IF THEN Statements for Mail Merge in Word 2007

[IT/Marketing Consultant @ Pharmacist_CA]

I'm trying to do a mailing where I need to use an IF THEN ELSE statement.
I'm importing data from an Excel spreadsheet. Currently (please correct me
if I am wrong), it does not appear that I can do the following statement in
Word 2007. I have two fields 'Goes By' and 'First Name'. What I want to do
is create a statement that reads:

IF Goes By is blank THEN First Name

However, the Rules do not allow for me to choose more than the IF data field
in the pop-up that come up.

It would be nice to have this functionality in Word. As now I have to do a
work around (not a hard one, but still takes time and $$$ and separates data)
to get this information.

--
IT/Marketing Consultant
Pharmacist-CA

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[Jean-Guy Marcil]

I'm trying to do a mailing where I need to use an IF THEN ELSE statement.
I'm importing data from an Excel spreadsheet. Currently (please correct me
if I am wrong), it does not appear that I can do the following statement in
Word 2007. I have two fields 'Goes By' and 'First Name'. What I want to do
is create a statement that reads:

IF Goes By is blank THEN First Name

Try:

{IF {MERGEFIELD GoesBy} = "" {MERGEFIELD First_Name} {MERGEFIELD GoesBy}}

Where all {} pairs are inserted via CTRL-F9.

 

[IT/Marketing Consultant @ Pharmacist_CA]

Great Solution.

However, I think it is time for Microsoft to add this type of functionality
to their Rules as a lot of non-technical users are frustrated by this and
larger companies need to do these types of If Then statements frequently.

I'm hoping they make this easier for the end user by including it, as part
of the rules as I know the past companies I worked for I had very frustrated
end users who just couldn't grasp the CTR9 solution you suggested. They have
1/2 of the formula already written so hopefully they will enhance their rule
capabilities in the next release or SP to include more functionality of their
mail merge rules.

Thanks again for the solution!!

 

[Graham Mayor]

I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for this. The IF ... Then dialog has
always had the ability to insert fields in the text space. CTRL+F9 has
always been the means whereby fields can be inserted manually (which for
complex field constructions is always simpler than inserting parts from a
list).

Where would you draw the line with this? See, for example
http://www.gmayor.com/formatting_word_fields.htm or even more complex
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=294686

If you have frustrated users, they only have to ask how to do things

--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I have to agree with the OP, Graham. The Mail Merge toolbar has an Insert
Word Field button that allows you to insert an IF field by means of a
dialog, but the dialog accepts only text entries. What is the point of
having a dialog to insert an IF field if you can't insert merge fields via
the dialog? To avoid an error message, you have to insert placeholder text
for the various arguments in the dialog and then use Insert Merge Field in
the resulting IF field to replace the placeholders with merge fields to get
the desired syntax. If the IF field dialog had an Insert Merge Field button,
it would be much more useful.