I've got a lot of info out there, including lots of coverage in my book, about mail merges. However, I don't have a nice simple straightforward blog on it with everything in the same place all spelled out. Didn't, that is. This is all you need to do to make a nice simple document based on data in text files or spreadsheets.
What You Have to Do
1. Get your data. You've already got it, probably. This blog is for people with data in text files, and in spreadsheets.
2. Turn it into a data source.
3. Create your mail merge document and suck the data in through the data source.
4. Print, specifying how many of the data records you want to print for, and whether to print to a file or printer.
1. Get Your Data
You probably already have it. It's in a .txt file or .csv that's comma or tab separated, perhaps. Or it's just a spreadsheet.
2. Make the Data Source: Text File Instructions
If your data is in text files, follow these steps.
1. Choose File > New > Database.
2. Make the selection shown, with Text as the format.
3. Click Next.
4. Specify the DIRECTORY where the text files are. Each text file in that directory will be a table in your database. Then select the item separating fields, i.e. a tab or comma or something else.
5. When all the settings look correct, click Next.
6. Umark the option to open the database for editing. You can open it; you just don't have to.
7. Click Next.
8. Save the data source (aka database) under a name that will help you remember what it is.
You're done.
2. Make the Data Source: Spreadsheet Instructions
If your data is in a spreadsheet, follow these steps.
1. Choose File > New > Database.
2. Make the selection shown, with Spreadsheet as the format.
3. Click Next.
4. Specify the spreadsheet file. Each SHEET in that spreadsheet will be a table in your database.
5. Click Next.
6. Umark the option to open the database for editing. You can open it; you just don't have to.
7. Click Next.
8. Save the data source (aka database) under a name that will help you remember what it is.
You're done.
3. Create Your Mail Merge Document and Suck the Data In From the Datasource
You can also use the simple or complex mail merge.
Simple: http://openoffice.blogs.com/openoffice/2006/03/techtarget_arti_1.html
Complex: http://openoffice.blogs.com/openoffice/2006/02/techtarget_arti.html
But this is a nice way to do it too.
1. Create a new Writer document or open a document containing text that you want in the mail merge document.
2. Choose View > Data Sources. Everything you've created will be displayed. Click the + sign by the data source you want to use, then click + by Tables til you see the data you want to use.
3. Type any content you want and do any formatting. You can do this later too.
4. Click on the NAME OF THE FIELD, not the piece of data, that you want in the mail merge.
5. Drag it into the document and release. The field name will appear.
6. Add any other content and fields you want.
Save the document. You're ready to print.
4. Print the Mail Merge Document.
1. Choose File > Print.
2. You'll see this message. Click Yes. DON'T MARK THE CHECKBOX SAYING YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THE MESSAGE AGAIN.
3. In the print window, specify the range of records, if you don't want them all, and specify to print to a printer, or to files.
4. Click OK.
5. In the print window, specify the printer and click Print.
