PS TEXT FORMAT Reference Manual

Introduction to TFORM
3–66 11387 Tandem Computers Incorporated
How to Use LETTER
You include the LETTER command in the RUN command that starts
TFORM. Note that you specify no IN file
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TFORM / OUT $S.# device /\LETTER body-file list-file ; EXIT
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You must include the backslash preceding the LETTER command
You must do two things to use the LETTER macro
1. You must compose the body of your letter (the body-file ), inserting
indirect variable names ( \( var \) ) at the points where you want
TFORM to insert particular words or phrases from a list file during the
processing of the letter.
2. You must create a file of names and addresses (the list-file ) to
which you want the letters sent, along with any other items you want
inserted in each letter to customize it. At the beginning of this file, you
put a template that associates the variable names in the body of the
letter with the entries in the list file. The following paragraphs discuss
this template in more detail below.
As stated in the syntax description, the list file must be an EDIT file. If you
use T-TEXT, you must create and edit your list file with the PROGRAM
MODE ON in the Create or Edit Document Menu.
The list file consists of blocks of data lines delineated by block separator
lines (which you can define). The first block is the template block, which
defines the variables used in the body of the letter and their relationship to
the data lines that follow in the list file. All remaining blocks contain the
names, addresses, and other items you want included in each letter.
LETTER processes the body file and the list file, producing one letter for
each set of personalizing data in the list file. LETTER sequentially inserts
each item from the list file into the body file where it finds an indirect
variable name, thus customizing the body of the letter.