Microsoft KB Archive/31433

Word: Hint for Locating Missing or Extra Comma

PSS ID Number: Q31433 Article last modified on 03-07-1997

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========================================================= 3.00 3.01 3.02 4.00 5.00 5.10 MACINTOSH kbprint

= SUMMARY =

If you cannot find the missing or extra comma/tab in your data document after receiving a “Missing Comma in Datafile” or “Data Record Too Long” error message, the following method will track down the problem record:

Word versions 4.0, 5.0 and 5.1
When Word 4.0 and later encounter this problem, they bring the data file to the front, and highlight the problem record.

Word versions 3.0x

 * 1) Select the first five records in your data document. If some of your records printed before the error message occurred, select the first five records that did not print.
 * 2) Choose Change from the Search menu.
 * 3) In the Find What box, type, (COMMA key) or ^t (for TAB key), depending on which field delimiter you used in the data document.
 * 4) In the Change To box, type the same thing you did in the Find What box.
 * 5) Click Change Selection.

= MORE INFORMATION =

The number of changes will appear in the bottom left corner of your screen. If this number is evenly divisible by the number of commas/tabs in the header record of your data document, then these five records are formatted correctly. Repeat this procedure for the next few records in your data file to determine where the problem record is.

If the number is not evenly divisible, however, one of those five records will contain the missing or extra comma/tab.

When noting the number of field delimiters in a record, remember not to include those commas within a field that is surrounded by quotation marks.

Word 4.0 actually highlights the record missing the comma when it encounters the error during the Print Merge.

KBCategory: kbprint KBSubCategory: kbmerge Additional reference words: macword macword5 3.00 3.01 3.02 4.00 5.00 5.10 ====================================================================== ============================================================================= Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1997.