TradeWorks Software for retail barter exchanges and companies

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ASCII to Directory ...
Step-by-Step Instructions for Publishing Your Directory

Introduction

Following are the steps used to create a Directory in Microsoft Word from the data created in TradeWorks 6.03 and later releases. It may seem like a lot of steps, but it includes every mouse click and option used. The whole process can be done in 5-10 minutes after you’ve done it a few times.

These instructions do not pretend to teach you how to use Microsoft Word or Excel in a comprehensive manner - we’ve included a few pointers, but general knowledge of this popular word processing program is easily obtained. Or you might just have your graphics/consultant follow these steps in your office, then take the files on diskette to add graphics and advertisements.

These instructions include the use of pull down menus, rather than the icons because tool bars can be individualized and the icons may not appear for every user.

Create Your Directory File in TradeWorks

Think of your Directory in all its incarnations - for Directory searches (F1, F3) to print, fax from your desk, transfer to diskette or cd, or to publish to your web site. The process starts the same way:

Create ASCII file in TradeWorks - from Main Menu 16 - 14 - 4.
If you have multiple offices, the first screen will ask which office you wish to print. Key in an office code (e.g., 01, 22, 84). If you select ‘99’, you will be creating a large, single directory in which all your clients are commingled. If you select ‘99’ you will then be asked if you’d like to sort by office within categories so all your restaurants will appear together, but will be sorted by office then alphabetically under the heading Restaurants.
You’ll see a screen with two sort choices: by Directory Code or alphabetically. The normal selection is ‘1.’ Option 2 creates a Directory like the white pages of a telephone book.
Next screen, key in the status codes of active clients published in your Directory. The computer will automatically show the status codes normally used. These default status codes are the same as the default status codes used in the computer for fax-on-demand. If you are frequently adding to or deleting codes during this step, your fax-on-demand status codes are probably not set right.
If you’re creating a complete Directory, answer No on the next screen. If you’re creating a special/limited Directory (of restaurants, for example, or General contractors), answer Yes.
Choose from up to 32 things to include in your Directory. Don’t put an ‘x’ in the blue fields - use ordinal numbers. For my Directory, I put 01 next to Directory Heading, 02 next to Business Name, 03 next to Contact Name, etc., until I’ve selected all the information I want to include, in the proper order. This is the time to select the order you’d like to have the information in your Directory. Don’t wait and try to sort things in Excel or Word - this is the place!
Notice on the left of the screen you’ll see Line 2, Line 3, etc. these represent the individual description lines from the members’ Directory listings. Unless your graphics/printer/web consultants want each line separately, DON”T put numbers next to each of these items. Instead, put a selection number next to the item Lines 2 thru 6 compressed. This selection brings each description in as a single paragraph, not 5 separate lines.
At the very bottom of the screen, be sure to put an ‘x’ in the box to include a description heading for each column - this is very important for the formatting. It’s normal to put an ‘x’ in both fields at the screen bottom.
After you’ve made all your selections press F5. The computer will process briefly. The screen says ‘Temp Directory File (TnnnnDIR.TXT).’ The ‘nnnn’ will be numbers. For example, mine says T2277DIR.TXT. Whatever yours says, write it down.

Start Microsoft Excel

Click File then Open
Change Files of Type to Text Files
Change Look in: to network drive (usually the F drive) then to folder RPG then to folder ASCII
Click on file named TnnnnDIR (for example, I click the file named T2277DIR.txt - but your numbers are different).
Click Open (or OK)
On Original Data Type click on Delimited
Click Next
For Delimiters click Comma (if there’s a check mark on ‘t’, click on it to de-select)
Click Next
Click Finish - Data will now appear on Excel screen.
Click File then Save As
Change Save as Type to Microsoft Excel Workbook
Click Save (or OK) - this will save file as TnnnnDIR.XLS in same folder
Click OK
Click OK on Summary Info screen if displayed (no input required).
Minimize Excel screen (Click on the small ‘-’ sign in the upper right corner)

Start Microsoft Word

Click Tools then Mail Merge... (not Merge Documents)
On the Mail Merge Helper screen click Create
Select Catalog
Click Active Window
Back on the Mail Merge Helper screen click Get Data
Select Open Data Source
On Open Data Source screen change File of Type to MS Excel Worksheets
Change Look in: to network drive then folder RPG then folder ASCII
Select file saved above - TnnnnDIR.XLS then Click Open (or OK)
Click OK for Entire Work Sheet
Click Edit Main Document on next screen to appear
On the Word input screen there will now be a new tool bar directly above the input screen. On this tool bar click on the button labeled Insert Merge Field
This will display a listing of all the columns in the Excel Work Sheet containing the Directory Data from TradeWorks - Click on the first field.
Press the Enter key then click on the Insert Merge Field button and select the next field. Press Enter again and repeat this step until all fields are displayed on the Word document screen.
You can now edit each field for Font, Size, Bold, etc. Also any text inserted into this format will be repeated for all listings. For example you may want to insert the word Fax in front of the fax number. You can also move fields around to meet your own style, for example putting the phone and fax on the same line. Following is a sample of mine:

«DIRECTORY_HEADING_______________________»

«BUSINESS_NAME___________________________»
«CONTACT_NAME____________________________»
«ADDRESS_LINE_ONE________________________»
«ADDRESS_LINE_TWO________________________»
«COMBINED_LINES_2_THRU_6_________________»
«PHONE_NUMBER________» fax «FAX_NUMBER__________»
«EMAIL_ADDRESS___________________________»
«WEB_SITE_ADDRESS________________________»

Notice I changed the formatting: bold ‘Directory Heading’ in Arial font, 14 point, bold 12 point Times New Roman for the ‘Business Name’, 10 point for the remaining lines and italic for some. I also selected ‘Directory Heading’ and ‘Business Name’, then under Format Menu, Paragraph, Line and Page Breaks, ‘Keep with Next.’ I selected ‘Contact Name’ through ‘Web Site’, Format Menu, Paragraph, Line and Page Breaks, ‘Keep Lines Together.’ I also selected ‘Directory Heading’ and ‘Business Name’, format Menu, Paragraph, Indents and Spacing, 9pts before. By doing these simple formatting steps at this time, each directory listing will be formatted and spaced properly, and the listings won’t break across columns, but will move together. And it took 1 minute. Really.
After you’ve made style changes click Tools and select Mail Merge
Click Merge ... on the next screen click Merge again
In a few seconds the data from Excel will be merged into the Word document in the format selected.
To add columns click Format, Columns then select the number of columns you want.
If the layout is not what you want - click File, select Close and do not save changes. This will take you back to the formatting screen. Make the changes needed then click Tools, Mail Merge... Merge, Merge again (as above).
Once happy with the result Save the directory as a Word Document.
Now you can insert your advertising, etc.

All Done

We recommend that you try this a couple of times. If it isn’t working the way it’s supposed to, give us a call.