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Mail Merge and Openoffice.org 2.0 (beta)


devries
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In Openoffice.org 2.0 (still beta) it should be easier to setup mailmerge (add names/address from a database automatically to a letter/form/envelope etcetc) than in earlier vesrions of OOo. I'm afraid that this is not the case so I wrote a little HOWTO for all the people who are in need of some help with this.

 

(Note: there is another way to setup mailmerge hidden somewhere deep in the settings and I didn't find it particular stable: click, 'tools', 'assistant standard letter' 'import adress' 'other address source' 'cancel' (really strange place) 'make' :D. I guess mailmerge is a work in progress and not very stable yet. At least with this explanation you can set it up and get it working)

 

--- To begin with the adding of an existing addressbook (database): it's the same as in earlier versions. Go to 'file', 'assistant', 'address source' (this is all translated from Dutch so exact wording can be slightly different) and add the source.

 

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After the importing the addressbook column names need to be defined. If that's all you need to do, skip the next few steps, and read on from the 'template' section.

 

--- Making and adding a new database. The addresses needed by OOo are stored in a database. If you want to use mailmerge you have to create a database. So go to, 'file', 'new', 'database'. Choose new database and make sure 'register database' is checked.

 

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The registered databses can be managed from 'extra', 'options' 'OpenOffice Base-Databases'. You can add and delete databses from here.

 

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After you have clicked 'apply' Openoffice.org will save the newly created database in an xxx.odb (save the file for example as 'addressbook') file and open the database editor.

 

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(to be continued)

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The data in the database is stored in a table. Openoffice.org 2.0 comes with a wizard to create a table to store addresbook entries (and a lot of other options) but unfortunately this is still quite buggy. Use at your own discretion.

 

p.png

 

For now click on 'Tables' and 'make tables' :

 

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In the first column you give the name (for example: first name, last name, address etcetc)

 

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In the second colum will appear: Text [VARCHAR]. It means that you can fill in what ever you want in this table.

 

When you made enough rows with address options click save.

 

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You will get an error because in this databse there needs to be a unique index

 

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(to be continued)

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Click 'yes' to generate one and the table will now look like this:

 

p.png

 

---- Templates: We have created the database and the table, now we have to tell OOo to associate the row names with the addressbook entries. Close the database and editor and go to the normal OOo screen. Click 'file', 'templates' 'addressbook source'

 

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Choose the databse and table and associate the entries:

 

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Save the changes

 

After you have done all this OOo and mailmerge have been setup and we can begin to add information to the addressbook. Hit F4 and the databeses in OOo will appear. Select the one we created and click on the table:

 

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We can now fill in the names and addresses:

 

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Make sure that the 'ID' column gets filled. Doesn't really matter what you put there (for example with 1,2,3,4, etcetc)

 

Click 'file' 'assistant' 'letter' and make a template for a letter:

 

(to be continued)

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p.png

 

As you can see the fields in the generated letter we associated with our addressbook are in black and the others blue. If we know click on 'fill in fields' the names and addresses will automatically be filled by OOo

 

 

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The end.

 

PS. You can use mailmerge not only for letters but also for envelopes. Choose 'import' 'envelope' and add the fields to the envelope.

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Hi Devries. Really nice, useful post. Thanks! What terrific community spirit you have!

 

Just thought I'd mention the very different image viewing behavior I get depending on whether I'm viewing as a guest or logged in. I don't understand why the difference.

 

As a guest, I get an image link, as such:

 

(IMG:http://picserver.org/view_image.php/P87HRG0QVYVX/128/p.png)

 

If I click it, I get the small image that I see embedded in the message if I am logged in. But there doesn't appear to be a way to get the full image, if I'm a guest (at least I haven't found one).

 

If I'm logged in, I see the small image embedded in the message. If I click it, the full-sized image pops up. But I don't get the full-sized image if I'm a guest.

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