Keyboard shortcuts for Word fields in merged document?

[Jeffrey Frankel]

I periodically generate a merge letter in Word 2003 that contains case
reporting information. The merge fields are simply the names and addresses
of the organizations I'm reporting to; no problem there. I merge the letter
to the printer via the Mail Merge toolbar.

I've inserted seven Word Fill-in fields into the merge letter, again via the
Mail Merge toolbar. After I click the merge to printer button, tell Word to
merge all records, and hit Enter in the Print dialog box, Word prompts me to
enter the text for each field, one after the other. (This is where I enter
the details of the case I'm reporting.) After I enter the text for the last
field, the merged letters and envelopes print.

Question #1: The dialog box for entering text in each Fill-in field has OK
and Cancel buttons. Is there a keyboard shortcut for the OK button? Hitting
the Enter key inserts a carriage return in the text box, as opposed to
closing the text box and moving on to the next Fill-in field. Having to
click OK with the mouse seven times in a row is a drag.

Question #2: Every once in a while I'll realize that I entered incorrect
information in a Fill-in field after I've clicked the OK button. Word has
already moved on to the next field. Is there any way to go back to a field I
already entered to make a correction? Many thanks.

Jeff Frankel

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi Jeffrey,

I periodically generate a merge letter in Word 2003 that contains case
reporting information. The merge fields are simply the names and addresses
of the organizations I'm reporting to; no problem there. I merge the letter
to the printer via the Mail Merge toolbar.

I've inserted seven Word Fill-in fields into the merge letter, again via the
Mail Merge toolbar. After I click the merge to printer button, tell Word to
merge all records, and hit Enter in the Print dialog box, Word prompts me to
enter the text for each field, one after the other. (This is where I enter
the details of the case I'm reporting.) After I enter the text for the last
field, the merged letters and envelopes print.

Question #1: The dialog box for entering text in each Fill-in field has OK
and Cancel buttons. Is there a keyboard shortcut for the OK button? Hitting
the Enter key inserts a carriage return in the text box, as opposed to
closing the text box and moving on to the next Fill-in field. Having to
click OK with the mouse seven times in a row is a drag.

Nope. TAB + Enter is the best you can do. However, if you're confirming the
same set of information for every record(?) there is a switch you can set so
the Word prompts you only one time, for the entire merge. Alt+F9 toggle the
display of the field codes, type in at the end of the field: \o

Question #2: Every once in a while I'll realize that I entered incorrect
information in a Fill-in field after I've clicked the OK button. Word has
already moved on to the next field. Is there any way to go back to a field I
already entered to make a correction?

No, there's not. Merge to a new document, not directly to the printer, and you
can edit it or throw it away and start again.

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 8 2004)
http://www.word.mvps.org

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question or reply
in the newsgroup and not by e-mail

 

[Jeffrey Frankel]

Tab + Enter -- PERFECT!! Thanks so much, Cindy. You're a true Word heroine!
And I appreciate your other advice as well.

Jeff Frankel