Hello, Dave, and thanks for your response I know, as you point out, that text and merge fields can be created in Layout Mode and also by export and form letter merge in a word processor.
In addition to these two ways to create a form letter with merge, ebase seems to make provision for a third way that I can not make work. This is a detailed description of what I don't understand: For a record or set of records, if you click Output, then click Letter under CONSTITUENT COMMUNICATIONS, a window opens called Letter: Text Creation Methods. Under HOW WILL TEXT BE CREATED? you get (1) Create Text from Scratch, (2) Copy Text from an Existing Source Code and (3) Select an Existing Source Code and Text. If you choose (1) Create Text from Scratch, an Edit Letter window opens in which you are invited to "Create your Text" (This is where I was typing a letter "somewhere" that you had to guess about.). However, if you create text from scratch and merge fields in *this* window (as opposed to in a Letter # Layout) and proceed by Wizard past the source code window and Print Letters Now window options, you come to a Print Letter window in which you *must* select a Letter #1 through Letter #10. The result of this choice in Preview and Print Letter is not the letter you composed in (1) Create Letter from Scratch, but from the example Layout Letter # you choose and includes the example prompt "This is where you type in the body of your message." What happened to the text you created (1) Create Text from Scratch? Henry Bookout North Fork Environmental Council POB 799 Mattituck, NY 11952 >>When I write a letter in the Output letter routine, I am prompted to >>choose which letter layout I want to use. When I do so, the letter I >>typed is not present in either the Preview or in the Print, but rather the >>Layout Letter #4 body text "Type the text of your message here." What am I >>doing wrong? >> > >From your note, it sounds as if you are typing a letter somewhere >then attempting to choose a layout to use. It's not clear to me >where you are typing the letter. I'm going to have to guess a little. > >What needs to happen for this to work is to open ebase using >FileMaker and the master level password, go to layout, select the >letter layout, and modify this letter using FileMaker's layout tools >to read the way you want. There are more details in the FileMaker >user manual on working with layouts. > >If you are using the runtime application rather than the full >version of FileMaker, this won't be possible. In that case, you'll >need to export the data you want to include, such as names and >addresses, and compose a merge letter in your word processor. >-- >-- >Dave Shaw H4 Consulting >tel: 206-954-7526 fax: 206-625-1338 -- ------------------ Reminder to each recipient: To change your list account preferences, go to http://email.sparklist.com/scripts/lyris.pl?enter=support and enter the email address you used to subscribe to the ebase support list:: [email protected] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ebase - Relationship Management for Nonprofits, http://www.ebase.org ---------------------------------------------------------------------
