Calculations in a mergefield.

[dwhite]

I have a mergefield called AnnualPremium. How can i calculate the
MonthlyPremium from this. I've tried { =AnnualPremium/12 } but that
doesn't work. I haven't found any examples of how to do this on the
web but i'm sure there's an easy solution for how to do it. Thanks in
advance,

Daryl

 

[Graham Mayor]

You are right. That won't work You need to combine your mergefield with a
formula field thus

{=({Mergefield AnnualPremium} / 12) \# "$,0.00"}

Insert the {} bracket pairs with CTRL+F9 and type the rest. Then F9 and
ALT+F9 to update and if necessary toggle the display.

There are some examples at http://www.gmayor.com/formatting_word_fields.htm

--
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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

Use

{ = { MERGEFIELD AnnualPremium } \ 12 }

Each pair of field delimiters must be inserted by using Ctrl+F9. To make
sure you get the { MERGEFIELD AnnualPremium } correct, you can insert the
field from the Insert Merge Fields pull down which will give you

<<AnnualPremium>>

Then when you press Alt+F9 to toggle the display of field codes, you will
see

{ MERGEFIELD AnnualPremium }

Select that and then press Ctrl+F9 and you will then get

{ { MERGEFIELD AnnualPremium } }

which you can then edit to give the construction first shown above.

You may also need to add a formatting switch.

{ = { MERGEFIELD AnnualPremium } \ 12 \# "$#,###.00" }

For more on formatting fields,

See "Formatting Word fields with switches" on fellow MVP Graham Mayor's
website at

http://www.gmayor.com/formatting_word_fields.htm


--
Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP

 

[dwhite]

Excellent thanks. I didn't have the mergefield embedded in another F9.

 

[dwhite]

Actually, now that i've tried it, it's not working. Here's the text
below. I'm trying to divide a field by 5000

{ = ({MERGEFIELD CoverageLevel \# "#" \* MERGEFORMAT } \ 5000 }

and it says Syntax error. I've tried it formatting as dollars, and
without formatting, but it's either coming through as Syntax Error or
as 5000. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.

Daryl

 

[dwhite]

sorry was missing a comma in the above merge field. What i'm seeing
after some tinkering is this. I'll enter a formula, it will evaluate
correctly once, and thereafter when i try and view it it will show up
as Syntax Error!<<. When i try and update, it says it cannot update
one of the fields on the screen, but i can't for the life of me see why
it won't update it. Here's another look at what i've tried:

The following statement below works. But if i try and embed that in
another CTRL-F9, it says it cannot update it:
{ IF { {MERGEFIELD CoverageLevel} <> "" "{MERGEFIELD
CI_AR_CoverageLevel}" "0" }

This is the statement with the added formula condition. Word says it
cannot update the field.
{ = { IF { {MERGEFIELD CoverageLevel} <> "" "{MERGEFIELD
CI_AR_CoverageLevel}" "0" } * 2 }

{ = { IF { {MERGEFIELD CoverageLevel} <> "" "{MERGEFIELD
CI_AR_CoverageLevel}" "0" } * 2 \# "##" }

I've tried it with and without calculations, i'm stumped. Thanks in
advance for any suggestions. What is it about adding the Formula part
that it fails to update?

 

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

What you posted

{ = ({MERGEFIELD CoverageLevel \# "#" \* MERGEFORMAT } \ 5000 }

is nothing like the example that Graham provided, which was

{=({Mergefield AnnualPremium} / 12) \# "$,0.00"}

What you need is:

{ = ({MERGEFIELD CoverageLevel } / 5000) \# $,0.00"}

--
Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP

 

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

Use

{ IF { {MERGEFIELD CoverageLevel} <> "" { = ({MERGEFIELD
CI_AR_CoverageLevel}* 2) \# "##" } 0 }



--
Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP

 

[dwhite]

Sorry for the confusion. I was posting about this mergefield i was
currently trying to get to work. The annual premium field i was able
to get the input source to give me both Monthly and Annually premiums
so that was how i was able to avoid that one. However, i did the
following to insert the above formula and i still get a Syntax error
when i CTRL-A and hit F9 to update. Here is the verbatim text from the
mergefield, with field codes on. I have no idea why this is giving me
such trouble. I use nested IFs, compares, etc. with no issue, but
cannot get even the simplest Calculation to work.

hit CTRL F9
{}

insert a mergefield
{{MERGEFIELD CoverageLevel}}

add the = and Parenthesis
{ = ({MERGEFIELD CoverageLevel} ) }

add the calculation
{ = ({MERGEFIELD CoverageLevel} / 5000) }

add the formatting to the end ( i use this formatting all over, so it
can't be this)
{ = ({MERGEFIELD CoverageLevel} / 5000) \# "$,0.00" }

I believe that's the same as above, but it still gives me errors.
There has to be something in the order that i'm inserting the
field/calculation/braces that word doesn't like.

I tried Graham's statement as well, but i get a syntax error with that
one too.

Thanks again,

Daryl

 

[dwhite]

One additional note, i was able to get the formula from Graham's reply:

{ IF { MERGEFIELD CoverageLevel } = "" "" { = { ( {MERGEFIELD
CoverageLevel} / 5000) \# "$,0.00" } 0}

to update without getting a Syntax Error, but it Always evaluates to 0
no matter what the CoverageLevel is ( i have that displayed in another
field so i know it's nonzero). I imagine it's because of the 0
appended to the end, but i don't know what that 0 is supposed to
signify.

Thanks in advance,

Daryl

 

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

What is returned by {MERGEFIELD CoverageLevel}?

Maybe it is not numeric and hence cannot have an arithmetic operation
performed on it.

--
Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP

 

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

Once again, what you have posted is nothing like what Graham had suggested.

You posted:

{ IF { MERGEFIELD CoverageLevel } = "" "" { = { ( {MERGEFIELD
CoverageLevel} / 5000) \# "$,0.00" } 0}

It should be:

{ IF { MERGEFIELD CoverageLevel } = "" "" { = ( {MERGEFIELD
CoverageLevel} / 5000) \# "$,0.00" }

But, what does { MERGEFIELD CoverageLevel } if it is not empty.
--
Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP

 

[Graham Mayor]

Let's take a step back and start this again
You want to divide the number produced by the coveragelevel field by 5000 if
the coverage level field contains a number, or if it is empty enter a 0?

Then what you need is:

{ IF{ MERGEFIELD CoverageLevel } = "" "0" "{ =({ MERGEFIELD CoverageLevel }
/ 5000) \# "$,0.00"}" }

--
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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>

 

[dwhite]

Ok, it sort of works. In the .dot template, when i try and CTRL-A and
hit F9, it says 'Syntax Error <<', but when i load that document with
an actual merge source, the correct value is in there, or it's blank if
there's CoverageLevel is "". I don't understand it, but it's better
than it was.

Am i just misunderstanding how merge documents work, and that all
formulas with merge fields in them will evaluate to a Syntax Error when
you're designing the form and try to update, but they will work
correctly with an input merge source?

I've been focusing on inserting the fields above and trying to update
them immediately (without a merge source). For grins i decided to just
run the merge, and lo and behold the formula worked. Thanks a lot for
the help! hopefully you can give me some insight as to why a formula
that has a Syntax error can work correctly Maybe it will educate
others than just me too heh.

Daryl

 

[dwhite]

Well, that was it. Now all my formulas are working great once there's
a merge source behind them. All those times i tried the formulas above
work fine once i do the actual merge. Sorry to take up so much of your
time with this guys, i really do appreciate it.

Daryl