ig     *     *        *      *        *       *         *
ig
ig                  This is a WordStar File
ig
ig                If you don't have WordStar,
ig              I'm sure you're not interested.
ig
ig     *      *       *       *       *        *         *
pn1
he MailMerge Documentation In Brief                  Page #.
op




                       M a i l M e r g e
                       -----------------


                        I n   B r i e f




    Learnin� t� ru� MailMerg� isn'� quit� a� muc� fu� a� takin� �
you� operatin� syste� apar� -- bu� jus� a� difficult�  I� m� �
opinion� that'� becaus� i� wa� writte� abou� th� sam� tim� th� �
phras� "Use� Friendly� wa� coined�  So� instea� o� usin� thos� �
"intimidatin� compute� words,� the� mad� u� thei� own�  Tha� way� �
no one can figure out what's going on.

    That'� th� wors� o� it�  Fac� is� it'� al� REA� easy�  (It'� �
ONLY a� application� program...fo� God'� sake!�

    Here'� al� yo� hav� t� d� t� prin� � for� lette� fro� � �
mailing list:

    Nam� you'r� For� Lette� o� Boile� Plat� a� .MI� typ� file�  �
You� mailin� lis� shoul� b� � .LS� typ� file�  Othe� type� �
probabl� work� bu� that'� th� wa� � learne� an� I'v� neve� trie� �
it any other way.

    Put these Dot Commands at the top of your .MIL file.


    *    .DF B:FORMAT.LST
         .RV COMPANY,ADDRESS,CITYSTATE,ZIP


    The "Inside Address" Is formatted this way:

         &COMPANY/O&
         &ADDRESS/O&
         &CITYSTATE/O& &ZIP/O&


    Your "Greeting" goes like this:
    (Covers all sexes, too)

    Dear &MX/O& &LAST/O&:


    Then� mak� u� � dat� file� I� shoul� b� calle� format.LS� �
(Matchin� th� nam� specifie� i� th� .D� statemen� yo� wrot� int� �
you� .MI� file)�  It'� reall� � BASI� sequentia� dat� file�  Bu� �
al� yo� reall� nee� t� kno� i� tha� every item i� th� fil� mus� ��
be separated by commas.

    Two more rules:

         I� yo� wan� t� ski� a� item� fil� it� spac� wit� � �
         comma. (ie. skipped names look like  ,,, )

         If you want a comma to print inside a phrase, you
         must put the phrase in quotes.  (ie. "Los Angeles, CA")

              [Values for the variables used in the
               Greeting example are not found in the
               Mailing list (LST) File.               ]



    Here's how a typical .LST file looks:


"Th� Cod� Works� Inc.",P.O� Bo� 550,"Goleta� CA"� 93116
"Ecosoft, Inc.",P.O. Box 68602,"Indianapolis, IN", 46268
Lifeboat Associates,1651 Third Avenue,"New York, NY",10028
Manx Software Systems,P.O. Box 55,"Shrewsbury, NJ", 07701
Softwar� Toolworks,1447� Gloriett� Dr.,"Sherma� Oaks,CA",9142�
Supersoft,P.O. Box 1628,"Champaign,IL",61820
tiny-C Associates,P.O. Box 269,Holmdel,NJ,07733
Telcon Systems,1155 Meridian Ave.,"San Jose,CA",95125
"Whitesmiths,Ltd.","Parkwa� Towers,'B'",U� Rout� � �
So.,"Iselin,NJ",0883�
"Dedicate� Micr� Systems� Inc.",P.O� Bo� 287,"Yate� �
Center,KS",66783


    ** Soft carriage returns are okay, but hard ones aren't.


    B� th� way� th� 'Os� w� pu� int� ou� variable� i� th� .MI� �
fil� wil� cove� u� whe� w� don'� hav� value� fo� ou� variables�

    � � w� mak� sur� yo� hav� � cop� o� MAILMRGE.OV� available� �
Cal� WordStar� an� a� th� N� Fil� Menu� jus� typ�  � �

    MailMerg� wil� signo� an� as� yo� fo� th� fil� yo� wis� t� �
merge�  Giv� i� you� Form� Boile� Plat� o� .MI� file�  It'l� d� �
the rest.

                  *  *  *  MORE DOTS  *  *  *

    Here are a few more Dot Commands to master:


    .D�  filenam� [CHANGE�        Define� th� Fil� th� dat� fil� �
                                  t� b� used�  CHANGE�  specifie�
                                  � dis� change. �
    .R� variable1� variable2�     Rea� thes� Variables� variable1...

    .RP [n]                       Repeat:
                                  � time� o� (default� unti� dat� fil�
                                  exhausted�  Par� o� D� statement�
                                  Needed only if inserted document
                                  is to be repeated.


    .AV ["Prompt"], variable, [length]

                                  As� Operato� fo� Variabl� Value.
                                  ie� "ge� � numbe� fro� th� operator�
                                  (Compute� want� t� ge� high).
                                  Lik� BASIC'� "INPUT� Statement,
                                  bu� yo� giv� lengt� ("Field?").

    .D� [message�                 Coul� stan� fo� Dea� Moose� but
                                  mean� Displa� Message�  Default
                                  is a blank line.

    .CS [message]                 Wipe windshield (Clear Screen)
                                  and display message.

    .FI filename [CHANGE]         Gobble up the FIle filename.
                                  Don't know what the option
                                  is all about.  �



    There'� als� som� othe� stuf� abou� Print-Tim� formattin� �
whic� I'� sur� i� rea� important� bu� a� o� thi� writing� � don'� �
hav� th� damnedes� ide� about�  Se� Appendi� � (A-� thr� A-9� o� �
the WordStar Manual for mor� details.


� -- Do� Command� MUS� b� writte� int� th� FIRS� Colum� i� orde� �
    t� b� effective�  I� th� abov� examples� the� hav� bee� �
    indented so that they may be seen.  If they had been placed
    in the correct position, they would have caused changes in
    the runtime behavior of the program, rather than been part
    of this text.  (Of course I could have stayed up all night
    and figured out a way around this, but hey, that's the way
    MicroPro did it in their manual, too!)


    I� anybod� figure� ou� anythin� els� abou� ho� thi� progra� �
operates, please add it on here.  I'm as curious as the rest.

                                                 6/25/84 db


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