Mail Merge Word 97 and Excel

[Earl Lewis]

I am trying to figure out how to make Word97(Small Business Edition)
(SR2 installed) do a mail merge from an .xls file into a form letter.
(My intention is to fold the 8 x 11 sheet over in half to form a
mailable envelope. The mailing is to a paltry 40-member club.) This is
the first time I ever attempted a mail merge. The documentation, of
course, sucks.[ But I do think that Microsoft has gotten a LITTLE
better about that since 1997. I'm used to trying to deciper their
compiler help files, so I'm used to it.] Here's what I've got working
so far:
Below I list the 'fields' I've inserted in the 'main document' (I
guess I'd call this a template, but what do I know)


«Name»
«Address»
«City», «St» «zip»«Next Record»


and on the second page of the main document:



«Name»
«Address»
«City», «St» «zip»

I don't understand why I need a 2nd page, but it seems to work better
if I do.
I want to merge into a document, rather than directly to a printer,
naturally. I'd have printed 2 boxes of paper by this time if I didn't
do my experimenting that way.

When I Tools | MailMerge | Merge | Merge, a small window pops up, with
a text box to type something in if I want to. I need to keep clicking
'OK' for the merge to progress. I can't figure out how to keep the
window from popping up, and make it merge automatically. Also, since
this is the first time I've ever tried this, and MicroSoft offers no
examples to emulate, I'm shooting in the dark here.
Can anyone shed any light for me?
Earl

 

[Hilary Ostrov]

On Sat, 10 Jan 2004 15:29:09 GMT, in
<[email protected]>, Earl Lewis

Please see my response to this question in microsoft.public.word - and
in future, if you wish to post to more than one group, please use
cross-post. I see that you are using Forte Agent as your newsreader,
so in the Newsgroups: line, you would type:

microsoft.public.word,microsoft.public.word.general

instead of making two separate posts.

I am trying to figure out how to make Word97(Small Business Edition)
(SR2 installed) do a mail merge from an .xls file into a form letter.

[...]

hro

 

[John Yeadon]

If I've got your problem right I would do your document in landscape
orientation with 2-column mode. A column-break will automatically be
inserted when both columns are filled.

It seems you have an {ASK} field in your document which you cannot see.
To make it visible operate Tools | Options | View | Field Codes <tick>
Then you can see the field codes to delete them. Then turn it off to
continue.

But I don't see why you need the <<Next Record>> field at all (unless you
*actually* want two different addresses on the same sheet of paper in
which case you will want another <<Next Record>> on the second page.)

"Merge to a New Document" on screen (with Alt + Shift + N) or else a
button on your "Merge" toolbar - if you have one.

Preview at 10% to see if you have got what you want.

JY