You can edit the sdb file and select, filter, and/or sort the actual data to be merged. The Mail and Photo Merge toolbar appears, and the Serif Database file you’ve just created is now the active data source. To record any changes and dismiss the dialog, click OK. (For more pointers, see “Editing Serif Database files” below.) To enter information, simply type into a field. Since it’s a new address list, the fields will be blank you can start entering information now, or wait until later. The Edit Database dialog appears, displaying the first record with six fields in view. Note: As detailed below, you can use the Open Data Source… command to import a character-delimited or fixed-width file (for example, an address book or contact list) as a PagePlus Database (*.sdb) file. With “Serif Databases (*.sdb)” shown in the Files of type list, enter a folder and file name for the new file, and click Open. To create a new Serif Database (*.sdb) file:Ĭhoose Mail and Photo Merge from the Tools menu and select New Data Source… from the submenu. If necessary, you can break this link between publication and data source with Close Data Source (see below). When you save a publication, PagePlus “remembers” the current data source and reopens it “behind the scenes” automatically the next time you open the publication-so as long as you’re using the same source, you won’t need to reopen it yourself. You can create a new Serif Database (*.sdb) file, open an existing one, or open a variety of alternative data sources. Merging and printing Opening a data source Selecting, filtering, and sorting the merge list To jump to a particular subtopic, click its title below: And in no time, you’ll be ready to Merge and print. At any time you can preview the merged data directly in your publication. You’ll need to Insert placeholder fields in the publication where the data will be merged. Whatever your source of data, once you’ve opened it in PagePlus you can edit the merge list (the actual data to be merged) by specifying which records to include or exclude, and apply advanced filtering/sorting capabilities to refine the data. You can import plain text files (for example, as exported from a contact manager or email program), as well as tables from HTML web pages, database files from programs such as Access, Outlook, Excel… even live ODBC servers! Of course, more complex data sources have their own advantages, and PagePlus can also merge external data from a variety of other formats. You can build an address list by creating a new sdb file and then “filling in the blanks.” One advantage of using the Serif Database format is that you can edit your data (even add new fields and information) directly within PagePlus. “sdb files” as they’re called (since they use the *.sdb extension) are ideal for storing unformatted, plain text data typically used for address lists, but are suitable for other tasks as well. It is even possible to merge picture data (for example, digital photos) into single fields or even auto-create a grid layout of pictures and text suitable for catalogs or photo albums.įor your basic mail merge needs, PagePlus provides its own Serif Database file format. PagePlus can handle many kinds of data sources and more challenging creative tasks. Most commonly, mail merge means printing your publication a number of times, inserting different information each time from a data source such as an address list file-for example into a series of letters or mailing labels.
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