Won't work with WordPerfect?

Discuss the database features
Post Reply
aces
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2009 6:46 pm

Won't work with WordPerfect?

Post by aces »

I have been using dBase, which imports directly into WordPerfect
via the MERGE feature of WordPerfect.

Your program was recommended to me, insofar Vista does not
support DOS programs, so I opened your program and created
an *.odb file, which I, then, attempted to use with the MERGE feature
of WordPerfect. The files I have presently been using are *.dat files.

So, where the WP was pointing to *.dat in the MERGE facility,
I pointed to the *.odb file and all that came up on screen
was a bunch of gibberish.

Question: May I use your program with WordPerfect?
I wish to import a database of names for use in the program.
Envelopes, letters, etc.

At present, various fields are defined in WP, as
follows:

FIELD(1) FIELD(2) FIELD(3) etc.

If it is possible to use your program, perhaps it is so
easy that I am missing it!

Or, could there be some sort of conversion I need to
do, such as back to *.dat files?

Any help appreciated.

Thanks.
OOo 3.0.X on MS Windows Vista
User avatar
TheGurkha
Volunteer
Posts: 6482
Joined: Thu Mar 13, 2008 12:13 pm
Location: North Wales, UK.

Re: Won't work with WordPerfect?

Post by TheGurkha »

Hi and welcome to the forums.

I'm willing to be corrected, but I don't think you can do what you want. You can use of course use the OOo word processor, Writer, to mail merge from the OOo database and spreadsheet though.
Ubuntu 14.10 Utopic Unicorn, LibreOffice Version: 4.3.3.2
Gurkha Welfare Trust
Safway
Volunteer
Posts: 347
Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2008 4:35 pm

Re: Won't work with WordPerfect?

Post by Safway »

First, some pertinent background information for your situation:
Files ending with the extension .dat usually are plain data files. I know that isn't too descriptive and doesn't tell you what kind of data is in them and in what format. However, in my experience they usually are text files in some kind of delimited format. I have found this by opening them in a generic text editor. Because you have said you are mainly working with Vista, then notepad might do the trick.
OpenOffice/StarOffice files (such as your odb file you are trying to import) are compressed files. Anyone can decompress them and look at their contents--including the actual data of the database. For the decompressed odb file the actual data is located in the database/data file. This file is HSQL formatted data.

Second, how all this might help you:
Because the products above are open source there is transparency between each of the formats discussed above. This allows you to extract the information you own and use it with other products and in other formats easily. Here is how I would use convert OO.o data for use in Word Perfect.

Third, getting down to the actual details of what I believe your question is: How to import OO.o's database into the Word Perfect suite.
* Start OpenOffice and open Base and Calc
* Using OO.o Base, open your odb file
* Go to the Tables database object
* Go to the actual table(s) you want and open them to view their content
* Notice the top-left most rectangle within your database table
* Click (all your table data will be selected) and drag the rectangle into your Calc spreadsheet
* This will copy all table data into Calc
* From within Calc, save the spreadsheet as a Text CSV file
* This is a plain old text file format which you can then import into almost any program--including Word Perfect/Quatro Pro.
If someone posts a fix for your question, then please post a quick thank you and then go to your first post, use the edit button to add [Solved] as the first word of the title so other people can rely on the fix as well.
LibreOffice 3.3.3 on Fedora
aces
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2009 6:46 pm

Re: Won't work with WordPerfect?

Post by aces »

First, some pertinent background information for your situation:
Files ending with the extension .dat usually are plain data files. I know that isn't too descriptive and doesn't tell you what kind of data is in them and in what format. However, in my experience they usually are text files in some kind of delimited format. I have found this by opening them in a generic text editor. Because you have said you are mainly working with Vista, then notepad might do the trick.

******* Tried opening *.obd in Notepad and all that comes up is a bunch of gibberish.

OpenOffice/StarOffice files (such as your odb file you are trying to import) are compressed files. Anyone can decompress them and look at their contents--including the actual data of the database. For the decompressed odb file the actual data is located in the database/data file. This file is HSQL formatted data.

