WD98: How to Suppress Blank Lines During Merge (179635)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Word 98 Macintosh Edition
This article was previously published under Q179635

SUMMARY

During mail merges in Microsoft Word 98 Macintosh Edition, you may want to remove blank lines from the main document if no information is available for that line.

MORE INFORMATION

Frequently in mail merges involving addresses, there is a second line for the street address, which is normally used for a suite or apartment number. In order to close the "gap" in the address when no data exists for that merge field, make sure you do not place any spaces, punctuation, or anything else except merge fields on that second line. If there is anything else on that line, that line will appear in all merges.

The mail merge feature evaluates each line as the merge is performed. If there is any text on the line, that line appears in the merge result. If there is no text on the line, but there is a merge field, it checks to see if there is any data for the merge field. If there is no data for the merge field, it does not create that line in the merge result.

To change this feature setting, follow these steps:

NOTE: You must be in the mail merge Main (form) document to change the setting for the merge.

  1. On the Tools menu, click Mail Merge.
  2. In the Mail Merge Helper dialog box, click Merge.

    NOTE: You must have already selected the main document and data source for the merge.
  3. In the Merge dialog box, under When Merging Records, click either:

    Don't print blank lines when data fields are empty.

    -or-

    Print blank lines when data fields are empty.

  4. Click close in the Merge dialog box, and then click Close in the Mail Merge Helper.

    NOTE: If you made no changes in the Merge dialog box, the Close button is not available. Click Cancel instead.

REFERENCES

For more information about blank lines in mail merges, click the Office Assistant, type "Troubleshoot mail merge," click Search, click to view "Troubleshoot mail merge," and then click "Blank lines are showing in the merged documents."

NOTE: If the Assistant is hidden, click the Office Assistant button on the Standard toolbar. If Word Help is not installed on your computer, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

179216 OFF98: How to Use the Microsoft Office Installer Program

Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:10/29/2004
Keywords:kbhowto kbmerge KB179635
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