University of North Texas Computer Advantage Program
Advanced Word 97 - MailMerge It Together
| Type Of Main Document Are You Going To Set Up? | This MailMerge menu brings up several
possibilities, but first you have to click on the CREATE button to get the list of options
for the Main Document. You select from the list that includes:
Now, whichever you choose, the program will ask if you want to use the current active window or create a new document window. |
| Because you already have the form letter on the screen you wanted to use, choose CURRENT ACTIVE WINDOW. Otherwise, choose NEW DOCUMENT WINDOW. |
| You again arrive back to the MAIL MERGE HELPER selection screen. | |
| Decision Two - Create or Open A Data Source? | Before you can start editing your form letter, you need to have some data field names to select from. So, you arrive back to the Helper screen, to inform the program where the data source is kept. It can be an existing data file, or you may want to create a new data file. The program just needs this information. |
| If Using An Existing Data Source! | If you are using a data source you have already set up, the part of the process is very easy. Once you have designated the file name (which can be a Word data file, or Excel Spreadsheet, or Access database query or table), you can continue editing the main document. |
| If Creating A Data Source! | If you have to create a data source list of names, you have more work to do before continuing with the main document. But, again, the program offers some help in the setup process. |
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| Decision 3 – Where to from here! | The program now needs to know which file to
edit first. We have set up the basic structure of deciding the type of form, and the
fields to be included in the data, but now we need to get to work.. The following names
are to be added: Remember our data format:
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| You are now ready to start entering names on
the Data Form. You can list as much information as you know about the individual. Leave
fields blank if necessary. For instance, Mr. Charles Jones does no have a Company Name, so be sure to leave it blank. Notice that not all the fields may be included on the form, but there is a scroll bar on the right to move to other fields for this record. The RECORD number is kept up with at the bottom of the form, and you can use the arrows to move to previous records or to the next record. If you are searching for a particular record, you can use the FIND function to search for a particular individual. SAVE OFTEN to prevent loss of information. |
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| Editing the Main Document | Now, back to the Main Document Letter. We
already have our letter written and on the screen. To get back to it, if it is not
visible, select TOOLS, MAILMERGE, and Edit Main Document. If you do not have a copy of the document yet created, but just a blank page, you could use INSERT, FILE to bring a copy into the document window. In either case, Merge Codes will need to be placed where you want the name and address to be printed. Move the cursor to where the inside address is to go. |
| Place the cursor where the individual's title needs to go, and then select INSERT MERGE FIELD from the toolbar. Find the title field, and click on it. Put a space after the title, and again choose INSERT MERGE FIELD from the toolbar and select the First Name field. Another space and Last Name field. Press ENTER to move to the next line, and follow the same process to finish the inside address. Any other information that is "changeable" per letter, needs to be substituted with a fieldname at it's location in the document. The same method is used for mailing labels, envelopes, or catalogs. |
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