Mail Merge Table keeps Resorting itself

[Jayne]

Can anyone help? I dont know why the table in word (data Base) keeps
switching the first and second entries around when I bring it over to the
merge document. It is frustrating. I can drag it back into the correct
position but then it goes back again.

 

[macropod]

Hi Jayne,

If the problem is with your your mailmerge main document, after switching the fields around in that document, did you save the
changes?

If the problem is with your your mailmerge source file, after switching the fields around in that file, did you save the changes?
Bear in mind too that, if the source file is being refreshed from somewhere else (eg a DB), then its the program that creates the
source file that's the problem.

 

[Jayne]

Thanks but yes I save all changes when I put it in the correct order, however
it just switches it around again then next time I use the doc. The mail
merge doc is a letter in word and the source doc is a basic table in word.
It is very frustrating. How do I check the settings in the program?

Jayne

Hi Jayne,

If the problem is with your your mailmerge main document, after switching the fields around in that document, did you save the
changes?

If the problem is with your your mailmerge source file, after switching the fields around in that file, did you save the changes?
Bear in mind too that, if the source file is being refreshed from somewhere else (eg a DB), then its the program that creates the
source file that's the problem.

--
Cheers
macropod
[MVP - Microsoft Word]

Can anyone help? I dont know why the table in word (data Base) keeps
switching the first and second entries around when I bring it over to the
merge document. It is frustrating. I can drag it back into the correct
position but then it goes back again.

 

[macropod]

Hi Jayne,

I take it it's your mailmerge main document that 'switches it around' - you didn't actually say.

Are you opening this from a Word template (ie *.dot file), or from the same mailmerge main document (ie *.doc file) each time? If
its a template, you need to specifically open the template and change that - only then will documents created by opening the
template be correct. I don't know of any reason for fields in a document to change order of their own accord, unless there's a macro
inserting/rearranging them for you.

--
Cheers
macropod
[MVP - Microsoft Word]

Thanks but yes I save all changes when I put it in the correct order, however
it just switches it around again then next time I use the doc. The mail
merge doc is a letter in word and the source doc is a basic table in word.
It is very frustrating. How do I check the settings in the program?

Jayne

Hi Jayne,

If the problem is with your your mailmerge main document, after switching the fields around in that document, did you save the
changes?

If the problem is with your your mailmerge source file, after switching the fields around in that file, did you save the changes?
Bear in mind too that, if the source file is being refreshed from somewhere else (eg a DB), then its the program that creates the
source file that's the problem.

--
Cheers
macropod
[MVP - Microsoft Word]

Can anyone help? I dont know why the table in word (data Base) keeps
switching the first and second entries around when I bring it over to the
merge document. It is frustrating. I can drag it back into the correct
position but then it goes back again.

 

[Jayne]

Sorry if im not explaining myself clearly. Let me try again, The main doc is
just a word doc letter set up with merge fields, the data base is just a
basic table in word (with addresses etc). I open the main doc (letter) then
select Tools / Letters & Mailings / Mail Merge which opens up a step by step
process. When I reach the Select Recipients stage I hit Browse and grab the
word table which opens a window and shows the recipients, you can then tick
or untick the ones you want to include in the mail out. However when the
window opens it shows the address first then the name, but the table is not
set up that way, it is set up with the name first then the address which
makes it easier to select or unselect recipients. I know you can drag the
information to resort it but it keeps going back. It doesnt affect the
letters they still merge ok it is just annoying and doing my head in trying
to work out why it is doing it.

Thanks for your help
Jayne

Hi Jayne,

I take it it's your mailmerge main document that 'switches it around' - you didn't actually say.

Are you opening this from a Word template (ie *.dot file), or from the same mailmerge main document (ie *.doc file) each time? If
its a template, you need to specifically open the template and change that - only then will documents created by opening the
template be correct. I don't know of any reason for fields in a document to change order of their own accord, unless there's a macro
inserting/rearranging them for you.

--
Cheers
macropod
[MVP - Microsoft Word]

Thanks but yes I save all changes when I put it in the correct order, however
it just switches it around again then next time I use the doc. The mail
merge doc is a letter in word and the source doc is a basic table in word.
It is very frustrating. How do I check the settings in the program?

Jayne

Hi Jayne,

If the problem is with your your mailmerge main document, after switching the fields around in that document, did you save the
changes?

If the problem is with your your mailmerge source file, after switching the fields around in that file, did you save the changes?
Bear in mind too that, if the source file is being refreshed from somewhere else (eg a DB), then its the program that creates the
source file that's the problem.

--
Cheers
macropod
[MVP - Microsoft Word]


Can anyone help? I dont know why the table in word (data Base) keeps
switching the first and second entries around when I bring it over to the
merge document. It is frustrating. I can drag it back into the correct
position but then it goes back again.

 

[Peter Jamieson]

Word has a list of name/address field names that it recognises
and presents columns with those names in a sequence that it
chooses. To avoid that, you really have to consider naming your columns so
that
a. Word does not "recognise" any of the names
b. Word gets the sequence you want

Off the top of my head I can't tell you whether Word will also resequence
field names that it does not recognise (perhaps using ANSI character
sequence or some such) but the safest way to do it is
a. give each column name a numeric prefix (e.g. 01, 02, 03 etc.)
b. add a human readable field name after that, e.g. so you have 01name,
02myfield, 03city, etc.


--
Peter Jamieson
http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk

Sorry if im not explaining myself clearly. Let me try again, The main doc
is
just a word doc letter set up with merge fields, the data base is just a
basic table in word (with addresses etc). I open the main doc (letter)
then
select Tools / Letters & Mailings / Mail Merge which opens up a step by
step
process. When I reach the Select Recipients stage I hit Browse and grab
the
word table which opens a window and shows the recipients, you can then
tick
or untick the ones you want to include in the mail out. However when the
window opens it shows the address first then the name, but the table is
not
set up that way, it is set up with the name first then the address which
makes it easier to select or unselect recipients. I know you can drag the
information to resort it but it keeps going back. It doesnt affect the
letters they still merge ok it is just annoying and doing my head in
trying
to work out why it is doing it.

Thanks for your help
Jayne

Hi Jayne,

I take it it's your mailmerge main document that 'switches it around' -
you didn't actually say.

Are you opening this from a Word template (ie *.dot file), or from the
same mailmerge main document (ie *.doc file) each time? If
its a template, you need to specifically open the template and change
that - only then will documents created by opening the
template be correct. I don't know of any reason for fields in a document
to change order of their own accord, unless there's a macro
inserting/rearranging them for you.

--
Cheers
macropod
[MVP - Microsoft Word]

Thanks but yes I save all changes when I put it in the correct order,
however
it just switches it around again then next time I use the doc. The
mail
merge doc is a letter in word and the source doc is a basic table in
word.
It is very frustrating. How do I check the settings in the program?

Jayne

:

Hi Jayne,

If the problem is with your your mailmerge main document, after
switching the fields around in that document, did you save the
changes?

If the problem is with your your mailmerge source file, after
switching the fields around in that file, did you save the changes?
Bear in mind too that, if the source file is being refreshed from
somewhere else (eg a DB), then its the program that creates the
source file that's the problem.

--
Cheers
macropod
[MVP - Microsoft Word]


Can anyone help? I dont know why the table in word (data Base) keeps
switching the first and second entries around when I bring it over
to the
merge document. It is frustrating. I can drag it back into the
correct
position but then it goes back again.