I have done a great deal of mail merges in my usage of word processors. Besides 
using databases and addressbooks for data sources many users are very familiar 
with create a datafile in the wordprocessor's format.

Usually this is done by taking a blank WP document, inserting a table with the 
required # of columns as needed fields, i.e., Fname, Lname, Address, City, 
State, Zip. The 1st row, table header, is read as field names and all 
successive rows are read as records.

This is very useful in small offices, in home offices, and for people who are 
not familiar with databases. It also allows a person to quickly setup a small 
datafile, or a large one, without any technical knowledge or expertise.

Then you create a mail merge form, link it to the data file and the columns 
become fiels in the merge document and the rows become records. This is how MS 
Word doe mail merge in a simplistic manner, it also allows you to use databases 
and other sources. I started in Worderfect for DOS when you literally had to 
setup fields and recodes by using codes, similar to using a delimited text file.

When I went to look at the Open Office mail merge feature, this is not an 
option. There are database options, then a "other sources" but the other 
sources seem to be othe database or addressbooks not found in the preconfigured 
list.

Adding the ability to create a flat text file table as a datafile for a mail 
merge would be very important for the numerous people who do not want to be 
technical experts, thye just want to do their work.
I, myself, can pretty much handle it any way presented as I've used so many 
different applications in so many platforms that I'm familiar with almost any 
way to do something.
But, as a tutor I look to also have options available for the person who is not 
a tech wiz, doesn't want to be, and just wants a simple way to do something. 
Like the parent who wants to mail merge birthday party invitations for their 
childs birthday party. They do not want to have to learn about databases, 
linking them, etc. They just want to type their friends names in a list, create 
an invitation and have the application merge the information.

Now that OO has the functionality of MS Word I will be using it more and more, 
so I will continue to provide feedback from a common users perspective. I'm 
looking forward to learning how to use the XML and other advanced features, but 
I like ot learn new stuff.

Curtis Seyfried
curtis.seyfried@verizon.net