>>>>I need an easy way to allow users to create, edit and print form letters from a VFP3 application. Here are a few of the features that I would like to include:
>>>>1. Create/edit form letters in Word.
>>>>2. An easy way for the user to insert fields that will be replaced with VFP data (add my own menu to Word listing available fields)
>>>>3. Print a form letter that was created earlier without seeing Word.
>>>>4. Option to merge data with form letter then edit/view before printing.
>>>>
>>>>Any ideas (even better, samples)?
>>>>
>>>>Thanks,
>>>>Shane
>>>Hi Shane,
>>>I haven't done that in Word, but I have done it in Wordperfect,
>>>and basically what I do is create a text file from within Fox with
>>>information from the fields that my forms needs, then I call
>>>worperfect from within Fox, Wordperfect executes a macro that
>>>convert my text file to something that it recognizes as a "Record
>>>description file", and then merge that information with one or
>>>several "templates" or "Forms", previously defined.
>>>I know you can do the same or something much better in word,
>>>look for "merge", "merge codes","Import","DBF",etc.. under the
>>>word help, I have seen samples about that in there.
>>>Good Luck.
>>
>>It's even easier in Word, since Word will read an SDF format text file or a FoxBase 2.x style DBF in its MailMerge, so you can skip one of Luis' steps!
>>
>>Barbara
>What is SDF format?

SDF Creates an SDF (System Data Format) file. An SDF file is an ASCII text file in which records have a fixed length and end with a carriage return and linefeed. Fields aren’t delimited. The SDF file name is assigned a .TXT file extension if you do not include an extension.

Careful though. VFP (3 & 5)have a bug. If you have blank fields that you are outputting in SDF format they will not show up. If you output a file in SDF format it should create a text file with fields of fixed length. If the field is blank it is just not there in the text file and screws everything up.