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Support Information for the Contacts Form

This where data entry begins. There are many features that will help you to enter data quickly. Read further!

Importing

This tutorial will give you lots of ideas to get your data into your program.

Spanish

Importing Contact Form

This tutorial will help you email an editable PDF form and then get data into your program.

Spanish

Mac Address Book

See how easy it is to keep up with your Mac Address Book with the newest version:

Quick Links for Information

Search Panel

Power Search

Names

Name - Enter names as you want them to appear in the database. After entering the first name, the Gender is automatically selected. Be sure this has been decided correctly! Enter a Nickname for brothers who prefer to have their names appear on Chairman's Notes, etc that way. Check the box to use the Nickname in those areas. When entering the first name, the Gender is automatically selected if possible unless it is a unisex name.

Spouse - Ever have trouble remembering a spouses name? Place it here so as not to forget and then export them to your mobile device

Copy - Use the copy button next the to first name to copy the entire name of the contact to the clipboard

Addresses

Mailing Address Tab - Enter the actual mailing address on the mailing tab. Enter State as a two letter abbreviation. Postal code can be entered any way preferred. Click on the "Verify Address" USPS button and check the address. This generally will only work in the US. Follow the prompts and instructions. If successful, the updated address and postal code will then update your mailing address. (Note: A valid address must be found if it is to update) If you want to map the address, click the little pin icon in the upper right corner of the street address field.

Physical Address Tab - Use these fields for filling in the physical address. If you want to map the address, click the little pin icon in the corner of the street address field.

Copy Address - Use the clipboard icon below the address. This function is for copying a person's contact information quickly such as for placing in an email to someone. This is a real time saver! One click and then use Command + V for Mac or Control + V for Windows to paste this information somewhere else. Try it out!

Sync - Notice the little circular icon on the right next to the Verify button. Click on this to send this updated contact information to your Mac Address book. (Does not work on Windows) But this will actually update your contact in your Mac Address book. If you have a lot of contacts to sync, you will be asked if you want to continue as it takes some time. Click on the little gear in the middle of the form and you can reset your search for contacts for updating. This is necessary sometimes after updating and needed when you see duplicates being created in your contacts.

Phone and Email

Phone - This is the home, landline phone in most cases. This field will only accept 10 digits and numeric characters. But then the resulting phone number is automatically formatted correctly.

Mobile - Mobile phone field and as with above field, this field will only accept 10 digits and numeric characters. But then the resulting phone number is automatically formatted correctly.

Work Phone - Work phone number using the same formatting as noted previous

Branch Email - This is the email the branch domain uses. Keep in mind that it may not be possible to email directly from the database on a computer, but is possible at present on iOS devices.

Personal Email - You can email right from your circuit database. You may be given a choice as to which email program you will be using. I would suggest using "Mail" in your Apple computer and it will work fine. When you click the icon next to the "Email" field send it will automatically open your email client placing any and all addresses of all contacts being searched. You will be given an option to send to the current person, or entire found group. One more option will be offered and that is if you want to send the message with the email addresses "Bcc" or not showing the persons you are emailing to others.

Swap Email Addresses - At times it may be necessary to swap email addresses if they are in the wrong field for example after an import.

One of the benefits of Circuit Data on the Go is the ability to email many persons at once simple by performing search requests of people. More on that below.

Congregation

Cong Name - Is a drop down field based on congregations in the database. You cannot enter Congregation Names here! If a congregation is missing then it is not in the database. Remember, when entering congregations under "Congregations" form, use "English" for the name, then "City" and so on. This will make it appear correctly. If you try to use "English Smithtown" for the name, then it will appear as "English Smithtown, Smithtown, MI", not what you want!

You can change or add a person's congregation from this field.

Cong Number/Section - Is automatically added, you can't change this here but it is there for information purposes as is the Section field. Change this data under "Congregations"

Out of Circuit Tab - This is for congregations of perhaps pioneers in your pioneer school, or Regional Convention speakers from other circuits, so their congregation will show.

Gender, Birth, Baptism, Category

Gender - You set and view the gender of the contact here. Click the button to automatically set the gender for the contacts based on appointments. Also, whenever, you enter a contact and click "MS" or "Elder" the gender will automatically be set for "Male". You can also lock and unlock the Gender, as sometimes it might inadvertently switch when you aren't looking!

Baptism/Birthdate/Appt - These are dropdown calendars but you can enter the data manually too which is easier in some cases. The appointment date field is for the appointment of either Elder/MS or as a Pioneer if you wish.

Category - This is a handy feature to create your own special lists or categories you can search more easily later. The drop down field will then include any special categories you many have made, making it easy to search later. For example, you may wish to create a list of all appointed brothers or pioneers who have homes you could stay in, you might add a category "Home" and make it easier to find through searching these homes later.

Appointments, Assignments

Appointment - This is the appointment of the person. Click on the "X" to clear your selection.

Secret Tip - Just to the right of this field is where the word "Rec" will show up if there is a recommendation in progress. This is only slightly noticeable and others won't catch it if you show them your database, say on your iPad, but it does indicate he is being recommended.

Primary - Use the Primary designation here for the brother from the drop down list. This will be used later to generate lists for CBOE etc.

