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Merging with Windows Documents

Setting up a Word Document for Merging

Microsoft Word has the ability to 'link to' another file for generating mail merge documents. Premvet can use this feature to access information relating to client and animals - mainly used in generating Consent and Recovery forms but can be used in other areas as well e.g. mail merge (refer to the Windows Documents section for details on that).

This option will only be available if you are using Anita (version 5) as your terminal emulator and the Office link has been configured.

Creating the Document

Create your document, in the text folder with Word, you must use the 'short' filenames (e.g. no more then 8 character plus the .doc if you are wanting to use the document from the Operation prompt line.

See the section on Using Both MSWord and Text files which explains how to the system handles word documents on Wyse terminals.

Select Tools -> Mail Merge

  1. Main Document -> Create -> Form Letters -> Active Window

  2. Data Source -> Get Data -> Open Data Source Select P:\WordCsv.csv

    Ignore the pop-up message indicating there are no merge fields, this is normal as you have not added any yet.

  3. Select 'Edit Main Document'

    Tip: As the merge option 'remembers' the last document type printed, it is a good idea to print a 'dummy' document of the same type e.g. consent when you are doing a new consent form etc. Then use the 'Insert Merge Field' Icon on the Merge tool bar to add the merge fields where you want them.

    Otherwise use the 'I'nsert -> 'F'ield -> Mail Merge -> MergeField option - the field names are the same as the text version without the leading &.

NOTE: YOU MUST TOGGLE THE DOCUMENT TO 'View Merged Data' BEFORE YOU SAVE IT.

  1. Save the document
The above example was for use in the main forms accessed via the Operation prompt line and as such used the Data Source = P:\WordCsv.csv. If you are adding an item to be accessed via the Windows option, for example, to handle mailmerge you should set the data source to point at the appropriate CSV file e.g. text/recall.csv.

Once the link has been created it will remain in force until the document is re-editied. This means you only need to setup the merge document once even although the data being merged changes on a daily/weekly basis.

Do NOT delete or otherwise alter the file WordCsv.csv in the main premvet folder. This is a dynamic file (it's content's change) and needs to be present for the Windows link to function.

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