Problem with value from Ask field multiple times in one document

[Jay]

Hi all.

I have a letter, made in Office Word 2003, that asks the user to enter a
specific numeric value between 1 and 10 using an Ask field. This value is
used to customize the address for the letter.
In the introduction of the letter, this value is again used to insert a
certain text.

The first part of the process goes well: if for example '1' is entered, the
corresponding text is inserted.

However, customizing the introduction never works according to plan. It
seems as if Word keeps the value cached in memory from a previous time, i.e.
when the modal dialog for the Ask-field appears, the number that is shown by
default is used even if it's changed into another value.

This is what about happens:

(I) User is asked to enter a number between 1 and 10 and enters 2. In the
address of the letter the text corresponding to the value of 2 is inserted.
Subsequently no value is inserted for the introduction.
(II) A next time when MailMerge is performed and the user is again asked to
enter a number. he enters 3 for example. The corresponding text is inserted
in the address block of the letter. Next, in the introduction of the letter,
the text corresponding to the number 2 is inserted.
It seems as if the number entered in (I) is kept in memory and is used as a
value for the introduction of the letter in (II).

I've been pulling my hairs out for some hours now, and I've been trying to
solve this problem for a whole day. How can I get Word to "remember" the
value entered for the Ask-field so I can use it in multiple locations in the
same document?
I don't exactly know how I can make this problem clear, so please ask is
anything is unclear.


Many thanks for any help!

 

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

Just how is the number being used in the Introduction section?

--
Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP

 

[Jay]

Hi.

The number is used in the following manner:

{ IF { REF "NameOfRelation" \* MERGEFORMAT } = "1" "{ MERGEFIELD
"Introduction_Variant1" }" "{ IF REF "NameOfRelation" \* MERGEFORMAT } = "2"
"{ MERGEFIELD "Introduction_Variant2" }" "{ IF REF "NameOfRelation" \*
MERGEFORMAT } = "3" "{ MERGEFIELD "Introduction_Variant3" }" }" }" }

The REF used above, "NameOfRelation", is used in both the address of the
letter as the introduction section. In the introduction section, I witness
strange results regarding the value of the REF.

I hope to have made my situation more clear. Do not hesitate to ask any
further questions. Thanks!

 

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

You are going to have to update the fields in the document to get the
relevant information to be displayed. To do that, you can use Ctrl+A and
then F9

--
Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP

 

[Jay]

Thanks for your help Doug!

I managed to find a resolution to my problem. I found out the Ask-field was
inside a textbox (which I used because of formatting issues). Somehow the
value from the Ask-field can only be used within the textbox.
Therefore the mergefields outside of the textbox, dependent on the value set
within the textbox, were not filled properly.

Hope this helps anyone else facing a similar problem.

--Jay