Equivalent MS Word fields

[Toranaboy]

Are there equivalent LibreOffice Writer fields to these MS Word ones: FILLIN, USERNAME, USERADDRESS etc?

I dearly want to give Wurd the flick but I have nearly 300 templates which I have prepared using the dratted thing. Even if I can’t convert them, I’d like to reproduce their functionality. My templates prompt me to fill in information or automagically insert my address or telephone number and so on.

I have searched the help and user’s guide. I’m afraid I can’t nut it out myself. Help! Thank you.

[ajlittoz]

Have you explored the possibilities of Insert>Fields>Others? I’m not sure because I haven’t used M$ Word for decades but what you are looking for are selected from the Document tab. Source for this data is set with Tools>Options>LibreOffice>User Data.

[Toranaboy]

I am very grateful for your help. It led me first to the input field, My templates are set up for ad hoc merging, such that I am prompted by fill in fields to enter text or, sometimes, to permit a default reponse to be entered. That is how I would wish to use LO. I tested input fields on a template, stripped of Wurd-style fields. It worked inasmuch as I could have the template prompt me for input as I require for my ad hoc mail merge. I couldn’t find a way to make the fields visible (and editable) as with alt-f9 in Wurd. Without it, producing or editing a template is apt to become frustrating. There appeared to be no way to specify a default response. I couldn’t make the ‘conditional text’ field invite the composer to allow the first option or enter an alternative. Is there a way of viewing fields? The Mail Merge chapter did not come to my attention when I searched for fields. I couldn’t find any indication that mail merging a template would cause the fill in prompts to appear for input which is what I suppose I would require. I have never used mail merge. Maybe I could edit the ‘Sender’ field to customise the options offered and avoid databases and mail merge. It seems unlikely though. Thank for your assistance. It is appreciated.

[dajare]

@Toranaboy Thanks for the update. You show your appreciate best by “upvoting” a helpful answer (the ^ arrow on the upper-left of the answer area), and marking the check-mark icon of an answer that solves your problem. This helps other users know where to find help. Thanks!

[Toranaboy]

Seems I haven’t the points for an upvote. I can offer only a moral upvote.

[dajare]

I know you’ve mentioned checking the user’s guide – was it the Writer help on “Mailmerge”?

There is certainly the option of customizing field names, so if the ones you get out-of-the-box don’t match your current ones, it ought to be possible to tweak them. This is what the default mail-merge “wizard” presents:

And can we also assume you’ve tried “importing”/converting one of your current examples? If so, it might be worth editing your question to describe that experience so potential answer-ers will have a better sense of what you’re dealing with.

[Toranaboy]

See my answer. (I don’t get the way this forum works)