I can't make sense of the syntax for IF fields and I've gotten to the point where the bulk of my output is correct but nothing happens when a key value changes between lines.



{QUOTE{IF{MERGESEQ}=1 "{SET Key1 ""}{SET Key2 ""}"}"IF{IF{={IF{MERGEFIELD ED}= {REF Key2} 1 0}*{IF{MERGEDFILED NUM}={REF Key1} 1 0}}=0"{IF{MERGESEQ}>1 ""}{MERGEDFIELD NUM}{SET Key1 {MERGEFIELD NUM}}"}{IF{MERGEFILED ED}<>{REF Key2} "{SET Key2 {MERGEFIELD ED}}"}{MERGEFIELD LAST}, {MERGEFIELD FIRST}"}


The data source is sorted first by ED, then by NUM.

I'd like the output to be like this so that when the entries with like EDs end and a new ED starts it would insert a page break, then the new ED value, then another page break.

--page break--
ED1
--page break--
NUM1
Last, First
Last, First

NUM2
Last, First

--pagebreak--
ED2
--pagebreak--
NUM3
Last, First
Last, First


Is my structure correct and if so where would I place the page break so that it appears when the ED changes?

Thank you in advance!

Try:
{QUOTE{IF{MERGESEQ}= 1 "{SET Key1 ""}{SET Key2 ""}"}"{IF{MERGEFIELD ED}<> {REF Key1} "{IF{MERGESEQ}> 1 {QUOTE 12}}{MERGEFIELD ED}{SET Key1 {MERGEFIELD ED}}¶
"}{IF{MERGEFIELD NUM}<> {REF Key2} "{SET Key2 {MERGEFIELD NUM}}¶
{MERGEFIELD NUM}¶
"}{MERGEFIELD LAST} {MERGEFIELD FIRST}¶
"}
Note: You'll need to replace the ¶ symbols with real paragraph breaks or line breaks. You also need all of the spaces indicated - the field 'code' in your post is missing numerous critical spaces.

For a macro to convert the above to a working field code, see: http://www.gmayor.com/export_field.htm#TextToField

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

Thanks for the quick reply. I tried your code, every space and case accounted for and the output is:

Any thoughts? This is a real head scratcher for me.

Are you doing a Directory Merge?

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

Yes. It's the first thing I did and just in case checked to verify that the settings didn't change for some reason.

The only way I can get the result you depicted using the field code I posted is if the merge is not a Directory type. So, either you're not using that or there's an error in your implementation of the field code. See attached field code implementation.

Attached Files

Test Mailmerge Main Document.doc (30.0 KB, 28 views)

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

Your file worked. Thank you!

I did check your code vs mine which yielded a view spaces that didn't match. After I corrected them and tried again my file still didn't work and outputed the same thing I was getting before. Is it possible that the .doc format vs docx is causing some issues on how the IF fields operate?

No, they work exactly the same and, FWIW, I used the macro referred to in post #2 to convert the field 'code' in that post back to the working field code in the attachment to my last post.

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]