Have you tried
a. use Tools|Customize to enable the mailmerge toolbar (I'm assuming you're
using Word 2002/3)
b. click Mail Merge Recipients (3rd icon on the toolbar)
c. click on the drop-down in the header of the column you want to filter -
let's say the field is called "myfield"
d. select "(Advanced...)", the Filter Records
e. select myfield in the drop-down list of fields
f. select Contains in the "Comparison"
g. select the number you want to compare with for the current merge in
"Compare To"

Your message suggests that you may have tried that, but please confirm/deny
etc.

Here, that results in an SQL query along the following lines

SELECT * FROM `Sheet1$` WHERE `myfield` LIKE '%1%'

and the filter does appear to work.

(if that doesn't mean anything to you, I'll explain)

Peter Jamieson

"Anthony J. B." wrote in message
...
That would have been my preference too, however, I got this database, and
short of re-inputting it, can you think of a way around this?

"Graham Mayor" wrote:

You'll make things much simpler for yourself if you create separate
columns
for each comment number.

--

Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org



Anthony J. B. wrote:
I have created an excel database, which includes 1 column with various
numbers representings comments that were made. Each records has an
entry in this column which is either a single digit number, or a
combination of single digit numbers, separated by a comma, ie., 1 /
1,2,3 / 1,4,2.

From word what I am trying to do is filter the records out from
excell so that only the records containing, for example, 2, either in
combination with other numbers, or singularly, only those records
will merge with excell. I have been trying to do this using the
"Insert Word Field" option as sort of a filter, but it is not
working. I'm not sure which one I probably should use, if there is
one. I have also tried using the "merge query to filter" but that
doesn't seem to work. Both options give me the records containing
the singluar 1, but it doesn't pull them out of a group.

Help