Second, how all this might help you:
Because the products above are open source there is transparency between each of the formats discussed above. This allows you to extract the information you own and use it with other products and in other formats easily. Here is how I would use convert OO.o data for use in Word Perfect.

Third, getting down to the actual details of what I believe your question is: How to import OO.o's database into the Word Perfect suite.
* Start OpenOffice and open Base and Calc

**** OK, done.

* Using OO.o Base, open your odb file

***** OK, done.

* Go to the Tables database object

***** Have searched everywhere and find nothing that even comes close to "tables database object." Have no idea how to proceed from here. Have tried to find something that says "tables," but no luck, either. Perhaps give a few more specifics, please? I see "Create tables in design view" and "use wizard to create table," from the opening screen in Base. Not sure if that is what you are referring to or not.

* Go to the actual table(s) you want and open them to view their content
* Notice the top-left most rectangle within your database table
* Click (all your table data will be selected) and drag the rectangle into your Calc spreadsheet
* This will copy all table data into Calc
* From within Calc, save the spreadsheet as a Text CSV file
* This is a plain old text file format which you can then import into almost any program--including Word Perfect/Quatro Pro.
OOo 3.0.X on MS Windows Vista
Safway
Volunteer
Posts: 347
Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2008 4:35 pm

Re: Won't work with WordPerfect?

Post by Safway »

Sure, maybe a screenshot can say a thousand words:

There are different objects in the database (Tables, Queries, Forms, and Reports). You can see these are called objects by selecting View | Database Object | Table. When you choose the View pull down menu and then select Database Object and then select Table, you are brought to the database object.

With the database object highlighted as shown the the red #1 arrow in the Screenshot1.jpg, you can see all your tables. When your tables are shown you can double click on one of the tables to bring up that particular table. Go ahead and bring up one of the tables. Look for the rectangle box identified by the red #2 arrow. Left click this rectangle to select all the table contents and drag it into the Calc spreadsheet program. You should see something like Screenshot2.jpg.

Now you have the contents in a spreadsheet. To save the contents in a comma separated value (CSV) format, from within Calc select File | Save As | File Type = Text CSV | Save.
Attachments
Screenshot2.jpg: This shows the data having been copied into Calc.
Screenshot2.jpg: This shows the data having been copied into Calc.
Screenshot1.jpg: This shows the selection of the data in the database table.
Screenshot1.jpg: This shows the selection of the data in the database table.
If someone posts a fix for your question, then please post a quick thank you and then go to your first post, use the edit button to add [Solved] as the first word of the title so other people can rely on the fix as well.
LibreOffice 3.3.3 on Fedora
aces
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2009 6:46 pm

Re: Won't work with WordPerfect?

Post by aces »

Sure, maybe a screenshot can say a thousand words:

There are different objects in the database (Tables, Queries, Forms, and Reports). You can see these are called objects by selecting View | Database Object | Table.

***** Okay, found it.

When you choose the View pull down menu and then select Database Object and then select Table, you are brought to the database object.

***** Okay, found it.

With the database object highlighted as shown the the red #1 arrow in the Screenshot1.jpg, you can see all your tables. When your tables are shown you can double click on one of the tables to bring up that particular table. Go ahead and bring up one of the tables.

***** Okay, found it.

Look for the rectangle box identified by the red #2 arrow. Left click this rectangle to select all the table contents and drag it into the Calc spreadsheet program. You should see something like Screenshot2.jpg.

***** Okay, done.

Now you have the contents in a spreadsheet. To save the contents in a comma separated value (CSV) format, from within Calc select File | Save As | File Type = Text CSV | Save.

***** Okay, done. I save it as test.csv and clicked OK all the way through.

But........

Now, I go to Wordperfect and open my document (which contains merge-fields).
In the DATA SOURCE box, I enter the path to TEST.CSV

I click MERGE....

