Export to MS Word Mail Merge?

[David Jondreau]

I've got a couple clients that like making Mail Merge letters in Microsoft Word. Right now, I'm exporting to Excel then merging that to a Word doc. I didn't know there was a better way, until I saw another client of mine, who had a past developer set up something using .rtf and .xsl and exporting in xml. I don't know much about xml, or xlst, but I'm willing to learn if it'll make this mail merge process easier.

Can anyone point me in the right direction for using FM to export to a Word doc?

Thanks,

DJ

[Zippy Aus]

Hi DJ

I have sent up a lot of merging to Word docs over the years. I mostly use the export merge option from Filemaker and have my word docs setup with a marco to do the merge either to a new document or to the printer. It is simple enough to do.

I have also used XML to do this. By far the easiest way to set up the RTFs and XML files is EZXSLT (http://www.chapsoft.com/ezxslt/index.html) ... it is mac only, but I have used it to create cross platform docs. You just need to create the RTF, highlight the text where the fields are going to go using Word and then use the software to create the xslt. Look into the generated xslt file and it tells you the export order and just do the XML export step from Filemaker.

Couldn't be easier. I have no affiliation with Chaparral Software, but have used this product for years.

Hope this helps

ZP

[David Jondreau]

I have bought EZxslt and have found it almost perfect. Thanks.