Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with mailmerge

How to merge data fields into a plain text file?

geekgirl397 — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 08:04:23 -0800

Is there some way to do a "mail merge" type operation on plain text, xml or html files without using a word processor? I've been working on our company wiki and I want to bulk create a bunch of pages by merging certain field data from spreadsheets, csv files or other datasources into the template text files that I've created. The output should be XML or plain text.

I have a separate task where I have a simple html template that I'd like to populate with data pulled from a csv. The output needs to be standard, simple HTML (no funny MS Word markup)

I have access to MS Office, Open Office and Abiword but everything I've tried so far seems to "pollute" my files with word processor type formatting. (I am running KDE on Ubuntu 9.10, but I also have Win XP running as a virtual machine under Virtualbox - I have access to any version of the MS Office software, and obviously anything open source).

I'm sure there's some open source tool designed to merge text files. I'm not opposed to using a command line interface although I probably would prefer a GUI. My Google-fu is failing me on this one.

Any tips on how I should achieve this, or pointers to the tools I should be looking at?

thanks!

Are there any mergefield switches in Mac Office v12

Glum — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:06:40 -0800

MS Office Mail merge: Were MERGEFIELD Fieldcode switches added to the Mac version? I have read online that in Office 2003 some switches were added to the MERGEFIELD field code (so that you could append text before and after the merged item (to avoid extra blank space and returns)). Example

I have tried using them in Mac Office v12.1.3 but they don't seem to work. Can someone confirm if they have been added to this version also?

How to print double side postcards, multiple pages per sheet, while mail merging?

peripatew — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 11:02:23 -0800

When mail merging with a postcard template in Publisher 2007, and printing multiple postcards per page (4), how do I get four different records on one page, rather than a page full of the same record? I created a post card using one of the blank postcard templates. I use the mail merge option and insert an address block. When I go to print I have the option for multiple copies per page. But, this just makes multiple copies of one record per sheet. I'd like to print off a large number of postcards, doing four per 8.5"x11" sheet.

When printing I have two different options, print multiple copies and multiple pages. Printing multiple pages would work, except that I'm working with a two sided postcard. Doing 4 pages per sheet puts two front side and two back sides on the front of one sheet.

I could have two separate publisher files, one printing the front side w/ the mail merge, and one with the back side. But I'd rather not if there is a way around this.

Any help is appreciated.

Save me from working over the weekend!

BobbyDigital — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 10:14:16 -0800

BoringFilter: I have to send out a large group of emails (around 175), and I would love to use mail merge to do it, but there is an annoying twist... ...each of the recipients needs to get a message with an individual file attached. The files (.pdf's if it mattes which it should) are all clearly labeled and in a directory, and I have an excel list of recipients ready to go.

My question is whether I can automate this task to some degree rather then just individually sending this message out many many times.

Also, all programs are of the microsoft office 2007 variety, and I am using Vista Pro.

How to make MS Office Mail Merge create varied colored boxes (or similar effect)

DetonatedManiac — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 18:54:34 -0800

I need to do something very specific with Mail Merge (I think thats the best way to do it) but I have no idea how. Basically I want to take info from a spreadsheet and convert it into a variable number of different colored boxes of a constant size in a document. I am working on making a Board Game prototype.

I need to make cards that have on them from 1 to 5 boxes that must be 1cm by 1cm. The data in the spreadsheet will dictate the number of boxes and the fill color of the boxes. The spreadsheet data will look something like this (with r = red, bl = blue etc)

r - bl- br
r - y
w - r - y - bl

I have used mail merge before some, but I don't know how to elegantly do what I am trying to do. Any advice or alternate methodologies appreciated.

By the way, all of this (the mail merge "code" and final product) has to fit into a 3in by 2in space... which could be a pain since when I have used mail merge in the past the little <>> brackets made text that needed to fit into tight spaces get thrown off (if anyone knows what I am talking about)

How do I create a mail merge in Gmail?

scottso17 — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 17:03:21 -0800

On occasion, I send a mass email to about 200 people. I like to customize the message with the recipient's name in the body. I have used Word/Outlook to do this in the past, but I'd like to find a solution for doing this with Gmail. I'm okay with a web-based solution - and even okay with paying for the message to be sent, as long as it's less than $25 or so for the entire batch. Just want it to look professional and show the personalization that I'd like. I have the email addresses, names, and other information stored in an address book, which I can export to Excel or CSV or any other format. Thanks for your suggestions.

(Persoanlized) Mail Merge Emails Without Outlook

andoatnp — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 20:28:52 -0800

Is there a way I can send multiple emails personally addressed to the sendees without outlook? (preferably with os x) I sometimes use Mail Merge with Outlook. It allows me to make an excel file with a column of emaill addresses and first names, and then sends an email to each address in the excel file and each email can be personalized and addresses to the person by name.

