Mail merging spouses

[AB79]

I'm trying to mail merge an invitation list where spouses are included. Some
invitees do not have spouses, which I can handle by simply leaving those
fields blank in the excel database the data has come from, but not without
leaving a large gap between the first name and surname:
E.g.: where there is a spouse:
Mr Bernard and Mrs Bernadette Smith

where there isn't a spouse:
Mr Bernard Smith

(i.e. for each 'extra' mergefield in the first example there is a space)
One possiblity would be to merge the whole 'spouse' information into one
cell in Excel, which would read 'and Mrs Bernadette', but that is rather
unsophisticated and would still leave two spaces where there isn't a spouse.
Any ideas, anyone?

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Well, "Mr Bernard and Mrs Bernadette Smith" isn't correct to begin with. If
they're married, they're either "Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Smith" or "Bernard and
Bernadette Smith" (or "Mr. Bernard Smith and Ms. Bernadetted Jones" if she
has kept her maiden name--not to mention the possibilities of "Mr. Bernard
Smith and Dr. Bernadette Smith," etc.). But the space problem can be handled
by using IF fields to contain the merge field and any required spaces. Often
it's easier just to create a separate field in Excel for the entire first
part of the name (leaving the surname as a separate field for sorting
purposes).

 

[Beth Melton]

You can use an IF field to do what you want. Such as
{IF {MergeField Spouse} = "" {MergeField Invite} {MergeField Invite} " and "
{MergeField Spouse})

Here's an article with some specifics on how to accomplish this and a few
examples for you:
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/MailMerge/MMergeIfFields.htm

Also, you could create somthing similar in Excel as well if you find that
easier. If interested in this method, insert a new column next to the spouse
name and create a concatenated field, such as
=IF(B3="",A3,A3 & " and " & B3)

In the example, B3 is the spouse name and A3 is the invitee. Then use the
new calcualted field in your merge.

Please post all follow-up questions to the newsgroup. Requests for
assistance by email cannot be acknowledged.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP

Coauthor of Word 2007 Inside Out:
http://www.microsoft.com/MSPress/books/9801.aspx#AboutTheBook

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