Please note that some formatting may not work correctly in the conversion to HTML.

AOAUG Meeting held 13 June, 2000

This Meeting was held at Judy Jeffery’s house.

The main areas covered were centered around using Mail Merge and inserting pictures and drawings in Word documents. Keith O'Donnell provided the following excellent tips.
 
 
 

Codes_for_Formatting

Creating_A_Border

Exporting_from_OA_to_Merge

Framing_Pictures

Graphics_Inserting_Pictures

If_Statement

Insert_Text_Box

Insert_Watermarks

Page_Layout

Shading_Paragraphs

Typical_Layouts_Using_Frames

Uses_of_Frames_and_Text_Boxes

 

Mail Merge in Word

Viewing Merged Data

To switch the display from field names to actual information from the data file:

• Click on the View Merged Data button 

• Use these buttons to scroll through the records.
• Use the Find button to locate a specific record 
• Click on the View Merged Data button 

Merging the Document

Use the Mail Merge Helper to execute the merge or use the merge buttons.

The merge buttons are:
 

Check for errors

 
 

	Merge to another file. The form letter file created has section breaks at the end of each letter. This file can be saved as a separate file.  Each merge letter in the file can be edited.
	Merge directly to the printer
	Change the sorting order and set the criteria for selecting the records to print.

 

Word Fields

This button lists fields which are useful for mail merging. These are useful fields:
 
 
 

If then else	If a given condition is true, eg overdue = true, then a certain paragraph can be inserted, otherwise a different paragraph.
Next record	Prints the next record without inserting a section break. This is used at the end of each mail label.
Merge Record#	Prints the number of that record in the data list.
Merge Sequence No.	Numbers the merged letters sequentially as they are printed. These numbers will be different from the Merge Record# if some records are not merged.

 

Changing the Setup - Change the Data Source

To change the name or location of the data file which is linked to the main document, use the Mail Merge Helper.

Display this window by either:

OR

• Tools - Mail Merge menu

If you need to remove the link to the data source, and revert the document to a normal Word file, use the Mail Merge Helper or Tools - Mail Merge menu.

• Mail Merge Button 
• Click on the Create button (beneath Main Document)
• Choose Restore to Normal Word Document

1. Export the df file to .dbf
2. Go to Word

• Select Tools – Mail Merge
• Click on the Create button. Choose the type of merge document from the drop down list..
• Click on the Active Window button to set up the document in current window as the merge document.
• Click on the Get Data button in Mail Merge.
• Change the file type to Dbase
• Select the file name containing the data
• Click on the Edit Main Document button to return to the current window
• Click on the Insert Merge Field button
• The list of merge fields (the column headings from the data table) appear
• Click on the appropriate field name, etc.

The field can be displayed as:

• The actual value in the record
• <<field>> eg. <<surname>>
• {fieldcode} eg. {MERGEFIELD SURNAME}

Selecting the field and pressing Shift-F9 toggles display between the field code information (including formatting codes) and the previous display type.

Note: Any changes you make to the formatting codes may not be displayed until you move to another record to refresh the display.

Codes for Formatting

The formatting codes are prefixed by these switches:

Character formatting \*

Number formatting \#

Date-time \@

To display the codes you will need to select the field(s) and press Shift – F9.

Character Formatting \ *

\# #.00 Forces 2 decimal places.

Eg. {MERGEFIELD ITEM-DATE \@ dddd} , {MERGEFIELD ITEM-DATE \* Ordinal} {MERGEFIELD ITEM-dATE \@ mmmm yyyy} would display:

{If Statement

IF fields perform one of two alternative actions, depending on a condition you specify. If the condition is not met, an alternative action occurs.

• Place the cursor where the field is to be inserted in the Mail Merge document
• Click Insert – Field
• Click on If in the Field Name and OK
• Click on the field and press Shift F9 to switch between the display and coding

• After the "{IF" remove the remainder of the statement leaving "}" and choose Insert – Merge Field to insert other conditions, eg. {IF {MERGEFIELD AMOUNT}}
• Choose Insert – Field – Date to insert a date field and other fields.

{IF{MERGEFIELD AMOUNT} > 100 "HIGH" "LOW"

______Condition_________________ Space_______ Space________

Perform calculations in an IF field

Insert the IF field in your main document. In the Insert Word Field dialog box, click any field name in the Field name list as a temporary placeholder. In the IF field codes, replace the selected merge field with a = (Formula) field.

To print the results of a calculation, insert a = (Formula) field within the appropriate set of quotation marks. Note the use of the numeric picture switch (\#) to display the balance with a currency symbol.

The first = (Formula) field in the following example computes the current balance of each account. If a balance remains, the Formula field is repeated to report the current balance. If the computed balance is 0 (zero) or less, Word prints the alternative text, "Your account is paid in full. Thank you."

{ IF { = { MERGEFIELD Balance } - {MERGEFIELD Payment } } > 0 "Your current balance is { = { MERGEFIELD Balance } - { MERGEFIELD Payment } \# "$#,##0.00;($#,##0.00) " }." "Your account is paid in full. Thank you." }

NB. This information is the Microsoft Word Help file.

Exporting from OA to Merge

.dbf files can be imported into Excel or Access.

