How to supress blank merge fields in Word 2002

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Guest

Please help. I am trying to import/mail merge data from Acess 2002 to MS
Word 2002. The data forms 3 colums of merge fields like so:

Name Number Letter
<<Name1>> <<Number1>> <<Letter1>>
<<Name2>> <<Number2>> <<Letter2>>

(etc, etc) What I would like to do (I have the fields through Name10, etc)
is only have the merge print the fields that have data in them and supress
any blank lines. Any assistance on this would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!
Di
 
How are you presenting the fields in your merge document?

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

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I'm not sure what you mean but I have created a template and selected my
source. I am actually using a field for a date and a field for an amount
(currency). If these fields are not filled in <left blank> in my database
then it is putting 12:00 am for the date field and 0 for the amount in my
merged document.

My document is a letter listing dates, times and amounts that specific bills
were paid. Some people have up to 10 different bills being listed, some only
have one. If they only have one I would like it to list that one and then
not leave a blank space (or print the above mentioned characters) in the
remaining space.

Hope this helped clarify and not make it more confusing.

Thanks for your assistance!
 
You could do this easily in Word 2000.

The Word 2000 Merge command is available in XP so try using that.

Select Tools > Customize > Commands (tab)
Under Categories (on the left), Select All Commands
Scroll down Commands (on the right) and select MailMerge
Click and Drag it to somewhere useful - The Mail Merge Toolbar, perhaps
It will show up as a button with the legend Merge...
Close the Customize Dialog

Instead of using the awkward Task Pane, Click the Merge button to do the
merge.
The Dialog will give the option (actually the default) to "Don't print blank
line when data fields are empty"
Just make sure the option you want is checked and press Merge.
 
OK. Can we assume that if the amount field is empty then the date becomes
irrelevant? That being the case we can use a conditional field to test for 0
in the amount field And insert what follows based on what is found - thus

{IF {Mergefield Amount} <> 0 "
{Mergefield Date} {Mergefield Amount}"}

This goes on the end of the previous line and for amounts not equal to 0
will force a line feed and insert the date field and the amount field. You
can apply whatever formatting you need between the quote marks.

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

My web site www.gmayor.com

<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
 
Tony, Would you explain where/when I would see the "Don't Print Blank Line
when Data Fields are Empty?" I'm merging from an Excel file, using Word 2003
and and Merge wizard and am not seeing this option.
Thanks,
 
Hi Julie,

The Mail Merge Wizard is Word 2003's replacement for the old MailMerge
Helper.

The option to Not print blank lines is only available via the Merge command
from the old Helper.

You can either run the Helper or you can run the (old) Merge when using the
(new) Wizard

The commands to do both are available in the Customize Dialog Commands tab
under All Commands (see earlier post)

The Helper is called MailMergeHelper, the old Merge is called Merge (as
below)

If you use the Merge... button (wherever you put it) you should see the
option.
 
I could have sworn the option to suppress blank lines was available
somewhere in Word 2002 as well (through the Advanced settings in the Select
Recipients dialog, I think), but I haven't had much luck finding it lately;
it's easier for me to create my own IF field.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.
 
You might be right (and I don't have XP installed at the moment - only 2K3)
but I've not found it myself and I've seen this question asked a lot of
times so it's at least as well hidden as the old dialog :)
 
If it was available in 2002 and removed from 2003, that would explain it, as
I'm running 2003 as well.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.
 
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