I know this is a Linux discussion list and I support (and use) Linux, so please don't flame me for my comments. Also, there is not a lot of information about this problem, so I may be assuming too much. I think a Linux/Open Source as a solution is totally inappropriate. As I understand the problem, this friend wants to do a mail merge. He/She uses MS Word, (I assume for other mail merges as well), and now wants to add some graphic images to the document. Why give them a new server using a new OS and an application they know nothing about and probably can't support, when all they want to do is create a mailing? In this case, why not just use (horrors!!!) VB or even a MSWord macro to write a small merge application that adds the pictures to the MS Word documents? This person can throw away the app/macro when done, or use it again if needed. The impact to his/her business is minimal and he/she can focus on the value of the business instead of a neat new technology. I am sure I am missing something, but to add a server with an operating system that the user (probably) cannot support just to merge some documents into a mailing seems a little overkill. Again, this is just my opinion. If you have to flame me, then at least do it off the list! Mark Phillips Phillips Marketing, Inc. mark@phillipsmarketing.biz 480 945-0798 480 945-9197 fax No trees were destroyed in the sending of this contaminant free message, however, a significant number of electrons may have been inconvenienced. -----Original Message----- From: Mike Starke [SMTP:meg@lilly.csoft.net] Sent: Tuesday, February 11, 2003 1:06 PM To: Elburn@aol.com Cc: PLUG Subject: Re: mailmerge question On Tue, Feb 11, 2003 at 09:49:47AM -0500, Elburn@aol.com wrote: /_A friend of mine has an application where he needs to do a mail merge. The /_kicker is that each letter must have a diff signature based on the contents /_of a merge field. The signature is a graphic file and there are over a /_thousand of them. /_ /_He may be willing to pay a consulting fee. At this time he is using WINDOWS /_this could be a good time to start him on linux if Wordstar will do this, he /_has been unable to do it using MSWORD, however if wordstar can't do it but /_you know how to do it in word would still want to talk to you. /_ Seems to me that the best way to tackle this is in baby steps. Stuff the information in a database (e.g MySQL, PostgreSQL) and then just link up via odbc. MS Word does a fairly decent job on mail merges. Here's the kicker: You need a database server :-) I would plop a low end box in his home/office with MySQL/Apache/PHP installed. Install something like phpmyadmin so as he can admin/manage any databases he/she may create. Maybe I'm all wet here, but anytime you have "over a thousand" of something, you can't go wrong stuffing that something into a database in order to manage it better. I'd like to see this thread remain on the list as I think it is important everyone has the opportunity to contribute/listen to solutions to everyday problems/applications. v/r -Mike --------------------------------------------------- PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change you mail settings: http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss