Having problems with mailmerge and fields

[Mirador]

I am having to switch from MS Office to Libreoffice, but one major problem seems to be mailmerge. I have now spent several hours trying to create a schedule document. The details of the schedule are kept in a spreadsheet and used to update a writer template. I have figured out - I think - how to link the spreadsheet via Edit - Data Exchange and then View - Data Sources. However had a huge amount of trouble trying to place fields on the page and get them to show any sensible data. Initially fields would show data then they would not then it would all get scrambled.

I eventually managed to get it working to a fashion by selecting all the rows in the Data Sources and using the Data to Text icon. This placed fields for all records onto the page. I then had to laboriously copy each field into its proper location on the page starting from the last to the first. I then managed to get all the data where it should be.

The problem now is, when I update anything in the spreadsheet, it does not get updated in the writer template. Ctrl-F9 toggles between the field codes and actual data but F9 seems to do nothing. I still get the old data. I can see the updated information in the Datat Sources view correctly, just no on the page.

[Mirador]

Ok, I think I have sussed it. It is necessary to go to Data Sources and highlight all of the rows of data and click the ‘Data t to Fields’ icon. This updates all of the fields on the form with the current data. I still think this should update automatically though? Under Options | LibreOffice Writer | General, under Automatically Update, the ‘Fields’ option is checked. This does give me a solution for now though.

[JensS]

I think there is mail-merge guide under menu: Tools, but you can also just follow these simple steps.

1. Open your template (without fields)
2. Insert - Fields - Other (ctrl +F2)
3. Go to tab ‘Database’ , add your spreadsheet as a database (bottom of the page) and close
4. Use ctrl + shift + F4, and you should now see your registered databases
5. Click on +sign and select your table. The records is now visible to the right.
6. Just use the mouse and drag the HEADER down into the template and place them as you like.
7. Menu: File - Print (accept mail-merge). You can now print all or just selected records

Be aware that you can not see the actual content of the fields before printing, but you can print to a file and see the result.

Jens

[Mirador]

Jens,

Thanks. yes that does work as regards inserting the fields into the document. The key thing I think, is your last sentence. Changes are NOT updated within the opened document. However, it is possible to update the content manually by highlighting all of the rows in the table and clicking Data to Fields, and also when printing by selecting Yes in response to Print a Form letter then OK, whereby the preview is updated. One has to enlarge the dialogue though to see the text

[Mirador]

BTW, for some reason when I click on the tick to mark the answer as correct, the status is not getting changed, however I do view this answer as essentially correct. Thank you for taking the time and trouble to provide it.