Microsoft KB Archive/179635

= WD98: How to Suppress Blank Lines During Merge =

Article ID: 179635

Article Last Modified on 10/29/2004

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Word 98 for Macintosh

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This article was previously published under Q179635



SUMMARY
During mail merges in Microsoft Word 98 Macintosh Edition, you may want to remove blank lines from the main document if no information is available for that line.



MORE INFORMATION
Frequently in mail merges involving addresses, there is a second line for the street address, which is normally used for a suite or apartment number. In order to close the "gap" in the address when no data exists for that merge field, make sure you do not place any spaces, punctuation, or anything else except merge fields on that second line. If there is anything else on that line, that line will appear in all merges.

The mail merge feature evaluates each line as the merge is performed. If there is any text on the line, that line appears in the merge result. If there is no text on the line, but there is a merge field, it checks to see if there is any data for the merge field. If there is no data for the merge field, it does not create that line in the merge result.

To change this feature setting, follow these steps:

NOTE: You must be in the mail merge Main (form) document to change the setting for the merge.

 On the Tools menu, click Mail Merge. In the Mail Merge Helper dialog box, click Merge.

NOTE: You must have already selected the main document and data source for the merge. In the Merge dialog box, under When Merging Records, click either:

Don't print blank lines when data fields are empty.

-or-

Print blank lines when data fields are empty.

 Click close in the Merge dialog box, and then click Close in the Mail Merge Helper.

NOTE: If you made no changes in the Merge dialog box, the Close button is not available. Click Cancel instead.

