In creating the bridge template, Pathagoras takes advantage of the automation features provided by Word's Mail Merge tools. To make the template, we simply 'pretend' to be creating a Mail Merge, and perform just the first 3 steps provided in the Mail Merge Wizard. (At the end of this page is an alternative -- and for some, easier -- approach to the same end.)

  Here are the steps:

1.Open a blank document. (Ultimately this document will be saved as a template, and can contain template features such as headers, footers, margins settings, style definitions, etc. But for now, let's just use a blank document.)

2.Click the "Mailings" tab. The click the Mail Merge button and then click "Step by Step Mail Merge Wizard."

3.A "Mail Merge" panel at the right side of the screen will appear. Select Letters from the choices and then click the "Next: Starting Document" element. (Letters is the default, so you likely won't have to click it.

This image reflects the 3 separate Mail Merge panels that will appear
after you select the Mail Merge function and
as you perform clicks 2 and 4 as shown in the image.

4.Select the Use the current document (the default selection) and then click "Next: Select recipients" (See middle panel above.)

5.Select Use an existing list and then click "Browse."

6.From the screen that next appears, navigate to and select the data source you wish to assign to this document. Note: Some data sources can automatically be linked. Others need to be registered before they are usable. Pathagoras assumes that all data sources have been properly registered.

7.Once the data source has been selected, you are done. While 3 more steps appear to be required (see the bottom of the third panel which reads "Step 3 of 6"), you need do no more. The connection is made.

8.Save this document AS A TEMPLATE to any folder of your choosing. If you click the Save (or SaveAs) button and select the File Type as Template, Word will automatically switch the save to folder to your default Templates folder. That is a perfectly fine location, but any other location is acceptable as well. Just put it where you can later find it.

9.Now we want to register this template, and the information it contains, into the Database Settings screen. Keep the template you just created on the screen for now, and proceed to Register the Template.

NOTE:  If you have an existing document that you know is already linked to the desired database or other data source, you can  skip most of this step and continue with 'Register the Template.'