Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!csd4.milw.wisc.edu!srcsip!nic.MR.NET!hal!hxh From: hxh@hal.UUCP (Howard Hermann) Newsgroups: comp.sys.cbm Subject: Re: Word processor for C64 Message-ID: <336@hal.UUCP> Date: 8 Apr 89 10:03:12 GMT References: <5429@cbnews.ATT.COM> <5707@brspyr1.BRS.Com> Reply-To: hxh@hal.UUCP (Howard Hermann) Distribution: na Organization: Biometry Computing Facility Lines: 47 In article <5429@cbnews.ATT.COM>,ewm@cbnews.ATT.COM (edward.w.mcfarland writes: > > I am in the market for a word processing software package that has the > capability to automatically merge a file of names and addresses to the blank > area where the name and address would go on a form contained in another file. In article <5707@brspyr1.BRS.Com>, davef@brspyr1.BRS.Com (Dave Fiske) writes > > I'm sure there are others that do this, but the one I happen to have is > Fleet System 2 (I have an older version--they now offer Fleet System 2+ > for the 64 and Fleet System 3 for the 128). > I had never used this feature until last fall when I had to print > addresses on the back of flyers to be mailed out. I made up a file The process that you are describing doesn't seem to be so much a mail merge, as just printing out labels, with a lot of [CR]'s between each one. You could avoid the problem you describe, of skipped empty lines, by using a database instead. Most databases, such as Pocket Filer2, will offer "math" and "logic" capabilities as part of their print files. For example, one base I use has fields for: name, title, company, street, city, etc. Some entries do not use the title and company fields, and others do. It was a simple matter to write a print file to do labels to all 700 records. Each label had 6 lines, plus one for space to next. The print file was instructed to enter any first field on line one of the label, the next on line two, etc., and if any fields were skipped, to print the next field on the next line. In other words, not to skip any lines in an address. At the end of the address, the printer would skip the necessary lines, (one or more) to bring it to the top of the next label. In this way, all labels were printed without skipped lines within the addresses. To answer the original question, my vote would, naturally, go for Pocket Writer2, as the word processor of choice for mail merging. One of its nice features when using mail merge, is the ability to cut-off empty spaces within fields, so that something like: "New York , NY 10016", will actually print out as: "New York, NY 10016". PW2 also allows for automatic entry of today's date in all correspondence forms, quick entry of, and no need to type out "address to" portion of letter", "boiler plate" letters, and paragraphs to be joined, and just about everything that I have needed from a WP. [By the way, Digital Solutions will shortly be coming out with Pocket Writer3, an enhanced version of PW2. Among its new features will be batch file capability! Especially welcome for loading and re-saving stuff from the REU. They are now accepting orders, for delivery Spring '89].