Microsoft KB Archive/187310

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WD: Suppressing Blank Spaces in a Print Merge (Mail Merge)

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Q187310

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The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 1.0, 1.1, 1.1a, 2.0, 2.0a, 2.0a-CD, 2.0b, 2.0c, 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c
 * Microsoft Word for Windows NT, version 6.0
 * Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 7.0, 7.0a

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SYMPTOMS
When you perform a print merge (or mail merge) in Word for Windows, a blank space is displayed and printed if one field on a line is blank. A common example of this situation is a line with three name fields, such as the following:

"{FNAME} {MI} {LNAME}" In a record where all three fields are filled, the merged record spacing is correct, as in the following example:

"Steven B. Levy" In a record where the middle initial field {MI} is blank, an extra space occurs in the merged record, as in the following example:

"Fukiko Ogisu" NOTE: There are two spaces between the {FNAME} and {LNAME} results.

RESOLUTION
You can eliminate this extra space by using the conditional IF statements as in the following examples:

The following conditional IF field will eliminate a blank space caused by an empty middle initial field:

"{FNAME} {IF {MI} <> '' '{MI} '}{LNAME}" The following conditional MERGEFIELD field will remove blank spaces in any field. For example, given the following fields,

"{Prefix} {FirstName} {LastName}" the following conditional statements will properly suppress the space normally included for any blank fields:

{IF {MERGEFIELD Prefix}<>"" "{MERGEFIELD Prefix} "}

{IF {MERGEFIELD FirstName}<>"" "{MERGEFIELD FirstName} "}

{IF {MERGEFIELD LastName}<>"" "{MERGEFIELD LastName}"} NOTE: To enter the field characters ({}), choose Field from the Insert menu (or press CTRL+F9).