Once you have a data file with names and addresses, you can prepare a master document. A master document is simply the text of the letter and some dot commands. The master document always stays the same. It tells WordStar where to get information about each person on the mailing list and where to insert the information into the master document.
When you finish typing the master document, it will contain all the dot commands necessary to print a personalized letter for each person in your data file. It will look like the example on the following page.
Lesson 10 Merge Printing
96
.op
.df form1.dta
. rv fname, Iname, mr-ms, title, company, address 1, city, state, zip . sv date = March 18, 1987
&date&
&fname& &lname&
&title/o&
&company / 0&
&address1&
&city&, &state& &zip&
Dear &mr-ms& &lname&:
ACME WHOLESALERS 1600 Oak Grove Road Concord, California 94520
I am an agent for a small, rural cooperative producing specialty foodstuffs and craft items. Currently, the cooperative is selling the most delicious honey I've ever tasted. To add a touch of whimsy, the honey is packaged in a bear-like ceramic pot.
Very soon, &mr-ms& &lname&, you'll receive a special sample in the mail.
Please write to me if you'd like to order the honey. I'll be happy to send you a catalogue featuring all our products.
Yours truly,
Bill Smith
Vice President, Marketing .pa
Lesson 10 Merge Printing
Before you begin to type, look at the parts of the master document.
Dot Commands
The master document contains these dot commands:
Command .OP .DF
Function
Omits page numbers
Specifies which data file to use .RV
.SV
Specifies what information to insert into the letters Supplies specific information not included in the data file
.PA Finishes the letter and starts a new page Note: The .DF and .RV dot commands are always used together.
If you're not familiar with dot commands, see Dot commands in the
"Reference Guide" before you continue. Make sure you always start a dot command in column 1. (You can type dot commands in either upper- or lowercase letters.)
Text Area
You type the letter like an ordinary letter but with one difference. You place ampersands (&) around words wherever you wantWordStar to insert data that changes from letter to letter. The words inside the am-persands are called variable names. For example, fname and lname are variables to be replaced by a first and last name in each printed letter.
Opening a Document File
To build a master document, you begin just as you do for any other docu-ment, at the Opening Menu.
1 Press D to open a new document file.
2 Name the file FORM1.L TR.
Omitting Page Numbers
Turn off page numbering. Otherwise, WordStar will number each letter consecutively.
1 Type .op ~.
Lesson 10 Merge Printing
Selecting A Data File
You must tell WordStar what mailing list to use to print your letters. Use the data file you just typed. (Remember, for your own work, you'll create your own data files.)
Name your data file.
1 Type .df form1.dta -.I
Supplying Variable Information
You must tell WordStar the names of the fields in your data file before WordStar can use the information. The data in these fields will replace the variable names enclosed in ampersands in the letter. Data is sub-stituted for a variable name when the letter is printed.
You use the dot command .RV to name the fields in the data file.
WordStar can then "read" the data in the data file and replace the vari-ables in the text at print time.
Make sure you type the field names following the .RV command in
exactly the same order as the fields in the data file. Every field in the data file must be represented, even if you don't plan to use them all in your letter. The field name actually means nothing to WordStar. The position of the information in the data file record is what is important.
Now type the field names exactly as shown.
1 Type .rv, press the Spacebar once, and then type
fname,lname,mr-ms,title,companY,address1,citY,state,zip -.I
Supplying Variable Information Not Included in the Mailing List
With each new mailing, you may want to change some information such as a date or signature.
The dot command .SV supplies specific data not included in the data file.
In this master document, you can set today's date.
1 Type .sv and press the Spacebar.
2 Then type date, an equal sign (=), and today's date, for example, date=March 18, 1987 -.I.
98
Lesson 10 Merge Printing
TIP If the correct date is displayed when you start up your com-puter, you can omit the .SV dot command and have your system supply the current date. Just type &@& (a system variable) where you want the date to appear in your master document. The system date will be substituted.
Another dot command, .A V, allows you to make substitutions in your letter at print time, for example, to change a signature. The .AV command tells WordStar to pause during printing so you can add new information from the keyboard. See Merge print dot commands in the
"Reference Guide" for details.
