merging data with forms

[Guest]

I am a Wordperfect user who wants to switch to Word 2003. I want to do the
following in Word: set up a document which is a list of data fields and I
want to merge that data with several forms that I will create myself. In
Wordperfect it is called a primary and secondary document. It is similiar to
a mail merge, but I want to create my own data fields and my own forms, which
I will merge together. This should be a simple thing to accomplish, but I
can't seem to figure our how to do it. Thanks.

 

[Anne Troy]

Yes, it's a mail merge. Just create a table in Word with your column
headings in row one, your first record in row 2, your 2nd record in row 3...
Save it in My Documents\My Data Sources folder, then create another document
and Tools-->Letters and mailings...
The rest is here:
http://www.officearticles.com/word/mail_merge_letters_in_microsoft_word.htm
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Anne Troy
www.OfficeArticles.com

 

[Guest]

Can I add as many fields of information as I want to the data source file? I
will need about 125 different fields of information. I am not using this
merge to send a letter to many different people. I am setting up the data
source file for one client and will merge several different forms for that
client. For another client, I will set up another different data source file
and merge that with forms that I will create.

 

[Anne Troy]

Interesting, Marshal. Perhaps something like this would suit you better:
http://vbaexpress.com/kb/getarticle.php?kb_id=381
************
Anne Troy
www.OfficeArticles.com

 

[Guest]

Thanks Anne: If I understand this correctly, I create my data source file in
Excel, where I can have as many fields of information as I like and merge
that data into my form created in Word. I don't understand how to code my
Word document so the fields of information from Excel know where to go in the
Word document.

 

[Anne Troy]

Yep. It's really kinda designed, tho, so you'd put your data going downward
in the Excel file. For instance, your "labels" in column B (perhaps
right-aligned) and your values in column C (left aligned). EASY data entry.
What it's NOT good for is if you want to compile all your records. Then, you
really want mail merge. But if you don't mind keeping one Excel file for
each "record", then this is the answer for you. Works particularly well for
people who may make long, drawn-out quotes and maybe do a couple hundred a
year, and perhaps keep other data on the client on other worksheets of the
Excel file. I wanted it for a long time...some way to merge FROM Excel.
Then, finally one of my programmers wrote it for me. I was thrilled. Lots
of people wanting just such a solution. If you don't think this is for you,
then spill... tell us all about what you're doing, and we'll try to come up
with a good solution.
************
Anne Troy
www.OfficeArticles.com