merge file into main document

[rdrnofear]

hello,

I am having major problems with a mail merge project.....
specs: 17,000 records
there are up to 35 unique codes w/in the file
(example: 12,000 code A1's, 5000 code B1's, 100 code C1's,
etc....
each code has a corresponding paragraph to insert from an outside
variables document
I know this is possible, but how do I specify this???

totally confused?.?I am!!

thanks...ASAP

rob

 

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

Hi Rob,

I'm not confused at this stage, but there's a fair chance that I would screw
up the 35 deep If..Then..Else statement that you are going to need to handle
the 35 unique codes if you try and do it all in one hit. It might just be
simpler to do the merge in batches, varying the main document between
batches and filtering the data source so that you do the 12,000 A1's with
its unique bit of text, then the 5,000 B1's etc.

Please post any further questions or followup to the newsgroups for the
benefit of others who may be interested. Unsolicited questions forwarded
directly to me will only be answered on a paid consulting basis.

Hope this helps
Doug Robbins - Word MVP

 

[rdrnofear]

the only problem with running the smaller batches is;
the list is in a zip order. the variables are spread out through the
file...(ex. rec 1=a rec 2=c rec 3= d...etc)--and each(up to 35)
corresponding/variable paragraphs is a chunk of differing text.

THE QUESTION SHOULD BE HOW/WHAT WOULD THE IF..THEN..ELSE STATEMENT LOOK
LIKE. THE EXAMPLES I'VE SEEN NEVER SHOW AN EXAMPLE WITH MULTIPLE
INSERTEXT EXAMPLES(MEANING MORE THAN 2).

I am 100% confident this would help alot of people!!!not just me!!

please respond ASAP.
thanks

rob

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi Rdrnofear,

I am having major problems with a mail merge project.....
specs: 17,000 records
there are up to 35 unique codes w/in the file
(example: 12,000 code A1's, 5000 code B1's, 100 code C1's,
etc....
each code has a corresponding paragraph to insert from an outside
variables document
I know this is possible, but how do I specify this???

totally confused?.?I am!!

I'd probably set this up as a series of one-level IF statements.
Roughly:

{ IncludeText "C:\\Test\\Variables.doc" { IF { Mergefield Code } =
"A1" "A1" "Empty" } }{ IncludeText "C:\\Test\\Variables.doc" { IF {
Mergefield Code } = "B1" "B1" "Empty" } }

and so on, all together in one paragraph. The assumption is that
the "variable text" is all stored in one document, and bookmarked
"A1", "B1", etc. The bookmark "Empty" holds nothing.

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Sep 30
2003)
http://www.mvps.org/word

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow
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[rdrnofear]

Confused on:

"A1" "A1" "Empty" what/why meaning behind???

and The bookmark "Empty" holds nothing.????

thanks rob

 

[rdrnofear]

hello,

pretty much tried:
{ IncludeText "C:\\Test\\Variables.doc" { IF { Mergefield Code } =
"A1" "A1" "Empty" } }{ IncludeText "C:\\Test\\Variables.doc" { IF {
Mergefield Code } = "B1" "B1" "Empty" } }

exact.....both sets of bookmarked data in output(2 paragraphs not one
for unique selection???

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi Rdrnofear,

I'm not sure if we're stumbling over a language barrier, here... But I
really don't understand anything you've tried to report back in either
of your last two messages.

You do know how to insert field codes { brackets } using Ctrl+F9,
right?

And you've saved the document containing the variable text to a folder,
and you're using that folder's path in IncludeText, according to the
pattern below (double-backslashes)?

And you're using the merge field that contains the "A1", "B1" codes you
described in your original message?

And, in the document containing the variable text, you've selected each
set of text and assigned a bookmark name that matches the code for
that text?

Plus, at the very end of the document, you've inserted a bookmark named
"Empty" in an empty paragraph, with no text selected?

Note: another approach, if you can put "Empty" (or something else) into
the data source where there is no "code", would be a simple IncludeText
statement that simply specifies the bookmark. No IF would be required:

{ IncludeText "C:\\Test folder\\docvars.doc" { Mergefield Code } }

pretty much tried:
{ IncludeText "C:\\Test\\Variables.doc" { IF { Mergefield Code } =
"A1" "A1" "Empty" } }{ IncludeText "C:\\Test\\Variables.doc" { IF {
Mergefield Code } = "B1" "B1" "Empty" } }

exact.....both sets of bookmarked data in output(2 paragraphs not one
for unique selection???

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Sep 30 2003)
http://www.mvps.org/word

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question
or reply in the newsgroup and not by e-mail