Fields switching places in Word

[Chris Singer]

I'm working on a directory in word, and now am entering in the data into
my fields for the future merge. I'm entering in the data using Word,
not in the database that was created, and at the "Mail Merge Recipients"
window I'm clicking on Edit to access the data.

The problem is that when I get to the end of the fields while entering
and make a new entry, I'm taken to the Last Name field which is the 2nd
field in the data source, the 1st being First Name. I thought "hmm
that's obnoxious" and closed the data entry part, and back at the "Mail
Merge Recipients" window there was Last Name in front of First Name. I
moved First Name back to the front of the group, thinking that would
solve the problem, but it did not... I went to enter data, I was again
sent to Last Name after making a new entry, and when I closed the data
entry screen Last Name was again in front. Oddly enough when I go to
edit my fields from the Customize button at the data entry screen First
Name IS the first field listed. I even went into the database and
rearranged the fields in there exactly as they should be (and they
weren't even in order when I first opened it, so I guess that their
order in the database is meaningless).

This is a minor annoyance amplified a million times to an enraging
grievance due to my thinking there must be a way that I can fix it and
that it SHOULD NOT BE DOING THAT! I would even be slightly satisfied if
I knew that other people besides myself have this happen to them.

blarg! I'm getting some water!.... please help

 

[Graham Mayor]

See if http://www.gmayor.com/mail_merge_labels_with_word_xp.htm will sort
you out

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP

Web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site www.mvps.org/word
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[Peter Jamieson]

This is a minor annoyance amplified a million times to an enraging

grievance due to my thinking there must be a way that I can fix it and
that it SHOULD NOT BE DOING THAT!

I recognise that feeling...

I would even be slightly satisfied if
I knew that other people besides myself have this happen to them.

....as far as I know, Word chooses the sequence of fields in the
Edit|Recipients dialog box (I suspect the idea is that mailmerge is
typically used with address data and Word is "helping" by presenting the
data in the same sequence no matter what the data source, but that's sheer
speculation on my part), and there is no way to change it, except perhaps to
choose field names that Word does not recognise and which it might therefore
leave alone.

 

[Chris Singer]

Yeah, that's basically the idea I resigned myself to, that 'Last Name'
and 'First Name' are basic fields that Word automatically rearranges how
it thinks is fitting.

GRIN AND BEAR IT!!!

Thanks to Mr. Mayor for that other link, not exactly what I was looking
for but useful nonetheless in trudging through this sordid Merge arena.

 

[Chris Singer]

Changing 'Last Name' --> 'ShinyNickels' and 'First Name' --> 'Penguins'
didn't do anything, I guess this means it's not just the names of the
fields.