Entering Records and Saving Your Data Source

In this phase, you enter the records in your data source. Luckily, you have to do this only oncein the future, you can use the same data source with other main documents. Before you start working through this section, gather together all of your names and addresses so you have them in one place.

1. Enter the information for the first person in your list in the New Address List dialog box, using the Tab key to move from field to field (see Figure 14.9).

   Figure 14.9. Enter your first address in the New Address List dialog box.

   

2. When you are ready to add the next entry, click the New Entry button.

3. Word presents a set of blank fields to enable you to enter another person's address. The number in the View Entry Number text box lists the current record number.

4. Repeat steps 1 through 3 to enter all of the addresses in your list. Use the First, Previous, Next , and Last buttons if you need to review entries you've already typed.

5. To go to a particular record, type the number in the View Entry Number text box and press Enter . (The total number of records appears in the lower-left corner of the dialog box.)

6. When you've finished entering all the records, click the Close button.

7. The Save Address List dialog box opens and automatically navigates to the My Data Sources folder, which Word creates for you. (This folder is a handy place to store your data sources, although you can save them in another folder if you like.) Type a name for your data source in the File Name field (see Figure 14.10).

   Figure 14.10. Use the Save Address List dialog box to specify a name and location for your data source.

   

8. Click the Save button.

Continue this process by sorting and editing the data source for the merge document in the section that follows .