no subject/topic shown in activities by using print pdf letter

[Freya von Moltke-Foundation]

Hi,
We are using CiviCRM version 4.2.6 and we are missing any option to use the theme/subject in print pdf letter.
When I create a new template for PDF letters, I can mark a special subject/topic for this template. Now I use this template to print a PDF letter. In the activities it is shown, that I produced a letter, but the subject/topic unfortunately not.
It would be great to use this function.

And furthermore we miss a possibility to type in a subject/topic direct when we produce a letter.

Is there any possibility to use this application – or are there any ideas to make it work?
If someone has a hint for us, we would be grateful.

[Freya von Moltke-Foundation]

Hello,

does noone have the same problem/interest? Or is it just working with your CiviCRM?

This information would also be helpful. : )

[Donald Lobo]

hey freya:

can you reproduce this issue on the demo server. and give us the steps to do so

I dont think we treat subject special for activity, but maybe we should

lobo

[Freya von Moltke-Foundation]

Hi Lobo,
I used the demo to reproduce the issue.

As you can see in the Message Templates the “Sample CiviMail Newsletter Template” (Message Title) has the Message Subject: Sample CiviMail Newsletter.

Now I used the contact called Mrs. Test Freya von Moltke to create a PDFletter with this template.  In the activities there is shown that a PDF letter was created, but the subject stays empty.

We would like to use this possibility to mark a subject by creating a letter – either direct by typing it in while creating a PDFletter or while using the templates. Is there any possibilities?

[dtheweather9]

Hmm following up with this (sorry for reviving a slightly old thread) - I could see this feature coming in handy.  In my case I'm trying to use advanced search to be able to target when membership cards are sent out, which could easily be identified by the "print pdf letter" activity having specific subject (as the dates of the activity i.e. print date are already stored). 

If the print pdf letter had either this or the template used (granted the template could be changed by the user), it would simplify immensely the workflow for several physical printing tasks.

[Guy Iaccarino]

I would love this feature.


When you look down the list of activities in the Activities tab for a given contact, and you've been sending them PDF letters for a while, all you see is a long list that says "Print PDF Letter" with absolutely no context. You don't know what the letters are about without actually opening them up (time consuming), and the entire holistic view advantage of the Activities tab is greatly diminished.


Imagine how helpful it would be if you looked in the Activities tab and saw "Print PDf Letter - 2013 Spring Solicitation" and the next entry was "Contribution - $200." All of a sudden you have context, and the holistic view of the activities tab - being able to quickly get a sense of the outreach and effect regarding a contact - would then be more complete. It would also help for reporting.


I'm willing to kick in to help make this happen. Seems like a basic core need to me.


Thanks,


Guy

[hbergin]

When looking into this today, I was able to add a subject field to the "Print PDF Letter" form, and see it in the list of activities, by editing the following files:

CRM/Contact/Form/Task/PDFLetterCommon.php
templates/CRM/Contact/Form/Task/PDFLetterCommon.tpl

What I edited (could be posted to an issue/solution, if this covers the feature needed):
1) Add activity "Subject" field to the form in the php and tpl file
2) Add the "Subject" field value to the activity record update in the php file.

Other methods tried - I was also able to update the subject field on existing activity records by:
1) On the Activity tab, click view option, and then the "Edit" button on that activity view screen.  I could edit fields that appear for standard activities, like "Subject", "Campaign".  However, I needed to increase the "Kick Value", in CRM/Core/IDS.php in order not to have the submission rejected as being suspicious activity due to the "Details" field content.

2) Searching for activities, and then on the results, using the batch update option with a custom profile (that included activity fields like subject, campaign...).  This had no Kick Value issue.

[Donald Lobo]

Helen:

great, can you please file an issue and attach a patch for this. We'll add it to 4.4

would be good if subject is optional (backward compatibility reasons). if not present, the letter stays as is

thanx

lobo

[hbergin]

Yes, thx Lobo, subject (optional) is good, will do.

Guy had expressed interest in adding a campaign field also:
http://forum.civicrm.org/index.php/topic,28624.msg122372.html#msg122372

Add this to the same issue?

As "Send Email" affects a different file set and test scenarios, I think it would be easier to work that as a separate issue.

[Donald Lobo]

yep, add that field also to the same issue. also optional

thanx for taking the initiative to do so

lobo

[hbergin]

Guy chatted with me yesterday about these features, and his post links, so we were able to see how they could be related.

[hbergin]

Created issue: http://issues.civicrm.org/jira/browse/CRM-12682

[Guy Iaccarino]

Not to make this more complicated, but we also figured out yesterday that adding a custom field set to the Print PDF Letter form doesn't work (I tested this further after we talked Helen). Does it make sense to try to address this issue at the same time as well?

[hbergin]

I'd like to close on getting the subject and campaign fields added first to the Print PDF Letter Form, and have any discussion and additional work related to the custom data fields addressed in a separate topic/issue.

I think they can be worked cleanly as separate work items.

[hbergin]

I've posted a patch to the issue link below that was made against 4.3.3, which is the version I think you were interested in trying out, Guy.  It was tested on a Drupal 7, Civi 4.3.3 installation.  If you are able to try it out, can you post any feedback to the issue?

http://issues.civicrm.org/jira/browse/CRM-12682