Up comes the CONVERT FILE FORMAT box, but....

under where it says, CONVERT FILE FORMAT FROM, it says:

"UNSUPPORTED FORMAT"

and the OK button is grayed out.

Ouch.

So, I am stumped at this point. There is a pull-down menu, which I tried to copy, to paste here, but it won't let me copy. I could type each one, manually, if need be. There is no .csv in the list, however.

Apparently, the program does not recognize .csv files? I have no clue.

Just for the heck of it, I clicked in the pulldown menu on ASCII DOS Delimited Text, and when I clicked enter, it said "unknown file format." Hmmm.

Thanks for the excellent advice, so far.

Maybe I am getting close, but just am making some minor mistake? Help!

Thanks.

PS I went into the merge file which WordPerfect has been using just fine, which comes from dBase (which is called m.dta, by the way) and when I opened it up, in notepad, it showed the following (with some names and addresses):

lf ¡Ì TITLE C¯ ) FIRST C¯f ) NAME C¯ ) BODY C!¯# ) ADDRESS CD¯ ) ADDRESS1 Cb¯ ) CITY C€¯ ) STATE C”¯ ) ZIP C—¯ ) COUNTRY C ¯ ) H_PHONE C²¯
) W_PHONE C¿¯
)
OOo 3.0.X on MS Windows Vista
Safway
Volunteer
Posts: 347
Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2008 4:35 pm

Re: Won't work with WordPerfect?

Post by Safway »

I haven't used Word Perfect in a long time. I will have to point you to a Word Perfect forum on the next steps on how to get a CSV file into Word Perfect office suite and use it how you need.

Maybe a Google search on "WordPerfect forum" might help. Best of luck.
If someone posts a fix for your question, then please post a quick thank you and then go to your first post, use the edit button to add [Solved] as the first word of the title so other people can rely on the fix as well.
LibreOffice 3.3.3 on Fedora
aces
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2009 6:46 pm

Re: Won't work with WordPerfect?

Post by aces »

Actually, I did that!
I posted some time ago:
http://officecommunity.com/forums/1646/ ... .aspx#1646
but, as you can see, not even a single response.

Maybe it's time to ditch WordPerfect, but I was
hanging on just because I have been used to it.

Any more suggestions?

Thanks a lot.
OOo 3.0.X on MS Windows Vista
User avatar
acknak
Moderator
Posts: 22756
Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 1:25 am
Location: USA:NJ:E3

Re: Won't work with WordPerfect?

Post by acknak »

Maybe the easiest way to get a definitive answer is if you could attach your data file that works with WP. We can take a look at it and see what format it is and give you some suggestions. You can use the "Upload Attachment" link (below the message entry area after you click "POST REPLY"). [Forum] How to attach a document here

Note: your data will be publicly accessible, at least temporarily, so don't post anything that's confidential. If you simply have names and addresses, that's not really private information anymore so it shouldn't be a problem. Of course, it's up to you whether to post it or not.

You can also make arrangements to email it to someone privately, with a promise to keep it confidential.
AOO4/LO5 • Linux • Fedora 23
Safway
Volunteer
Posts: 347
Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2008 4:35 pm

Re: Won't work with WordPerfect?

Post by Safway »

acknak's suggestion is a good one. Maybe we can ensure you really did export your data as a CSV file. Here is a CSV file I made up that you might want to try if you don't feel comfortable posting your data; however, your data is the best to use.

Note: This forum would not allow me to post a sample_file.csv so I lied with the file extension in the supplied attachment. The attached file REALLY is a CSV file. When you download it, just rename it from sample_file.odt to sample_file.csv. Then try to use it in your WordPerfect suite.
Attachments
sample_file.odt
This really is a CSV file.
(3.37 KiB) Downloaded 207 times
If someone posts a fix for your question, then please post a quick thank you and then go to your first post, use the edit button to add [Solved] as the first word of the title so other people can rely on the fix as well.
LibreOffice 3.3.3 on Fedora
User avatar
acknak
Moderator
Posts: 22756
Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 1:25 am
Location: USA:NJ:E3

Re: Won't work with WordPerfect?

