Mail merge in Word used to automatically omit printing anything (a space or
extra line) if a data field from Excel was blank. Now with the updated
versions of Word, it seems to print a blank space or line. Is this an
"improvement?" I'm trying to figure out how to have the computer/program
automatically omit this again. Any ideas besides something complicated or
unnecessarily difficult? An answer about a easily found checkbox would be
sufficient, not information about tricking Word into doing it the "old way"
by adding old toolbars, etc. And why doesn't Word provide this automatic
feature anymore? Is it becoming less user-friendly?

Use an If...then...Else field to check for data in the field that may be
blank.

--
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

"gapkid" wrote in message
...
Mail merge in Word used to automatically omit printing anything (a space
or
extra line) if a data field from Excel was blank. Now with the updated
versions of Word, it seems to print a blank space or line. Is this an
"improvement?" I'm trying to figure out how to have the computer/program
automatically omit this again. Any ideas besides something complicated or
unnecessarily difficult? An answer about a easily found checkbox would be
sufficient, not information about tricking Word into doing it the "old
way"
by adding old toolbars, etc. And why doesn't Word provide this automatic
feature anymore? Is it becoming less user-friendly?

Microsoft has changed the default method by which Word connects merge to its
data. The original method is still available - and using it is not a trick.
There is nothing old about the mailmerge toolbar either. It is a useful tool
that not all users are aware of. The usual methods of conditionally placing
fields and their associated spaces was the preferred method even with
earlier Word versions because it provides the user with much more control,
so you either use one of these methods or put up with the spaces.

--

Graham Mayor - Word MVP

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


gapkid wrote:
Mail merge in Word used to automatically omit printing anything (a
space or extra line) if a data field from Excel was blank. Now with
the updated versions of Word, it seems to print a blank space or
line. Is this an "improvement?" I'm trying to figure out how to
have the computer/program automatically omit this again. Any ideas
besides something complicated or unnecessarily difficult? An answer
about a easily found checkbox would be sufficient, not information
about tricking Word into doing it the "old way" by adding old
toolbars, etc. And why doesn't Word provide this automatic feature
anymore? Is it becoming less user-friendly?