Datasets containing uneven double quotes makes mail merge fail

[Philip Thonning Skou]

Hi,
I work with a lot of datasets containing data with an
uneven number of double quotes. I have realized that
using a dataset with an uneven number of double quotes
makes a mail merge fail on step 3 (connect dataset, Word
2002). Merging datasets with an even number of double
quotes is successful. So I have two questions:

1. Why does mail merge fail on datasets with and
uneven number pf double quotes?
2. Is there a method so the mail merge will be
successful with datasets containing uneven and even
numbers of double quotes?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Word Heretic]

G'day "Philip Thonning Skou" <[email protected]>,

1. Because the double quotes can cause word to group all the data
inbetween with no thought as to the comma because it's been
double-quoted as a literal. This way you can merge in "Sydney, NSW"
into the one field instead of the literal comma causing it to go to
another field.

2. Pre-process the file with some VBA.


Steve Hudson - Word Heretic
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steve from wordheretic.com (Email replies require payment)


Philip Thonning Skou reckoned: