Mail Merge basics

[saoir]

Hi all,

I have a simple one page letter - with a header. I have a simple OO database of names and addresses.

But when I try to do a mail merge wizard it is a nightmare of 4 hours

I get half way though fine. Until it says I can edit the document. Then I see the box with the address in double spacing and no font. So I go the doc and move up the address lines and click shift+return to move them down only one line. All fine.
But the address box pushes the letter contents so far down that it goes into the next page and when I try to move it up by back spacing at the "dear joe" line... it disappears whenever it gets near the address box...... and I cannot 'undo'.

I have done this about 6 - 10 times now and I cnanot get it to work...

Also - there seems no way to go back though the wizard to see the resulkt without generating all of the individual documents (over 50 !) individually...

Is there a tutotial to this ? I cannot find one. I used Word several years ago and did a mailmerge in a few minutes no trouble and I Reallt really don;t want to go back....

Saoir

[denmarks]

I find that the easiest way to create a form letter is not to use the wizard.

Manually design the document omitting any variable fields.

Now go to "Insert/Fields/Other".
Select type "mail merge fields".
Open the file with the "database selection" frame and drag the field names to the correct position within your document.

Note that the database has to be defined to OpenOffice prior to use. You may have already done that when using the wizard. If the database is not listed in the above instructions then do this.

Go to "tools/options/OpenOffice.org base"/databases" and select "new".
_________________
Dennis Marks

[JohnV]

An alternate way is to press F4 while in the document, open your DB, open the Tables item and click your table. The field names can now be dragged and dropped.

After the doc is finished, to print all or selected records click the Print icon and answer 'yes' to the 'form letter' question. If you want to select record instead of printing all use the gray buttons to their left then simply click OK.

If you want to save the merge to one file then you can try this macro.
http://www.oooforum.org/forum/viewtopic.phtml?t=29291

[saoir]

I regret to say that after spending hours and hours trying to make this simple merge thing work, I have thrown in the towel. I have used OO for six months now and struggled with several of it's flaws, but I persevered. But I can't afford this crazy amount time on such asmall project....

Yesterday I reinstalled MSOffice2000and in 5 minutes I had the perfect merge with every piece of text and field in the right place. I have only ever done one before, about two years ago.

So I have uninstalled OO and am back in the fold of the evil empire I hope OO gets better soon ....