WD97: Mail Merge Does Not Merge Hidden Character Formatting (196940)
The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Word 97 for Windows
This article was previously published under Q196940 SYMPTOMS
If a Microsoft Word mail merge data document contains hidden text
formatting, the text appears without the hidden format after Word performs
the merge.
CAUSE
This behavior is by design of Microsoft Word. The mail merge main document
controls the formatting of text during a merge.
WORKAROUND
To work around this problem, use any of the following methods.
Method 1: Format the Merge Field in the Mail Merge Main Document as Hidden
Format the merge field in the mail merge main document as hidden. When the
merge is performed, the result of this field is hidden text.
Method 2: Remove the Word "mergefield" from the Merge Field
Remove the word "mergefield" from the merge field in the main document. To
do this, begin by displaying field codes (press ALT+F9). Delete the word
"mergefield" from within the field code. Ignore the "Error! Bookmark not
defined" message and perform the merge. The result after the merge is
hidden text.
Method 3: Replace the MERGEFIELD Field with a REF Field
Turn on field codes (by pressing ALT+F9), and replace the word
"mergefield"
with the word "ref" (without the quotation marks) in the field code. The
merge will generate hidden text for this field.
Method 2 and method 3 do not permit you to suppress blank lines when a
field in the data file is empty. Method 1 automatically suppresses the
blank lines.
| Modification Type: | Major | Last Reviewed: | 11/14/2000 |
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| Keywords: | kbmerge kbprb KB196940 |
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