How can I add field name to field in a mail merge?

[varlene]

I am creating a directory using Word 2003 Mail Merge with Access. Some
contacts have just one number while others have many. I don't want to waste
space by adding a Text Label for each one--e.g., Home, Work, Fax, Cell if
there's no data for them. I would like the field name to print next to the
fields that actually contain data. How can I do this? For instance, I would
like this as a result:
(555) 555-1212 home (where home is the field label)
(555) 555-1313 work (where work is the field label)

Also I want to this to print in three columns, 2-sided, 2-folds so that when
folded it will have a cover page on the front and the first name will appear
on the inside on the 1st column work its way down to the 2nd column and then
to the 3rd and then to the 1st column on the 2nd (back page) and then the 2nd
column. Am I going to run into any problems using mail merge? I'm using
tables and want to keep the whole record together and have it not break into
the next column. Any suggestions?
Thanks,

 

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

The first part of your desires can be accommodated by the use of
If...then...Else field constructions

{ IF { MERGEFIELD Home } <> "" "{ MERGEFIELD Home } home" { IF { MERGEFIELD
Work } <> "" "[Enter]
{ MERGEFIELD Work } work" { IF { MERGEFIELD Fax } <> "" "[Enter]
{ MERGEFIELD Fax } fax" { IF { MERGEFIELD Cell } <> "" "[Enter]
{ MERGEFIELD Cell } cell" "{ MERGEFIELD Fax } fax" } { IF { MERGEFIELD
Cell } <> "" "[Enter]
{ MERGEFIELD Cell } cell" "[Enter]
{ MERGEFIELD Work } work" }

As that is probably only about a third of the field construction that you
would need to handle this properly, I now think that you would be better off
to set up your merge document so that you had the type of number preceeding
the number, e.g.

home: <<Home>>
work: <<Work>>
fax: <<Fax>>
cell: <<Cell>>

and then execute the merge to a new document and then use a series of
Edit>Replaces to replace

home: ^p

with nothing and likewise work, fax and cell. That would delete those
labels when there was no number present.

Now for the next part of what you want to do, that is going to take a bit of
fiddling as well, but you should start with a directory type mail merge main
document that you format so that it has two columns and you set up one set
of mergefields in the first column, then execute the merge to a new
document. The with the selection before the first entry in the first
column, insert two column breaks. Now insert the information that you want
to appear on the cover into the second of what will now be the two empty
columns at the beginning of the document and (after running the Edit
Replaces mentioned above), select and then cut the entries from the last
column and insert them into the first column at the beginning of the
document.

If you cross all your fingers and toes, you might get what you want.

I think however that it may be easier to use an Access Report.

--
Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP

 

[Peter Jamieson]

As far as putting the field name next to the number is concerned, in Word
2003 you can also try

{ MERGEFIELD home \f " home" }
{ MERGEFIELD work \f " work" }

However, whether this will suppress blanks for you depends on your layout -
it may not work within tables for example, and if it doesn't, you would be
forced to the { IF } field approach Doug describes (or create a query in
Access that does much the same thing).

Peter Jamieson