Typing the Text
Now that you've decided what list to use and have told WordStar where to find the information to be merged, you can type the letter. As you type, remember that each variable name to be replaced in the text area must be surrounded by ampersands (&). Variable names must be typed exactly like the field names following the .RV command (but not neces-sarily in the same ordeL) You don't have to use all the field names in the text. Put them only where you need information.
1 Type the letterhead. Press
"oc
to center each line before pressing -..I.ACME WHOLESALERS ~
1600 Oak Grove Road ~
Concord, California 94520 ~
2 Now type the rest of the letter. Notice that in the address, you'll type
/0
(the letter, not the number) following the TITLE and COMPANY variables. The/0
prevents WordStar from leaving a blank line if no information is available in the data file.Enclose the variable names in ampersands (&) where you want WordStar to insert the variable information from the data file. You won't need to add extra spaces, because WordStar automatically reformats the text during printing so that the data fits into the text.
Lesson 10 Merge Printing
&fname& &lname& ~
&title/o& ~
&company/o& ~
&address 1& ~
&ci ty&, &state& &zip& ~
~.
Dear &mr-ms& &lname&: ~
~
I am an agent for a small, rural cooperative producing specialty foodstuffs and craft items. Currently, the cooperative is selling the most delicious honey I've ever tasted. To add a
Note: WordStar automatically aligns parqgraphs containing variables to the current margins. If you've set temporpry indents or changed your margins with "ot or "OR, you'll need to set the margins for the para-graph with special dot commands. See the "Reference Guide" for details.
Proofread the letter and make corrections, if necessary. Make sure the master document ends with a page break (.PA) and a ~, so that the next letter will start on a new page.
100
Lesson 1 0 Merge Printing
Check to make sure the document ends with a carriage return ~.
1 Press "QC to move the cursor to the end of the document. The cursor should be in column 1 on the line below the .P A command. If it's not, press ~.
Saving the Master Document Save the document.
1 Press "KD to save the document.
Merge Printing
The command to merge print a document is found on the Opening Menu.
Make sure your printer is on and ready.
1 Press M for merge printing.
2 Type FORMl.L TR, the name of the master document.
3
Press Esc to start printing.The data file FORM1.DT A has four records. Your letter will print four times, once for each client in the file.
When the four letters have printed, compare them with the samples on the following pages. If your letters haven't printed correctly, reopen the master document and look for typing mistakes. Omitting an ampersand or typing information improperly in dot commands could have caused the problem. If the master document is correct, save it and open your data file. (Remember, a data file is a non document file.) Look for omitted commas. Make your corrections and print the letters again.
Lesson 1
a
Merge Printingo o o o o o o o
102
March 18. 1987
Able Baker
Manager. Acquisi tions THE GROCERY CHAIN 1234 Hacki tt St.
Trusse. NJ 08055 Dear Mr. Baker:
ACME WHOLESALERS 1600 Oak Grove Road Concord. California 94520
I am an agent for a small rural cooperative producing specialty foodstuffs and craft items. Currently. the cooperative is selling the most delicious honey I've ever tasted. To add a touch of whimsy. the honey is packaged in a bear-like ceramic pot.
Very soon, Mr. Baker. you'll receive a special sample in the mail.
Please write to me if you'd like to order the honey. I'll be happy to send you a catalogue featuring all our products.
Yours truly.
Bill Smith
Vice President. Marketing
o
o
o
o
o
o
Lesson 10 Merge Printing
March 18, 1987 Concord, California 94520
I am an agent for a small rural cooperative producing specialty foodstuffs and craft items. Currently, the cooperative is selling the most delicious honey I've ever tasted. To add a
Vice President, Marketing
10
Lesson 10 Merge Printing Concord, California 94520
I am an agent for a small rural cooperative producing specialty foodstuffs and craft items. Currently, the cooperative is selling the most delicious honey I've ever tasted. To add a
Vice President, Marketing
o
Lesson 10 Merge Printing Concord, California 94520
I am an agent for a small rural cooperative producing specialty foodstuffs and craft items. Currently, the cooperative is selling the most delicious honey I've ever tasted. To add a
Vice President, Marketing