Method, system and computer program for generating messages

1. A method for composing messages each comprising a document of a particular type, comprising:

A) providing layout instructions identical for each of said documents,

B) providing a first data source with machine-readable data;

C) providing selection instructions for selecting data from a the first data source for at least one prescribed position in each of said documents;

D) providing instructions for handling of the selected data read from the data source for the prescribed position;

E) automatically composing document-defining document data for each of said documents, comprising:

E1) selecting and reading data from said first data source for the prescribed position in each of said documents in accordance with the selection instructions,

E2) forming, from said data selected and read from said first data source, a second data source of data selected for the prescribed position in each of said documents:

E3) reading said data selected for the prescribed position from said second data source:

E4) processing said data read from said second data source in accordance with layout instructions, into documents;

E5) processing said data, read from said second data source for the prescribed position in accordance with said handling instructions, into message data other than said document data; and

F) finishing said documents in an inserter system in accordance with instructions for controlling the inserter system included in said message data.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein determining instructions for the inserter system comprises:

whilst starting from the layout instructions and read data selected for placement at the prescribed position, which in placed form constitute an address field, determining the position in at least vertical direction of the address field, and

whilst starting from the position of the address field and from at least data concerning the position of an address window of an envelope for packaging the document and a height of the envelope, determining settings of a folding machine.

3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein step C comprises providing selection instructions for selecting data from a data source for multiple prescribed positions in each of said documents; step D comprising providing instructions for handling of the selected data read from the data source for at least one of the prescribed positions; step E 1 comprising selecting and reading data from said first data source for the at least one prescribed position in each of said documents in accordance with the selection instructions, step E 5 comprises processing said selected data, read from said data source for the at least one prescribed position in accordance with said handling instructions, into message data other than said document data.

4. A method according to claim 3 , wherein said message data comprise finishing instructions and wherein the finishing of each of said documents is done in accordance with said finishing instructions.

5. A method according to claim 4 , wherein generating the finishing instructions further comprises: whilst starting from the layout instructions and read data selected for placement at the prescribed position which in placed form constitute an address field, determining an address field position in at least vertical direction, and wherein the finishing further comprises: in accordance with said address field position, reading address data from document data, and representation of the document or the physical document.

6. A method according to claim 4 , wherein generating the finishing instructions further comprises: in accordance with said read data, determining sending instructions comprising an address to which the document is to be sent, and wherein the finishing further comprises: addressing the message containing the generated document with address determined for that document.

7. A method according to claim 4 , wherein said generated finishing instructions comprise: instructions for adding and sending along attachments.

8. A method according to claim 7 , wherein generating the finishing instructions further comprises: in accordance with said read data, determining postal data concerning said documents and, in accordance with said postal data, determining instructions for generating a mail manifest for said documents, and wherein the finishing of said documents comprises: generating said mail manifest.