TRANSPOSE results in zero values for blank cells

[ramatsu]

I have a worksheet of contact data that is in columns for convenience in
editing, but needs to be in rows in order to be used by Word as a mail merge
data source.

I used TRANSPOSE (the function, not the Paste Special option) to populate a
worksheet with transposed values, but all the blank cells from the original
(where a contact does not have, for example, a fax number, etc.) are
populated with zeros. I've turned off the display of these zeros in the Error
Checking prefs, so it looks fine, but...

When I use the transposed sheet as a data source for Word mail merge, all
these zeros come in. So instead of ignoring empty cells and not inserting
an address or phone line when there's no data, Word merges in a line of text
with the number zero (0) in it.

This doesn't occur if I use the Paste Special "Transpose" option, so it has
something to do with the way the TRANSPOSE function is interpreting those
empty cells and populating them.

Is there anything I can add to the TRANSPOSE function applied to the cells
in the target worksheet to get rid of these zero values? Here's what the
function looks like right now:

=TRANSPOSE(DataSourceWorkbookname.xlsx!NamedDataRange)

I am using Mac Office 2008, so at least until 2011 or 2012, there's no VB
options for me at the Word end, alas.

Thanks!

 

[Shane Devenshire]

Hi,

there is no need to post 3 times, it just means some of us answer one before
we discover the other. And our answers may be the same as you already have,
a waste of our time.

 

[ramatsu]

Yes, my apologies - this happened because when I hit "Post," the confirmation
window just showed an endlessly spinning graphic, and I didn't think the post
went through. I re-submitted because I thought it had failed the first 2
times. (I wouldn't intentionally post multiple times.)

I haven't used the webform for this group in the past (usually use Entourage
but I can't recall how to see what return email address Entourage will expose
to spambots) so the Cross-Post field was new to me. I did use that to
cross-post between the excel.worksheet.functions group and the excel.mac
group since there's presumably less shared audience between them. Is use of
the cross-post field for this kind of thing discouraged too? I really
appreciate the efforts by folks who provide help here, so want to be a good
citizen.

I'm trying your tip, I'll click "Helpful" for any and all (you and Max) who
offered it if it works. Looks promising.

Thanks,

Allen