Using mailmerge in Open Office

Sure, but you need to tell OO.o about them first.

This means creating a data source.

In the Mail Merge wizard on Step 3 (insert adress block), click on "Select Address List".
On the dialog that opens click on ADD.
Now in the file open browser look at the drop down that says ALL Files, you see here your available choices.

Which you use and how you prepare to use it varies with the type of data.

What format is your address book in, other then the srpeadsheets you mention? For those just select the spread sheet file.

sorry, that was to be "add information request" not "answered"

     Have to wonder also, in OOO 3.0.1 I set up my email program using Tools->Options...->Internet->E-mail; then had to find my email program (which happens to be Evolution) by following the path and selecting the executable. If you're not using Evolution, what is it set to on your system?

Larry

Tools->Options...->Internet->E-mail is not used by Mail-Merge.

Mail-Merge uses its own SMTP engine and you only need to put your ISP's smtp server name in Tools->Options...->OpenOffice.org Writer->Mail Merge Email.

If you have a problem setting up email for the File->Send->as Email options, then this should be a new question.

Tony

I don't use Evolution at all I find it crashes once you have a decent
load of saved emails in it. I use Sea Monkey which so far has not
suffered that problem at all.

The problem is that I don't store all the data I require on the address
books I only keep my email addresses in there. All others are kept
either as spreadsheets or as databases and these are either in excel
format or CSV or dbase formats from my Windows days.

I must admit I find it strange that you are expected to have all the
mail merge data in the email program when virtually every program I know
of uses spreadsheets or databases to import the data even an ancient
Windows program Winworks does it that way and that must be getting on
for 20 years old by now.

I really would appreciate knowing how to sensibly import the data fields
into writer, I am not an inexperienced user but relatively new to Ubuntu
and Linux.

Russell

Tony Pursell wrote:
> Your question #86829 on openoffice.org in ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/openoffice.org/+question/86829
>
> Tony Pursell proposed the following answer:
> Larry
>
> Tools->Options...->Internet->E-mail is not used by Mail-Merge.
>
> Mail-Merge uses its own SMTP engine and you only need to put your ISP's
> smtp server name in Tools->Options...->OpenOffice.org Writer->Mail Merge
> Email.
>
> If you have a problem setting up email for the File->Send->as Email
> options, then this should be a new question.
>
> Tony
>
>

I don't use Evolution at all I use Sea Monkey as it does not crash when
you get a decent load of emails already stored as I found evolution
prone to do.

I store all the necessary data for mail merge as excel spreadsheets or
as dbase databases and find it extremely frustrating that you are
expected to use evolution when nearly every program I know otherwise
accepts data from spreadsheets and databases.

Russell

Larry Jordan wrote:
> Your question #86829 on openoffice.org in ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/openoffice.org/+question/86829
>
> Larry Jordan requested for more information:
> Have to wonder also, in OOO 3.0.1 I set up my email program using
> Tools->Options...->Internet->E-mail; then had to find my email program
> (which happens to be Evolution) by following the path and selecting the
> executable. If you're not using Evolution, what is it set to on your
> system?
>
>

Russell

You can use all sorts of 'databases' with OpenOffice.org Mail Merge. It's just that if you have nothing else selected, then the Linux versions default to something like Evolution.

You can use spreadsheet files (but they have to be in OpenOffice.org ods format, of course) and you can use dBase files as well (but you will need to use Base to register them first so that an OpenOffice.org odb file is created for them).

Can I suggest that you browse some of the OpenOffice.org documentation to familiarise yourself with the power of OpenOffice.org.

Got to

http://documentation.openoffice.org/

In particular, you could go to

http://wiki.services.openoffice.org/wiki/Documentation/OOo3_User_Guides/Writer_Guide/Using_Mail_Merge

and browse some of the links on the right hand side of the page.

You will also find a lot of useful information in the Help text.

Tony

The only address book I use is in Sea Monkey Email. I find Evolution
crashes and loses my data when I get a decent number of emails stored. I
only keep email addresses in the address book of those that I use email
with. The normal addresses that I use are in spreadsheets or dbase as
they are used from my Windows days and mostly in excel format. The
people that I wish to be able to address in Mail Merge are people who
will not be likely to have email addresses that I will know. I also wish
to be able to select from the people stored within the data.

