Document 387, Using the PREDIAL.INI for special dialing needs
Covers GoldMine 4.x or higher
With the advent of multiple area codes in metropolitan areas and telephone dialing capabilities in computers, a method for differentiating between local and long distance calls was developed for GoldMine. This allows GoldMine users to dial the phone using the modem in a computer without having to enter any special dialing codes.
A user created configuration settings file, called PREDIAL.INI, which is placed in the GoldMine folder, handles this. The file consists of four sections, [City], [Prefix], [Suffix], and [PBX], that are scanned in the listed order until a match is found. This terminates the search and GoldMine will use the values found to dial the phone ignoring any settings in lower sections of the PREDIAL.INI. The exception to this is the [Suffix] section; GoldMine will always check this section for a match terminating the search when a match is found.
Below is a portion of an actual customers PREDIAL.INI that is set up to dial the numbers using the [City] and [Prefix] sections only.
[City]
Abie,NE=1-402
Ashland,NE=1-402
Battle Creek,NE=1-402
Callaway,NE=1-308
Cambridge,NE=1-308
Chappell,NE=1-308
Deseese,NE=1-402
Gurley,NE=1-308
Haigler,NE=1-308
Hershey,NE=1-308
Ralston,NE=1-402
Randolph,NE=1-402
Ravenna,NE=1-308
Red Cloud,NE=1-402
Riverdale,NE=1-308
[Prefix]
800=1-
877=1-
888=1-
Since there are only two area codes in Nebraska, every city in the GoldMine database for the state will have to be listed in the [City] section. Also, 800 numbers will not be dialed correctly for Nebraska since the [City] section will override the settings in the [Prefix] section.
To correct the issues, set up the PREDIAL.INI with only the area codes and prefix’s for the numbers that are local to the customer. Then use the Otherwise statement in the [Prefix] section as detailed on page 2. In large metropolitan areas with multiple area codes and special dialing needs, the [Prefix] section can be used for ten-digit dialing. The [Suffix] section can be used with telephone systems that require accounting codes to be entered after every number is dialed.
A properly configured PREDIAL.INI allows GoldMine’s dialer to recognize different types of phone numbers. These settings act as an exception list that is checked when GoldMine dials a number. When a match is found, the formatting entered will be used to dial the phone number.
The examples provided in the following sections are purely examples only and may not reflect actual dialing issues in the Dallas – Ft. Worth metro area.
The Otherwise statement and the [PBX] section are not available with GoldMine 4.x. These functions are only available with GoldMine 5.x or higher released after April 2000.
All entries in this section are in the following format:
City, State = Dialing prefix
Example:
Dallas,TX=1-
Ft. Worth,TX=9-
When this section exists and GoldMine finds a matching city and state exactly, it uses the information to the right of the equals sign to dial all numbers for the match. In our example above, all numbers in Dallas TX would be treated as long distance even if they are a local call. In Ft. Worth, all of the numbers would be dialed as entered in the database by GoldMine after dialing a 9 for the outside line.
All entries in this section are in the following format:
Area Code + Telephone Prefix = Dialing Prefix
214- + 972 = 1-
Example 1:
817-2=817-
682-2=682-
817-6=817-
682-9=682-
972-3=972-
214-3=214-
469-2=469-
972-7=972-
469-8=1-
Otherwise=1-
This is a very good example of a prefix section for the Dallas-Ft. Worth metropolitan area. In this area there are five different area codes with three different overlays for these area codes. Ten-digit dialing is a necessity in this area that GoldMine can easily handle with a properly configured PREDIAL.INI. In our example, all of the entry with 1- to the right of the equals sign will be dialed as long distance. The entries with the area codes on the right will be dialed as ten-digits. The Otherwise statement tells GoldMine to dial all other numbers as long distance if the area code is not listed.
Example 2:
915-5=-
915-6=1-
The 915-area code covers most of West Texas. For a business in El Paso, all numbers with a prefix starting with ‘5,’ the area code will be dropped and only the seven digit number will be dialed. The numbers starting with a ‘6’ are located in San Angelo and will be dialed as long distance numbers. A large geographic region covered by a single area code is also a good candidate for using the Otherwise statement.
As with the [City] section, when a match is found, GoldMine will terminate the search.
All entries in this section can be in the following formats:
Area Code = Dialing Suffix
Or
Field = GoldMine Field Name
Field Data = Dialing Suffix
Example:
310=,,,1005
513=,,,1007
Field=contact2->userdef01
Personal=,,,,1501
Business=,,,,1502
Otherwise=,,,,1700
This section will be checked for matches anytime a number is dialed with GoldMine appending the match to the phone number. As with the other sections, once a match is found the search will be terminated. If none of the area codes match, then GoldMine will check the Field listed for any possible matches based on the information in the PREDIAL.INI. If there are not any matches, GoldMine will use the Otherwise statements information if it is present.
This section is formatted as follows:
Match Field = GoldMine Field Name
Match Value = Data to look for in the Match Field
Dial Field = GoldMine Field used for dialing
Example:
MatchField=Contact2->UPBX
MatchValue=InOffice
DialField=Contact1->EXT1
When GoldMine finds a match in this section, it will dial the office extension for the team member being called. This section is very useful since the complete phone numbers remain intact for remote team members that need to use them.
Looking back at our customers PREDIAL.INI, it can be improved by using one of the newer features of the PREDIAL.INI that have been added to GoldMine.
Example 1:
[City]
[Prefix]
308-38=-
Otherwise=1-
By setting up the Predial.ini with the new Otherwise statement, it has been greatly simplified. The [City] section has been left here for illustration only and can actually be left out of the file and the 308-38 prefix is actually in the Grand Island area of Nebraska.
For cities like El Paso, Texas that are in area codes that cover large geographic areas, the PREDIAL.INI would look similar to this one.
Example 2:
[Prefix]
915-58=-
915-53=-
Otherwise=1-
Although this one is incomplete
it will work with the addition of the remaining prefixes for the local dialing
area in El Paso.
In cities like Arlington, Texas where both Dallas and Ft Worth are local calls
with multiple area codes and ten-digit dialing the PREDIAL.INI might
be similar to this example.
Example 3:
[Prefix]
817-2=817-
682-2=682-
817-6=817-
682-9=682-
972-3=972-
214-3=214-
469-2=469-
972-7=972-
Otherwise=1-
In contrast with the other examples, this one can actually be quite extensive once all of the prefixes have been added to it for local calling.
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