5. Menu items

The "Preferences" menu is covered in "setup newsletter".


The File menu

Under the "File" menu you can find three interesting options: load and save newsletters, and export current email addresses.

Save newsletter

If you choose this option, you will export to a ".nlt" file the current things configured in the main window: recipients, subject, body, smart-tags and attachments.

Load newsletter

If you choose this option, you will be prompted to choose a valid ".nlt" file, and you will load the data contained. These two options are useful to preserve your work and reuse it when needed. You can also drop the ".nlt" file onto NewsLetter's icon or double-click it in the Finder, and it will be automatically loaded.

Export current addresses...

After you cleaned your recipients list (duplicate addresses, etc.), you can export your brand new list of recipients for further use.


The Special menu

You will find several options here.



Grab addresses from...

From this menu, you can import email addresses from FileMaker (you will be prompted to choose a field of the frontmost opened database), Microsoft Entourage's address book (you will be prompted to choose a field to import from); and, finally, from Apple's Address Book:



If you choose "nothing" in the first popup menu, NewsLetter will import the entire AB's database. Otherwise, you can choose any of the available fields and import email addresses selectivelly.


Filter addresses...

From this menu, you can delete certain email addresses based in a simple filter (eg, delete any email address which contains "junk.com").


Grab body from...

Choose your browser and NewsLetter will import from its frontmost window the source code for your newsletter.


Create MBOX file...

If you choose this menu item, you will create a MBOX file (instead of sending the messages). A MBOX file is a standard method to store email messages in UNIX and other operative systems. You can open MBOX files in any mbox-suitable email client, such as Apple's Mail, Entourage or Outlook Express, so you can preview the messages as if they were already sent.

Apple's Mail encloses the mbox file in a package called "xxx.mbox", so you will be prompted to choose one of Mail or Entourage formats. If you use Mail, choose Mail. Otherwise, use the Entourage, and you will create a universal .mbox file, which you can open in applications such as Entourage or Outlook Express.

After creating a MBOX file, you can double-click it in the Finder and it will be automatically opened by your email client (if it doesn't work, eg, you use Outlook Express, just drop the mbox file onto your email client's icon, if it supports drag & drop and .mbox files...).


Send messages to Entourage's outbox

Messages will be passed to Entourage's Outbox folder (so you can send them manually when you wish).


Send messages using Entourage

Messages will be sent through Entourage.