We receive from time to time the question, whether Merlin can send an email to the assigned resources and ask them for an update on their activities.
The honest answer to this is yes and no. Yes, you can create a new report (‘next due activities’ for example), select an appropriate template, select in its options a specific resource in order to see only its activities listed, and send this report by email…
But, no, you cannot expect Merlin to automatically address this created email to the selected resource putting its address in the “To” field.
Merlin 2.7 has not been specified to do this automatically.
If you never the less, really need this functionality, you will find here a sample script we have created. It is based on the AppleScript sample Apple delivers for scripting the Mail.app and contains a Merlin part.
The script in the ‘Merlin part’ shows a dialogue with the available project resources for you to select one. It collects then the titles and planned start dates of the assignments for this resource and forwards this information to the email creating ‘Mail.app scripting part.
Enjoy 🙂
Note: You may put it into your “SendToMenu” folder and have it always available over Merlin’s File > Send To
Update: Our originally posted script won’t go deeper than into level 1 of the activities, if you like you may use this one instead, expecting you to have previously select all project activities.
Doesn’t work for me.
When i select the script from the send to functionality. It ask for the resource, but nothing happens after selecting one. (e-mail adres is filled in the resource pane).
Can someone help me?
Hmmm, have you changed it?
the script asks first for the resource, gets its assignments, if there are none an empty list gets created (no error message) and if the email is existing it proceeds.
The rest part of the script is as explained in the post part of an applescript sample for scripting mail.app.
Could it be that the next dialogues are displayed somehow in the background?
This script can only script mail.app.
Otherwise you could open your Merlin project, open the script in the Applescript editor and start it, switch to the ‘description’ area and see where the script stops, in case it does.
Best regards, Vicky
oh… I see your point, it works in Applescript editor but not directly under the Send To menu… we will take a look.
Thank you for mentioning.
Please download the script once again, we have changed it. I have to admit that as I have wrote it, I started in the Applescript editor and had not checked whether it runs from the Sent To menu as well. The new script runs from the Sent To menu just fine.
Thanks again for your comment 🙂
Now the script run without any problem, thanks for the fast response!
Except i’m not getting the list of activities for that resource in the e-mail, but only the title of the project together with the start time.
Not all the activities which are assigned to that specific resource (are in sub-level of the planning).
If you need my planning file, I can send it to you in a private mail
Can you please contact support@merlin2.net? Leaving a comment is not an appropriate way to get support. Thanks 😉
This script works in individual project windows but I utilize a combined view to manage all of my projects. It allows me to do the script but will not let me save it in the overall project view. Ay suggestions.
It will not let me save it in the overall project view… hmmm… what do you mean by that?
The script won’t work in a combined project, as it checks right now for the resources defined in the master project, and not in the separate project files combined into it.
If you find some time and mofify it, we would be glad to put the updated script on our server.
On the other hand you may also use the report (File > New Report >) “Next due Activities”, sort by the desired resource and send the report per email.
Thank you Les for your comment.