Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!cmcl2!rutgers!gatech!udel!burdvax!bpa!cbmvax!vu-vlsi!cgh!amanue!pitt!hoffman From: hoffman@pitt.UUCP (Bob Hoffman) Newsgroups: comp.sys.att Subject: Re: mailmerge Message-ID: <1440@pitt.UUCP> Date: Sat, 14-Nov-87 14:53:10 EST Article-I.D.: pitt.1440 Posted: Sat Nov 14 14:53:10 1987 Date-Received: Mon, 16-Nov-87 06:20:11 EST References: <6291@sunybcs.UUCP> Reply-To: hoffman@pitt.UUCP (Bob Hoffman) Organization: Univ. of Pittsburgh Computer Science Lines: 69 In article <6291@sunybcs.UUCP> haber@sunybcs.UUCP (Yaacov Haber) writes: > >We have a unix-pc 67m 3b1. We presently >use dbase3 as a db manager and vi as a >text editor. Does anyone have a program >that can do mailmerge ie insert information >from our dbase program into our wordprocessing? You didn't mention what program you use for word processing, so I'll assume it's nroff. I suggest that you set your dbase3 up to generate an output file that contains the information you want to insert in your letters. Separate each item of information by a blank line. For example, if you want to send letters and have the address and salutation inserted, generate your data file (let's call it addr.dat) so that it looks like this: Joseph Smith <--first line of file 123 Main Street Anywhere, KS <--blank line separates addr from sal. Mr. Smith: <--blank line separates sal. from next addr. John Jones 321 Oak Lane Backwoods, MO Mr. Jones: .ex <--last line of file... causes nroff to exit and so forth. Now, write your boilerplate (let's call it boiler.ms) as follows: .LP .ds CH <--remove center heading (page number) .ds CF <--remove center footer (date) .ta 3.0i November 14, 1987 .sp 2 .nf .rd .fi .sp Dear .rd .sp .PP This letter is to inform you that our computer can now mail letters automatically. .sp 2 .ta 3.0i Sincerely, .sp 3 Bob Hoffman .bp .nx boiler.ms Each .rd reads from the standard input until it encounters a blank line. The .nx says to read that file next, i.e. start over. To generate the letters, issue the command: nroff -ms boiler.ms