To import into Excel

• In Excel, click on File – Open
• Choose the Directory where the file is located
• In Files of Type, select "dBase Files"
• Click on the file
• Click on Open

You can save the file as an Excel file if you wish by selecting File – Save As and changing the type of file to Excel Workbook. This is useful to massage the data before doing a Mail Merge.

Importing into Access

• Start a New or Open Existing database
• From the menu choose File – Get external data
• Choose Link Tables to link Access to the data without importing into a file

• Choose Import to bring the data into the file
• Then select the type of file as dbase III
• Click Import.

A benefit of using Microsoft Access is a data source for Word is that you can create a "query" in Access that selects the records and fields to be used for the merge, and use this query as the data source for the merge.

You can even create additional columns in the query based on calculations, eg. GST:Amount*0.1 or

Amount Category: IIF(amount<100,"low", "high").

Graphics – Inserting Pictures

Many questions related to formatting pictures and drawings.

Inserting and Formatting a Picture

• Choose Insert – Picture and select the desired picture to insert it
• Click on the picture to move it
• Choose Format – Picture and select the desired options for text wrapping, size, cropping, etc.

• Use the Picture Toolbar to format. Double click on the picture to see the Picture Toolbar.

Insert Picture

Watermark / grey

More Contrast

Less Contrast

More Brightness

Less Brightness

Crop Picture

Line Style

Text Wrapping

Format Picture

Set Transparent

Reset Picture

• Use the Crop tool to move the edge of the picture where you wish to crop it.

Drop Cap

Drop Cap is used to emphasise the first letter of a paragraph. A frame is created automatically to contain this letter.

You can specify the frame to be placed within the paragraph or as a side heading at the left of the paragraph.

Creating a Drop Cap

• Click within the paragraph
• Choose Format - Drop Cap from the menu

It is usually easier to position pictures if they are placed in a frame. Document text will then automatically wrap around the frame.

To place a picture inside a frame:

• Choose Insert-Picture from the menu
• Locate the picture to insert. (The Windows and ClipArt folders contain samples of pictures.)
• Click the OK button.

• Select the picture by clicking on it
• Choose Insert – Frame from the menu.

Creating an Empty Frame

• Choose Insert - Frame from the menu.

• Click and drag diagonally to create the frame.

Enclosing Text and Pictures

To place a frame around text or pictures,

• Select the text or picture be framed
• Choose Insert - Frame from the menu

Formatting the Frame

The frame has a series of formatting options itself. To display the frame formatting options,

• Double click on the frame border, OR
• Select the frame, and choose Format - Frame from the menu.

Shading Paragraphs

Paragraphs can also be shaded.

• Select the paragraph/s
• Click on the Shading drop down arrow to select the level of shading 5% shading is often best.
• To remove the shading, select the Clear option at the top of the Shading list.

The effect of white printing on a black background can be created by combining the Solid shading option with Font Formatting, which specifies a White colour for the printing.

Uses of Frames/Text Boxes

Frames enable more flexible formatting than is usually possible.

Frames can be used to position text, drawings or pictures in any part of the document. For example, frames allow you to place text or pictures in the margins or in the middle of other text

Semi-Transparent Text Box

Word 97 has an option: ‘Semi-Transparent’ which allows existing text in the background to show faintly through the frame.

• Choose Format – Text Box or Object or WordArt – Colours & Lines
• Click in the Semi-Transparent check box. A white or other Fill Colour should be selected.
• Select the Wrapping tab and click on None

• Choose Insert - Picture and select the required options and click OK
• Choose Format – Picture – Picture
• Scroll down the arrows in the box next to Colour under mimage Control and click on Watermark. Click OK.

• Select the picture by moving the mouse over the picture until double arrows appear and click the mouse button
• Choose Format – Picture – Wrapping. Click on None in the Wrapping Style and click OK.

The Insert – Frame option is replaced by Insert – Text Box, which allows you to place a text box around selected text and position the box where desired.

• Select the paragraph(s) to be included in the Text Box
• Choose Insert – Text Box to place a box around the selected text
• Click and drag to required size
• Choose Format – Text Box and select required settings.

• Choose Insert – Text Box, a cross will appear allowing you to draw the frame by dragging with the mouse
• Choose Format – Text Box and select the required options.

• Click on Format - Text Box - Text Box - Convert to Frame.

You can place a border around any edge of the selected paragraphs.

Horizontal borders extend between the left and right indents of the selected paragraphs.

To create a border,

• Select the paragraph(s)
• Select the Line style by clicking on the drop down arrow in the Toolbar
• Select the edge(s) where the border is to be placed by clicking on the appropriate buttons in the toolbar. To remove the border, click again on the appropriate button.

(Either, choose Format - Paragraph from the menu or click and drag the indent markers in the ruler.)

Typical Layouts Using Frames

Side Headings

To produce a side heading,

• Increase the left hand margin to allow space wide enough for the heading
• Create a frame within this margin and enter the appropriate text for the heading into this frame.

By using a frame to create a side heading, the heading can wrap to more than one line. This approach can also be used for comments or summary text to appear at the side of the main document text.

Page Layout

Vertical Alignment

Sometimes you want the text to be centred vertically on the page. To do this,

• Choose File - Page Setup
• Choose the Layout option
• Click on the drop down box beneath the heading Vertical Alignment
• Select the appropriate option, eg. Center

Next Meeting - Tuesday, 8 August 2000 at Judy Jeffery’s at 6pm

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