Post by acknak »

I, frankly, do not understand the point in restricting what file types are allowed here, but so it is.

The best way to skirt the restriction is to put your file (if is not on the accepted types list) in a zip archive and post the .zip file here. That preserves the correct file name and compresses the data as well.
AOO4/LO5 • Linux • Fedora 23
aces
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2009 6:46 pm

Re: Won't work with WordPerfect?

Post by aces »

OK, I downloaded the file and changed the extension to .csv.

I then went into WordPerfect and opened my merge document and clicked on the new .csv file to import.
The document is labels, three abreast, 30 on a page.

What came up is as follows.

"PK_MONITORS","MON_MANUFA","MON_SERIAL","MON_MODEL","MON_DRIVER","MON_DEPRECATEDATE"
1,"Dell",1,"E773c","PLUG & PLAY",
2,"Dell",2,"E176FPc","PLUG & PLAY",
3,"Dell",3,"E176FPc","PLUG & PLAY",
5,"Dell",4,"E773c","PLUG & PLAY",
6,"Dell",5,"E773c","PLUG & PLAY",
7,"Dell",6,"E773c","PLUG & PLAY",
8,"Dell",7,"s720","PLUG & PLAY",
9,"Dell",8,"E176FPc","PLUG & PLAY",
10,"Dell",9,"E772p","PLUG & PLAY",
11,"Dell",10,"E773s","PLUG & PLAY",
12,"Dell",11,"E773c","PLUG & PLAY",
13,"Dell",12,"M992","RADEON 7000 (QY)",
14,"Dell",13,"1707FPt","PLUG & PLAY",
15,"VIEWSONIC",14,"VCDTS21430-2M","PLUG & PLAY",
16,"Dell",15,"E176FPc","PLUG & PLAY",
17,"Dell",16,"E772P","PLUG & PLAY",
18,"Dell",17,"2235-OON","IBM 2235 C50",04/17/08
19,"Dell",18,"E177FPc","PLUG & PLAY",
20,"Dell",19,"E176FPc","Default",
21,"Dell",20,"E773c","PLUG & PLAY",
22,"Dell",21,"E773s","PLUG & PLAY",
23,"DELL",22,"E773s","PLUG & PLAY",
24,"Dell",23,"E176FPb","PLUG & PLAY",
25,"DELL",24,"E177FPc","PLUG & PLAY",
26,"Dell",25,"E176FPc","PLUG & PLAY",
27,"Dell",26,"E177FPc","PLUG & PLAY",
28,"Dell",27,"E772P","PLUG & PLAY",04/21/08
30,"Dell",28,"E773p","PLUG & PLAY",
31,"Dell",29,"E772p","PLUG & PLAY",
32,"Dell",30,"E773p","PLUG & PLAY",
33,"Dell",31,"E773s","PLUG & PLAY",
34,"Dell",32,"E773c","PLUG & PLAY",
35,"Dell",33,"E176FPc","PLUG & PLAY",
36,"Dell",34,"E176FPc","PLUG & PLAY",
