HOW TO CREATE FORM LETTERS             Thió sectioî descibeó ho÷ tï generatå personalizeä forí             letters® Therå arå twï approaches» botè involvå firsô             typinç thå unchanginç parô oæ thå letteò aó yoõ woulä anù             otheò letter¬ buô yoõ havå tï includå speciaì codeó iî iô             tï stanä foò thå partó thaô changå froí letteò tï letter®             Botè methodó alsï uså "mergå print¢ insteaä oæ normaì             printing when you get around to printing the letters.             METHOÄ 1º Usinç á datá file.“ Witè thió approach¬ yoõ                 havå onå filå foò thå letteò anä anotheò foò alì thå                  informatioî tï bå inserteä intï thå letter¬ likå                  nameó oæ peoplå anä companies¬ anä addresses® Yoõ                  typå thió datá filå jusô likå anù otheò document®                  Wheî yoõ gï thió route¬ thå onlù thinç yoõ havå tï dï                  aô prinô timå ió feeä papeò intï thå printeò anä telì                  Morrowriteò tï prinô thå nexô letteò witè onå                  keystroke.             METHOÄ 2º Typinç iî thå variablå informatioî aô prinô                  time.“ Uså thió methoä witè forí letteró thaô arå noô                  printeä iî largå batches® Whaô happenó is¬ wheî yoõ                  starô tï print¬ you'lì bå prompteä foò thå necessarù                  informatioî likå "NAME?"¬ "DATE?¢ anä sï on® Wheî                  alì thå datá haó beeî typeä in¬ thå letteò ió                  printed. The prompts get repeated for each letter. TYPING THE BASIC LETTER             Somå oæ thå detailó foò typinç thå "boilerplate¢ portioî             oæ thå letteò depenä oî whicè oæ thå twï methodó yoõ use¬             anä they'lì bå covereä later® Witè eitheò method¬ though¬             these principles apply:             Personalizeä letteró looë betteò wheî typeä witè righô             justifù OFF® Theù looë morå hand-produced® Justificatioî             ió on“ wheî yoõ starô Morrowriter» tï turî iô off¬ typå             SCRÎ FRMÔ « J® Wheî Morrowriteò printó thå letter¬ iô             doesn'ô matteò ho÷ lonç thå inserteä piecå oæ informatioî             is. Paragraphs are automatically adjusted around it.             Alwayó uså ".OP¢ oò ".PN¢ doô commandó aô thå beginninç oæ             thå letter® Otherwise¬ Morrowriteò wilì prinô pagå             numberó oî thå letteró thaô keeð increasinç witè eacè             letteò printed® Iæ iô ió á one-pagå letter¬ uså .OP„ (omiô             pagå number)® Iæ yoõ wanô numbereä pages¬ uså .PN1„ tï             reset the page counter to 1 at the start of each letter.             Alwayó uså ".PA¢ aô thå enä oæ thå letter® Thió makeó             surå thaô thå papeò ió advanceä ouô oæ thå printer¬ oò tï             thå toð oæ thå nexô pagå wheî yoõ uså continuouó forí paper. Š             Foò everù piecå oæ variablå information¬ yoõ wilì uså á             speciaì namå anä á speciaì waù oæ typinç iô iî thå letter.‚             Thå namå oæ thå datá ió uð tï you» typicaì nameó wilì bå             NAMÅ anä ADDRESS® Thå speciaì typinç consideratioî ió             thaô yoõ encloså iô iî ampersandó (&© whereveò iô appearó             in the letter.                  For example, if you want a letter that reads:                  ------------------------------------------------                  Dear Mr. Anderson,                  Wå hopå yoõ anä youò familù arå enjoyinç youò ne÷                  home at 12 Gardenia Avenue. . .                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~                  and¬ presumably¬ yoõ wanô tï bå ablå tï changå thå                  namå anä addresó froí letteò tï letter¬ youò basiã                  letter will look like:                  ------------------------------------------------                  Dear &NAME&,                  Wå hopå yoõ anä youò familù arå enjoyinç youò ne÷                  home at &ADDRESS&. . .                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~             Sï far¬ thaô isn'ô toï manù detailó tï keeð iî mind® Nexô             we'lì seå ho÷ tï typå á datá file¬ theî we'lì coveò thå             codinç oæ thå basiã letteò tï telì iô ho÷ tï reaä á datá             file® Lastlù METHOÄ ² ió discussed¬ thaô is¬ thå methoä             thaô doesn'ô uså á datá filå buô askó you“ foò thå datá             instead. TYPING THE DATA FILE             Iæ "datá file¢ soundó á littlå toï computerisè foò you¬ bå             awarå thaô thió ió á document“ likå anù other¬ anä ió             usuallù littlå morå thaî aî addresó book® Iô containó thå             pieceó oæ informatioî thaô yoõ wanô tï inserô intï forí             letteró wheî theù arå printed® Iô haó á fe÷ stricô buô             simple rules on how you should lay it out.             