Generating a Mail Merge document

Introduction

The Brevity application is supported by mail merge functionality. The Mail Merge function allows the organisation to incorporate data from any of the records maintained within the product and that includes custom records into custom designed MS Word reports. The mail merge function enables the organisation to report on both individual as well as lists of records.

The mail merge function is accessed by selecting the Mail Merge link located within the ribbon bar of the either record itself or the the Record list page.

Index of existing Templates

The following table provides a listing of the mail merge templates by record that are available within Brevity.

Creating a Mail Merge

The mail merge function within Brevity is accessed by selecting the Mail Merge button that is located within the ribbon bar on either selected records or the record listing page. Clicking the Mail Merge button will open the mail merge panel and present a listing of mail merged word documents that have been uploaded into Brevity.

The example provided under this section relates with the support coordination.

1. Click on the button located in the ribbon bar to expand the mail merge panel of the record page for the selected record set that you would like to generate the mail merge from.

2. To download the blank template that will be used to create the mail merge document, click the Download template link to present the following pop-up screen within the browser, which in this case
   

   

   
   Select the OK button to open the template into MS word
   

3. Once MS Word opens:

   Enable editing
   

   

   If the developer tab is not displayed within your word interface observe as follows

   On the File tab, go to Options > Customize Ribbon.
Under Customize Ribbon and under Main Tabs, select the Developer check box.
   

   

   With the Developer tab now displayed select it.
   

   

   
   Select the XML Mapping Panel from within the developer panel to open XML Mapping Panel located to the right of the word document.
   

   

   
   The Custom XML Part field is comprised of a drop down listing of XML part.
From the Custom XML Part drop down list select the http://brevity.com.au/ XML part from the drop down list, which in this case would be supportcoordination data set that you are merging into the template.
   

   

4. Establish the document structure, that includes your tables imagery, static text and formatting.

5. Map the merge fields into the template

   From the Custom XML Part drop down list select the http://brevity.com.au/ XML part
As per the image below expand the http://brevity.com.au/supportcoordination XML part, will list the supportcoordination data fields that are available for assignment into the word document.

   

   Position the mouse cursor within the template to indicate the location of where the merged field will be placed.
To assign the data links position your cursor in the word document where the data link will be located.
Right click the data element from within the XML list to present a floating menu, listing the option > Insert Content Control.
   

   

   

   
   Selecting the menu option > Insert Content Control, will list a set of object options. Select the option Plain Text.
   

   

   
   The selected item of data will be positioned into the word document.

   

   Repeat these steps until all the necessary data fields have been embedded into the word document.

   To add a Repeating Control:

   

   
   

   

   If you intend on reporting on multiple records, you will need to add a repeating control in your template. The repeating control will need to include all the merge fields and static text.
To add the repeating control, firstly select all the text within your document by pressing CTRL+A on your keyboard, then right-click on the first child under the root node in the XML Mapping Pane, then select Insert Content Control and then Repeating..
   

6. Save the word document off onto a drive folder.

7. From within the Mail Merge panel select the Upload document link to open the File Upload screen within the browser.

   

   
   Within the File Upload window, search for and select the mail merge document.
Select OK to update the Mail Merge panel with the selected merge document
   

   

   

8. To undertake a mail merge, ensure the required record is selected either from the record page or the record listing.

9. Select the floating menu as denoted within the […] to the right of the word document. Select the Mail merge option to generate your mail merged support document.

   

   An example of the output is shown on following

   

Selecting records for Mail Merge

Brevity offers three approaches for selecting client records that will be reported into the custom designed MS Word reports. Those approaches are outlined as follows:

• Single Selection. Single selecting the client, the mail merge will be applied only to this client.
  

  

• Multiple Selection using Shift Key.  Click on the first client A that will be reported into the mail merge, hold down the shift key on your keyboard and select the last client B that will be reported into the mail merge. All the clients in between client A and client B will be selected.
  

  

• Multiple Selection using Ctrl Key. Hold the ctrl key on your keyboard and click the name of the clients you want to report into the mail merge.