Publisher Catalog Merge

[Roving Philosopher]

Provide a way in a Catalog Merge to eliminate blank lines when a field is
empty in, for example, a directory of names and addresses.

In Publisher 2003, consider the following entered in a Catalog Merge Area
block.

<<name>>
<<address_1>>
<<address_2>>
<<city>>, <<state>> <<zip>>
<<children>>
<<pets>>

If either the address_2 or children field is empty, there no way do close
up the blank lines as there is in a Mail Merge which allows an AddressBlock
field for that purpose although with some limitations.

Oddly enough, in Publisher 2003, when you preview records in the above
example, the blanks lines do disappear but, then, when you complete the merge
creating a directory, all of the blank lines appear even when the option not
to print blank lines is selected.

Thanks...






----------------
This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the
suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click the "I
Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, follow this
link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and then
click "I Agree" in the message pane.

http://www.microsoft.com/office/com...0d-c4b2352f7332&dg=microsoft.public.publisher

 

[Mary Sauer]

In the catalog merge you can insert a separate text box for each field in the
merge block. If you create a new publication in step 5 you can manually delete
the unwanted text boxes and reposition the rest. More work, but it does work.

 

[Roving Philosopher]

Thanks, Mary.

I'd considered that but with hundreds of entries, it seemed a little
daunting. However, if I take into account the time I've spent trying to find
an elegant solution that I can replicate easily, I probably would have come
out way ahead. Ultimately, I guess I have no other choice.