Mergefield with comma, suppress comma if field blank

[JB reluctantly from WP]

Hello,

I have an Excel database file, and am merging into a Word document. I am
familiar with Word's merge process.

I need to display mergefields "LAST_NAME, FIRST_NAME" but only want the
comma if FIRST_NAME field is not blank. When FIRST_NAME field is blank, I
only want to diplay the LAST_NAME field. I'm having a heckuva time trying to
get the right IF statement to produce the wanted results.

My attempt at the IF statement: {IF {MERGEFIELD "FIRST_NAME"} <> "" "
{MERGEFIELD "LAST_NAME"},"} {MERGEFIELD "FIRST_NAME"}

I have a feeling I'm really close! However, the results produced by this
statement resulted in the last name not printing at all if the first name was
blank.

Any assistance is greatly appreciated!

~Julie

 

[Peter Jamieson]

{IF {MERGEFIELD "FIRST_NAME"} <> "" "
{MERGEFIELD "LAST_NAME"},"} {MERGEFIELD "FIRST_NAME"}

{ MERGEFIELD LAST_NAME }{ IF "{ MERGEFIELD FIRST_NAME }" = ""
"" ", { MERGEFIELD FIRST_NAME }" }

If you're only using Word 2002 or 2003 you can probably use

{ MERGEFIELD LAST_NAME }{ MERGEFIELD FIRST_NAME \b ", " }

Peter Jamieson

 

[macropod]

Hi Julie,

Try:
{IF{MERGEFIELD FIRST_NAME}= "" "{MERGEFIELD FIRST_NAME}, "}{MERGEFIELD
LAST_NAME}
to put 'FIRST_NAME' before 'LAST_NAME', or
{MERGEFIELD LAST_NAME}{IF{MERGEFIELD FIRST_NAME}= "" "" ", {MERGEFIELD
FIRST_NAME}"}
to put 'LAST_NAME' before 'FIRST_NAME',
Note how 'LAST_NAME' is outside the IF test in both cases.

Cheers

 

[JB reluctantly from WP]

Thanks Peter, since I'm "only" using Word 2002 your last suggestion
(...\b...) did the trick!

Thanks to both Peter and Macropod for your quick responses!

~Julie