mail merge field for telephone numbers; what switches?

[AngloAlly]

MS OFFICE v. 2002
I would like to format a merge field in a Word mail merge document like the
telephone number formating in Excel, 3 digits for area code-3 digits
exchange-4 digits number, with the dashes. The data bases I'm using are
either from trade show attendees who swipe badges and the fields are
pre-formatted or if I enter the data the column is formatted in Excel for
telephone numbers so I just enter all 10 digits and it formats itself. Once
I insert the field code into the document, what switches can be applied to
have it print out in the merged document like xxx-xxx-xxxx.

 

[Peter Jamieson]

Try

{ MERGEFIELD myphonenumber \#"000'-'000'-'0000" }

Peter Jamieson

 

[AngloAlly]

Thanks for the help Peter, but it didn't work. I deleted the field code from
the Excel database and using CTRL+F9 typed in what you gave me. When I ran
the merge the numbers still came out 0000000000, with no spaces or dashes.
Can you give me specific instructions or link me to a website that does.

 

[Peter Jamieson]

It sounds as if you did what I suggested, although this makes me a bit
nervous:

I deleted the field code from
the Excel database

....because you should be deleting/replacing the field code /in the Word
document/ and should not need to touch the Excel document.

However, it's obviously not working so let's check a few things:
a. To insert the field in Word, use ctrl-F9 to insert the special field
code braces {} and type

MERGEFIELD yourfieldname \#"000'-'000'-'0000"

between the {}, where the text after the \# is enclosed in "staright double
quotes" -(ASCII (decimal) character 34, the one after "!" in Insert|Symbol),
and the hyphens (hyphen - ASCII decimal 45, the one after "," in Insert
Symbol) are surrounded by "straight single quotes" (ASCII (decimal)
character 39, the one after "&" in Insert Symbol)
b. Does it make any difference if you use the following nested field?

{ = {MERGEFIELD yourfieldname} \#"000'-'000'-'0000" }
c. can you select one of the phone number cells near the to pof the
appropriate column in your Excel sheet and tell us what formatting is appied
(use Format|Cells to find out)?

Peter Jamieson

 

[AngloAlly]

I didn't mean to make you nervous about the Excel. I didn't delete it from
the db, only meant that I deleted the field code for the field from the Word
document where it was inserted. I then replaced it with the specifics in
section 'a' below. When that didn't work I left my curser at the field code
insertion point and right clicked to choose "edit field", then selected
"field codes" at the lower left and inserted your code mapping from section
'a' into the "Advanced Field Properties:Field Codes" line in the dialoge box
and then checked "Preserve Formatting" and lastly "OK".
Then when I went back to document and changed back to "View Merged Data" it
was formatted like a phone number. Thanks again for all your help.