Russell

DrewJensen wrote:
> Your question #86829 on openoffice.org in ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/openoffice.org/+question/86829
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> DrewJensen proposed the following answer:
> Sure, but you need to tell OO.o about them first.
>
> This means creating a data source.
>
> In the Mail Merge wizard on Step 3 (insert adress block), click on "Select Address List".
> On the dialog that opens click on ADD.
> Now in the file open browser look at the drop down that says ALL Files, you see here your available choices.
>
> Which you use and how you prepare to use it varies with the type of
> data.
>
> What format is your address book in, other then the srpeadsheets you
> mention? For those just select the spread sheet file.
>
>

Hi Russell

I am trying to help you here, but you just keep restating the general problem. Have you tried any of the suggestions I gave you. For instance, you can open your Excel spreadsheets with OpenOffice.org Calc, then save them in OpenOffice.org ods format, then use that file in Mail Merge. I have done this myself, so I know it works, and in Mail Merge, you can filter your results and select records. Do you need specific help to do this? If you do, let me know what it is in this process that you don't know what to do. Similarly, I can give you specific help in using your dBase files with OpenOffice.org Base. (By the way, the default install of Ubuntu doesn't include Base because there isn't room for it on the CD - you can install it through Add/Remove programs)

I can help you with all of this, but I need to know the specific points of difficulty that you have. Ubuntu/OpenOffice.org can do almost anything you want to do, although I have no experience of Sea Monkey email, myself.

Tony

I have now managed to grasp where the problem was and sorted it out. I
may have kept restating the problem but in some respects that surely
shows that something needs to be done about opening the mail merge
options in Open Office so that others do not become perplexed as I have.
I am sure I am not the only one who has become vexed by what should be
for most of us a minor problem. To me the most basic thing that most
users trying to use mail merge will want to do is use something other
than the email address book, it should be only one of other options
available.

Thanks for the help.

Russell

Tony Pursell wrote:
> Your question #86829 on openoffice.org in ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/openoffice.org/+question/86829
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> Tony Pursell proposed the following answer:
> Hi Russell
>
> I am trying to help you here, but you just keep restating the general
> problem. Have you tried any of the suggestions I gave you. For
> instance, you can open your Excel spreadsheets with OpenOffice.org Calc,
> then save them in OpenOffice.org ods format, then use that file in Mail
> Merge. I have done this myself, so I know it works, and in Mail Merge,
> you can filter your results and select records. Do you need specific
> help to do this? If you do, let me know what it is in this process that
> you don't know what to do. Similarly, I can give you specific help in
> using your dBase files with OpenOffice.org Base. (By the way, the
> default install of Ubuntu doesn't include Base because there isn't room
> for it on the CD - you can install it through Add/Remove programs)
>
> I can help you with all of this, but I need to know the specific points
> of difficulty that you have. Ubuntu/OpenOffice.org can do almost
> anything you want to do, although I have no experience of Sea Monkey
> email, myself.
>
> Tony
>
>

I have the same problem. I select a ODS (spredsheet) on the Select Address List table and it doesn't let me press OK because the TABLE column is empty. I press Change Table and nothing happens. This is a simple sheet with two columns, Name, Email. I have tried saving the sheet as a Dbase file but it fails with an error that it can not open the database. I've followed countless guides online but I always get stuck because they refer to a feature or menu item that no longer exists.

The Select Address List table should show the sheet names in the Table column, but only if a sheet has identifiable data on it.

How many sheets do you have with data on them? What is the format of the data on the sheet you are trying to use?

For instance, I have a sheet with column names in row one ('Name' in A1, 'Email' in B1). Then data underneath them in columns A and B, starting in row 2. That works OK.

How is your data set out?

If you want to use data in dBase files, you need to use Base to register them first so that an OpenOffice.org odb file is created for them. Then Add the odb file in the Select Address List table and you will see any dBase files registered for it (this will be a collection of dbf files in a particular folder)

Tony