Following a Mail Merge, Numbered List changes for no apparent reason

[Andrew Fernie]

Hello there,

I wonder if someone may be able to shed some light on a rather unusual
problem we are experiencing with Word 2000.

We utilise a Personnel Management package called Vizual Personnel
Manager, which can be used to generate form letters. On one such form
letter, a set of numbered headings is present a few lines below the
mail merge fields.

Once the actual Mail Merge is carried out, this number list changes.
Previously the numbered list would show:

1.
2.
3.

etc.

After the merge the list shows:

1.
1.
2.
3.

etc.

Examining the document with the option to show control characters
seems to show no changes in spacing and formatting, which has left me
stumped - any suggestions of ideas would be appreciated.

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi Andrew,

I really haven't any help to offer, but no one else seems to have an
idea, either...

1. I'm not familiar with your PM package, so I have no idea what affect
it might be having. If you take the main merge doc and data source to a
machine where it's not active/installed do you see the same behavior?

2. Auto numbering is a PITA when mailmerge is involved, in any case. My
usual recommendation is to use SEQ fields and avoid the autonumbering.

I wonder if someone may be able to shed some light on a rather unusual
problem we are experiencing with Word 2000.

We utilise a Personnel Management package called Vizual Personnel
Manager, which can be used to generate form letters. On one such form
letter, a set of numbered headings is present a few lines below the
mail merge fields.

Once the actual Mail Merge is carried out, this number list changes.
Previously the numbered list would show:

1.
2.
3.

etc.

After the merge the list shows:

1.
1.
2.
3.

etc.

Examining the document with the option to show control characters
seems to show no changes in spacing and formatting, which has left me
stumped

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Sep 30 2003)
http://www.word.mvps.org

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[John McGhie [MVP - Word]]

Andrew:

Chances are Vizual is using numbering designed to work with Word 95, 97 and
2000. If it is, it will implement the numbering using LISTNUM or SEQ fields
for version cross-compatibility. And if it does, you will get this problem.

However, unless you investigate how the numbering is actually produced and
tell us, we can't really help you. If you want to email me a sample form
letter after the merge, I can have a look for you.

To email me anything, you will need to add a password to the Subject of your
email: 9vl7705r1u55bh8e9aot5peh3e49m6ctl4 (it's the article number so your
reply makes it through my spamkiller and associates correctly with your
post).

Cheers

Hello there,

I wonder if someone may be able to shed some light on a rather unusual
problem we are experiencing with Word 2000.

We utilise a Personnel Management package called Vizual Personnel
Manager, which can be used to generate form letters. On one such form
letter, a set of numbered headings is present a few lines below the
mail merge fields.

Once the actual Mail Merge is carried out, this number list changes.
Previously the numbered list would show:

1.
2.
3.

etc.

After the merge the list shows:

1.
1.
2.
3.

etc.

Examining the document with the option to show control characters
seems to show no changes in spacing and formatting, which has left me
stumped - any suggestions of ideas would be appreciated.

--

Please respond only to the newsgroup to preserve the thread.

John McGhie, Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. GMT + 10 Hrs
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]