First¬ iô wilì simplifù thingó iæ yoõ puô thå letteò anä             thå datá filå oî thå samå diskette¬ especiallù iæ yoõ havå             onlù onå disë drive® Iæ yoõ havå severaì letteró thaô             sharå thå samå datá filå (say¬ an announcement oæ aî             evenô anä theî á lateò reminder© yoõ shoulä typå botè             letteró ontï thå diskette® Iî addition¬ yoõ coulä uså thå             samå datá filå foò automatiã addressinç oæ envelopeó oò             mailinç labels® Wheî spacå becomeó á problem¬ copù thå Š            datá filå tï á fresè diskettå anä puô ne÷ letteró therå             witè it® .cp7             Now for the nitty-gritty details:             1. Opeî á ne÷ filå bù selectinç Ä aô thå Maiî Menu® Namå                iô somethinç appropriate¬ likå "LETTER1.DAT"® Thå .DAÔ                endinç isn'ô necessarù buô iô makeó identifyinç datá                fileó easy.             2® Yoõ caî ediô thió filå jusô likå anù otheò documenô                usinç thå cursoò anä ediô keys® However¬ bå surå thaô                yoõ turî righô justifù anä worä wrað OFF® Thå commandó                tï dï thió arå SCRÎ FRMÔ « J‚ anä SCRÎ FRMÔ « W‚                respectively® Remember¬ though¬ thaô iæ theù werå ofæ                already, these commands will turn them ON. 3. Everù customeò (oò friend¬ enemy¬ animal¬ whatever© iî                thå datá filå musô havå itó datá laiä ouô iî thå samå                exacô order® Eacè piecå oæ datá ió separateä froí                thoså nexô tï iô bù á comma® Iæ á piecå oæ datá isn'ô                knowî oò isn'ô appropriatå foò á certaiî customer¬ uså                twï commaó iî á row® Theså ruleó wilì becomå cleareò                when you see the upcoming example.             4. Thå onlù thinç thaô caî bå iî á datá filå ió DATA®                Thaô goeó foò blanë lineó anä comments® EVERYTHINÇ                getó treateä aó data¬ sï uså nï comments¬ blanë lines¬                or dot commands.             5. No÷ yoõ caî proceeä tï typå iî thå datá aó you'vå laiä                iô out® Iî thió example¬ thå datá foò eacè letteò ió                laiä ouô DATE(today'ó date)¬ NAME¬ ADDRESS1¬ ADDRESS2¬                ADDRESS3¬ AMTDUE(amounô due)¬ anä DATEDUE® Theså nameó                foò thå datá itemó wilì becomå significanô wheî yoõ                type the form letter. ----------------------------------------------------------------- 7/11/83, Mr® Groppo¬ 25µ Selbornå Dr.¬ "Saî Francisco¬ CÁ 94105"¬ , $149.50 "June 1, 1983" 7/11/83, Mr® Edmondson¬ 160¶ Manchesteò Ave.¬ Apt® 12B¬ "Porô Washington¬ N.Y® 11053" $750.00, "May 15, 1983" 7/11/83, Mrs. Campbell, 1900 Universal Way, "Camden, N.J. 08101", , $66.22 "June 1, 1983" -----------------------------------------------------------------             .cp10 Š                Therå arå severaì thingó foò yoõ tï noticå abouô thió                datá file:                First¬ therå arå onlù threå "records"® Youò datá fileó                can have as many records as diskette space permits.                Second¬ somå pieceó oæ datá arå encloseä iî quotes®                Why¿ Wheneveò á commá ió tï appeaò aó parô oæ thå                data¬ yoõ musô encloså thå wholå piecå oæ datá iî                quotatioî marks.“ Thió ió donå tï telì MorroWriteò thaô                thå commá ió noô therå tï separatå datá items¬ buô ió                reallù parô oæ thå data® Iî thió example¬ alì                city/statå anä DATEDUÅ itemó havå commas¬ anä sï theù                arå iî quotes.                Third¬ thå firsô anä lasô recordó havå twï commaó witè                nï datá iî betweeî them® Thió ió becauså thå layouô oæ                thå filå allowó foò threå addresó lines¬ anä theså                addresseó onlù takå uð two® Iæ yoõ didn'ô uså thå                doublå commas¬ Morrowriteò woulä thinë thaô $149.5° waó                thå lasô parô oæ Mr® Groppo'ó address¬ anä thaô Junå 1¬                198³ waó thå amounô due» everythinç woulä bå ouô oæ                whacë froí thaô poinô on® Alwayó uså doublå commaó                wheî you'rå skippinç á piecå oæ data.