docs:microsoft_office:word:mail_merge

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docs:microsoft_office:word:mail_merge [2007/04/06 12:12] – created billhdocs:microsoft_office:word:mail_merge [2008/08/03 00:25] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1
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   - in the Data Merge Manager toolbar -> Merge, click the icon to "Merge to New Document" (this will allow you to preview your finished letters, whereas the "Merge to Printer" icon would just send all letters to the printer)   - in the Data Merge Manager toolbar -> Merge, click the icon to "Merge to New Document" (this will allow you to preview your finished letters, whereas the "Merge to Printer" icon would just send all letters to the printer)
   - you should now have a new document, with all fields automatically filled in by Word, and a page for each recipient   - you should now have a new document, with all fields automatically filled in by Word, and a page for each recipient
 +
 +==== Labels ====
 +If you want to print labels rather than creating letters, you do everything the same way except instead of creating "Form Letters," you create "Labels." (Data Merge Manager toolbar -> Main Document, click Create -> Labels)
  
 ==== Advanced - Filtering Data ==== ==== Advanced - Filtering Data ====
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     - click OK, and in the Data Merge Manager toolbar -> Merge, click the icon to "Merge to New Document"     - click OK, and in the Data Merge Manager toolbar -> Merge, click the icon to "Merge to New Document"
     - you should now have a page for each letter sent to the filtered recipients     - you should now have a page for each letter sent to the filtered recipients
 +
 +
 +
 +==== Advanced - Conditional Text ====
 +
 +If you want the ability to have conditional text, such as comma with a space between city and state only when you have a city/state, or a line break from address1 only when you have text for address2, then you will need to add a conditional Word field.
 +  * Comma:
 +    - find a place where you want a comma, only when a certain field has data (such as between city and state - don't type a comma or space between them yet)
 +    - your line may look like this: <<CITY>><<STATE>>
 +    - in the Data Merge Manager toolbar -> Word Field, click and drag the "If...Then...Else" item to the location you want a conditional comma (between <<CITY>> and <<STATE>>)
 +    - when the dialog appears, select the CITY field name, and for the Comparison select "is not blank"
 +    - in the "Insert this text" box, type a comma and a space (, )
 +    - leave the "Otherwise, insert this text" box blank
 +    - now you should only see a comma and space when the record has a city
 +  * Line Break (a little more complicated, not using the example above):
 +    - find a place where you want a line break, only when a certain field has data (such as after address line 1, only when address line 2 has data)
 +    - your lines may look like this:<code>
 +<<FIRST_NAME>> <<LAST_NAME>>
 +<<ADDRESS1>><<ADDRESS2>>
 +<<CITY>> etc...
 +</code>
 +    - in the Data Merge Manager toolbar -> Word Field, click and drag the "If...Then...Else" item to the location you want a conditional line break (between the <<ADDRESS1>> and <<ADDRESS2>>)
 +    - when the dialog appears, select the ADDRESS2 field name (not available from the example above), and for the Comparison select "is not blank"
 +    - in the "Insert this text" box, type an X and click OK (leave the "Otherwise, insert this text" box blank)
 +      * Why did we type an X?  Because pressing return or enter will close this dialog without adding a line break.  We will change the X into a line break in another place.
 +    - you should see your X between the <<ADDRESS1>> and <<ADDRESS2>>
 +    - right click your X, and select "Toggle Field Codes"
 +    - you should see your X change to "{ IF ADDRESS1<>"" "X" "" }"
 +    - highlight this X and press return, (the return will make a line break replace the X) so your finished work should now look like this:<code>
 +<<FIRST_NAME>> <<LAST_NAME>>
 +<<ADDRESS1>>{ IF ADDRESS1<>"" "
 +" "" }<<ADDRESS2>>
 +<<CITY>> etc...
 +</code>
 +    - it might look intimidating, but now you should only see a line break after address line 1 when address line 2 has data
 +
 +
 +==== Advanced - Preview Section of Data Merge Manager ====
 +
 +The Mac version of Word has a nice Preview section of the Data Merge Manager toolbar which allows you to see individual records prior to printing or merging into a finished document.  To see the field values of the actual records, simply click the <html>&lt;&lt;&lt;&nbsp;&gt;&gt;&gt;</html> ABC icon, and click it again to turn it off and see the field names.  To see the complex data for merge fields, click the { a } icon, and click it again to turn it off.  Note that conditional rules may not be honored until your final document is created, so you will see commas and line breaks regardless of conditions while using the preview features.
  
  • docs/microsoft_office/word/mail_merge.1175883152.txt.gz
  • Last modified: 2008/08/03 00:25
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