OOo Off the Wall: Fielding Questions, Part 4 - Mail Merges

Writer includes separate tools for designing business cards, labels and envelopes. These tools include functions that make doing a mail merge easier and offer a specialized set of options. However, Writer also includes a generic mail merge tool that can be used for other purposes. In fact, many users prefer to use it instead of the envelope tool. Because the generic tool can be set to use different envelope sizes, it is at least an adequate substitute and many feel it is far less confusing to use.

Whatever your purpose, to design a generic mail merge source document:

1. Format and write the source document.

2. When ready to add the fields, do one of the following:

Figure 3. The Data Source window displays a registered data source in Writer's editing window.

Figure 4. The Mail Merge fields is another way of showing a registered data source.

3. Place the mouse cursor where you want the first field to go.

4. In the data source window or on the Database tab of the Fields screen, select the database and the table to use. Remember that for spreadsheets the table is the sheet. Similarly, for Mozilla address books, the table is the Named address book [x-ref].

5. Expand the tree view of the data source so that the individual fields are visible.

6. Select the field you want to add to the source document. A field is a column, regardless of what type of data source.

7. Drag the field into the source document with the mouse. A placeholder field is created with the name of the field inside it.

8. After the last field in a consecutive set--for example, after the last line of an address--add a field from the Database tab of Insert > Fields > Others to set the record in the database to be used next. In most cases, you probably want Next Record. (See below for more details.)

No matter which Database field you choose, notice that it is visible only as a gray background. In most cases, it contains no information, because it is simply an indicator and holds no specific data.

Figure 5. Placeholder fields in a mail merge source document.

9. Continue steps 6-8 until all the placeholder fields are entered. At this point, you either can save the source document for future use or apply records and print it. If you save, remember that the source document needs the data source or one with the same fields in order to be used. If you are going to be using the source document frequently, you may want to save it as a template using File > Templates > Save.

Database is a tab available from Insert > Fields > Others. The fields on this tab all are related to mail merges. With the possible exception of the Database name field, they are not designed for any other use.

If you are designing labels or business cards, you can add the markers to the first label or card and then select the Synchronize button to have the fields added to all the other labels or cards. In any other mail merge, you can use the database fields to control which records are used in which order.

The Database tab fields are instructions about which record to use next. They are easy to miss on the screen, because they show up as only the gray background that indicates a field. Without them, however, a mail merge fails.

The following table describes the mail merge fields that are available:

The field is blank until the mail merge is done.