2003 Small Business - Mail Merge from Excel Sheet Duplication Oddi

[Los]

I have a workbook in excel named "Calculate" that has a worksheet named
"Label-List"

Label list looks like this:

(Column A)
=calculate!$J$2
=calculate!$J$2
=calculate!$J$2
=calculate!$J$2
=calculate!$J$3
=calculate!$J$3
=calculate!$J$3
=calculate!$J$3
....
=calculate!$J$81
=calculate!$J$81
=calculate!$J$81
=calculate!$J$81

That gives me 320 entires

I use Word 2003 to Mail Merge via the sidepane wizard.

I am using Avery 5267 Return Address page setup.

My setup looks as such:

| <<Label-List>> | <<Next Record>><<Label-List>> | <<Next
Record>><<Label-List>> | etc...

I then save that setup as MergedLabels.doc so that I can have others use it
as well (all files are on a Publicly Shared Folder on the File Server).

When anybody opens the document, it will pop up as mention that a SQL
command will need to run, just like it's supposed to do, and everything SEEMS
okay.

Here is the oddity:

When we "Merge to New Document" by either the wizard or the Mail Merge
Toolbar on Word 2003 and 2002, we get this as the result:

| 1122 | 1122 | 1122 | 1122 |
| 1122 | 1123 | 1123 | 1123 |
| 1123 | 1124 | 1124 | 1124 |

etc.

As you can see, it has taken the first value and put it in FIVE times. The
Data source only has 4 entries.

And here's the Twist:

If I have the Mail merge Toolbar up when I first open MergedLabels.doc, I
can do this:

If I hit the "View Merged Data" button (the one that looks like <<abc>>) on
the toolbar, it will preview the merged data, and I will have the 5 entries.

I then click the "View Merged Data" button again to return to the "design"
view.

I then IMMEDIATELY RECLICK the "View Merged Data" button to re-preview the
merged labels, and everything is PERFECT. Meaning, I get this:

| 1122 | 1122 | 1122 | 1122 |
| 1123 | 1123 | 1123 | 1123 |
| 1124 | 1124 | 1124 | 1124 |


I did nothing to change anything! All I did was Preview the Merged labels,
un-previewed, then re-previewed!!!

Arooo?

- Los

 

[Graham Mayor]

Previewing has the effect of updating the fields, so updating the fields in
the merge document should effect the same result, however there are easier
ways to produce numbered labels - see
http://www.gmayor.com/Numbered_labels.htm - if that is what you are trying
to do, and removing the {next} fields from labels 2, 3 & 4 would obviate the
need to duplicate records to produce four labels with the same data.

You may also find http://www.gmayor.com/mail_merge_labels_with_word_xp.htm
useful?

--
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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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