Performing a mail merge between FileMaker Pro data and a ClarisWorks document consists of a few steps that, although easy to follow, must be performed in the proper order. The first step is getting the data out of FileMaker using the Export command. Next, you convert the exported data to a ClarisWorks database file. Lastly, you perform the merge.
These steps are detailed below, and you can also use the same steps for data you keep in a ClarisWorks database. Remember: you can mail merge in word processing documents as well as spreadsheet or draw documents, so once you know these steps, you can look for new ways to apply this technique.
There are some limits in a ClarisWorks database file that may affect your mail merge task. Namely, the maximum number of records per ClarisWorks database document is 32,767. The maximum number of fields per document is 255. Please keep these limits in mind when you are merging data from large FileMaker Pro files. You may also need to allocate more memory to ClarisWorks.
Step One: Exporting data from FileMaker Pro
This step is necessary only if you are using FileMaker Pro, as the task is to get the data in a format that ClarisWorks recognizes. Here's how to do it:
1. Find the desired records you wish to merge in your FileMaker database. If you wish to merge all your records, choose Find All from the Select menu in FileMaker.
2. Export your records by selecting Import/Export... Export Records... in your FileMaker database. Select DIF as the file type from the pop up menu.
3. Name the file so that it has the .DIF suffix (For example, MyNames.DIF). This technique makes it easy to identify this file later on.
4. Save the file to the Desktop, so that it is easy to locate later on. If you are using System 7 (or later), click the Desktop button. Note: If you are using an earlier system, take note of the folder or directory to which you save the document. Click New.
5. In the Specify Field Order for Export dialog that appears, make sure that all the fields you want to Export are marked with a checkmark (you can click on the checkmarks to toggle them on or off). Click OK to start the Export. (See Figure 1.)
6. Quit FileMaker.
Figure 1
The preceding steps save your FileMaker Pro data as a text file only. No layouts, calculations or graphics are saved. The DIF format stores data in rows and columns, where rows function as records and columns function as fields. The important thing is that the DIF format is easily recognized by ClarisWorks, as demonstrated in the following step.
Step Two: Converting data to a ClarisWorks database
This next step converts your data to a ClarisWorks database, so that it can be used for a mail merge.
1. Launch ClarisWorks.
2. Choose Open... from the File menu.
3. If you are using ClarisWorks 1.0, click on the Import Options flag and select Database. With all other versions of ClarisWorks, select Database in the Document Type pop-down menu.
4. Locate the DIF file which contains your FileMaker Pro data. If saved to the Desktop, the DIF file appears when you click on the Desktop button (using System 7).
5. Open the file to convert it to a ClarisWorks database. The data appears in a standard database format.
6. Select Save from the File menu and name the ClarisWorks database. This step is important, because the database document is not available through the mail merge feature unless it has been saved.
Once the conversion is complete, you can select the records you wish to merge. ClarisWorks gives you the option to hide selected records (select the Organize Menu, then choose Hide Selected), so that you may work with smaller sets of records in your database. Only records that are visible ("unhidden") are available for mail merge.
Step Three: Performing the Mail Merge in ClarisWorks
You can now merge the data to a ClarisWorks word processing document. To merge to drawing documents, click on the Text tool from the Tools Palette and click anywhere on the document (this creates a text box) before following the steps outlined below. If you are merging to a spreadsheet document, you can insert merge fields directly into spreadsheet cells.
To perform the merge:
1. Open your ClarisWorks word processing (or other) document.
2. Select Mail Merge from the File menu. The mail merge window appears. Note: your cursor still appears in your document, allowing you to insert merge fields or continue working on your document while you are preparing it for mail merge.
Note that you can drag the Mail Merge window around the screen to make inserting merge fields easier. If the mail merge window is in your way, click in its upper right hand corner to make it shrink or grow.
3. To make the field list appear in the dialog box, select the database file.
4. Insert your merge fields by selecting the field in the Mail Merge window and clicking Insert Field. Notice that this adds a merge field where your cursor is located in the document. A merge field is indicated with special characters (e.g., «First» and «Last»). If you make a mistake, you can cut and paste merge fields into their appropriate locations.
5. If you are using ClarisWorks 4.0, clicking the Show Field Data box will let you see the actual data merged into your document. (See Figure 2.)
6. When you are ready to print your documents, click "Print Merge...". You will see the Print dialog. When you print, each record is printed.