37,"Dell",35,"E176FPc","PLUG & PLAY",
38,"Gateway 2000",36,"CPD-15F23","Plug n Play",
39,"Dell",37,"E176FPf","Plug n Play",
40,"Dell",38,"E176FPf","Plug n Play",
41,"Dell",39,"E176FPc","PLUG & PLAY",
42,"Dell",40,"E176FPc","PLUG & PLAY",
43,"Dell",41,"E177FPc","PLUG & PLAY",
46,"Dell",42,,"PLUG & PLAY",
47,"Dell",43,,"PLUG & PLAY",
48,"Dell",44,"E177FP","PLUG & PLAY",
49,"Dell",45,"E177FP","PLUG & PLAY",
50,"Dell",46,"E177FP","PLUG & PLAY",
51,"Dell",47,"E772P","Plug n Play",
53,"Dell",48,"E177FPc","PLUG & PLAY",
54,"Dell",49,"E177FPc","PLUG & PLAY",
55,"Dell",50,"E177FPc","PLUG & PLAY",
56,"Dell",51,"1707FPf","Plug n Play",
57,"Dell",52,"1707FPf","Plug n Play",
58,"Dell",53,"1708FPb","Plug n Play",
59,"Dell",54,"E176FPf","Plug n Play",
60,"Dell",55,"1707FPc","Plug n Play",
61,"Dell",56,"1707FPc","Plug n Play",
62,"Dell",57,"1707FPf","Plug n Play",
63,"Dell",58,"1708FPf","Plug n Play",
64,"Dell",59,"1708FPb","Plug n Play",
65,"Dell",60,"1707FPc","Plug n Play",
66,"Dell",61,"E773c","Plug n Play",
67,"Dell",62,"1707FPc","Plug n Play",
68,"Dell",63,"1707FPc","Plug n Play",
69,"Dell",64,"1707FPc","Plug n Play",
70,"Dell",65,"1707FPc","Plug n Play",
71,"Dell",66,"1707FPc","Plug n Play",
72,"Dell",67,"1707FPc","Plug n Play",
73,"Dell",68,"1707FPc","Plug n Play",
74,"Dell",69,"1707FPc","Plug n Play",
75,"Dell",70,"1707FPc","Plug n Play",
76,"Dell",71,"1707FPc","Plug n Play",
77,"Dell",72,"1707FPc","Plug n Play",
78,"Dell",73,"1708FPf","Plug n Play",
79,"Dell",74,"1708FPf","Plug n Play",
80,"Dell",75,"1708FPt","Plug n Play",
81,"Dell",76,"1708FPt","Plug n Play",
82,"Dell",77,"1708FPf","Plug n Play",
83,"None",78,"None","None",
84,"Dell",79,"E772p","Plug n Play",
85,"Dell",80,"E773s","Plug n Play",
86,"Dell",81,"E177FP","Plug n Play",
87,"Dell",82,"E177FP","Plug n Play",
88,"Dell",83,"E177FP","Plug n Play",
89,"Dell",84,"E177FPc","Plug n Play",
90,"Dell",85,"E773c","Plug n Play",
91,"Dell",86,"M992","Plug n Play",
92,"Dell",87,"1708FPt","Plug n Play",
93,"Compaq",88,"PC1127","Plug n Play",
94,"IBM",89,"2235-00N","Plug n Play",08/08/08
95,"Gateway",90,"CPD-17F13","Plug n Play",

