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Setting Up a Generic Mail Merge

Updated over a month ago

Coins ERP+ allows you to add a merge feature to any browse screen, so that users can merge data from selected records to:

  • a Word document.

  • an email message.

  • a spreadsheet.

To add the merge feature to a screen, you need to:

  1. Create a master document:

    Word document

    1. Create the Word document. At the points where you want to insert data from Coins ERP+, type the name of the database field, enclosed in braces. For example:

The Access Group
Coins ERP+ Building
11 St Laurence Way
Slough
SL1 2EA

{ppo_search_name}

{ppo_adddr__1}

{ppo_addr__2}

{ppo_addr__3}

{ppo_addr__4}

{ppo_pcode}

Dear {ppo_1stname},

18 March 2026

2. Save the document as an RTF file.

If you used Word to create the document, after you have saved it as a .rtf file open the .rtf file in WordPad and save it. This removes unwanted hidden characters that can cause the merge to fail.

Email message

3. Create a text file with the content of the email message. At the points where you want to insert data from Coins ERP+, type the name of the database field, enclosed in braces with backslash characters before them. For example:

To: \{poraddresssad_email\}

From: [email protected]

cc:

Subject: holiday entitlement

Dear \{ppo_1stname\},

You have now worked at the company for over \{ro_service_yrs\} years and your annual holiday entitlement is \{ppo_holent__1\} days. For this year, you have \{ro_availhols\} days remaining....

End the message file with a blank line.

4. Save the file with a .msg extension.

Spreadsheet

5. Create a spreadsheet file. On the first line, enter the column headings for the fields you want to include. On the second line, enter the names of the database fields, enclosed in braces with backslash characters (\) before them. For example:

Email address

Name

Length of service

holiday entitlement

holiday available

\{poraddresssad_email\}

\{ppo_1stname\}

\{ro_service_yrs\}

\{ppo_holent__1\}

\{ro_availhols\}

6. Save the file with a .csv extension.

You can only include fields that are available in the query associated with the browse function you will use it on.

One way to find out the field names is to press Ctrl+Shift and click the logo at the top right of the screen; this shows the COINSInfo screen, which displays images next to the fields - when you move the mouse pointer over these a tooltip shows the field name.

7. In Merge File Maintenance:

  1. Add a new record.

  2. Specify the function code for the browse screen you want to add the merge feature to. Enter a description for the mail merge document - this will appear as an entry on the dropdown list.

  3. Save the record.

  4. Use the Upload Merge File action to place the file in the $BASE/var/merge/ directory of the Coins ERP+ system.

If you add the Merge feature to a screen, you may want to add a note to the side-frame help for that screen. To add a link to the Mail Merge topic, enter $O$%WDUG0018$O$ in the Help editor.

To use mail merge features, you need to download and run the COINS-MailMerge.exe file, to install the COINS Mailmerge helper. Download the file.

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