Microsoft KB Archive/24722

Word: Print Merge Err Msg: Missing Comma in Datafile

PSS ID Number: Q24722 Article last modified on 03-07-1997

====================================================================== 3.00 3.01 3.02 4.00 MACINTOSH kbprint

The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Word for the Macintosh, versions 3.0 , 3.01, 3.02, 4.0

SUMMARY

In Word versions 3.00, 3.01, and 3.02, the error message “Missing Comma in Datafile” when performing a print merge indicates one (or both) of the following problems:

1. Each record must contain the same number of fields (and the same number of field delimiters). One of the records in your data document is missing a tab or comma.

   If you are using optional fields in your data document (for example, second street addresses), check that those records that do not contain the optional field DO contain an extra comma or tab in place of the optional field.

   For example, if “Company” is an optional field in the main document, and “Mary Smith” does not have a company name, then that record (following the format of Name,Company,Address,etc.) should read as “Mary Smith,,12 Main,etc.”

2. An extra carriage return (paragraph mark) appears somewhere in the data document. This indicates a blank record with no delimiters.

   This problem most commonly occurs after the header record (which contains the field names for your data document) or at the end of the data document.

   This error can also occur if you use a carriage return at the end of each line instead of only at the end of each record.

In Word 4.00, the error message more descriptively reads “Missing comma or tab in data record.” Furthermore, the problem record in the data document is then highlighted. Extra carriage returns are ignored in Word 4.00 print merges.

KBCategory: kbprint KBSubCategory: kbmerge Additional reference words: macword macword5

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Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1997.