AFarris01
Newbie
Joined: 13 Jun 2009
Posts: 1
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 Posted: Sat Jun 13, 2009 3:33 pm Post subject: Issues with mail merge using a Base database/Writer Document |
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Hey everyone!
I hate to post with an issue like this, but I just spent the past 6 hours reading on the internet, and on this forum, trying to find a solution to my issue, and I've found nothing that fits the bill. I have faith that some brilliant person here knows the answer...
My Environment/Experience:
Ubuntu 9.04 Kernel Linux 2.6.28-11-generic
OpenOffice.org v3.1.0 (OOO310m11)
Mostly experienced with Writer, and Calc... little to no experience with Base, NO experience with macros
Background:
I have a database of ~700 different records, each of which contains data describing some objects (dimensions, weight, material, etc...). Its a plain database I use to query items/groups of items when I need them, nothing more.
I need to turn this electronic database into a hard-copy card catalog, fitting a pre-existing style. This style is based on a Writer template that I created a while back, so I decided the easiest way to use the previous document template, and simply add database fields to it, and use the 'mail merge' function to print out all the records with the card-catalog format. This has worked mostly flawlessly, but here is the issue that has me stumped:
Each of these records has a unique picture associated with it, and the picture needs to be located on the card-catalog card. These pictures are currently not associated in any way with the current database, but they need to be. They also need to be inserted into the card catalog document when I do the "mail merge" to generate the cards.
The Problem:
I have no earthly clue how to do this. I've tried reading through some tutorials, but in all of them the tutorial is either so dated that its useless, the solution doesn't work, I don't understand the tutorial, or the situation isn't close enough to mine for me to use it for what I want to do.
The main tutorial I've been reading was this: http://sheepdogguides.com/fdb/fdb1imag.htm, but It doesn't seem to work for my situation.
Here's what I need to do, but don't understand how:
1. Store a reference in each record to the picture that belongs to that document (I am NOT concerned with being able to view them in Base, I just want to store the address of the picture, and I do NOT want the pictures themselves stored in the Database... there's 700+ pictures, each between 1-5 MB...thats just too large)
2. When I do the mail merge, I want the image 'links' or 'references' to be replaced with the actual images, so that the final product can simply be printed, no extra manual insertion/placement of images like i have in the past
3. I'd PREFER a solution that does not require macros, because as I said before, I have no experience with macros, and I don't have the time to devote to learning them right now (though it is still something I'd like to be able to do one day)
4. If this just flat-out isnt possible to do without macros, then I'd greatly appreciate either some code examples, or some sort of quick-learning guide...I've yet to find one that was aimed for complete macro noobs... 
I greatly appreciate any help offered. I'm going to go do something non-computer related for a while to vent my frustrations.
Thanks in advance,
Andrew |
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