“ Iæ yoõ skið twï                iî á row¬ uså threå commas¬ anä sï on.                Finally¬ eacè recorä occupieó twï lines® Yoõ coulä puô                onå recorä peò line¬ uð tï 25µ characteró across¬ iæ                yoõ wanteä to® Yoõ coulä alsï puô onå piecå oæ infor                matioî peò line¬ aó so:              --(don't type this part)--             7/11/83 (DATE)             Mr. Groppo (NAME)             255 Selborne Dr (ADDRESS1)             "San Francisco, CA 94105", (ADDRESS2)             $149.50 (AMTDUE)             "June 1, 1983" (DATEDUE)             7/11/83 (DATE)             Mr. Edmondson (NAME)             (and so on)                          Comparinç thå formató shoulä makå yoõ awarå thaô yoõ caî             uså commaó anä carriagå returnó interchangeablù foò sepa             ratinç datá items® Iî thå firsô example¬ wherå thå datá             waó strunç alonç á linå witè commaó aó separators¬ you'lì             seå thaô therå isn'ô á commá aô thå enä oæ anù oæ thå             firsô lineó (afteò $149.50¬ foò example)® Thå carriagå             return¬ whicè waó entereä manually¬ takeó thå placå oæ thå             comma® Iî thå examplå above¬ wherå thå datá ió "stacked¢             vertically¬ therå ió onlù onå commá useä aó á separator¬             afteò Mr® Groppo'ó ADDRESS² line® Thió indicateó thaô             therå ió nï ADDRESS³ item¬ sincå thå commá anä carriagå             returî havå thå samå effecô aó twï commaó iî á row. Š            Okay® Enougè abouô that® Aó á generaì guideline¬ iæ yoõ             caî fiô alì oæ thå datá foò á letteò ontï onå line¬ dï so®             Uså commaó tï separatå items® Anù spaceó betweeî thå             commaó anä thå datá wilì bå ignored® Wheî yoõ reacè thå             enä oæ thå datá foò onå customer¬ presó RETURN„ withouô á             comma. DON'T use blank lines between lines of data.        Final Notås oî Datá Files:‚ Althougè thió simplå examplå showeä             onlù sucè basiã datá aó nameó anä addresses¬ therå reallù             isn'ô anù practicaì limiô oî thå kindó oæ informatioî yoõ             caî reaä intï á forí letteò aô prinô time® Yoõ coulä             inserô branä nameó anä modeì numberó oæ merchandise¬ oò             eveî entirå paragraphó thaô applù tï thaô readeò only®             Jusô remembeò tï uså quoteó iæ anù commaó oò carriagå             returnó occuò iî thå inserteä text.             Next¬ yoõ caî alwayó havå morå datá iî thå datá filå thaî             ió needeä bù thå letter® Iî thå examplå we'vå beeî using¬             yoõ coulä uså thå samå datá filå tï addresó envelopes» oæ             course¬ yoõ won'ô bå needinç thå AMTDUÅ anä DATEDUÅ infor             matioî foò thaô task® Sï desigî thå filå tï havå alì thå             informatioî you'lì neeä foò everù joâ thaô coulä sharå iî             usinç thå file®             Youò letteò caî uså thå pieceó oæ datá iî anù order¬ anä             anù numbeò oæ times® Thuó iî ouò examplå NAMÅ coulä bå             thå firsô piecå yoõ use¬ eveî thougè iî thå filå iô comeó             afteò DATE® Anä yoõ coulä uså NAMÅ oveò anä oveò agaiî iî             the same letter.             Lastly¬ thå firsô iteí oæ eacè recorä ió DATE¬ oò today'ó             date® You'lì havå tï ediô thaô foò eacè daù thaô yoõ uså             thaô parô oæ thå datá file® Finä ¦ Replacå oî thå             Auxiliarù Ediô Menõ ió aî efficienô waù oæ handlinç this®             Therå ió á better¬ buô morå complicateä waù tï keeð thå             datå iteí currenô thaô wilì bå noteä later. PREPARING THE LETTER TO READ THE DATA FILE             You'vå alreadù seeî somå basiã instructionó earlieò undeò             "Typinç thå Basiã Letter"® No÷ we'lì coveò thå speciaì             commandó thaô telì Morrowriteò ho÷ tï extracô informatioî             froí thå datá filå anä inserô iô intï thå letter® You'lì             type these commands as part of the letter. They are:             .DF followed by the name of the data file, and             .RÖ followeä bù thå layouô oæ thå file¬ aó iô appeareä              in the remarks at the beginning of the data file              .cp5 Š            Then¬ aó waó mentioneä earlier¬ everù timå yoõ refeò tï             informatioî iî thå datá file¬ you'lì uså á