skip duplicate letters

[karen h]

I have a mail merge, merging from Access. The query selects everyone who has expired items in their records. This prints on a report so I can send a letter letting the people know what is expired.

I want the letter to only use the address info the first time it shows up in the query. I have the report to refer to in order to add auto text into the letter about each item that is expired but I don't need 10 letters to the same person, one for each item that is expired.



I have tried placing a next record at the end of each letter but this only skipped every other record, not what I was looking for.

[macropod]

Hi Karen,

You can use Word's Catalogue/Directory Mailmerge facility for this (the terminology depends on the Word version). To see how to do so with any mailmerge data source supported by Word, check out my Microsoft Word Catalogue/Directory Mailmerge Tutorial at:
http://windowssecrets.com/forums/sho...ngs-(2000-2010)
or
http://www.gmayor.com/Zips/Catalogue%20Mailmerge.zip
Do read the tutorial before trying to use the mailmerge document included with it.

Properly set up, you'll get one letter per client, with all expired items for that client listed.

[karen h]

Ok, it seems the first problem I am having is that I have always just navigated to the file when I wanted to use it as the data source for merges.

When I try to open a new data source I get an error message that I do not have permission to use the file.

The database is stored on my hard drive because the server does not like me and won't let me save anything there.

Is this the only way to connect to a data source where you can have fields where you "set key fields"?

[macropod]

Hi Karen,

it seems the first problem I am having is that I have always just navigated to the file when I wanted to use it as the data source for merges

If you're always doing that for a document you've already created as a mailmerge main document, that suggests you're not saving the mailmerge main document after connecting it to the data source. Obviously, though, you'd need to do that for a new mailmerge main document.

When I try to open a new data source I get an error message that I do not have permission to use the file.

The database is stored on my hard drive because the server does not like me and won't let me save anything there.

If you don't at least have read permissions to the folder where the database is stored, I'd be surprised if you could access & copy the database file from there. Of course, if another program or user already has the file open, and it isn't set up with the appropriate locks, the operating system might prevent you from opening it for reading. It is quite possible, too, that you'd be allowed to read the file but not be able to save anything to its folder, which would explain why the server won't let you save anything there. In that case, just save to another folder.

Is this the only way to connect to a data source where you can have fields where you "set key fields"?

The Key fields have nothing to do with determining the data source - they only tell you which fields from the data source to use as filters for determining when to start a new record group in the output.

[karen h]

If you're always doing that for a document you've already created as a mailmerge main document, that suggests you're not saving the mailmerge main document after connecting it to the data source. Obviously, though, you'd need to do that for a new mailmerge main document.

No, no, I only have to do this the first time or if I change which query I attach to, sometimes the same letter goes to 2 different query groups and it is easier just to change he data source it is linked to.

If you don't at least have read permissions to the folder where the database is stored, I'd be surprised if you could access & copy the database file from there. Of course, if another program or user already has the file open, and it isn't set up with the appropriate locks, the operating system might prevent you from opening it for reading. It is quite possible, too, that you'd be allowed to read the file but not be able to save anything to its folder, which would explain why the server won't let you save anything there. In that case, just save to another folder.

I am the only one who has access to MY harddrive, I created the database and no one else has ever used it.

The Key fields have nothing to do with determining the data source - they only tell you which fields from the data source to use as filters for determining when to start a new record group in the output

I just thought that the reason I could not figure out how to put in fields that "set key fields" was that the way I was connecting to the data source must be wrong.

When I try to work through the sample merge from the Catalog Merge Tutorial I get the following results...

ACT Canberra

Yang 2100
NSW Coffs Harbour

Roulston 4000
NSW Dubbo

Kristiansen 6700
NSW Newcastle

Avard 3400
NSW Newcastle

James 8600
NSW Sydney

Brown 5300
NSW Sydney

Driver 8700
NSW Sydney

Gadzic 7400
NSW Sydney

... and so on. Sydney keeps repeating (and all the cities). I am sure that this is because I don't have it set as a key field but I don't know and cannot figure it out (I have worked on nothing else for 2 1/2 days this week).

I understand that there is something on Microsoft's web page about number formats but I don't need that right now, so I have not looked at it yet.

On vacation until Tuesday, so no rush on a reply!

[macropod]

Hi Karen,

The fact you're not getting the output suggested by the tutorial indicates that you haven't implemented its field coding correctly. If you simply copy & paste the field code into the mailmerge main document accompanying the tutorial, you should get the right results. Selecting the whole field code and pressing Shift-F9 will expose the inner workings of the field. Likewise, simply pressing Alt-F9 will expose the inner workings of all fields in the documents.

[karen h]

I have never heard of field coding. How do you do it? How can I learn about it?

[macropod]

Originally Posted by karen h

I have never heard of field coding. How do you do it? How can I learn about it?

Umm, that's what the tutorial is all about... Any kind of mailmerge in Word uses fields - mostly mailmerge fields. The tutorial goes far beyond the simple use of those fields, however.

If you want to see the inner workings of a given field in the tutorial, select it and press Shift-F9, per the instructions in the Introduction. Alternatively, you can toggle the field code display for all fields via Alt-F9 (Optn-F9 on a Mac).

[karen h]

I don't mean to be dense, but you just type that information in? How do you know what to type for the coding?

I have only looked at the tutorial as far as the first merge and when I had problems I have been trying to get them worked out.

[macropod]

Hi Karen,

but you just type that information in? How do you know what to type for the coding?

You could type it from scratch, which includes creating each field via Ctrl-F9. Or you could copy & paste the field code from the tutorial document into, say, the accompanying mailmerge main document, then run the mailmerge. For your own mailmerge, you'll probably need to edit things like the mailmerge field names (including, perhaps, adding/deleting mergefields) and layout to suit your needs.

A for the second part of the question, getting to know how to code each example was a process that took many hours. The tutorial saves you all that effort - all you need to do is to adapt the fields to your needs.

[karen h]

Finally!! I have completed this task. There are a few things I still need to tweak but it is mostly workable.

Thank you so much for all your help and patience.