Microsoft KB Archive/196940

= WD97: Mail Merge Does Not Merge Hidden Character Formatting =

Article ID: 196940

Article Last Modified on 1/23/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Word 97 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q196940





SYMPTOMS
If a Microsoft Word mail merge data document contains hidden text formatting, the text appears without the hidden format after Word performs the merge.



CAUSE
This behavior is by design of Microsoft Word. The mail merge main document controls the formatting of text during a merge.



WORKAROUND
To work around this problem, use any of the following methods.

Method 1: Format the Merge Field in the Mail Merge Main Document as Hidden
Format the merge field in the mail merge main document as hidden. When the merge is performed, the result of this field is hidden text.

Method 2: Remove the Word "mergefield" from the Merge Field
Remove the word "mergefield" from the merge field in the main document. To do this, begin by displaying field codes (press ALT+F9). Delete the word "mergefield" from within the field code. Ignore the "Error! Bookmark not defined" message and perform the merge. The result after the merge is hidden text.

Method 3: Replace the MERGEFIELD Field with a REF Field
Turn on field codes (by pressing ALT+F9), and replace the word "mergefield" with the word "ref" (without the quotation marks) in the field code. The merge will generate hidden text for this field.

Method 2 and method 3 do not permit you to suppress blank lines when a field in the data file is empty. Method 1 automatically suppresses the blank lines.

Additional query words: mail merge hidden format character font

Keywords: kbmerge kbprb KB196940

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