[CRM User]

Hi,

I am using mail merge with Microsoft CRM(SQL Server). I am using MERGEFIELD.
Following data "ABC DEF" from CRM become "ABC DEF" after the mail merge.
Why is it removing my spaces from the data field?

[Peter Jamieson]

I've just checked that spaces in the middle of SQL Server data items
(with types CHAR, NCHAR, VARCHAR and NVARCHAR) are preserved here - I've
only checked Vista/Word 2007/SQL Server 2008, but I wouldn't expect Word
to throw away those spaces in other versions either.

So...
a. are the spaces definitily in the middle of the field? If they are
at the beginning or end, e.g. if one field contains "ABC" and the other
contains " DEF", then they probably will be discarded.
b. could CRM be using a SQL View that changes multiple spaces into a
single space (I don't have CRM running here so have no way to check that) ?

Peter Jamieson

http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk
Visit Londinium at http://www.ralphwatson.tv

CRM User wrote:
Hi,

I am using mail merge with Microsoft CRM(SQL Server). I am using MERGEFIELD.
Following data "ABC DEF" from CRM become "ABC DEF" after the mail merge.
Why is it removing my spaces from the data field?

[CRM User]

Thank you Peter for your response.
I am talking about single field and spaces are in the middle of the data. I
have also checked in database and it is ok in there but when it is retrieved
in the mail merge document, spaces are removed. Any other clue?


"Peter Jamieson" wrote:

I've just checked that spaces in the middle of SQL Server data items
(with types CHAR, NCHAR, VARCHAR and NVARCHAR) are preserved here - I've
only checked Vista/Word 2007/SQL Server 2008, but I wouldn't expect Word
to throw away those spaces in other versions either.

So...
a. are the spaces definitily in the middle of the field? If they are
at the beginning or end, e.g. if one field contains "ABC" and the other
contains " DEF", then they probably will be discarded.
b. could CRM be using a SQL View that changes multiple spaces into a
single space (I don't have CRM running here so have no way to check that) ?

Peter Jamieson

http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk
Visit Londinium at http://www.ralphwatson.tv

CRM User wrote:
Hi,

I am using mail merge with Microsoft CRM(SQL Server). I am using MERGEFIELD.
Following data "ABC DEF" from CRM become "ABC DEF" after the mail merge.
Why is it removing my spaces from the data field?

[Peter Jamieson]

Any other clue?

Not really!

But can you try to get the data directly from SQl Server? (I am not sure
whether that is what you are doing or not)

If not, I have to guess that CRM is alterting the data.

Peter Jamieson

http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk
Visit Londinium at http://www.ralphwatson.tv

CRM User wrote:
Thank you Peter for your response.
I am talking about single field and spaces are in the middle of the data. I
have also checked in database and it is ok in there but when it is retrieved
in the mail merge document, spaces are removed. Any other clue?


"Peter Jamieson" wrote:

I've just checked that spaces in the middle of SQL Server data items
(with types CHAR, NCHAR, VARCHAR and NVARCHAR) are preserved here - I've
only checked Vista/Word 2007/SQL Server 2008, but I wouldn't expect Word
to throw away those spaces in other versions either.

So...
a. are the spaces definitily in the middle of the field? If they are
at the beginning or end, e.g. if one field contains "ABC" and the other
contains " DEF", then they probably will be discarded.
b. could CRM be using a SQL View that changes multiple spaces into a
single space (I don't have CRM running here so have no way to check that) ?

Peter Jamieson

http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk
Visit Londinium at http://www.ralphwatson.tv

CRM User wrote:
Hi,

I am using mail merge with Microsoft CRM(SQL Server). I am using MERGEFIELD.
Following data "ABC DEF" from CRM become "ABC DEF" after the mail merge.
Why is it removing my spaces from the data field?

[Peter Jamieson]

What does your mail merge main document actually connect to? Is it
"directly" to the SQL Server database, or is it to some type of
intermediate file or database created by CRM?

Peter Jamieson

http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk
Visit Londinium at http://www.ralphwatson.tv

CRM User wrote:
Thank you Peter for your response.
I am talking about single field and spaces are in the middle of the data. I
have also checked in database and it is ok in there but when it is retrieved
in the mail merge document, spaces are removed. Any other clue?


"Peter Jamieson" wrote:

I've just checked that spaces in the middle of SQL Server data items
(with types CHAR, NCHAR, VARCHAR and NVARCHAR) are preserved here - I've
only checked Vista/Word 2007/SQL Server 2008, but I wouldn't expect Word
to throw away those spaces in other versions either.

So...
a. are the spaces definitily in the middle of the field? If they are
at the beginning or end, e.g. if one field contains "ABC" and the other
contains " DEF", then they probably will be discarded.
b. could CRM be using a SQL View that changes multiple spaces into a
single space (I don't have CRM running here so have no way to check that) ?

Peter Jamieson

http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk
Visit Londinium at http://www.ralphwatson.tv

CRM User wrote:
Hi,

I am using mail merge with Microsoft CRM(SQL Server). I am using MERGEFIELD.
Following data "ABC DEF" from CRM become "ABC DEF" after the mail merge.
Why is it removing my spaces from the data field?