Differences

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--- docs:openoffice:mail_merge [2007/03/27 11:10] – created billh
+++ docs:openoffice:mail_merge [2010/06/10 20:58] (current) – billh
@@ Line 63: / Line 63: @@
   - when you are finished dragging columns, close the Data Sources dialog (View -> Data Sources, or use the toolbar button)
   - save your letter template document (suggestion: same folder as spreadsheet, Example: "Letter - Easter.odt"
 ===== Printing =====
+:!: if you have any trouble getting your printer to cooperate, you can also try making a letter size template and positioning the fields in the right place for your printer; typically this would be to make a landscape oriented letter size document
+=) it may be easier to save the document to a pdf instead of actually printing it so you can send the pages you want to the printer as many times as you need in case of feed issues, etc...
   - with your envelope or letter template open, File -> Print
-  - on the dialog asking if you want to print a form letter, click "Yes"
+  - on the dialog asking if you want to print a form letter, click "Yes" (DO NOT CHECK THE WARNING BOX!  See form letter warning section below if you messed this up)
+  - if you are presented with a dialog asking if you want to print field names, click No
   - (optional - filtering) when presented with columns of your data, click on a cell that has a distinguishing characteristic of your choice, such as a cell with an "x" in an Easter column, or a specific code, and click the "AutoFilter" button
     * your records should be filtered based on each row having the same content that was in the cell you just filtered
@@ Line 72: / Line 78: @@
   - click Print
   - follow your normal print dialogs accordingly
+===== Form Letter Warning Dialog =====
+If you made the **BIG** mistake of checking the "Do not show warning again" box when printing, you need do the following:
+  * close OpenOffice
+  * find your user preferences
+  * edit the file user/registry/data/org/openoffice/Office/Writer.xcu in a text editor, such as TextWrangler (Mac) or Crimson Text Editor (Windows)
+  * find the section with <prop oor:name="AskForMerge">, find the "false" text and change it to "true"
+  * save the file
+  * OpenOffice should now present you with this warning dialog again
+  * the long explanation of this: [[http://openoffice.blogs.com/openoffice/2006/10/how_to_get_the_.html|How to Get the "Do You Want to Print a Form Letter?" Message Back for OpenOffice Mail Merges]]
+===== Advanced Fields =====
+As good as the above functionality is, it may not be enough to suite your needs.  Perhaps you have address 1, and address 2, but you don't want a blank space to appear when no address 2 exists.  Maybe you don't have an address to print out, and you want to hand deliver to certain people.  These situations require advanced fields in OpenOffice.
+==== Hidden Paragraphs ====
+If you don't want a line break after address 1, when no address 2 exists, you must add a "Hidden Paragraph" designator after your address 2 field.
+  - move your cursor after the address 2 field
+  - Insert -> Fields -> Other
+  - click the Functions tab
+  - click the "Hidden Paragraph" type
+  - in the Condition Field, type the following:
+    * (this is specific to our list, and yours may differ according to database name or file name)
+    * ![Addresses0.Sheet1.Address 2]
+    * ! means "if there is nothing in this field", Addresses0 is our database name, Sheet1 is the sheet name, and Address 2 is the field (column)
+    * if we don't have anything in Address 2, there won't be a blank line after Address 1
+  - click insert
+  - do the same AFTER any field you wish
+==== Hidden Text ====
+You may want to hide things based on conditions.  If you are hand delivering to certain recipients, you may not have an address in the file for them.  In this case, you wouldn't want the comma to appear between the city and state.
+  - DO NOT type a comma and space between the city and state fields
+  - if you already have a comma and space, delete them so that the city and state fields are touching
+  - move your cursor between the city and state
+  - Insert -> Fields -> Other
+  - click the Functions tab
+  - click the "Hidden Text" type
+  - in the Condition Field, type the following:
+    * (this is specific to our list, and yours may differ according to database name or file name)
+    * ![Addresses0.Sheet1.City]
+    * ! means "if there is nothing in this field", Addresses0 is our database name, Sheet1 is the sheet name, and City is the field (column)
+    * if we don't have anything in the city, the comma and space will not print
+  - click insert
+  - do the same for any text you need to control visibility with