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Subject:WordPerfect gurus sought From:Betsy Devine <bdevine -at- HOTMAIL -dot- COM> Date:Wed, 16 Jun 1999 21:18:24 EDT
Ai yi yi.
My company puts out a database that can export stuff as **BIG** Merge files,
tab-separated text, and just about everything else.
I created some form documents for Microsoft Word users, and wrote up
instructions explaining how to use the Merge files (*.MER, basically
comma-separated text with a header row,) to create the kinds of form
letters, catalogs, etc. users like to make from our database.
Now my boss wants me to duplicate those forms and instructions for
WordPerfect users. Well, I have tried. But,
1) WP doesn't read the header row, it treats it as my first record. I have
to name merge fields based on the order the fields get exported in. (My
boss, despite knowing this, just changed the default export order on last
week's upgrade.) Is there any way to get WP to use *named* merge fields
rather than just Field 1, Field 2, etc.?
2) Our users tend to be school employees, many of them still using WP with
DOS. I have managed to scrounge up a copy of WP 7.0 to play with, but I'd
like to be able to tell people "This will work if you have version xx or
higher." Any insight into how far back mail merge will work?
3) Am I right that I can easily turn a WP Table into a list, rather than
going through the rigamarole of pulling a Merge Data Document into a Form
document? I haven't done the list part of this job yet.
I have scrounged through the WP manuals I found at work, but your charitable
help would be much appreciated. Then I can get back to finishing the darn
manual!
Betsy Devine Wilczek
Lover of both Frame and Word
Not bad with WordPerfect, considering I learned it last week
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