Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1   Report Post  
Posted to microsoft.public.word.mailmerge.fields
Steve
 
Posts: n/a
Default mail merge problem with Zip codes

Hey,

I have Access 2002 and Word 2002.

My problem lies with doing a mail merge from an Access file containing names
and addresses. (Yes, it's my Christmas list. I'm late again this year.
Sigh.) Anyway, for a number of my records I have a 9 digit zip code. For the
rest it's 5 digit, of course, since I live in the US. For most of these
records the 9 digit zip will emerge from mail merge as 123456789 instead of
12345-6789. Access formats it correctly and even accepts, indeed insists, on
taking just the numbers.

Is there some way to get the mailing labels to format the zip correctly? As
it is, I merge into a new document and fix the long zips manually.

TIA,

Steve


  #2   Report Post  
Posted to microsoft.public.word.mailmerge.fields
Graham Mayor
 
Posts: n/a
Default mail merge problem with Zip codes

See the relevant section of http://www.gmayor.com/formatting_word_fields.htm

--

Graham Mayor - Word MVP

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


Steve wrote:
Hey,

I have Access 2002 and Word 2002.

My problem lies with doing a mail merge from an Access file
containing names and addresses. (Yes, it's my Christmas list. I'm
late again this year. Sigh.) Anyway, for a number of my records I
have a 9 digit zip code. For the rest it's 5 digit, of course, since
I live in the US. For most of these records the 9 digit zip will
emerge from mail merge as 123456789 instead of 12345-6789. Access
formats it correctly and even accepts, indeed insists, on taking just
the numbers.
Is there some way to get the mailing labels to format the zip
correctly? As it is, I merge into a new document and fix the long
zips manually.
TIA,

Steve



  #3   Report Post  
Posted to microsoft.public.word.mailmerge.fields
Steve
 
Posts: n/a
Default mail merge problem with Zip codes

Thank you.

If I understand you correctly I will have to stop using the Mail Merge
wizard to do this.

It produces an AddressBlock field that looks like this when field codes are
revealed:
{ADDRESSBLOCK \f "_NICK0_ and _FIRST1_ _LAST0_
_STREET1_
_STREET2_


_CITY_, _STATE_ _POSTAL_" \l 1033 \c 0 \e ""}




There does not appear to be any obvious way to attach the formatting you
suggest if I use the AddressBlock.



I suppose the way to go is to leave the _POSTAL_ field out of the
address block and then attaching your field

{IF { MERGEFIELD Zip} "99999" "{MERGEFIELD Zip \#"00000'-'0000"}"
"{MERGEFIELD Zip \# "00000"}-0000"}

before replicating for all the labels. I would probably leave off the final
"-0000" also.



\gripe This feature does not seem to be fully thought out by Microsoft. How
often does it happen that they provide a shortcut feature with such a
significant limitation that using it becomes such an exercise in frustration
that doing the task the hard way is actually easier?



Steve



"Graham Mayor" wrote in message
...
See the relevant section of
http://www.gmayor.com/formatting_word_fields.htm

--

Graham Mayor - Word MVP

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


Steve wrote:
Hey,

I have Access 2002 and Word 2002.

My problem lies with doing a mail merge from an Access file
containing names and addresses. (Yes, it's my Christmas list. I'm
late again this year. Sigh.) Anyway, for a number of my records I
have a 9 digit zip code. For the rest it's 5 digit, of course, since
I live in the US. For most of these records the 9 digit zip will
emerge from mail merge as 123456789 instead of 12345-6789. Access
formats it correctly and even accepts, indeed insists, on taking just
the numbers.
Is there some way to get the mailing labels to format the zip
correctly? As it is, I merge into a new document and fix the long
zips manually.
TIA,

Steve





  #4   Report Post  
Posted to microsoft.public.word.mailmerge.fields
Graham Mayor
 
Posts: n/a
Default mail merge problem with Zip codes

You don't need the wizard - see
http://www.gmayor.com/mail_merge_lab...th_word_xp.htm
Don't use the address block. Insert the individual fields to give you the
required layout.

--

Graham Mayor - Word MVP

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


Steve wrote:
Thank you.

If I understand you correctly I will have to stop using the Mail Merge
wizard to do this.

It produces an AddressBlock field that looks like this when field
codes are revealed:
{ADDRESSBLOCK \f "_NICK0_ and _FIRST1_ _LAST0_
_STREET1_
_STREET2_


_CITY_, _STATE_ _POSTAL_" \l 1033 \c 0 \e ""}




There does not appear to be any obvious way to attach the formatting
you suggest if I use the AddressBlock.



I suppose the way to go is to leave the _POSTAL_ field out of the
address block and then attaching your field

{IF { MERGEFIELD Zip} "99999" "{MERGEFIELD Zip \#"00000'-'0000"}"
"{MERGEFIELD Zip \# "00000"}-0000"}

before replicating for all the labels. I would probably leave off the
final "-0000" also.



\gripe This feature does not seem to be fully thought out by
Microsoft. How often does it happen that they provide a shortcut
feature with such a significant limitation that using it becomes such
an exercise in frustration that doing the task the hard way is
actually easier?


Steve



"Graham Mayor" wrote in message
...
See the relevant section of
http://www.gmayor.com/formatting_word_fields.htm

--

Graham Mayor - Word MVP

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


Steve wrote:
Hey,

I have Access 2002 and Word 2002.

My problem lies with doing a mail merge from an Access file
containing names and addresses. (Yes, it's my Christmas list. I'm
late again this year. Sigh.) Anyway, for a number of my records I
have a 9 digit zip code. For the rest it's 5 digit, of course, since
I live in the US. For most of these records the 9 digit zip will
emerge from mail merge as 123456789 instead of 12345-6789. Access
formats it correctly and even accepts, indeed insists, on taking
just the numbers.
Is there some way to get the mailing labels to format the zip
correctly? As it is, I merge into a new document and fix the long
zips manually.
TIA,

Steve



  #5   Report Post  
Posted to microsoft.public.word.mailmerge.fields
Steve
 
Posts: n/a
Default mail merge problem with Zip codes

Thanks again. I tried it the way I suggested and it didn't work at all.
I shall defer (and refer) to the experts.

Steve

"Graham Mayor" wrote in message
...
You don't need the wizard - see
http://www.gmayor.com/mail_merge_lab...th_word_xp.htm
Don't use the address block. Insert the individual fields to give you the
required layout.



Reply
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules

Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
zipcodes that begin with zeros or foreign codes in a mail merge H Meliss Mailmerge 1 December 6th 05 05:55 AM
preceeding zeros in postal codes of mail merge Crystal B Mailmerge 2 November 24th 05 12:56 AM
Problem with mail merge from Excel sheet to Word, HELP? G.Greich Mailmerge 0 November 11th 05 09:44 AM
Problem with Word Mail Merge from MS Access Query Deb Mailmerge 2 October 8th 05 05:13 PM
Excel 2003 mail merge problem Jeremy Byrne Mailmerge 1 February 9th 05 12:48 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 01:33 PM.

Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 Microsoft Office Word Forum - WordBanter.
The comments are property of their posters.
 

About Us

"It's about Microsoft Word"