I am looking for a (preferably free) web-based or program-based way to do the same thing. Here are my options in order of what I would prefer:

1) A mac os x solution that does not require Apple's mail program and instead uses some other mail application, preferable gmail.

1.5) An mac os x solution that uses Apple's mail program.

2) A windows xp solution that uses gmail or some other non-outlook option.

Is there a firefox extension that does anything like this? I can make do with minimal functionality, with only a single field to personalize each email, although if there was a more robust option that would allow numerous fields to be added per email, that would be preferred.

I do not need this solution to maintain email lists or contacts.
Thanks.

Mailmerge Filter (how to create separate docs)

apark — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 12:16:01 -0800

I'm doing a code review and I'm keeping track of my findngs on an Excel spreadsheet. I need to generate reports that show vital details about the source code file being reviewed. Unfortunatley, as far as I can tell, MS Word 2003 generates one Word doc that has all oft he merged content in one file. How do I get it to create separate documents? So, if I my spreadsheet has a.jsp, b.jsp, c.java, d.c, I want to generate 4 separate Word docs. Not 1 Word doc that has all 4 pages of the review document of each source code file!

This is a real hassle to do manually because there are several hundred files being reviewed and I just can't believe there isn't an easier way to do this than to go and cut and paste 4 pages at a time and save to a separate file!

Bonus: If it would name the file automatically given a merge field. (e.g. if the code being reviewed is "home.jsp" then name the file, "Review of home.jsp.doc" that would be great...

TIA!

Where did my image go?

beatnik808 — Thu, 30 Mar 2006 13:03:14 -0800

How do you make a jpg or pdf image visible when you are sending out a electronic mail merge? I'm trying to send out an announcement with an visible image using an e-mail merge. Each time I perform a test the image is not visible. Tried sending a jpg. and a pdf. image, but each time I've done it only the text I sent with the image appeared. Any clues on where I've gone wrong or a better way to do this?

Word mail merge to pairs of people at a time - possible

Coffeemate — Tue, 10 Jan 2006 12:04:11 -0800

Can I use Word's mail merge functionality to send merged emails to pairs of people? I would like to send emails to multiple pairs of people, and I would like them to both get the same message. I'm getting hung up on how to send the message to both Alan and Bob, where the message is sent to alan@email.com and bob@email.com, so that they can select "reply all" to the message and speak with each other. I also need to send the message to Carl and Dave, and Eric and Frank, etc. etc.

So far, I've got an Excel file that has the following fields:
FirstName1 (Alan), FirstName2 (Bob), Email1 (alan@email.com), Email2 (bob@email.com), and Emails ("alan@email.com, bob@email.com").

When I try to send the email from Word, I click on the "merge to email" button, and all appears to be fine. I'm expecting the email to get sent to both of the addresses in the Emails field of my spreadsheet. However, the messages don't appear to actually get sent, as I haven't received the test messages I've sent to myself, and they don't show up in my Outlook sent items.

Should I be using a different character in the "Emails" field to separate the two addresses? Neither a comma nor a semicolon has worked. What other solutions exist for a situation like this? I'm sending a note to some 450+ pairs, so an automated process is strongly preferred.

I'm running: Word 2002, Outlook 2002, Windows XP, Microsoft Exchange. I can try to answer any other questions about my setup that could help figure this out!

DatabaseFilter: Linked tables

clgregor — Fri, 02 Sep 2005 08:38:28 -0800

Database 101... I have two tables, with one common field, an ID number. One table has many more records than the other. How can I tell which records in the 'big' table are also in the 'small' table? I'm using Excel. I have Access, but not much experience there. I am making a mail merge with address info from the 'big' table for only the people listed in the 'small' table. I tried =VLOOKUP() but it seems unusually complex for what must be a common database query. Specific instructions would be best! I know how to do the mail merge once the data is sorted out.

Mass personalized emails from Outlook?

Coffeemate — Mon, 13 Dec 2004 09:08:38 -0800

Mass personalized emails from Outlook [more inside] For work, I need to send about 400 emails to mentors serving in my program.
I would like to personalize each email with the mentor's name and the name of his/her mentee. The email addresses, mentor names, and mentee names are all stored in an access database.
If I were doing this with paper, Word could easily handle a mail merge. Does Outlook (2002, SP3) do something similar?

Wod 2002 - changing the default data source type in mail merge

DakotaPaul — Tue, 09 Nov 2004 13:45:13 -0800

I have a question about changing the default data source type used in mail merge documents in Word 2002. When I start a new mail merge document in Word 2002 using the Mail Merge Wizard I am able to create a new list of recipients, which is saved in a new Access database file. However, I would like the list to be saved a table in a separate Word doc. Is there a way to change the default data source type that the recipients are saved in?

I realize that I could create a new Word doc with a table of recipients and then select that file as my source in the wizard, but it would be easier (for my coworkers) to have that new file created when the letter is created.

Google and office.microsoft.com haven’t helped me out yet, and I have a sneaking suspicion that MS wants me to use Access.