Microsoft KB Archive/72441

= WD97: Suppressing Blank Spaces in a Print Merge (Mail Merge) =

Article ID: 72441

Article Last Modified on 11/16/2006

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Word 97 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q72441





SYMPTOMS
When you perform a print merge (or mail merge) in Word for Windows, a blank space appears and is 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} <> &quot;&quot; &quot;{MI} &quot;}{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}<>&quot;&quot; &quot;{MERGEFIELD Prefix} &quot;}

{IF {MERGEFIELD FirstName}<>&quot;&quot; &quot;{MERGEFIELD FirstName} &quot;}

{IF {MERGEFIELD LastName}<>&quot;&quot; &quot;{MERGEFIELD LastName}&quot;}

NOTE: To enter the field characters ({}), choose Field from the Insert menu (or press CTRL+F9).

Keywords: kbfaq kbfield kbmerge kbprb kbualink97 kbusage KB72441

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