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Posted to microsoft.public.word.mailmerge.fields
Alex St-Pierre
 
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Default Best way to use a flexible word table with printmerge

I have a standard report which is produced using Word and Excel (printmerge).
In the standard report, I have tables which can vary (lines name, number of
items, column width)
I have try different solutions (2) and all of them have signifiant problems.
Does anyone have already done something like that ?

Approach #1:
I have add all tables in Excel and link it to Word using:
Link Excel.Sheet.8 "Variable_path" "Variable_cells".
The tables are very flexible but I have the following problems:
1- Standard Excel Underline height is defined as 1/2 point in Word and I
would like to have 1/4 point in Word (Would like to find a way to adjust Word
height in excel)
2- The link is not stable, Word 2003 SP3 jam often.
3- The file path name must be inside excel as a variable; I would like to
point directly to the same excel file as printmerge.

Approach #2:
All tables are make inside Word using variables. Since I want a line between
each table line, I can't put all conditions in a box.
The problems with this Approach a
1- The table column width can't be adjusted.
2- Since I want to have border between each elements, I have to create split
the table in n box with condition on each box.
It always insert one empty line between each elements.
ex: IF( Mergefield Item9 ) "" "
Table with border
" "") (this give a line between each table line)

would like to have:
ex: IF( Mergefield Item9 ) ""
"Table with border"
"") (Impossible to add " in the same line as the table line)

Does it exist other solutions to my problem ??
Is there a table merge function in Word ??
(Only one excel data line is used for the text merge and tables could takes
source from excel)
Thanks.
--
Alex St-Pierre