Apache OpenOffice (AOO) Bugzilla – Issue 123253
Mail Merge Address Block inserts spacing after each line of the address
Last modified: 2013-12-15 01:48:30 UTC
Created attachment 81539 [details] Screenshot showing unwanted spacing below each address line Mail Merge creates a Paragraph Format for the Address Block which cannot be altered. It treats each line of the address as a paragraph and generates a "Spacing after paragraph" that spaces out the address similar to line and a half spacing. There is no apparent way of over-riding this. Mail Merge should give full control over the formatting of the Address Block and not assume a standard that is not required.
What format exactly is required?
I was able to recreate what the grahamft saw Open Office, Create New Document, use Mail Merge • Document type: Letter • Select Address List: I created then used the address • Insert address block: this basically is verification that the address you have is correct • Create Salutation: I chose a “general” salutation • Adjust Layout: I made no adjustments • Preview and Edit: I didn’t edit here Once my document was created, I opened • Character default to verify what my actual default was Font= Times New Roman, Size = 12, Alignment = Left, Line Spacing = Single • Paragraph to verify those defaults as well (I used the original attachment to verify if there were differences) Indent is the same(0.00) Line spacing the same (single) however the paragraph spacing is different. Original bug report shows Below paragraph as 0.21 cm, mine is 0.08”. • In the original communication it was stated there “is no apparent way of over-riding this”. In Paragraph, Indent is the same(0.00) Line spacing the same (single) however the Paragraph spacing is different , original bug report shows Below paragraph as 0.21 cm, mine is 0.08”. That being said the previews of the documents are strikingly similar. • I was able to adjust the Below paragraph to 0.00” which then pushed my address together to look more as expected. • I too worked with Windows 7, although my OO version is 3.3.0.
(In reply to Edwin Sharp from comment #1) > What format exactly is required? I want the address to spaced the same as the letter - single line spacing with no additional spacing before or after a paragraph (line). I don't know what standard the code uses to calculate a spacing before each line but, on the basis of the user below who has recreated the bug I reported, it appears to vary from case to case. The best solution would be to provide user-chosen formatting for the Address Block, so that an appropriate format can be chosen by the user for each case.
(In reply to heather from comment #2) > I was able to recreate what the grahamft saw > Open Office, Create New Document, use Mail Merge > • Document type: Letter > • Select Address List: I created then used the address > • Insert address block: this basically is verification that the address you > have is correct > • Create Salutation: I chose a “general” salutation > • Adjust Layout: I made no adjustments > • Preview and Edit: I didn’t edit here > Once my document was created, I opened > • Character default to verify what my actual default was Font= Times New > Roman, Size = 12, Alignment = Left, Line Spacing = Single > • Paragraph to verify those defaults as well (I used the original attachment > to verify if there were differences) Indent is the same(0.00) Line spacing > the same (single) however the paragraph spacing is different. Original bug > report shows Below paragraph as 0.21 cm, mine is 0.08”. > > • In the original communication it was stated there “is no apparent way of > over-riding this”. In Paragraph, Indent is the same(0.00) Line spacing the > same (single) however the Paragraph spacing is different , original bug > report shows Below paragraph as 0.21 cm, mine is 0.08”. That being said the > previews of the documents are strikingly similar. > • I was able to adjust the Below paragraph to 0.00” which then pushed my > address together to look more as expected. > • I too worked with Windows 7, although my OO version is 3.3.0. I appreciate that it is possible to edit the address block to achieve the desired outcome but *only* letter by letter! On any reasonable sized Mail Merge run, where hundreds of letters may be produced, this would take forever!
I successfully replicated this bug on Windows 7 64-bit, service pack 1. I am running AOO401m5(Build:9714) - Rev. 1524958 Steps to recreate: Create new document Select Tools → Mail Merge Wizard Select use current document and hit next Select Letter and hit next Press “Select Different Address List” Button Select “Create” Fill in information with whatever is desired and press ok Save the Address List Press ok Leave everything else as default and hit next 5 times. Select save starting document and then press Save Starting Document button This produces a result similar to the one shown in the original (Note: Mine was .08 cm in between, which is the same as 21 inches) I attempted to find an option in the wizard that would change this result, I came to the conclusion that when inserting the address block, the spacing in between each line is automatically set. There is no option to configure it in the wizard, nor does setting the spacing to zero before running the wizard change the result. I have loaded up Microsoft Word 2010 and used their mailing merge program. It produced the same result, with 10 pt in between each line in the address. However, if you change the spacing in the document and then insert the address block, then the address block conforms to that spacing. OpenOffice does not do this. Research into whether there should be spacing in the address block yielded some interesting results. The USPS website has a standard for address blocks here: http://pe.usps.com/text/qsg300/Q602.htm While they don’t seem to specifically mention spacing between the lines, their examples clearly has no space between the lines. There are a lot more examples of websites explaining how to format an address block listed below. All these websites never mention spacing, but their examples are all formatted with no spacing. http://jobsearchtech.about.com/od/letters/l/bl_mblock_p.htm http://www.columbia.edu/~fdc/postal/ http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/BusLetter_Block.html http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2w_MneaJzA I believe the main bug here is openoffice not using the format currently in the document to format the address block. As explained by the grahmft above, people sometimes use the mail merge feature when creating hundreds of letters. Not being able to format the address block before hand could frustrate users who do not like the spacing because each address block on each letter would have to manually be changed.
Confirmed per comment 5.
The inserted address block is packed as the frame and its default paragraph style is "Frame contents" that having 0.21 cm Below paragraph spacing as default. Prepare Frame contents style before executing the mailmerge.