Creating a data source

Hello students, welcome to Kwickprep. A mail merge is only as good as its list of names. One wrong spelling reaches a parent's hands. Today we learn to create a correct data source, in Word and in Excel.

Let us begin with the meaning. A data source is a file that holds the changing details for a mail merge. It is arranged as a table of rows and columns. Word calls it the recipient list, and some books call it the data file.

Three terms matter here. A field is one column, holding one type of detail, such as city. A record is one row, holding all the details of one person. The header row is the first row, and it holds the field names.

Plan the list before you type anything. First, list the details every copy needs, such as name, class and phone. Give each field a short and clear name. Keep first name and last name in separate fields, so a letter can simply say Dear Riya. Finally, decide the file name and where you will save it.

The first method works inside Microsoft Word. Open the Mailings tab. Click Select Recipients. Choose Type a New List, and the New Address List box opens. Type the first record, and click New Entry to add the next one. Click OK, and save the list with a clear name.

Next, set the fields you need. Word's new list starts with ready fields, such as title, first name and company. Click Customize Columns to change them to your needs. In that box you can add, delete or rename a field. The Move Up and Move Down buttons change the order of the fields.

When you click OK, Word asks you to save the list. It is saved as a Microsoft Office Address List. The file extension is .mdb. By default it goes into the My Data Sources folder, inside Documents. Later, you can change the records using Edit Recipient List.

The second method uses Microsoft Excel, and it is the most common. Type the field names in row one, as the header row. Riya, class ten, from Surat, is the first record. Aman, class nine, from Pune, is the next record. Neha, class ten, from Jaipur, completes this small list.

A messy list gives wrong copies, so follow these rules. Keep only one header row, in row one. Do not leave blank rows or columns inside the list, because the merge may stop reading there. Do not merge cells. Keep one record in each row, and one detail in each cell. Save and close the Excel file before you connect it to Word.

Now let us connect this sheet to a Word document. Open the Mailings tab. Click Select Recipients. Choose Use an Existing List. Browse and pick the Excel file. Choose the sheet name, keep First row of data contains column headers ticked, and click OK.

Edit Recipient List lets you check the list before merging. Tick or untick records to choose who gets a copy. Sort the records by any field, such as city. Filter them, for example to keep only students of class ten. Use Find duplicates, so no parent gets two letters.

Pause and predict. Our list has three records. In Edit Recipient List, Aman's record is unticked. How many letters will the merge make? The answer is two, for Riya and Neha, because unticked records are left out.

Let us revise what we learned today. In a data source, fields are columns and records are rows. In Word, use Select Recipients and then Type a New List. Word saves that typed list as an .mdb file. In Excel, put headings in row one and leave no blank rows. Finally, check everything in Edit Recipient List before you merge.