Although most often used to create form letters for mail shots, merge can be used for other purposes as this short exercise will show. In it you will:
Data files can be CSV files, Tab separated text files and EasiWriter tables. In this exercise the Data File will be a Table.
Tables can be selected and saved as a Tab separated text file but, provided a table is the first structure, an EasiWriter document can be used directly as a Data File.
Table cells can contain text, numbers, pictures and in TechWriter equations, all of which can be merged.
Name
Melanie Lee | 78 | 55 | 46 | 82 | 45 | 1st |
James Brown | 67 | 45 | 87 | 34 | 67 | 2nd |
Mike Smith | 56 | 67 | 32 | 78 | 43 | 3rd |
That completes the table.
When you have finished you need to save the document.
Next you are going to open a Template document which has already been created called 'Certify'. It is in the 'Tutorial' directory.
The document will open. You will see that it has merge fields in the text called «Field1» and «Field7».
You are going to add the missing ones, Fields 2 - 6, in the right hand column of the table.
First you need to attach the data file you have created.
The Merge File dialogue will open.
You will see the headings have been added to the Merge menu.
Having 'seen' the data file EasiWriter updates the field names from «Field1» and «Field6» to «Name» and «Position».
Pressing Ctrl-F1 followed by the field number is equivalent to choosing the field from the menu.
You are going to insert the fields for the subjects English (2) to Geography (6) into the right hand column of the table.
The document is now ready for printing.
That concludes this part of the tutorial. In this part you have learnt how to:
Now that you know how to create form letters you should practise your new skills. Why not see if you can send more mail shots to the Reader's Digest than they send to you?