I have a document to which I would like users to add appendices / schedules depending on their needs.



As an example:-

Letter could have a total of 10 additional schedules of which a client only needs, say , two.

Client may want appendix A and appendix C

Another client may want appendix B and D.

I was going to have a tick box where the user could select which appendices could be required, and to store them as documents on the server. Depending on the result the appropriate appendix could be added to the main document during mail merge.

However, the result is that the heading says 'Appendix 1', 'Appendix 3' etc. I would like a way of renumbering them to '1' and '2' etc etc

Finally - I would like to add a sentence to the main docuennt which says 'We refer you to Appendix 1 - page 3, Appendix 2 - page 4 etc.

Is this possible?

Firstly the answer is Yes, it is possible. The best way may not be by using a mail merge though.

I have some questions for you.

1. Is the customer-specific data entry selections done for lots of customers prior to producing the output letters or are you doing the letter for one customer at a time.

2. Are you converting the result to PDF to send out or keeping the output in Word?

Autonumbers and Cross-References are the names of features that answer your questions about the appendix letters and sentences referring to them.

__________________
Andrew Lockton
Chrysalis Design, Melbourne Australia

The letters are being generated on a one by one basis.

The process is:-

- Mail merge started which draws in the customer specific data held in our database. The data is stored in a SQL database.

- at the moment the appendix (ices) are added manually (cut / paste) by the user. It is this part that I was hoping to automate by presenting them with a tick box system which adds the correct ones to the file.

- for some clients we print off the resulting letter - others we 'save as pdf' and email across

Strictly using mail merge, the simplest method would be to add data in the original customer data source as to which appendices to use. Have it input with the original data, not as a user choice when putting the letter together. You switched your numbering style in the middle of your question, first discussing Appendix A, B, C, etc. and then 1, 2, 3, etc. Does this matter? Which do you want?

You could store your Appendices either as separate documents to be incorporated or as AutoText/Building Blocks entries. They could easily be numbered using SEQ fields.

Do you mean heading or header? Either can be handled.
What is the difference between headings and headers?

I mean the heading - not header.