namå froí thå             .RV line with ampersands at both ends (like "&AMTDUE&"). .cp 7             Here'ó á possiblå letteò tï gï alonç witè thå datá filå             we'vå beeî using® Wå nameä thå datá filå "LETTER1.DAT¢             wheî iô waó created® Remembeò thaô alì doô commandó musô             begin in column 1. ---------------------------------------------------------------------  .OP .DF LETTER1.DAT .RV DATE, NAME, ADDRESS1, ADDRESS2, ADDRESS3, AMTDUE, DATEDUE &DATE& &NAME& &ADDRESS1& &ADDRESS2& &ADDRESS3& Dear &NAME&, Ouò recordó indicatå thaô yoõ havå aî unpaiä balancå oæ &AMTDUE&® Thió amounô waó pasô duå aó oæ &DATEDUE&® Wå woulä appreciatå youò prompt attention to this matter.              Sincerely,              Friendly Loan Company .PA              ----------------------------------------------------------------------             Keeð iî minä thaô yoõ coulä havå useä thå datá iî anù             ordeò anä anù numbeò oæ times¬ sucè aó addinç thå sentencå             "Wå woulä hatå tï havå tï comå tï &ADDRESS1¦ anä shakå yoõ             down¬ &NAME&.¢ Alsï remembeò thaô thå paragraphó wilì bå             realigneä tï thå marginó regardlesó oæ ho÷ lonç oò shorô             the inserted data is.             Onå hinô beforå wå movå onº Yoõ maù wisè tï havå á seconä             namå entry¬ sucè aó NAME± anä NAME2® Iî á datá file¬ seô .cp5 Š            thió uð tï bå firsô anä lasô name¬ likå "Don¬ Mowry¬ ..."®             Yoõ coulä eveî adä aî iteí SEX¬ anä seô iô tï "Mr.¢ iî             thió case® Thió giveó yoõ thå flexibilitù tï bå formaì oò             familiar, as shown below: .cp10  ---------------------------------------------------------------------   .OP  .DF CONTEST.DAT .RV SEX, NAME1, NAME2, PRIZE, NEIGHBOR ...  Dear &SEX& &NAME2&,  THIS IS YOUR LUCKY DAY, &NAME1&! You and your neighbor, &NEIGHBOR&,  have been selected as two of the possible winners of a BRAND NEW &PRIZE&!!!  Jusô imaginå yourselæ anä thå resô oæ thå &NAME2¦ familù enjoyinç á  lazy summer afternoon in the comfort of that beautiful &PRIZE&.  Anä alì yoõ havå tï dï ió completå thió ordeò forí foò á thirtù yeaò  subscription to our fantastic new magazine. . .    ---------------------------------------------------------------------         Summary of Form Letters Using a Data File            1® Theså commandó alwayó gï aô thå beginning“ oæ thå             letter:                           .OP or .PN1              .DF [data file name]              .RV [data file layout]            2. This command always goes at the end of the letter:              .PA            3. Alì doô commandó begiî iî columî ± anä arå oî lineó bù              themselves.            4. Alì referenceó tï datá froí thå datá file¬ excepô iî thå              .RÖ command, are bordered on both sides by ampersands. .cp15 Š RUNNING A QUICK TEST ON THE DATA FILE            Yoõ caî uså whaô you'vå learneä sï faò tï ruî á tesô oî á            newly-typeä datá filå tï seå whetheò you'vå lefô ouô anù            commas¬ data¬ puô thingó iî thå wronç places¬ anä sï on®            Yoõ reallù oughô tï ruî thió tesô oî ne÷ datá files¬            especiallù iæ theù arå verù long® Iô wilì savå yoõ            headaches later.            Insteaä oæ writinç á letteò thaô useó thå data¬ creatå á            document that justs lists the data, like so:   ---------------------------------------------------------------------     .. This is a data file test of file LETTER1.DAT   .DF LETTER1.DAT   .RV DATE, NAME, ADDRESS1, ADDRESS2, ADDRESS3, AMTDUE, DATEDUE   &DATE&   &NAME&   &ADDRESS1&   &ADDRESS2&   &ADDRESS3&   &AMTDUE&   &DATEDUE&     ----------------------------------------------------------------------               Yoõ don'ô neeä thå page-formattinç doô commandó foò thió             test.             Wheî yoõ merge-prinô thió tesô document¬ iô wilì keeð             cyclinç througè thå datá untiì thå enä oæ thå datá filå ió             reached® Ho÷ tï merge-prinô ió thå nexô subjecô we'lì             looë into. PRINTING OUT FORM LETTERS THAT USE DATA FILES             Oncå yoõ havå thå letteò filå anä thå datá filå seô up¬             you'rå jusô abouô finished® Thió maù seeí likå á loô oæ             work¬ buô settinç theså thingó uð ió somethinç yoõ probab             lù won'ô dï verù often» anä compareä tï insertinç texô             intï forí letteró one at a time, it'ó marvelouslù easy.