In addition, since you had asked for other files:

I opened a .dbf (dbase) file in WordPerfect. It gives you the option for TEXT or MERGE DATA:
When I open in MERGE DATA, I get a buch of ENDFIELD tags. When I try to copy the data here, the ENDFILE tags disappear.

So. I am trying to post, now, using the TEXT feature, which reproduces, as follows:

TITLE FIRST NAME POSITION BODY ADDRESS ADDRESS1 CITYSTATEZIPCOUNTRYW_PHONEW2_PHONEH_PHONECODESPECIALHQ_MEMO
Miss Kathy Rush Reporter NBC Radio 800-669-6789
Mr. David Molpus Reporter National Public Radio 919-966-6191 01/25/94:
Mr. Lenny Simpson Reporter USA Radio 800-877-8721 800-992-8721
Mr. Bob McCall Stringer Bavarian TV 404-876-6100 09/05/96

Is any of this helpful? If so, what next! :)

Thanks.

----

Here is the thread from the WordPerfect site:
http://officecommunity.com/forums/1646/ ... .aspx#1646

--

I had been using dBase (DOS-database-program, obsolete for many years, however) for some time, with excellent results, exporting into WordPerfect. Now that I have switched to Vista 64-bit (Ultimate), however, 16-bit dBase is no longer supported. So, the question was how to find a database program that would work with WordPerfect? I checked on OpenOffice (Sun-Microsystems), which has a program called "Base." Their forum suggested that I transfer my dBase file to a spreadsheet in OpenOffice "Calc" and save it as a .csv file, then proceed to use it with WordPerfect. I tried doing that, but could only get so far.

By the way, OpenOffice has a conversion feature to Microsoft Word, but nothing apparently to WordPerfect.

In my WordPerfect documents, I have the MERGE-FIELDS already set up. Then, when I clicked on COVERT in WordPerfect, and access my newly-created .cvs file, the error-message, "Unknown Format" crops up. My previous exported files had a .dta or .dat extension.

So, is there any way to use OpenOffice with WordPerfect, for merge-database purposes? Or, would there be some other work-around, configuration or other program that might work? I would like to keep using WordPerfect, if possible, but do need a way to merge names, addresses, etc. into documents. Any help appreciated. Thanks.

---

You might be able to open the dBASE file directly in WordPerfect ....

Insert > Spreadsheet/Database > Import
Select Data type as "dBASE", and Import As "Merge Data File"
Select the dBASE file
Click "OK"
Now you'll have your DAT file.

If it doesn't work, you could try importing the dBASE file into Quattro Pro, or failing that -- bring the CSV into Quattro Pro and save it as a QPW. Then in Step 2, select "Spreadsheet" instead of "dBASE".

Cheers,

Heather

---

Hi, Heather, many thanks. I tried step one and it worked. I was able to import the dBase file into my WP form -- address-labels, in this case. Good start?

However, that is only a fraction of the problem!. I still need a program to substitute for dBase. dBase is a 16-bit DOS program, which does not work on Vista 64-bit. I am using Vista 64-bit and wish to retire my older XP computer, entirely, which ran both dBase and WP just fine. In other words, I will not have the capability of using dBase anymore and data-entry and processing (for mailing) makes up quite a bit of what we do.

dBase allows the user to manipulate the data, sort files, append, keep records, manage fields, all sorts of things. So, just importing dBase will not solve the problem.

I recall that WP had a dababase program, several editions ago, but apparently abandoned it. I think it was called Paradox? Anyhow, I was trying to find a database program -- I located OpenOffice by Sun -- which could allow me to keep track of data and, then, import into WordPerfect.

OpenOffice apparently is designed to work with Microsoft Word, Office, etc., but I -- and others -- are stumped about getting it to work in WP. Any ideas?

Here is a thread on OpenOffice, as well.

http://user.services.openoffice.org/en/ ... 13&t=14622
OOo 3.0.X on MS Windows Vista
aces
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2009 6:46 pm

Re: Won't work with WordPerfect?

Post by aces »

Well, after spending hours and hours, days and days, researching, experimenting and seeking help, I get the impression that OpenOffice is just not going to be compatible with WordPerfect. Even if I could find a way to export files, the fact that one won't recognize the other doesn't seem too tantalizing. I hate to give up, but I guess I have too. If somebody can tell me other wise, please do! If not, thanks to the ones who offered suggestions. I had hoped I could nail it somehow.

I get the impression that OpenOffice is designed to be a stand-in for Microsoft products, and that limits me, because I do not use those programs, but am tied exclusively to WordPerfect, alas!
OOo 3.0.X on MS Windows Vista
aces
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2009 6:46 pm

Re: Won't work with WordPerfect?

Post by aces »

OK, thanks. Well, here is a different approach. I have got a friend who is somewhat familiar with OpenOffice. He is, also, a certified Microsoft Access person. So, I am trying to use OpenOffice and Base exclusively and ditch dBase and WordPerfect altogether. I'll report back on how far I get! I just had my first session. The leap from DOS is pretty steep, but I'm taking the jump! Thanks to all who tried to help!
OOo 3.0.X on MS Windows Vista
Post Reply