[Nick_F[_2_]]

Oops, sorry, GIGO problem, my fault.

I forgot to mention I am starting with data pulled from a fox pro client
database using crystal reports and bespokely-dumped into an Excel data source
file.

I can make every part of this work except the need to intercept the next
available bill number from the text file on my office network file server,
increment that by one for each bill generated by the merge and then dump the
last bill's number back into the text file on the network, or dump the
original number back if the merge doesn't complete successfully or I abort
it...

(Incidentally I found the Doug Robbins introduction to Userforms page most
helpful on a previous occasion / project!)

Nick

"Doug Robbins - Word MVP" wrote:

Unless you already have the information that will be the data source for the
merge already in some application, you would be better off using a userform
into which you enter that data.

See the article "How to create a Userform" at:

http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Userforms/CreateAUserForm.htm

and the following pages of fellow MVP Greg Maxey's website :

http://gregmaxey.mvps.org/Create_and...a_UserForm.htm

http://gregmaxey.mvps.org/Populate_UserForm_ListBox.htm

and also

the last in the following series of articles:

http://www.mousetrax.com/techpage.html#autoforms
Please Fill Out This Form
Part 1: Create professional looking forms in Word
http://www.computorcompanion.com/LPMArticle.asp?ID=22

Part 2: Adding Automation to your Word forms.
http://www.computorcompanion.com/LPMArticle.asp?ID=46

Part 3: Learn more VBA (macros) to automate your forms.
http://www.computorcompanion.com/LPMArticle.asp?ID=119

Part 4: Use custom dialog boxes in your Word forms
http://www.computorcompanion.com/LPMArticle.asp?ID=127

Part 5: Connect your AutoForm to a database to save input time and keep
better records!
http://www.computorcompanion.com/LPMArticle.asp?ID=136


--
Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP, originally posted via msnews.microsoft.com
"Nick_F" wrote in message
...
I use an autonew macro at present to find a text file, collect a number,
launch a new bill document from a template and print the "next" bill
number
on the bill - the number in the text file then increments by one.
I am experimenting with generating a mail-merge fillable bill template and
want to be able to pick up a new number for each bill in a bill run so
each
printed copy gets a unique number. My other users will, however, need to
be
able to go on accessing the autonew macro in the non-mergeable template to
deal with individual bills. I may also make mistakes in running the mail
merge and want to be able to have an option to reset the starting number
back
to whatever it began at if I abandon the mail merge. Any (really simple as
I
am a techno-clot) solutions spring to mind?