change order of columns in mailmerge "select recipients"

[helios]

Word 2003/Access 2003 (Access 2000 database format)

I have a mailmerge linked to an Access query. It allows the user to select
invitees using the "Select Recipients" utility. However, I can't seem to
figure out how to make certain fields show up in the first few columns of the
query records list. This makes it difficult to quickly scan and select
certain recipients from the list without first shrinking the width of the
columns that don't identify the recipient (i.e. name, type, event, etc.). I
have tried reordering the columns in the query design view (matches SQL
order), in the datasheet view. I have the query sorted on three fields (one
is calculated), if that matters. None of this seems to have any bearing on
the order of the fields in the "Mail Merge Recipients" window!

How can I get the fields to show up in my preferred order?!

 

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

Set them in that order in the Query Design in Access.

--
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

 

[helios]

That was my first thought, but the order almost sems arbitrary--although it
does show up in a consistent order each time.

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[helios]

Does this help?
The mailmerge query is based on a union query which pulls together data from
seven queries. (Please--I know, but this is an inherited database and I have
no time to overhaul the data management.)

Is the order perhaps a prioritized conglomeration of field order in one or
all of the query levels? I'll see if I can make any sense of it.

 

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

Try using the union query as the source for a new query in which you arrange
the fields in the required order.

--
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

 

[Peter Jamieson]

The sequence is determined completely by Word. Word recognises certain field
names (and perhaps some variations) that are commonly used in name and
address files, e.g. firstnam, lastname, city, state, that sort of thing. It
then presents any fields with names like that in its standard sequence.
However, as far as I am aware, if you do not name any of your fields that
way, it will either sequence them in alpha order or their sequence in the
query/table. So I would name my fields something like

"01 the first column name"
"02 thesecond column name"
and so on.

If you can't start with a digit, use e.g.

"A1 the first column name"
"A2 the second column name"
and so on.