Target Group Definition: Based on Subscriber List
- To access the definition wizard for a target group, select the desired target group in the Target Groups subtree, then select Edit -> Open Target Group Definition from the menu (or go via the right-click menu of the target group node in the explorer tree).
- To create a new "subscriber list" target group, select New -> Recipient Target Group -> Based on Subscriber List from the menu (or go via the right-click menu of the parent target group folder in the explorer tree).
This Target Group Definition wizard lets you define a target group of the type Subscriber List that can be used in the recipients wizard to define the recipients of a job.
The wizard for a target group of the type "Subscriber List" has multiple pages:
General, Source, Source Details,
Parameters, Input Layout,
Input Preview, and Summary.
The top row of the wizard displays links to each of these pages. The page that is currently open is marked with a highlighted background color. Depending on the choices made on some of the wizard pages, other pages may become disabled or may be shown in different versions. If a wizard page is disabled, then it means that this page is not necessary with the current choices and can safely be ignored.
Parameters Page: Parameters In The Filtering Condition
Parameters in the Subscribers Filter Condition
This variant of the page is shown if you used the "Viewing Subscriber Data And Setting Filters" method to define your filtering condition. (See here.)
The screen quotes your additional search condition, and if the condition contains elements that support parameters, then you see drop-down menus for each of them. Assume for example you defined a search condition like this:
EMAIL ~ "*gmail.com"
(Meaning that your target group contains only those subscribers whose email addresses end with "gmail.com".)
This search condition is an example where LISTSERV Maestro supports parameters, meaning that you can now decide if you allow users of your target group in the recipients wizard to choose an email address domain other than "gmail.com".
If you keep the default "No changes allowed, this part is fixed", then your input for the associated part of the condition is used unchanged when LISTSERV Maestro ultimately determines the subscriber subset during mail job delivery.
If you choose "Allow changes to this condition part" instead, then users of your target group will see an appropriate input field in the recipients wizard. LISTSERV Maestro automatically chooses the proper input control type depending on the field being filtered on and your specific choices here in the target group wizard, so in the recipients wizard, the users of your target group may not only encounter standard free-text input fields but also single-select and multiple-select drop-down menus or checkboxes, depending on the settings in your filtering condition.
Since the users of your target group are unaware of the specific meaning of the condition part that the parameter applies to (and the rest of the logic surrounding it, of course), you must supply a meaningful label and should supply an optional description. The associated extra input controls are shown when you choose "Allow changes...".
Parameters in Advanced Condition Tree
This variant of the page is shown if you use the "Supplying Custom Condition Nodes on Fields" method to define your filtering condition. (See here.)
On the left side of the screen, you see the whole condition tree. Some nodes on this tree may contain parameters. Those parameters need to have additional details supplied to fully "define" the parameters.
To aid with finding all nodes that have parameters that are still "undefined", such nodes are rendered in a special highlighted red-color style. In addition, if a parent node has at least one child node that is still displayed in the highlighted style, then the parent will also be highlighted, and so on up to the root of the tree. That way, individual condition nodes that have undefined parameters can be found by starting at the root of the tree and following the path of highlighted nodes.
Once the parameter of a condition node has been completely defined, that node is again displayed in the normal, non-highlighted state (as are all condition nodes that do not contain parameters). Similarly, if a parent node no longer contains any highlighted nodes, the parent node will not be highlighted either, and so on up to the root of the tree. Once the tree-root is no longer highlighted, all parameters in the tree have been fully "defined". Nodes can still be checked to see if they are defined in the way they are meant to be.
To create a parameter definition follow these steps:
First select the condition node in the tree that
contains the parameter. It will be highlighted if the parameter is still undefined. The left part of the screen will
now display details about the parameter. Fill out the following:
- Parameter: This read-only text displays the name of the parameter for
informational purposes, to indicate which parameter is being edited.
Note: A parameter may actually appear in several condition nodes, if those nodes are using the same parameter name. In that case, defining the parameter in one node will automatically define it for all other nodes.
- Label: Enter a label for this parameter. The label is mandatory. It will be
displayed to the end user when asked to fill out the parameter. Enter a meaningful name so that the end user
will know what to enter and how this input will affect the actual selection of recipients.
- Description: Enter a description for this parameter. The description is optional.
If present, it will be displayed to the end user when asked to fill out the parameter. In many cases, the label
alone may not be enough for the end user to understand exactly what is supposed to be entered (or selected) for
a certain parameter, so an additional descriptive text may be in order. Choose this text carefully.
- Input Type: Define how the end user who uses this target group in the recipients wizard will supply the value for the parameter. The available input types differ depending on the type of the parameter, which in turn depends on the type of the left operand field (for parameters used as the right operand) or the context of the parameter in the formula (for parameters in formulas). See below for details.
Depending on the parameter type, the following input types may be available:
- Text Parameters: For parameters of the Text type;
two input types are available:
- Input Field: End users will see a normal edit field into which they may type the text value of the parameter.
- Selection List: End users will see a single select drop-down menu
from which they may choose an entry as the value of the parameter.
