Zip code merging when 5 AND 9 digits

[Spring Velazquez, Widener University]

Our academic software has a program that allows us to run letters using a
macro program (WINTEG.WORD) between the software and Word. One of the
problems is that the leading "0" is lost during the process. Have visited
www.gmayor.com for solutions. Using {MERGEFIELD Zip\# "00000"} doesn't work
when there are 9 digits in the zip code. I have tried to use the {IF
{MERGEFIELD...} to add trailing zeroes to the 5 digit field suggestion on the
site also. Once I update the field though, all I get is MERGEFIELD rather
than <<LrZip>> and the data doesn't merge. Could this be a syntax issue?

My field is as follows { IF { MERGEFIELD LrZip } > "9999" "{ MERGEFIELD
LrZip\# "00000'-'0000"}""{MERGEFIELD LrZip\# "00000"}-0000" }

Any suggestions?

 

[Peter Jamieson]

The main thing is that all the {} have to be the special field braces that
you can insert using ctrl-F9. The ordinary ones on the keyboard do not work.

Peter Jamieson

"Spring Velazquez, Widener University" <Spring Velazquez, Widener
(e-mail address removed)> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

 

[Spring Velazquez, Widener University]

Peter - you are a genius! I haven't delved that much into programming in Word
so I was not aware of that. Now I'm going to push my luck - some of the zip
codes that come in already have the +4 - using the syntax below, it's
actually replacing the imported +4 zip with 4 zeroes. How could I arrange
this to look at the +4, if it's there leave it, but if it's not add the
zeroes. This all started because of the leading zeroes in my zip code being
stripped!

Spring

 

[Graham Mayor]

Have a look at the relevant section at
http://www.gmayor.com/formatting_word_fields.htm

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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[Spring Velazquez, Widener University]

Graham - I did follow the instructions on your website. What is happening is
that when a nine-digit zip code is already present - the +4 numbers are
replaced with 4 zeroes. Any suggestions?

Spring

 

[Graham Mayor]

Forget the conditional field for the moment - what happens with your 9 digit
numbers when you insert the following fields?

{ MERGEFIELD LrZip \# "00000'-'0000"}
and
{ MERGEFIELD LrZip}


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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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[Spring Velazquez, Widener University]

Graham,

When I changed LrZip to {MERGEFIELD LrZip\# "00000'-'0000"} I get the
following problems with my zip codes:

00001-9063 - the zip code is led by 4 leading zeroes. When you say and
{MERGEFIELD LrZip} should that be a part of the same zip code field? In other
words, when I toggle the field <<LrZip>> should it say: {MERGEFIELD LrZip\#
"00000'-'0000"} and {MERGEFIELD LrZip} as the same field? When I just leave
the field as {MERGEFIELD LrZip} I get the +4 digits fine on the zip code, but
that is when the leading zeroes are lost.

Spring

 

[Graham Mayor]

I meant use the field twice - once with and once without the switch to
establish what occurs when the raw data is merged, but I want to know what
happens with 9 digit zips as it was these that you were having problems with
using the codes from my web site.

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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[Spring Velazquez, Widener University]

Okay, when I use the switch, my zip codes are led by zeroes so the zip code
of 19063 becomes 00001-9603. When I don't put the switch in, 19063 is fine,
19063-4514 is fine, but zip code 08632 becomes 8632.

 

[Doug Robbins]

With the following field construction

{IF { MERGEFIELD ZIP } > "99999" { MERGEFIELD ZIP \# "00000'-'0000" } {
MERGEFIELD ZIP \# "00000" } }

19063 appears as 19063
190634514 appears as 19063-4514

and

8632 appears as 08632

Note, in your original post, you mention using > "9999" rather than >
"99999"

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Hope this helps,
Doug Robbins - Word MVP
"Spring Velazquez, Widener University"

 

[Graham Mayor]

Note, in your original post, you mention using > "9999" rather than >
"99999"

Damn, I hadn't spotted the missing '9' in the original question.

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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[Spring Velazquez, Widener University]

The "9999" was simply a typo on my part. I apologize for the confusion. The
actual field has "99999"

Something interesting to note - when I select Update field - the field is
actually removed. It's blank - when I don't update the field and simply
toggle the fields, the following is the error message I get when I have the
conditional switch in:

Error! Unknown op code for conditional.

With just the single switch in, I still get the leading zeroes in the zip
code.

Spring

 

[Spring Velazquez, Widener University]

Just another note here - when using the conditional switch to preserve
existing 9-digit zip codes, the zip code 19083-5008 becomes 14075-0000.
Strange no?

 

[Doug Robbins]

At some point in the process, there's a bit of simple arithmetice being
performed - 19083-5008 = 14075.

Do an Edit Replace on the datasource to get rid of the - so that the zip
codes are of the form 190835008.

You have not mentioned in what software the datasource is located. If
necessary, use a catalog or directory type mailmerge in Word to get it into
the form of a Word Table so that you can use Edit Replace on it.

--
Please respond to the Newsgroup for the benefit of others who may be
interested. Questions sent directly to me will only be answered on a paid
consulting basis.

Hope this helps,
Doug Robbins - Word MVP
"Spring Velazquez, Widener University"