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#1
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Too Many Data Fields in Mail Merge
I am working in Word 2003 mail merge and using a .csv data file as the data
source file. The CSV file has the field headings as a header. Lately, every time I try to merge from the .CSV data file to the merge letter, I get the message "Too Many Data Fields." I then have to click 'ok' to contunue. A few letters will merge ok and then this message pops up again. Is there some setting that needs to be set for prevent this from occurring? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Lynda |
#2
Posted to microsoft.public.word.mailmerge.fields
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Too Many Data Fields in Mail Merge
Do you have any data that contains commas (assuming that your CSV data
really is comma-delimite rather than delimited by some other character)? If so, is it enclosed in double-quotes? When you select the mail merge data source, does Word ask you about the field delimiter? Does it also ask yu about the "record delimiter"? (Word has a number of ways it can open a CSV data source and I'm trying to establish which one it is using). Peter Jamieson "Lynda" wrote in message ... I am working in Word 2003 mail merge and using a .csv data file as the data source file. The CSV file has the field headings as a header. Lately, every time I try to merge from the .CSV data file to the merge letter, I get the message "Too Many Data Fields." I then have to click 'ok' to contunue. A few letters will merge ok and then this message pops up again. Is there some setting that needs to be set for prevent this from occurring? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Lynda |
#3
Posted to microsoft.public.word.mailmerge.fields
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Too Many Data Fields in Mail Merge
Hi Peter:
The CSV data file is comma-delimited with double-quotes. The data file has first a header with the field names separated by a comma. The actual data fields are enclosed in double quotes and each data element is separated by a comma as well. In some cases, the Word does ask about the field delimiter and record delimiter. This does not happen with all of our mail merge letters --only a couple even though all letters are constructed in the same way using the same type of data source. We are baffled why this is happening with some letters but not with others. "Peter Jamieson" wrote in message ... Do you have any data that contains commas (assuming that your CSV data really is comma-delimite rather than delimited by some other character)? If so, is it enclosed in double-quotes? When you select the mail merge data source, does Word ask you about the field delimiter? Does it also ask yu about the "record delimiter"? (Word has a number of ways it can open a CSV data source and I'm trying to establish which one it is using). Peter Jamieson "Lynda" wrote in message ... I am working in Word 2003 mail merge and using a .csv data file as the data source file. The CSV file has the field headings as a header. Lately, every time I try to merge from the .CSV data file to the merge letter, I get the message "Too Many Data Fields." I then have to click 'ok' to contunue. A few letters will merge ok and then this message pops up again. Is there some setting that needs to be set for prevent this from occurring? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Lynda |
#4
Posted to microsoft.public.word.mailmerge.fields
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Too Many Data Fields in Mail Merge
The same *type* of data source or the same data source?
The probability is that you have an extra unwanted comma in one or more of the records which makes the record(s) appear to have more fields than the header suggests. -- Graham Mayor - Word MVP My web site www.gmayor.com Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org Lynda wrote: Hi Peter: The CSV data file is comma-delimited with double-quotes. The data file has first a header with the field names separated by a comma. The actual data fields are enclosed in double quotes and each data element is separated by a comma as well. In some cases, the Word does ask about the field delimiter and record delimiter. This does not happen with all of our mail merge letters --only a couple even though all letters are constructed in the same way using the same type of data source. We are baffled why this is happening with some letters but not with others. "Peter Jamieson" wrote in message ... Do you have any data that contains commas (assuming that your CSV data really is comma-delimite rather than delimited by some other character)? If so, is it enclosed in double-quotes? When you select the mail merge data source, does Word ask you about the field delimiter? Does it also ask yu about the "record delimiter"? (Word has a number of ways it can open a CSV data source and I'm trying to establish which one it is using). Peter Jamieson "Lynda" wrote in message ... I am working in Word 2003 mail merge and using a .csv data file as the data source file. The CSV file has the field headings as a header. Lately, every time I try to merge from the .CSV data file to the merge letter, I get the message "Too Many Data Fields." I then have to click 'ok' to contunue. A few letters will merge ok and then this message pops up again. Is there some setting that needs to be set for prevent this from occurring? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Lynda |
#5
Posted to microsoft.public.word.mailmerge.fields
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Too Many Data Fields in Mail Merge
We are baffled why this is happening with some letters but not with
