Subdocuments and mail merge?

D

Damon

Hi,

I have a main report which I need to merge 415 fields into, now I know you
can only have 63 fields in your mail merge document so I have decided to
split up the report into 8 reports. I was wondering though if I split these
up and have seperate mail merge documents for each can I place them into the
first report (master) as subdocuments and still merge all the data into the
subdocuments? I am doin this from VB6. I appreciate any help on this.

Thanks

Damon
 
C

Cindy M -WordMVP-

Hi Damon,

The 63 field limit is for a data source which is a Word table. The main merge
document (form letter, for example) can contain 415 fields easily enough
(assuming there isn't some kind of structural problem in the document).

The question becomes: what kind of data source can hold 415 fields? Excel
tables and Access database tables have a 256 field limit, if I'm not mistaken.
That pretty much leaves delimited text files. Read the data into a
comma-delimited text file, and it should work.

Also, see Peter Jamieson's response to Keith, "adjacent" in this group (IOW it
was the next question posted after your original question)
I have a main report which I need to merge 415 fields into, now I know you
can only have 63 fields in your mail merge document so I have decided to
split up the report into 8 reports. I was wondering though if I split these
up and have seperate mail merge documents for each can I place them into the
first report (master) as subdocuments and still merge all the data into the
subdocuments? I am doin this from VB6.

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

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question or
reply in the newsgroup and not by e-mail :)
 
D

Damon

Hi Cindy, Thanks for your response.

One thing I was wondering though is how do I create the text file and be
able to insert the merge fields into the main document before passing all
the data in?
 
C

Cindy M -WordMVP-

Hi Damon,
One thing I was wondering though is how do I create the text file and be
able to insert the merge fields into the main document before passing all
the data in?
I'm not sure I understand the question. Probably because you don't
understand mail merge completely (understandable) and I'm thinking in terms
of mail merge...

The text file can be created at any time. The main merge document with the
merge fields, as well. In order for the user to be able to insert merge
fields using the mail merge tools, the main merge document must be
connected to the data source.

Mergefields can be inserted directly without a connection to the data
source, however, just the same as for any field (over Insert/Field or using
Ctrl+F9, for example). Also, Automation can insert the fields using the
Word object model (Fields.Add method).

Once the data source is connected, it is necessary to actually EXECUTE the
merge to put the data into the merge fields...

Hope that addressed your question?

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

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question or
reply in the newsgroup and not by e-mail :)
 

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