Inserting User-Defined Field from Outlook Contact

[Jim Speiser]

I would like to insert a User-Defined Field from an Outlook 2007 contact
folder into a Word 2007 mailmerge master document. It is not one of the 4
"pre-defined user-defined" fields, it is a field I created in this particular
folder called "Amount" (for amount of donation). Is this possible? I try to
insert the field in my master document using MAILINGS -> INSERT MERGE FIELD,
but the list of fields does not include the "Amount" field. Any advice?

 

[Graham Mayor]

If the field is not available when you merge from Outlook
http://www.gmayor.com/mailmerge_from_outlook.htm see the item at the end of
http://www.gmayor.com/merge_labels_with_word_2007.htm "Initial field when
merging from Outlook Contacts" which should be adaptable to use your field
instead.

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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[Peter Jamieson]

If you initiate the merge from Outlook, custom fields defined "for the
folder" should be included.

If you connect to the contact list using the facility within Word,
custom fields are not available.

However, there is a twist, which is that custom fields can exist either
"in an item" or "in a folder". The difference is not normally apparent
in Outlook 2007 because even when you create a new field "in an item",
Outlook appears to create the field "in the folder" as well. When you
open another item in the folder, the same field will already be there,
with a blank value. When you initiate a merge from Outlook, the field
should be listed (but if you see a radio button that lets you choose
between "Address fields" and "Database fields" inthe field insertion
dialog box, choose "Database fields")

But suppose you have two contacts folders, "Contacts" and "c2". If you
edit a contact item in c2 and add a custom field called myfield "in an
item", the field will be added to that item and the c2 folder. If you
now copy the contact into Contacts, the field will only exist in that
item (and it will still exist in c2). However, it does not exist as a
field "in the Contacts folder". If you edit another contact item in
Contacts, "myfield" will not be presented. When you initiate a merge
from Outlook, myfield will not appear (probably!). Luckily, if you /add/
that field to another contact already in "Contacts", it will then be
created as a field "in the folder". (Actually because of the way such
fields are identified within Outlook, it is conceivable that the field
in one item is actually a "different" field from the field in all the
others - I do not know in this case. But they appear to be treated as
one and the same field for the purpose of editing items and mailmerging)


Peter Jamieson

http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk

 

[Jim Speiser]

Very helpful, thank you.

If you initiate the merge from Outlook, custom fields defined "for the
folder" should be included.

If you connect to the contact list using the facility within Word,
custom fields are not available.

However, there is a twist, which is that custom fields can exist either
"in an item" or "in a folder". The difference is not normally apparent
in Outlook 2007 because even when you create a new field "in an item",
Outlook appears to create the field "in the folder" as well. When you
open another item in the folder, the same field will already be there,
with a blank value. When you initiate a merge from Outlook, the field
should be listed (but if you see a radio button that lets you choose
between "Address fields" and "Database fields" inthe field insertion
dialog box, choose "Database fields")

But suppose you have two contacts folders, "Contacts" and "c2". If you
edit a contact item in c2 and add a custom field called myfield "in an
item", the field will be added to that item and the c2 folder. If you
now copy the contact into Contacts, the field will only exist in that
item (and it will still exist in c2). However, it does not exist as a
field "in the Contacts folder". If you edit another contact item in
Contacts, "myfield" will not be presented. When you initiate a merge
from Outlook, myfield will not appear (probably!). Luckily, if you /add/
that field to another contact already in "Contacts", it will then be
created as a field "in the folder". (Actually because of the way such
fields are identified within Outlook, it is conceivable that the field
in one item is actually a "different" field from the field in all the
others - I do not know in this case. But they appear to be treated as
one and the same field for the purpose of editing items and mailmerging)


Peter Jamieson

http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk