[SLUG] Mailmerge, debate

[Martin Webb]

Martin Webb wrote:
> john at johnallsopp.co.uk wrote:
>>> john at johnallsopp.co.uk wrote:
>>>    
>>>> I'm trying to do a mailmerge of a letter with data in a spreadsheet.
>>>> Open Office 2.0 Writer is so difficult to use I haven't managed it.
>>>> Well, I kinda have but not in the format I want, and now it just
>>>> crashes.
>
> A simple and effective mail merge which works can be done thus:
> 1  Set up the letter in Writer.  Leave open;
> 2  Set up the Spreadsheet Database of names and addresses.  Top line 
> must be names of fields.  Save and close;
> 3  Station cursor where you want the name to appear (e.g. after "Dear ");
> 4  Open Insert => Fields => Other => Database;
> 5  Browse to your Spreadsheet Database, and click on all the little + 
> signs until you come to your list of Field Headings;
> 6  Choose the heading you want, and insert and close.
>
> Do steps 3 to 6 again for each of the address rows.
>
> Click on Print, and it will ask you if you want to print a form 
> letter.  Click on Yes, make sure printer is on and there is paper in 
> it, and Robert's your mother's brother. 

PS.  Oh, I did get one crash, when I chose a non-existent, but 
registered, Database (i.e. one I had deleted from the file system).  I 
could have avoided this by deleting old, registered databases by:
Tools => Options => OpenOffice.org Base => Databases, and deleting all 
the registered databases that no longer existed.
I reported this to OpenOffice.  What would be nicer than a crash is a 
message saying "Doh, you shouldn't have clicked on that!"
Martin