Subject Field in Emails

[brucet]

Thanks Mike, understood now. Yes, the copied layout retains the same email type as the original. I can see how that becomes a limitation in this case.

The change in v18.0.5 was a response to a number of user requests for a central setting for the email subject. This was so that the default subject could be changed, rather than permanently defaulting to the original as it did before. This change causes the issue that you folks are experiencing.

So effectively there are two conflicting requirements, depending how the emails are used :-(

I will give it some thought and see what could be done about it. Ideally we would enable the software to dynamically create a subject field for each new custom layout. But I think that would be too big a development. Perhaps we could revert to the old behaviour for custom layouts, and just use the permanent default settings for the four factory email types. Would that suit?

[Mike Hughes]

Hi Bruce,

I have to admit I do see the benefit of being able to set the subject line for emails.

So yes, if we can set the subject line centrally for the four factory email types AND still have the old behaviour where the first part of the layout name is appended to the subject for customised email layouts then I think I'd be happy with that.

What does 18.0.5 do with the email subject? As I see it, in 18.0.4 it's created in three parts to be 'Company Name' : 'Order Number' : 'Layout Name'

Presumably, instead of 'Layout Name' which has to remain fixed for the factory layouts it allows you to set that bit to whatever you want?

If we were going to do this properly, I'd really quite like to have the ability to create a more friendly, less impersonal subject line. Something along the lines of 'Your Company Name order #12234 is on its way' would be much nicer.

So Ideally I'd really want you also add the ability to set the first bit of the emails to something other than just 'company name' as well (and get rid of the fixed ':' as they'd no longer be needed).

[Mike Hughes]

The easiest and most flexible way to do this would be to have a 'user defined' subject for each of the factory emails along the lines of 'Enter any text you like here <#ordernumber#> plus some more for luck' where <#ordernumber#> would be substituted with the actual order number on creating the email.

This way you could set the email subject to be whatever you want.

Mike

[Buzby]

Hi Bruce,

So essentially you haven’t pleased either side with the conflicting requirements, which is the worst of all scenarios.

Under the old system a user could have a custom email called User Defined. When needed they could just delete and replace the text as needed.

The new way adds the words User Defined which they can delete and replace as needed. So you haven’t added anything new to the software for that requirement.

But you have reduced functionality for the users who used custom emails.

[Mike Hughes]

Jason,

I assume in 18.0.5 the 'User Defined' bit is set in the the sellerdeck settings for the factory emails, probably in Design > Text.

The problem will be that for customised emails nothing has been set as there will be no place to set it.

Mike

[brucet]

The easiest and most flexible way to do this would be to have a 'user defined' subject for each of the factory emails along the lines of 'Enter any text you like here <#ordernumber#> plus some more for luck' where <#ordernumber#> would be substituted with the actual order number on creating the email.

That's what we've done in v18.0.5 :-) We copied the behaviour from the existing email subject fields. Btw the change is actually recorded in the version release notes, ref SD-6578 - but I don't suppose many people read those!

So essentially you haven’t pleased either side with the conflicting requirements, which is the worst of all scenarios.

We've pleased the ones who asked for the change - and there were rather more of them TBH. Nevertheless, I'm looking for a way to satisfy both.

I assume in 18.0.5 the 'User Defined' bit is set in the the sellerdeck settings for the factory emails, probably in Design > Text.

The problem will be that for customised emails nothing has been set as there will be no place to set it.

Correct on both counts, Mike.

We're looking to tweak the code so that the new default subject fields are used only for the exact layouts they were intended for, and custom layouts revert to the original behaviour. That seems like the most practicable solution to satisfy both requirements.

[Mike Hughes]

Btw the change is actually recorded in the version release notes, ref SD-6578 - but I don't suppose many people read those!

Weirdly, the release notes for 18.0.5 don't seem to be published.

http://portal.sellerdeck.co.uk/index...-release-notes

[brucet]

Good catch, thanks, I will get them added. In the meantime they are included with the software when you install it. Normally in C:\Program Files (x86)\SellerDeck\SellerDeck 201x, according to the version

[Mike Hughes]

Thanks. Unfortunately I'm not going to install 18.0.5 until this is sorted so I'll have to wait for the release notes to be put online.

Which is a shame as I was looking forward to the PayPal enhancements.

[MrsBee]

Thanks. Unfortunately I'm not going to install 18.0.5 until this is sorted so I'll have to wait for the release notes to be put online.

Which is a shame as I was looking forward to the PayPal enhancements.

Sorry to digress from the thread topic slightly, but can I ask what PayPal enhancements you are looking forward to, Mike?

[Mike Hughes]

Sorry to digress from the thread topic slightly, but can I ask what PayPal enhancements you are looking forward to, Mike?

It's the PayPal ecommerce Platform discussed here: https://community.sellerdeck.com/for...merce-platform

That's probably the best place to continue any discussion on that side of things.

[Mike Hughes]

I have found the release notes but they only mention the change to the email subject line. I don't know why but I was expecting to see the details behind the change. Maybe I'll have to download 18.0.5 onto another computer to see what's been done.

[Buzby]

Many thanks for the update Bruce

[Mike Hughes]

OK. I've downloaded V18.0.5 onto a laptop here and the email subject line for the default emails are entered in Design > Text along the lines of "Your %s order number %s is now on it's way"

Where the first %s introduces the Company Name and the second %s introduces the order number.

So maybe not as flexible as it could be as you can't use the order number without first using the company name but a big improvement in what went before it.

So from what I can see it will be a nice feature once the problem with the customised emails has been fixed.

Mike

[brucet]

The release notes have been updated now on the customer portal: http://portal.sellerdeck.co.uk/index...-release-notes.

There is a full list of changes in v18.0.5, but they don't provide any detail.