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
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