Previously I have integrated Quick Address from QAS with The Raiser’s Edge. I implemented their pro API in order to validate the address on saving the constituent/relationship/participant and on demand using the VBA macro button. I created a plugin to update addresses en masse using their batch API. I implemented their pro API to create a “silent” validation during import. The one thing that I didn’t do at the time was to validate addresses in a constituent batch. At the time this was not a requirement.

However now, working with another client, they use constituent batches a great deal. I spent a whole day trying to get the batch validation to work when tabbing through the end of a row in the constituent batch. Nothing. I was told by Blackbaud support that the two VBA validation functions are not used in the constituent batch. This is clearly another case of no documentation. Nothing in the knowledgebase, nothing in the help file.

 What I don’t understand is why was this never implemented? It surely cannot have been that difficult to do. The code must be similar to gift if not the same so why not implement it for constituents? I would love to get the answer to this from a Blackbaud developer who may be reading this post. In the new and open world of Blackbaud surely they must be able to shed light on something like this. Anyway my name has been added to the list (I am told that I was the first as this had never been requested before – so don’t hold your breath about seeing this implemented any time soon!)

 I wonder if this is connected to the reason why they have not opened up the batch API for constituents as well as gifts…

Or to be given the event of on tabbing out of the zip/postcode field… Now that would be a real nice to have.

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