[SLUG] Mailmerge, debate

[Martin Webb]

Martin Webb wrote:
> 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!" 

PPS  This method can of course be used to set up very complex merges, 
with various kinds of data.
PPPS It's a d****d sight simpler than Office 2003.