Blank Lines in Mail Merge

gcso3 · Newbie Joined: 27 Apr 2006 Posts: 2

Is there anyway to suppress blank lines in printing envelopes using Mail Merge?

foxcole · Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 4:30 am Post subject: Re: Blank Lines in Mail Merge

JohnV · Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 5:46 am Post subject:

Yes, if using OOo 2.0.3 or 1.1.x and probably 2.0.4 RCx. Broken in earlier versions of 2.
http://www.oooforum.org/forum/viewtopic.phtml?t=40613&highlight=hidden+paragraph

james_h · Super User Joined: 05 Nov 2005 Posts: 883

Important: See following message thread
OpenOffice.org 2 Writer: How to hide empty address lines in a mailmerge (envelope)

Place the text cursor at the beginning of the line to selectively hide.
Insert > Fields > Other...
Click Functions tab
Under Type, select Hidden Paragraph
Under Condition, enter a formula in this form: the field label in the line to selectively blank, an equals sign, then two double quotes. (i. e.: for a Thunderbird address book, you could use theAddress 2="")
Click OK
To verify that the field exists, make sure View > HIdden Paragraphs is checked and that View > Field Names is checked.
To edit the hidden paragraph field, double click it.

JohnV · Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 7:56 am Post subject:

james_h,

If you use the Label Wizard (File > New > Labels) or Envelope Wizard (Insert > Envelope) to create these items and let the wizard insert the fields for various address lines then the address lines will be separated by Line Breaks instead of Paragraph Breaks. Thus a Hidden Paragraph field before, or after, one of these lines will cause the entire address to to hidden on a true condition.

Accordingly, I feel your first step should be something like, "Turn on View > Nonprinting Characters and change any Line Breaks to Paragraph Breaks".

I also think in your Condition step the use of "an equals sign" and then an example of >theAddress 2=""< is confusing. Why not just use >theAddress EQ ""< or Not(theAddress).

Sorry for the critcism but I think you are developing a set of answers to FAQs. This is great, I just think they should be as complete and clear as possible.

james_h · Super User Joined: 05 Nov 2005 Posts: 883

Important: See following message thread
On Thu September 14, 2006 JohnV wrote:

JohnV · Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2006 6:58 am Post subject:

james_h,

The equals operator is written with double equals signs:
Fieldname == ""

I thought perhaps you were trying to indicate this with the "2=" in <Address 2=""> because, as far as I know, OOo can't handle two word field names. You now know why I said "confusing" instead "incorrect".

james_h · Super User Joined: 05 Nov 2005 Posts: 883

Thanks very much for your additional comment. The custom envelope template I used worked for me (even with the single equals sign), but with OpenOffice.org version 2.0.3 it seems not to even if I change to double equals signs. (The second address line is always hidden.) Thanks for alerting me that I need to change my template.

On Fri September 15, 2006 JohnV wrote:

acknak · Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:16 am Post subject:

When I drag a data source column into the condition entry, the field spec is enclosed in square brackets:

james_h · Super User Joined: 05 Nov 2005 Posts: 883

[Correction]OpenOffice.org 2 Writer: How to hide empty address lines in a mailmerge (envelope)

Turn on View > Nonprinting Characters and change any Line Breaks to Paragraph Breaks
Place the text cursor at the beginning of the line to selectively hide.
Insert > Fields > Other...
Click Functions tab
Under Type, select Hidden Paragraph
Under Condition, enter Fieldname=="". (NOTE: if you are using the Thunderbird address book as a data source, you need to use square brackets if the field name includes a space (i. e.: [Address 2]=="") to hide the second line of the address if it the Address 2 field is blank.)
Click OK
To verify that the field exists, make sure View > HIdden Paragraphs is checked and that View > Field Names is checked.
To edit the hidden paragraph field, double click it.

Thanks to JohnV and acknak for helping to correct the errors in my original posting. I verified that the instructions work in OOo 2.0.3.

JohnV · Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2006 10:03 am Post subject:

acknak,

Thanks, I didn't know about square brackets.

Straight Shooter · General User Joined: 22 Apr 2006 Posts: 40

Hello,
This is quite frustrating..

May I ask a couple of questions?

First of all, how do you change line breaks to paragraph breaks? I looked.. I can't find a simple answer.

2ndly, after you enter the field name=="" , you CANNOT enter "Okay". It doesn't exist.. It only "Insert" and "Close"..

I don't understand what the problem is,... This is a lot of aggravation for a free product. .. It's just very frustrating when you have deadlines..
Thanks
Jim

acknak · Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2006 5:54 am Post subject:

Straight Shooter · General User Joined: 22 Apr 2006 Posts: 40

I'm sorry, but replace with what? A period..? "."

Is that what you're saying?
Thanks
jim

Straight Shooter · General User Joined: 22 Apr 2006 Posts: 40

Could someone just break in all down and rewite alll this so someone who doesn't know Ooo well can just do it?