Creating a Mail Merge document

This page guides you through the process of creating MS word mail merge templates.

These are the topics on this page:

Introduction

Brevity is supported by mail merge functionality , that allows the organisation to incorporate data from any of the records, including custom record sets within Brevity web application 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.


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

     

     

 

 

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