others. So am I :-) But at the moment I can only think of two things to do: a. ask a few more questions and see if they lead anywhere useful b. suggest a way to change the way Word gets the data. It might not fix the problem, but it could shed some more light on what's happening. Some more questions: c. do you have any double quotes in your data (I mean, other than the ones used to enclose your data fields) ? d. do your data sources have small numbers of columns? Lots of columns? A lot of variation? Any with over 255 columns? Or do you have very long records in some data sources, i.e. in terms of the number of characters in the line. e. are your data sources created in different ways or all in the same way (e.g. export from a database server) ? If you don't have any problems such as (c) and you have 255 columns or fewer, you can try the approach described in the message at http://groups.google.com/group/micro...9588c43fc31d70 If you can't find that, try searching Google Groups for jamieson SCHEMA.INI odc Unicode Peter Jamieson "Lynda" wrote in message ... Hi Peter: The CSV data file is comma-delimited with double-quotes. The data file has first a header with the field names separated by a comma. The actual data fields are enclosed in double quotes and each data element is separated by a comma as well. In some cases, the Word does ask about the field delimiter and record delimiter. This does not happen with all of our mail merge letters --only a couple even though all letters are constructed in the same way using the same type of data source. We are baffled why this is happening with some letters but not with others. "Peter Jamieson" wrote in message ... Do you have any data that contains commas (assuming that your CSV data really is comma-delimite rather than delimited by some other character)? If so, is it enclosed in double-quotes? When you select the mail merge data source, does Word ask you about the field delimiter? Does it also ask yu about the "record delimiter"? (Word has a number of ways it can open a CSV data source and I'm trying to establish which one it is using). Peter Jamieson "Lynda" wrote in message ... I am working in Word 2003 mail merge and using a .csv data file as the data source file. The CSV file has the field headings as a header. Lately, every time I try to merge from the .CSV data file to the merge letter, I get the message "Too Many Data Fields." I then have to click 'ok' to contunue. A few letters will merge ok and then this message pops up again. Is there some setting that needs to be set for prevent this from occurring? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Lynda |
#6
Posted to microsoft.public.word.mailmerge.fields
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Too Many Data Fields in Mail Merge
Hi and thanks for attempting to solve this problem. : a. ask a few more questions and see if they lead anywhere useful b. suggest a way to change the way Word gets the data. It might not fix the problem, but it could shed some more light on what's happening. Some more questions: c. do you have any double quotes in your data (I mean, other than the ones used to enclose your data fields) ? No, the double quotes just enclose the data fields d. do your data sources have small numbers of columns? Lots of columns? A lot of variation? Any with over 255 columns? Or do you have very long records in some data sources, i.e. in terms of the number of characters in the line. Our data source comes out of a Letter Generation tool in PeopleSoft database and has a large number of fields. e. are your data sources created in different ways or all in the same way They are all created exactly the same way. They are generated out of our enterprise database via LetterGen. (e.g. export from a database server) ? We have more than 255 columns--perhaps that is the problem. If I had any control out of the delivery of the CSV file, I would try to use some other mechanism, but this is all built into the enterprise database. Thanks for your help. I will keep looking for solutions If you don't have any problems such as (c) and you have 255 columns or fewer, you can try the approach described in the message at http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.word.mailmerge.fields/browse_thread/thread/dc1076d59b977c64/d39588c43fc31d70?lnk=st&q=jamieson+SCHEMA.INI+odc+ text+unicode&rnum=1#d39588c43fc31d70 If you can't find that, try searching Google Groups for jamiesonSCHEMA.INI odc Unicode Peter Jamieson "Lynda" wrote in l... Hi Peter: The CSV data file is comma-delimited with double-quotes. The data file has first a header with the field names separated by acomma. The actual data fields are enclosed in double quotes and each dataelement is separated by a comma as well. In some cases, the Word does ask about the field delimiter and recorddelimiter. This does not happen with all of our mail merge letters --only acouple even though all letters are constructed in the same way using thesame type of data source. We are baffled why this is happening with some letters but not withothers. "Peter Jamieson" wrote in ... Do you have any data that contains commas (assuming that your CSV datareally is comma-delimite rather than delimited by some other character)? Ifso, is it enclosed in double-quotes? When you select the mail merge data source, does Word ask you about thefield delimiter? Does it also ask yu about the "record delimiter"? (Word hasa number of ways it can open a CSV data source and I'm trying to establishwhich one it is using). Peter Jamieson "Lynda" wrote in . ..I am working in Word 2003 mail merge and using a .csv data file as thedata source file. The CSV file has the field headings as a header. Lately,every time I try to merge from the .CSV data file to the merge letter, I getthe message "Too Many Data Fields." I then have to click 'ok' to contunue.A few letters will merge ok and then this message pops up again. Is theresome setting that needs to be set for prevent this from occurring? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Lynda |
#7
Posted to microsoft.public.word.mailmerge.fields
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Too Many Data Fields in Mail Merge
I can't think of any more really obvious possibilities, but...
