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Old 08-28-2017, 11:37 PM
migman migman is offline Leaving a Blank Field Blank Windows XP Leaving a Blank Field Blank Office XP
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We print lots of address labels, and recently our older PC died, and we lost our templates. We had backups, but they are from several years ago, and they don't work the same as what we just lost.

It's pretty basic. We do lots of address labels with most of what you would expect. We also print a special label that isn't an address label, but instead is for the user to sign, so it doesn't need many of the address fields. The problem is that the field for the zip code is blank in the data source for the signature row, but in Word, the position of the zip code is filling in a zero where the zip would be.



The quick solution would be to use two different Word files—one for the actual label, and the other for the signature label, but it's more convenient to have them together, as they had been before the crash. Since it worked before, there must be a simple solution, but I only use Word for this task, and don't know what the solution is.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks.
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Old 08-29-2017, 01:18 AM
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At its most basic, you could use an IF test like:
{IF{MERGEFIELD Zip}<> 0 {MERGEFIELD Zip}}
or:
{IF«Zip»<> 0 «Zip»}

The above should work fine for 5-digit Zip Code data. However, if your source contains any 5+4-digit Zip Code data, you'll need the more comprehensive solution found under Mailmerge US Zip Code Formatting in the Mailmerge Tips & Tricks 'Sticky' thread at the top of this forum: https://www.msofficeforums.com/mail-...ps-tricks.html

Note: The field brace pairs (i.e. '{ }') for the above example are all created in the document itself, via Ctrl-F9 (Cmd-F9 on a Mac); you can't simply type them or copy & paste them from this message. Nor is it practical to add them via any of the standard Word dialogues. Likewise, you can't type or copy & paste the chevrons (i.e. '« »') - they're part of the actual mergefields, which you can insert from the 'Insert Merge Field' dropdown. The spaces represented in the field construction are all required.

Once you've done the field coding, simply re-run the mailmerge.
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Old 08-29-2017, 01:36 AM
migman migman is offline Leaving a Blank Field Blank Windows XP Leaving a Blank Field Blank Office XP
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Thanks for the reply. I should say that I'm just an operator. I didn't create this template, and the guy who did is long gone. I just update the data field and print.

If I have:

«City» «State» «Zip»

…and I place the cursor before «Zip» and hit Ctrl-F9, I get this:

«City» «State» « » «Zip»

How do I enter the character string you suggested if I can't type it? If I place the cursor between the chevrons and insert the Zip merge field, it shows this:

«0»

Thanks.
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Old 08-29-2017, 01:37 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by migman View Post
If I have:

«City» «State» «Zip»

…and I place the cursor before «Zip» and hit Ctrl-F9, I get this:

«City» «State» « » «Zip»
Not if you followed the instructions I posted. Indeed, not even if you did as you say. In that case, you'd actually get:
«City» «State» { } «Zip»

Had you followed the instructions, you see:
«City» «State» {IF{MERGEFIELD Zip}<> 0 {MERGEFIELD Zip}}
or:
«City» «State» {IF«Zip»<> 0 «Zip»}
Quote:
Originally Posted by migman View Post
How do I enter the character string you suggested if I can't type it?
Did you read all of the Note at the end of the post? It says clearly-enough what can and can't be typed.
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Old 08-29-2017, 01:50 AM
migman migman is offline Leaving a Blank Field Blank Windows XP Leaving a Blank Field Blank Office XP
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Yes, I did.
Quote:
The field brace pairs (i.e. '{ }') for the above example are all created in the document itself, via Ctrl-F9 (Cmd-F9 on a Mac); you can't simply type them or copy & paste them from this message.
Were you saying that the chevrons are the only part of your character string that can't be typed?
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Old 08-29-2017, 01:56 AM
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Well, as the sentence you quoted says, you can't type or copy/paste the field braces. I can't see how you could interpret it to mean anything other than that you need to use Ctrl-F9 to create them. The note goes on to say much the same thing about the chevrons. Did you actually try doing as the note said???
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Old 08-29-2017, 02:08 AM
migman migman is offline Leaving a Blank Field Blank Windows XP Leaving a Blank Field Blank Office XP
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First off, thank you for your help. I'm not trying to argue with you. I'm just trying to understand what you are saying. It may be clear to you, but that's because you know what you're doing. It's not clear to me, but that doesn't mean I'm not trying. If someone asks a clarifying question, it isn't helpful to just say "read it again." I will review your response and see if I can figure it out. I don't want to take up any more of your time. Thank you.
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Old 08-29-2017, 02:42 AM
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I've posted the same instructions literally thousands of times. You're one of a very few (probably less than five in the past 15 years) who's ever come back claiming to not understand something so simple.

Which parts of:
The field brace pairs (i.e. '{ }') for the above example are all created in the document itself, via Ctrl-F9 (Cmd-F9 on a Mac)
and:
you can't type or copy & paste the chevrons (i.e. '« »') - they're part of the actual mergefields, which you can insert from the 'Insert Merge Field' dropdown
don't you understand?
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Old 08-29-2017, 02:57 AM
migman migman is offline Leaving a Blank Field Blank Windows XP Leaving a Blank Field Blank Office XP
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There's no need to get snippy with me. I've been around internet forums for many years, and I've seen your attitude before. Just because your message wasn't clear to me doesn't mean that I lack the intelligence to understand it. Just because communication doesn't click in the first meeting doesn't mean you shouldn't try, and you stopped trying when you told me to just read it again, and then you said it two more times. I've been polite and appreciative of your efforts, but you're just acting like a bully. Perhaps if you had patience with someone who has less knowledge than you, you might be more helpful. Now, we can just end it here, or you can insult me again. What you choose to do will tell you what kind of a person you are.
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Old 08-29-2017, 03:11 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by migman View Post
There's no need to get snippy with me. I've been around internet forums for many years, and I've seen your attitude before. ... Now, we can just end it here, or you can insult me again. What you choose to do will tell you what kind of a person you are.
Might I suggest you need an attitude adjustment. So, with well over 50,000 forum posts to my credit over the past 15 years, I'm not infinitely patient with people who (like you) show little evidence of following the advice given. Big deal. Indeed, the fact you seem to think finding an infinitesimally small percentage of those that constitutes whatever you think is representative of my 'attitude' is something worth raising says far more about you than it does me... So, tell us, what have you actually DONE?
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Old 08-29-2017, 03:28 AM
migman migman is offline Leaving a Blank Field Blank Windows XP Leaving a Blank Field Blank Office XP
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I used Cntr. F9 to create brackets, and when I inserted the zip field, it showed a zero instead of «Zip» That's why I asked a follow-up question. If it doesn't do what you say it should, it's appropriate to ask. What I ended up with was {IF0<> 0 0} Everything in bold is what I typed. the zeros in Roman are the inserted fields. That seems to have worked, so once again, thank you. That said, I stand behind what I wrote.
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