OpenOffice.org Writer provides a very useful feature to create or print multiple copies of a document which must be sent to a list of different addresses.

The Writer document contains a mix of normal text and special text (fields) that reference the fields of a Data Source.

The Mail Merge function leaves the normal text unchanged, and replaces the fields with the data taken from the Data Source.

Imagine a business that needs to send a newsletter to all of its customers.

There is already a Data Source containing the list of its customers with all the relative information: Address, Telephone, and so on.

The secretary who writes the newsletter uses OpenOffice.org Writer.

She writes the text of the newsletter, and instead of typing the destination address, inserts a field that references the address field in the Data Source.

At last she starts the Mail Merge function to print as many copies of the document as the number of addresses contained in the Data Source.

Each printed document contains the same text but a different customer name and address.

A mail merge is a way to take a letter you’ve written and send it to a whole bunch of people, personalizing it with information about them so they might think that you typed that letter personally for them.

A mail merge can also be a quick way to take a list of people’s mailing addresses and generate labels or envelopes with the address for a different person on each label or envelope.

In short, it’s a way to be personal, yet efficient. It’s essential for any person or organization that has a lot of clients, partners, parents and children, or other people to communicate with.

1. Create the Data Source: Create a spreadsheet file and save it with .ods extension.

2. Create a Form Letter: Create a letter using open office writer with .odt extension.

3. Connect the Data Source (spreadsheet) to Form Letter (writer document):

a. File->New->Database->Connect to existing Database->Spreadsheet->Next->Browse your spreadsheet file, Open it->Next->Untick option Open the database for editing->Finish.

b. Click on view->Data sources-> Select your spreadsheet, then drag the Column names on the word document where ever required.

b. Tools->Run Mail merge wizard->Move to step 6 (press Next 4 times) -> increment the counter equivalent to no of documents to be prepared (or, no of records in spreadsheet)->Next-> Save the starting document-> Finish.

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