Merge problems

[James42]

I have an excel sheet with 246 columns with a header row and one row o
data. Each field contains text data varying in length. Some fields ar
empty. I have tried to merge directly to Word but get the error "can'
open the data source". When I save the sheet to a txt file and merge t
word it prompts me that record 16 is empty and each subsequent record i
empty up to record number 245 (which necessitates hitting Enter for eac
record) and inserts a paragraph mark for each empty field. I have trie
umpteeen ways of saving the data and creating the merge with n
improvement.
Firstly why is Word trying to print non existent records?
and secondly why is Word printing blank lines for each empty field.
("Don't print blank lines when data fields are empty" option is ticked

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi James42,

I have an excel sheet with 246 columns with a header row and one row of
data. Each field contains text data varying in length. Some fields are
empty. I have tried to merge directly to Word but get the error "can't
open the data source". When I save the sheet to a txt file and merge to
word it prompts me that record 16 is empty and each subsequent record is
empty up to record number 245 (which necessitates hitting Enter for each
record) and inserts a paragraph mark for each empty field. I have tried
umpteeen ways of saving the data and creating the merge with no
improvement.
Firstly why is Word trying to print non existent records?
and secondly why is Word printing blank lines for each empty field.?

Please tell us which version of Office is involved?

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

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