We have been a little delayed in getting labs.missionresearch.com up and running so I thought I would post a little bit of what I have been working on.

The are many aspects that customers find appealing about GiftWorks....the user interface is simple, clean, and intuitive, the features are plentiful, and the price is unbeatable.  Another great aspect of GiftWorks (and virtually unknown to our customers) is the ability to easily add new functionality to GiftWorks.  Over the next year, we hope to generate awareness and excitement about the "add-in" features of GiftWorks so that computer hobbyists, vocational software developers, and technical consultants can add customized and useful functionality to meet the specialized needs of GiftWorks users.

The first step I have taken to introduce you to GiftWorks add-in functionality is an add-in called DonorPics for GiftWorks.  This add-in simply allows you to add pictures to your donors.  I was prompted to develop this add-in after hearing a few customers ask if GiftWorks has this feature.  Well, the basic installation of GiftWorks does not have this feature, but this add-in adds the feature seamlessly.

In this post, I will introduce you to the functionality and the installation...in my next post, I will begin to break down how things work.

Installing DonorPics for GiftWorks

You can download the DonorPics for GiftWorks add-in by clicking here.  Run the installation and then start GiftWorks.

At the signin screen to GiftWorks, click the Help menu and choose Manage GiftWorks Addins...

In the filename box, enter: c:\program files\mission research\DonorPics\module.xml and click the Install button.

You should see DonorPics for GiftWorks

Taking a look

When the add-in is installed, the donor screen looks a little different.  Notice the Picture section at the bottom.

The Add a picture link allows you to browse and look for a picture to associate with this donor.  You can add as many pictures as you like.

If you hover over a picture, you will see additional options: 

The two options are Delete and  Set as donor picture.  Delete simply allows you to delete the picture from this donor.  The Set as donor picture option allows you to set the image in the upper left corner of the screen to be an actual picture.  Here is how it might look:

Some notes

Pictures that are added to GiftWorks are stored in a "DonorPics" folder that is located in the same folder as your GiftWorks database.  The location of your pictures can be changed, along with other options, by going to the Settings area of GiftWorks.

Setting the picture location

Setting picture properties

Wrapping it up

In my next post, I will begin to go into detail about how DonorPics works and how you can build add-ins for GiftWorks too.  Please feel free to leave comments on DonorPics or other add-in functionality.

GiftWorks is a great program.  I don't say that because I am involved with its development, I say that because it helps many organizations (in part) accomplish their mission.

 Even though GiftWorks is a great program, some users experience problems while using GiftWorks which is something that we don't like to hear.  We have a great support department where people like Heather and Lisa try to get every user up and working so they can get back to their mission.

Many of the problems users face have to do with environmental conditions such as:

• Operating system
• Service packs
• Windows updates http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com
• Security issues

As much as we like to personally interact with users, we have created other valuable ways of helping users solve problems.  One of the ways we can help is with our new SupportTool for GiftWorks.  This tool allows a user to run a series of test on their own computer to try and determine the cause of the problem they are experiencing.

So you want to run the test?

The first time you go to http://help.missionresearch.com/supporttool you will be prompted to install our Support Tool component.  After the installation of our component, you will see:

Enter a valid email address

The first step in running a test is to provide a valid email address.  This email address is used to track the results of your test (Mission Research will never sell, rent, or use your email for any purposes).

Choose one or both tests

Basic System Test - this will test many environmental issues that could cause GiftWorks to encounter problems.  This test includes security checks, necessary prerequisites, operating system settings, Internet settings, etc.

Database Check - this will test many of the conditions that can cause a problem while trying to access a GiftWorks database.  To run this test, you must enter the path to a GiftWorks database.

Run the test

When you are ready, you can click the "Start testing now" link to begin running the test.  As the test runs you will see a progress bar that keeps you informed of the test progress.

View the results

When the test completes, hopefully you will see a screen like the one here that has no errors:

Some of you may get errors (below).  By clicking on the row with the error, you will see helpful information to help you better understand the error.

The Support Tool also may report warnings (marked in yellow).  These warnings are typically not serious and are intended to alert you to a item that is noteworthy.  The warning information will help you understand the issue.

I found errors, now what?

You may be able to figure out what is going on with the help of the error information.  Not all the features of the Support Tool are fully developed so you may get stuck at some point and need additional help.  If you do, contact us at support@missionresearch.com and we'll help.