[Writer] Data to Fields is not working

users
#1

Hi

I can not make Date to Fields button working.
Steps that I try:
1. Open new Writer document
2. Press F4 (or View → Data Sources)
3. Select bibliography table "biblio"
4. Press left-most cell of any row to select entire row (without this step
Data to Fields button is not clickable).
5. Press "Data to Fields" button (fourth from right), see screenshot:
<http://minio.komunikatory.pl/obrazy/rozne/data-to-fields.jpg>

Nothing happens, or at least nothing that I can see.

Can someone explain this? What this button should actually do and how do I use
it? What am I doing wrong?

I am using LibreOffice 3.6.1 on Debian testing (amd64), version downloaded from
experimental repository (not LO website).

Thanks in advance.

#2

You need to use both "Data to Text" and Data to Fields" buttons for the later to work.

1. Open new Writer document
2. Press F4 (or View ? Data Sources)
3. Select bibliography table "biblio"
4. Press left-most cell of any row to select entire row (without this step Data to Text nor
Data to Fields button is not clickable).
5. Click the "Data to Text" button to select what will be copied from the selected row in the Data Sources window to the text documents.
6. A dialog opens giving three choices: paste the data in table format, as fields, or as text. The first and third choices are result in text being pasted.
7. The "Data to Fields" button works only if you have selected "Fields" in the dialog. To change the data showing in the fields in the text document, select another row. Then click this button.

      In other words, you have to use "Data to Text" button to create the fields before you can put any other data in these fields using the "Data to Text" button.

--Dan

#3

Dan,

Thanks for your reply.

      You need to use both "Data to Text" and Data to Fields" buttons
for the later to work.

1. Open new Writer document
2. Press F4 (or View ? Data Sources)
3. Select bibliography table "biblio"
4. Press left-most cell of any row to select entire row (without this step
Data to Text nor Data to Fields button is not clickable).
5. Click the "Data to Text" button to select what will be copied from the
selected row in the Data Sources window to the text documents. 6. A dialog
opens giving three choices: paste the data in table format, as fields, or
as text. The first and third choices are result in text being pasted. 7.
The "Data to Fields" button works only if you have selected "Fields" in
the dialog. To change the data showing in the fields in the text document,
select another row. Then click this button.

      In other words, you have to use "Data to Text" button to create the
fields before you can put any other data in these fields using the "Data
to Text" button.

I am afraid it still does not work as described.
When I click "Data to Text", new window appears. I check "Fields" and then
"move" (using arrow button) field from left column to right one. When I click
"OK", this window disappears, but field appears right in my document. Clicking
"Data to Fields" still does not do anything visible.

What version of LO are you using? It might be that mine is buggy or your
outdated and that's why we see different behaviors.

#4

You can not do anything useful with a blank new document.

1. Open your letter template with fields.
2. Hit F4 and get your row set (query or table)
3. Click a grey row selector left of the first column to select the record
that represents the receipient of your letter.
4. Click data-to-fields which fills out the fields with actual data.
5. Print and deny printing a serial letter.

#5

Andreas,

1. Open your letter template with fields.

What "fields" do you refer to? How do I place them?

I know I can place fields from database using Insert → Fields → Other →
Database → Mail merge fields.

But after placing these fields I can open Mail merge and go directly to last
step and generate final document. So, Mail merge will be able to use these
fields without ever clicking "Data to Fields" button, which purpose I am
failing to understand.

#6

Question: Did you click a different row to highlight the whole row before clicking "Data to Text" button? (Click the rectangle at the left end of the row.) Unless you select another row, you will see no changes. Step 4 of your original email is the process you need to use here.
My LO versions in which it works: 3.4.6, 3.5.6, AND 3.6.2.2. All of them are Debian 64 bit downloaded and installed from the LO website. (I don't use the versions found in Linux distribution repositories.)

#7

Oh, now I see what you meant. No, I did not select another row. I put fields
with one row selected and then clicked "Data to Fields" with the same row
selected.

I think I understand now. This button gives a way to quickly preview document
with another set of data.

Thanks for your assistance, Dan!

#8

I think I understand now. This button gives a way to quickly preview document

Yes, I found this behaviour too. But why so difficult?
Browsing through the database, for changes to be visible in the document,
one has to manually select a row (clicking on the back and forward buttons
does not work for this. And one has to click on the Data to Fields button.
Too many handlings if you want to pre-check records to see if everything
fits as intended.

Why not if one clicks on the forward button, the next row gets selected and
the data to fields button gets pressed automatically. MS Office shows this
behaviour also.