Figure 2
You now have all you need to perform a mail merge between your database files and ClarisWorks documents.
These steps are detailed below, and you can also use the same steps for data you keep in a ClarisWorks database. Remember: you can mail merge in word processing documents as well as spreadsheet or draw documents, so once you know these steps, you can look for new ways to apply this technique.
There are some limits in a ClarisWorks database file that may affect your mail merge task. Namely, the maximum number of records per ClarisWorks database document is 32,767. The maximum number of fields per document is 255. Please keep these limits in mind when you are merging data from large FileMaker Pro files. You may also need to allocate more memory to ClarisWorks.
Step One: Exporting data from FileMaker Pro
This step is necessary only if you are using FileMaker Pro, as the task is to get the data in a format that ClarisWorks recognizes. Here's how to do it:
1. Find the desired records you wish to merge in your FileMaker database. If you wish to merge all your records, choose Find All from the Select menu in FileMaker.
2. Export your records by selecting Import/Export... Export Records... in your FileMaker database. Select DIF as the file type from the pop up menu.
3. Name the file so that it has the .DIF suffix (For example, MyNames.DIF). This technique makes it easy to identify this file later on.
4. Save the file to the Desktop, so that it is easy to locate later on. If you are using System 7 (or later), click the Desktop button. Note: If you are using an earlier system, take note of the folder or directory to which you save the document. Click New.
5. In the Specify Field Order for Export dialog that appears, make sure that all the fields you want to Export are marked with a checkmark (you can click on the checkmarks to toggle them on or off). Click OK to start the Export. (See Figure 1.)
6. Quit FileMaker.
Figure 1
The preceding steps save your FileMaker Pro data as a text file only. No layouts, calculations or graphics are saved. The DIF format stores data in rows and columns, where rows function as records and columns function as fields. The important thing is that the DIF format is easily recognized by ClarisWorks, as demonstrated in the following step.
Step Two: Converting data to a ClarisWorks database
This next step converts your data to a ClarisWorks database, so that it can be used for a mail merge.
1. Launch ClarisWorks.
2. Choose Open... from the File menu.
3. If you are using ClarisWorks 1.0, click on the Import Options flag and select Database. With all other versions of ClarisWorks, select Database in the Document Type pop-down menu.
4. Locate the DIF file which contains your FileMaker Pro data. If saved to the Desktop, the DIF file appears when you click on the Desktop button (using System 7).
5. Open the file to convert it to a ClarisWorks database. The data appears in a standard database format.
6. Select Save from the File menu and name the ClarisWorks database. This step is important, because the database document is not available through the mail merge feature unless it has been saved.
Once the conversion is complete, you can select the records you wish to merge. ClarisWorks gives you the option to hide selected records (select the Organize Menu, then choose Hide Selected), so that you may work with smaller sets of records in your database. Only records that are visible ("unhidden") are available for mail merge.
Step Three: Performing the Mail Merge in ClarisWorks
You can now merge the data to a ClarisWorks word processing document. To merge to drawing documents, click on the Text tool from the Tools Palette and click anywhere on the document (this creates a text box) before following the steps outlined below. If you are merging to a spreadsheet document, you can insert merge fields directly into spreadsheet cells.
To perform the merge:
1. Open your ClarisWorks word processing (or other) document.
2. Select Mail Merge from the File menu. The mail merge window appears. Note: your cursor still appears in your document, allowing you to insert merge fields or continue working on your document while you are preparing it for mail merge.
Note that you can drag the Mail Merge window around the screen to make inserting merge fields easier. If the mail merge window is in your way, click in its upper right hand corner to make it shrink or grow.
3. To make the field list appear in the dialog box, select the database file.
4. Insert your merge fields by selecting the field in the Mail Merge window and clicking Insert Field. Notice that this adds a merge field where your cursor is located in the document. A merge field is indicated with special characters (e.g., «First» and «Last»). If you make a mistake, you can cut and paste merge fields into their appropriate locations.
5. If you are using ClarisWorks 4.0, clicking the Show Field Data box will let you see the actual data merged into your document. (See Figure 2.)
6. When you are ready to print your documents, click "Print Merge...". You will see the Print dialog. When you print, each record is printed.
Figure 2
You now have all you need to perform a mail merge between your database files and ClarisWorks documents.