I tried to use the tutorial (http://www.gmayor.com/Zips/Catalogue%20Mailmerge.zip) and got to the document called “Mailmerge Main Document.” All it contains is one line saying :

If you haven’t read the tutorial document, please do so before using this document.

What am I missing?



Split from: https://www.msofficeforums.com/mail-...nt-dollar.html

Did you read the section titled Using the Sample Data File & Mailmerge Main Document in the tutorial document?

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

Absolutely. I guess I didn't get the fact that the code was actually in the tutorial. It was the "Viewing The Fields" section that I didn't grasp.

Been at this for a couple of days now. Just not getting it to do what I was hoping. From all the searching I have done, you appear to be the Guru.

I played with that simple example that uses the failing student/Teacher name example. Seems like that is the concept I need to follow but after trying numerous times, I could not get it to work. Something seems to be missing with the even paring of field code brackets. Or, I'm just an idiot.

I can't find the code that keeps printing records on one letter until the Key changes.

I also need a better understanding of how/where template text gets folded in to the coding.

Is your mailmerge main document configured for a Directory merge?
The field code provides for text both before and after the repeated records. If you expand the field code for the 'Using One Key' example from page 9 of the tutorial, except for the colouring, you'll see:
In the above, the:
• green content outputs whatever goes at the start of each letter.
• orange content outputs the repeated data.
• red content outputs whatever goes at the end of each letter (technically, {IF{MERGEFIELD State}<> 0 {QUOTE 12}} is part of that).
• blue QUOTE field generates the page breaks between letters.
• purple fields manage whatever you use as the KEY to indicate a change of grouping.
• black content does the housekeeping, pulling all the others together and ensuring you don't get output being generated at the wrong time.

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

OK. Thanks. I'll start playing with it again this morning. Just to make sure I understand, the "Repeated data" in the orange fields represents the multiple rows of data I have for each key?

I don't understand what you mean by 'for each key' - the above example uses one key only.

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

Paul,

Sorry. I know I'm wearing your patience thin. I'm a real novice and I guess I chose the wrong words to describe what I meant. Yes, there is only one Key. I meant to confirm my understanding that "Repeated data" in the orange fields represents the multiple rows of data that are associated with the field that I have chosen as my key.

Yes, the orange block is what repeats for each record until the key changes.

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

Still having a tough go at it. I wish there was something other than this semi-public forum available so I could explain in more detail.

Any opinions on just using that Graham Mayor Many-to-One Add-on? While I am having fun trying to learn this stuff, deadlines are looming.

You really shouldn't have to do much more than copy the field from the tutorial into your own document, change the field names & accompanying text and maybe change the formatting a bit to get the desired output.

Since I don't know exactly what aspects you're having trouble with and seeing the document concerned, it's a bit hard to give specific advice. Can you attach a document to a post with some representative data (delete anything sensitive)? You do this via the paperclip symbol on the 'Go Advanced' tab at the bottom of this screen.

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

Still working from home this morning. I'll try to set up a dummy version I can send to you when I get to my office later.

The problem I'm having is getting my text to fit into the proper location in the letter. I also may be trying to something a little more complicated than what any of the tutorial examples demonstrate. 5,000 rows of data. Each has a city field that I am using as my Key. Each row represents a specific project in the city with statistics for each project. The result needs to be one letter to each Mayor of about 450 cities with the Mayor name, summary statistics of all the projects stated once in each letter and then project-by-project details for all projects in the city included at the end of the letter. Project detail needs to be at the very end because the number of projects varies from one to 84 depending on the city and if I include that in the body of the letter, it would be too much for cities with larger numbers of projects.

Although the tutorial example shows the content all being output as a single paragraph, there's no reason you can't have multiple separate paragraphs, each with their own formatting, for the red & green content in post #6, so they're not all tied to the layout used for the repeated data.

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

Gonna keep trying. I got sidetracked on an unrelated project today. I'm a little nervous about the table set-up parts too.

Regardless, your help has been excellent so far. I really want to solve this... reminds me of when I got my first Rubik's Cube. I couldn't figure it out but I did read the solution and was then able to do it and was even able to get to the point where I could do it in under one minute.