Can't sleep, spreadsheets will eat me

[debitha]

I know that some of you know and love your spreadsheets, but mine are sprawling and large and numerous and I don't know how to make them do what I want.

I will be getting Excel training soon, but that doesn't help me now so I thought I'd ask you guys, since you're a clever bunch.

I need to run a mail merge. I have a spreadsheet of dealer addresses, and I have a list of people who are attending my event. I am trying to find a way of getting information from each spreadsheet together (delegate details from one and address details from the other) so I can run a mail merge from one document. I know that you can do data pickups, but I don't know how, and I don't know what the parameters are in terms of what I can and can't make it do.

Please help!

Comments

[sassafrassle.livejournal.com]

Without having my magical merge-y wizard in front of me it's hard to say, but can you not link 2 different spreadsheets into a merge document when you add in the fields?

If you're having problems with managing your spreadsheets, I would recommend a database - I only have experience with access so I don't know if there are other ones out there but they are pretty much designed to deal with numerous spreadsheet situation

[holding-pattern.livejournal.com]

Poosies, because I'm sure the lad knows how to do this, but he's in Melbourne and may not be checking his email regularly.

Me, I'm a spreadsheet baby. Sums n stuff, that I can do. IF functions and anything more complicated? Wibbling mess :).

[sassafrassle.livejournal.com]

Heh funnily enough, I dreamt of spreadsheets last night;p

I must go remind myself of v look ups! I know we looked at them in an excel course I did...

[grendel-khan.livejournal.com]

if the search term is the same for both files then you could do a vlookup.

so if you have the persons full name on both spreadsheets, then you search by that on the other sheet and bring up the appropriate info.

so lets say you have.

Alan Email
Bob Email
Rachel Email
Debbie Email

and on the other sheet its

Alan Address 1 Address 2
Bob Address 1 address 2

and you want all the data in the same sheet, you can get it to search down the list of all the people in your file, and look for Alan, and then move across to grab the various bits you need.


its actually really easy (as long as your data esp the search term is correct), and could probably be done in about 10 minutes.

so if you are stuck, either email it to me or google docs it and share it to my personal email address, tell me what you want and i can sort it for you.

cheers,

AL