Generating a Microsoft Word Letter
You can generate the Microsoft Word letter online using the Letter Generation window. This window uses Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) to display the Microsoft Word letter. When you start Microsoft Word from this window, your standard letter is automatically loaded and ready to be merged with the mail merge file.
To generate and merge a Microsoft Word document:
1. Select one of the following in the Letter region:
- Request if you want to process a pending letter request that the system has created automatically for applicants, or that you have created manually in the Request Letter window. Select the name of the letter request.
- Custom if you want to process a custom program that is not associated with a letter type.
2. Position the cursor in the Document field and choose the Browse button.
3. Select the Microsoft Word document that is your skeleton letter.
4. Position the cursor in the Merge field and choose the Browse button.
5. Select the extract program (such as a SQL script) that extracts data from the database to create the mail merge file.
You can run the scripts on the server side (consult your installation guide for details). Make them accessible to other users across the network, or copy them to each PC. You must also make the Microsoft Word documents accessible to other users across the network, or you must copy them to each PC.
6. Check View Generated Merge File if you want to examine the generated mail merge file before activating the Microsoft Word document then choose the Generate button to create the mail merge file.
If the View Generated Merge File check box is checked, the file displays in the Windows Notepad application.
7. Double click on the document in the Document Preview and Activation block to open Microsoft Word with your standard letter displayed.
The document displays in the Document Preview and Activation block.
8. Merge the data with the document.
If the Microsoft Word document already contains mail merge fields, the mail merge file you have generated is automatically loaded in Microsoft Word.
9. You must open the merge file as the Data Source and insert the merge fields in your document if the document does not yet contain mail merge fields.
10. Save the document using the filename of your mail merge file, with a .doc extension.
Note: If you do not save the merged letters when you exit the word processor you lose them.
