Kathy Posted February 14, 2005 Share Posted February 14, 2005 Hi. I posted this in the scripts folder, but thought maybe it should go here since I am trying to do this in 7.0? I created a script using "send event" to open Word so I could print merge letters from my database. I tried to define it so the actual letter document opened, but instead I get the initial menu when Word opens. Then I have to go and find the document I want to open. Is there a way to have it open the letter without all the other steps? I also have a script that exports my contact's info into a merge file to use with the merge letter. Is it possible to include this in the script so that if I am looking at a group of contacts I can have their mailing info exported into a merge file, have the merge letter open in Word and just hit Print? Is this the preferred choice to doing letters, or do you like creating the letters in FM? I use to do that, but found that my spacing in the letter wasn't always as precise as in a word document. Thoughts? Kathy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SurferNate Posted February 18, 2005 Share Posted February 18, 2005 There are tricks to get your spacing precise in FM. You can create merge fields within a layout and you can set calc fields to figure out your spacing etc. for you. As far as opening the document, I'm not sure where the issue is, my send event does just that, it opens the document specified in it's default application whether it be word or excel or fm or photoshop... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paco Posted February 21, 2005 Share Posted February 21, 2005 "There are tricks to get your spacing precise in FM. You can create merge fields within a layout and you can set calc fields to figure out your spacing etc. for you." I am also interested in generating merge letters in fp7. Can you let us know more about it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SurferNate Posted February 22, 2005 Share Posted February 22, 2005 Download FileMaker Business Tracker and check out some of the print layouts. Note that even though you do not see the full merge field format in some instances, it's still there. They specified a font size of 1 point to "hide" the merge field. Kind of a neat trick I think. As far as spacing goes, you just have to use your imagination. You can be as simple or as complex as you like using the text formatting functions and a couple dozen other layout tricks that are readily available to learn from open source examples on the internet. Think, calculated fields, repeating fields, portals, sliding layout fields...etc. Also, Kathy, yes if you have one script to export the merge records then you can call it within your "open document" script. Since the variations are almost limitless, it would be difficult to offer you one solution or answer that covered everything. Once you understand the structure the process becomes pretty easy to figure out though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Felix Kortrijk Posted March 30, 2005 Share Posted March 30, 2005 Hello Kathy, try using the "Open URL" script step instead. If you enter the path to the document as URL (like "C:\My Documents\MyWordDocument.doc") then Windows will open the document with the native application (Word). Now you can open your (merge template) letter and execute the wordmerge. If you have some knowledge of Word macro's you could make an "auto open" macro in Word so the merge is executed automatically as soon as you open the template. See also my comment to the "make a Word.doc" question in this forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
By Soliant Consulting,
By Soliant Consulting,
By Soliant Consulting,
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.