Microsoft KB Archive/49296

Word: Misleading Print Merge in “Getting Started…”

PSS ID Number: Q49296 Article last modified on 03-07-1997

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= SUMMARY =

The print merge example shown on pages 79-85 of the “Getting Started with Microsoft Word” manual is misleading. The sample main and data documents do not allow for a comma between city and state in an address; however, the illustration on page 79 does show commas between city and state.

In the merge documents, a single field is used for “city state zip”, and the fields in the data document are separated with commas rather than tabs. A comma cannot be added in the main document because city and state are included in the same field. A comma cannot be inserted in the records on the data document (unless quotation marks surround the field) because the city would be interpreted as a separate field, prompting a “Data Record Too Long” error message.

= MORE INFORMATION =

There are two ways to set up the merge documents to allow for a comma:


 * 1) With Word version 4.00, include the city, state, and zip code in the same field but use tabs instead of commas as field delimiters. It is now possible to include commas between city and state in the data document records without prompting a “Data Record Too Long” error message.
 * 2) Create separate fields for city and state; the zip code may or may not be included in the state field. Use either commas or tabs as field delimiters in the data document. It is now possible to insert a comma between the two fields in the main document.

KBCategory: kbprint kbdocerr KBSubCategory: kbmerge Additional reference words: macword macword5 ====================================================================== ============================================================================= Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1997.