2 problems with mail merge

[JolaRodz]

first problem:

I try to make some letter [with such fieds: name, date of birth, fathers name....]

I used mail merge, my data source is spreadsheet
besides fields I have some invariable text.

I have such problem:

When I change data in file [spreadsheet] my data source in form is out of date

I read somewere that I should save spreadsheet as database
but in that point I receive error message: general failure entry/exit [I translate it from polish so I don't know how it is in english version]

my second problem:

is it possible to have different text depending on sex of described person ? e.g. Madam or Sir?

[wpaulson]

Here's a possible answer to your second question about different text for different genders. This assumes that your database contains some information that tells whether a given person is male or female, for example a field named "Sex" with values "M" or "F".
OpenOffice allows you to add different text based on the values stored in a database. The process is described in the help system indexed under "conditions in fields and sections."
Go to "Insert -> Fields -> Other...". In the window, select the tab "Functions". Select "Conditional text" in the "Type" list. On the right side of the window, in the "Condition" window, enter an expression that is true or false depending on a database value. If the database has a "Sex" field, you could enter DatabaseName.TableName.Sex == "M". In the "Then" box, you would put the text "Sir", and in the "Else" box, put the text "Madam". When the mail merge runs, the field will contain the text "Sir" if the database Sex field has the value "M", and if the database Sex field has any other value the field will contain "Madam".

[JolaRodz]

I've done this end everything was alright

unfortunately nothing changed if I made some changes in database,
but don't work only Conditional text, another changes are up to date, I have everywhere "Sir", I don't have "Madam" anywhere...
what have I done wrong?