Word always has to use its "text converter" connection method to open the data source if it has more than 255 columns, and that's what pops up the box asking for the two delimiter characters. If we go back to your original question, do some of the merge documents cause the delimiter prompts and others avoid it, even with exactly the same data source? Or are they data sources with the same field names but different data? Do you use these merges on different machines, and if so, does each merge behave the same way no matter which machine it's running on? Peter Jamieson "Lynda" wrote in message ... Hi and thanks for attempting to solve this problem. : a. ask a few more questions and see if they lead anywhere useful b. suggest a way to change the way Word gets the data. It might not fix the problem, but it could shed some more light on what's happening. Some more questions: c. do you have any double quotes in your data (I mean, other than the ones used to enclose your data fields) ? No, the double quotes just enclose the data fields d. do your data sources have small numbers of columns? Lots of columns? A lot of variation? Any with over 255 columns? Or do you have very long records in some data sources, i.e. in terms of the number of characters in the line. Our data source comes out of a Letter Generation tool in PeopleSoft database and has a large number of fields. e. are your data sources created in different ways or all in the same way They are all created exactly the same way. They are generated out of our enterprise database via LetterGen. (e.g. export from a database server) ? We have more than 255 columns--perhaps that is the problem. If I had any control out of the delivery of the CSV file, I would try to use some other mechanism, but this is all built into the enterprise database. Thanks for your help. I will keep looking for solutions If you don't have any problems such as (c) and you have 255 columns or fewer, you can try the approach described in the message at http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.word.mailmerge.fields/browse_thread/thread/dc1076d59b977c64/d39588c43fc31d70?lnk=st&q=jamieson+SCHEMA.INI+odc+ text+unicode&rnum=1#d39588c43fc31d70 If you can't find that, try searching Google Groups for jamiesonSCHEMA.INI odc Unicode Peter Jamieson "Lynda" wrote in l... Hi Peter: The CSV data file is comma-delimited with double-quotes. The data file has first a header with the field names separated by acomma. The actual data fields are enclosed in double quotes and each dataelement is separated by a comma as well. In some cases, the Word does ask about the field delimiter and recorddelimiter. This does not happen with all of our mail merge letters --only acouple even though all letters are constructed in the same way using thesame type of data source. We are baffled why this is happening with some letters but not withothers. "Peter Jamieson" wrote in ... Do you have any data that contains commas (assuming that your CSV datareally is comma-delimite rather than delimited by some other character)? Ifso, is it enclosed in double-quotes? When you select the mail merge data source, does Word ask you about thefield delimiter? Does it also ask yu about the "record delimiter"? (Word hasa number of ways it can open a CSV data source and I'm trying to establishwhich one it is using). Peter Jamieson "Lynda" wrote in . ..I am working in Word 2003 mail merge and using a .csv data file as thedata source file. The CSV file has the field headings as a header. Lately,every time I try to merge from the .CSV data file to the merge letter, I getthe message "Too Many Data Fields." I then have to click 'ok' to contunue.A few letters will merge ok and then this message pops up again. Is theresome setting that needs to be set for prevent this from occurring? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Lynda |
#8
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Too Many Data Fields in Mail Merge
If it is a comma delimited file, open it in Excel. If there are any
anomalies in the data they should be more obvious there. You could always use the Excel file as your data source? -- Graham Mayor - Word MVP My web site www.gmayor.com Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org Lynda wrote: Hi and thanks for attempting to solve this problem. a. ask a few more questions and see if they lead anywhere useful b. suggest a way to change the way Word gets the data. It might not fix the problem, but it could shed some more light on what's happening. Some more questions: c. do you have any double quotes in your data (I mean, other than the ones used to enclose your data fields) ? No, the double quotes just enclose the data fields d. do your data sources have small numbers of columns? Lots of columns? A lot of variation? Any with over 255 columns? Or do you have very long records in some data sources, i.e. in terms of the number of characters in the line. Our data source comes out of a Letter Generation tool in PeopleSoft database and has a large number of fields. e. are your data sources created in different ways or all in the same way They are all created exactly the same way. They are generated out of our enterprise database via LetterGen. (e.g. export from a database server) ? We have more than 255 columns--perhaps that is the problem. If I had any control out of the delivery of the CSV file, I would try to use some other mechanism, but this is all built into the enterprise database. Thanks for your help. I will keep looking for solutions If you don't have any problems such as (c) and you have 255 columns or fewer, you can try the approach described in the message at http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.word.mailmerge.fields/browse_thread/thread/dc1076d59b977c64/d39588c43fc31d70?lnk=st&q=jamieson+SCHEMA.INI+odc+ text+unicode&rnum=1#d39588c43fc31d70 If you can't find that, try searching Google Groups for jamiesonSCHEMA.INI odc Unicode Peter Jamieson "Lynda" wrote in l... Hi Peter: The CSV data file is comma-delimited with double-quotes. The data file has first a header with the field names separated by acomma. The actual data fields are enclosed in double quotes and each dataelement is separated by a comma as well. In some cases, the Word does ask about the field delimiter and recorddelimiter. This does not happen with all of our mail merge letters --only acouple even though all letters are constructed in the same way using thesame type of data source. We are baffled why this is happening with some letters but not withothers. "Peter Jamieson" wrote in ... Do you have any data that contains commas (assuming that your CSV datareally is comma-delimite rather than delimited by some other character)? Ifso, is it enclosed in double-quotes? When you select the mail merge data source, does Word ask you about thefield delimiter? Does it also ask yu about the "record delimiter"? (Word hasa number of ways it can open a CSV data source and I'm trying to establishwhich one it is using). Peter Jamieson "Lynda" wrote in . ..I am working in Word 2003 mail merge and using a .csv data file as thedata source file. The CSV file has the field headings as a header. Lately,every time I try to merge from the .CSV data file to the merge letter, I getthe message "Too Many Data Fields." I then have to click 'ok' to contunue.A few letters will merge ok and then this message pops up again. Is theresome setting that needs to be set for prevent this from occurring? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Lynda |
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