The Letter and Email Editor
This feature has been significantly updated in CatBase Version 10.
The 4DWrite Plugin
4D Write is a fantastic word processing plugin that's included at no additional cost with every CatBase licence (starting with CatBase Version 10). It is used in CatBase for creating emails and letters.
With 4D Write Pro you can:
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Merge data from your database - for example, create mailmerges, print envelopes and labels.
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Style the text just as you would with a word processor such as Microsoft Word.
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Insert images
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Insert tables (note - this option is not implemented in the current Version 10 beta)
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Print your letters or save them as PDF, Word documents, and/or an editable 4DWrite document within the database.
In this tutorial, we will look at the funcitonality of the 4DWrite plugin. There are separate Tutorials that go into more detail about creating letters and emails.
The 4DWrite Interface
When you create or open a letter or email document, the main portion of the window is occupied by the 4DWrite area:
The ribbon at the top of the area has tabs for various formatting and management options, which we'll describe in detail below.
Additionally, many features can be used via the contextual menu embedded in the editing area. It's accessed by right-clicking or control-clicking anywhere in the editing area. The contextual menu options are described in detail in the Contextual Menu tutorial.
NOTE: If the options in the ribbon are inactive (greyed out), please just click anywhere within the editing area and they will come to life.