The entries of the selection list are defined here during target group definition. If this input type is selected, additional controls are displayed below the drop-down list of the input type that allow the specifying of entries in the selection list. Each entry consists of a display text and the actual parameter value. It is this Internal Parameter Value that will end up in the parameter when the end user selects an entry from the selection list.
To create a new entry, click New. Enter the display text into the Text in Selection List field and the parameter value (any text string) into the Internal Parameter Value field. Click [Save Entry].
To edit an existing entry, select it in the list to display its values in the two edit fields. Next, edit these values as desired and click [Save Entry] to save the edited values back into the selection list.
To delete an entry, select it in the list and click Delete.
To change the ordering of the entries, select the entry that needs moving and then click Up or Down.
- Number Parameters: For parameters of the Number type;
two input types are available:
- Input Field: End users will see a normal edit field into which they may type the numerical value of the parameter. Non-numerical input will not be accepted.
- Selection List: End users will see a single select drop-down menu
from which they may choose an entry as the value of the parameter.
The entries of the selection list are defined here during target group definition. If this input type is selected, additional controls are displayed below the drop-down menu of the input type that allow the specifying of entries in the selection list. Each entry consists of a display text and the actual parameter value. It is this Internal Parameter Value that will end up in the parameter when the end-user selects an entry from the selection list; therefore, this internal value must be a numerical value.
To create a new entry, click New. Enter the display text into the Text in Selection List field and the parameter value (any numerical value) into the Internal Parameter Value field. Click [Save Entry].
To edit an existing entry, select it in the list to display its values in the two edit fields. Next, edit these values as desired and click [Save Entry] to save the edited values back into the selection list.
To delete an entry, select it in the list and Delete.
To change the ordering of the entries, select the entry that needs moving and then click Up or Down.
- Boolean Parameters: For parameters of the Boolean type;
two input types are available:
- Checkbox: End users will see a checkbox that will define the value of the parameter. A checked box means "true" and an unchecked box means "false".
- Selection List: End users will see a single select drop-down menu
with exactly two entries, one for the parameter value "true" and one for the value "false".
The selection from these two choices will define the value of the parameter.
The actual texts that will be displayed in the selection list are defined here during target group definition. If this input type is selected, additional controls are displayed below the drop-down menu of the input type that allow the specifying of the texts for the two entries. Supply one text for the "true" value entry and one text for the "false" value entry. Any text can be used, however, the values that end up in the parameter are always associated with "true" or "false".
Specify each text in the corresponding edit fields. The ordering of the texts can be changed (make either the "false" text or the "true" text appear first in the selection list) by clicking on the Exchange Order link.
- Single Select Parameters: For parameters of the Single
Select type; only one input type is available:
- Selection List: The end user will see a single select drop-down menu
that is pre-populated with the values from the lookup table, which in turn is associated with the
left operand field of the condition node. As a result, end users will always have a choice between
exactly those values that actually appear in the field the parameter is compared to.
No further input is required here in the target group definition.
- Selection List: The end user will see a single select drop-down menu
that is pre-populated with the values from the lookup table, which in turn is associated with the
left operand field of the condition node. As a result, end users will always have a choice between
exactly those values that actually appear in the field the parameter is compared to.
- Multiple Select Parameters: For parameters of the Multiple
Select type, only one input type is available:
- Selection List: End users will see a multiple selection box
that is pre-populated with the values from the lookup table, which in turn is associated with the
left operand field of the condition node. As a result, end users will always have a choice to
select one or several of the values that actually appear in the field the parameter is compared to.
No further input is required here in the target group definition.
- Selection List: End users will see a multiple selection box
that is pre-populated with the values from the lookup table, which in turn is associated with the
left operand field of the condition node. As a result, end users will always have a choice to
select one or several of the values that actually appear in the field the parameter is compared to.
- URL-List Parameters: This parameter type applies to parameters
that are defined in the special Job Based Condition nodes, allowing end users to select one
or several of the tracked URLs of the source job. For parameters of this type, only one input type is available:
- Selection List: End users will see a multiple selection box. This selection box is filled out with the tracked links of the source job (once a source job has been selected) and end users may then select one or more of those links.
Parameters in Formulas
Parameters in formulas need to be "defined" on this screen just like normal condition parameters. There are slight differences to be aware of.
The differences are based on the fact that a formula can actually contain "several" parameters, while normally a condition can contain only a single parameter. In addition, a condition node can have formulas both for the left and the right operand at the same time, and both of these formulas can contain several different parameters.
Therefore, if a condition node contains a formula with parameters, (or even two formulas with parameters) the node is displayed in the highlighted state just like normal nodes with parameters are. It will remain highlighted as long as the formula contains at least one parameter that is still undefined (or if there are two formulas, as long as any parameter in any of the two formulas is still undefined). Once all parameters in all formulas of the condition node have been defined the node will be displayed in the normal, non-highlighted mode.
When such a node is selected to define its parameters, the details are displayed in the right part of the screen contain one additional entry at the very top. The condition itself is displayed here, with all parameters in the condition supplied as clickable links. Any parameters in the condition that are still undefined are displayed in a highlighted state. Select one parameter after the other (by clicking on them in the condition), and provide the necessary information (label, description, and input type) for each. Parameters in formulas can only ever be of the Text type or the Number type; please see above for the available input types for these parameter types.