Secondary - Use this when needed. Power Search will look in this field as well when searching.

Sp Pioneer - Check if the brother or sister is a Special Pioneer

Pioneer - Check if a regular pioneer. This will need to be checked if they are going to be sent to Pioneer School.

Importing

.csv - Check this video Importing Data to help you get data into your database. Use the .csv data from your website to assist you.

PDF - Using the above video, see how easy it is to get a ton of data into your database from the jw.org website. Most will import but sometimes depending on the pdf file, some data might be missed. When importing, the data imported will update what is already in your database and add what is missing. It will not delete contacts not in your import.

Add Contacts

Add one contact - Just click on the "+" to add one contact

Duplicate Contact - The button below the "+" button will duplicate the contact. This is very helpful if you want to add a spouse or family member to the database. If the Spouse's name is listed, it will be used for the first name in the duplicate contact.

Other Features

Auto Enter - The Program will try to auto enter and select information upon entry. It is very helpful and very accurate. Click enter if the auto selection brings up the right information for the field.

Gender Choice - As you enter the first name, and leave the field, the program will try to determine the gender of the person using a built in list of over 4000 female names. It is pretty accurate, but may miss once in a while, but when selecting Elder or MS, the gender always defaults to "Male" of course. Always select the gender for each contact, or information or contacts will not show correctly in the database.

Listing (Select Member) - A Favorite among CDOTG users. This drop down portal shows all related persons in the congregation. Quickly view and then go to contacts in the database in the related congregation.

Print - You print out one or more contacts for others to view. It can include a picture or other contact information for others.

Letter Writing - If you want to do a quick letter, with address information, write it here and print or pdf it to someone. It will hold the message for this person.

PQR - This takes you to a page for writing PQR's on the person who is currently being viewed in the database.

Find Members - You can quickly search for members through this function. After typing a few letters, after choosing the category, you can find people quickly and then click on the name to go to their information.

Custom Reports - Have you ever needed a report like "All Elders between the ages of 30 and 50 who are pioneering"? This can easily be created from this button. After finding the brothers through a search, click this button and then it will take you to a customizable report. Make a report on literally anything or anyone! You will also have the option of including the baptism and birthdates of the individuals in the database being printed out.

Search Basics

Important: Doing a Search

On the toolbar, press the "Find" button and select all the fields you want to find in the records. For example, if you want all the pioneer elders in the "B" portion of the circuit, after pressing "Find" select "Section" and "B" then "Pioneer" and check the box, then "Appointment" and select "Elder" and then press "Find". All the matching records will then show.

The "All" button will show all records at any given time the button is pressed

But what if you want all elders AND ministerial servants in the "B" portion who are pioneering?

Then use the "New Request" feature on Filemaker. Press "Find" then select the field noted above for elders you wanted then click "New Request" once, then add the next search to the one you are working on (don't click "Perform Find" yet! You can add as many new requests as you want!)

After adding your request, then press "Perform Find" and all the records you wanted now show up. The nice thing? you can then email them all by clicking on "Email" and your email client will open up and then you can compose message just to those persons (if they have email.)

Don't get confused with the "New Request" feature. Takes a little getting used to at first, but you can add as many "New Requests" as you want, they basically stack up and then when you are done requesting the types of searches you want (ie: Pioneers, ages, you name it) then hit "Perform Find" and they all come up. Doing additional reading on how to search will reveal that you can search ones of a certain age using Boolean logic (>1/1/1960) on fields and other operators to find exactly who you want.(Boolean Logic, now don't you wish you paid more attention in Math class??)

Power Search

Perform searches in your database quickly on a variety of variables!

Performing Searches

Here's a few things to keep in mind about searching for people in your database:

You can search on "Serving As" in certain ways, such as including Pioneers, but not elders and/or Male gender, as this criteria generally will not apply. When you click "M" for "Male" it 'clicks off' the "Serving As" buttons
You can also search on people, Male and Female that are pioneering, and for how long they have been baptized as well as how old they are.

Searching on "Serving As"

You can search on any positions or assignments and circuit sections, when complete, you will be returned to the Contacts Form and see the ones who meet this criteria. Keep in mind that the program searches for Serving As under Primary and Secondary positions.

Searching on 'People'

You can search on any other criteria which primarily focuses on the right side of the search form. The first number field is for the "Greater Than" and "Lesser Than". If you decide to search on a Range of Years, then the Greater Than or Lesser Than is cancelled out.

Saving Searches

You can save your most common search if you want by clicking the radio button at the bottom, otherwise every time you leave this form and come back the search will be cleared out.

Remove Blank Records

You can quickly search for any blank records in your database, then scroll through them to be sure they are empty then delete them!

Remove Duplicates

This will go through your entire database and find all records that have the same first and last names and give you the option of saving or deleting them. Careful! You might have some Father and Sons serving with the same names and you will be able to save them both in the database and then these will not show again as a duplicate. This process takes time so be patient as it goes through each record making a comparison of all records and giving you the option of deleting or saving the records.

Search on Congregations

Pick data from individual congregations or multiple congregations with a variety of responsibilities using the Search Multiple Congregations button. You can also search for just one congregation and certain criteria.

Support Contacts Form