the board • Many Retina's, Airs, new iMacs all on sale - great • OWC at par Trades welcome
MG - stating simply that it could be done in x number of lines of Perl without knowing the above is not a supportable answer.
I'm pretty familiar with FormMail(.pl) and I stand by my statement that it should be a pretty simple Perl solution. In FormMail you will typically get, within the body of the email:
field: data
If it's as simple as the OP stated and you know the field values you're looking for then it's a few lines of regex with Perl. If it's more complex as you suggest then it's more complex.. just stating that sometimes the simple solutions are the best ones.
Also, I guess, showing my dislike of Filemaker based solutions
If it's as simple as the OP stated and you know the field values you're looking for then it's a few lines of regex with Perl. If it's more complex as you suggest then it's more complex.. just stating that sometimes the simple solutions are the best ones.
Yeah, that's just it - I have asked for info about how simple it is (whether there is consistency in the data) and MacBookPro hasn't replied. I just know that, no matter what the programming language, it's never as simple as you first assume. Regex is great (why I suggested BBEdit as one tool) as long as you have an identifiable pattern or target to work with.
If the contents are all over the map, however (let's say, the form was changed a couple of times during the collection of the data, or clients persistently put data into the wrong fields.) then it can be a bear.
Spring Cleaning Sale email for flyer..sweet prices across the board • Many Retina's, Airs, new iMacs all on sale - great • OWC at par Trades welcome
(although I suppose easy is a relative term.. if you consider clicking your mouse 50 times and having to jump through hoops easy then it's easy)
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