[saminal]

Using a mail merge in Word 2007, importing the data from an Excel spreadsheet.

The problem occurs when there's empty data in the last field out of 4, which are all in one cell in a word table. If any of the first three fields are blank, Word leaves no gap, but if the last field is blank it displays as a blank line, which ruins the vertical alignment. Is there anything that can be done about this, or is it a limitation of the software?

[Apecoul]

Hi,
Let me see if I understand you correctly. Sounds like you have a spreadsheet that has four columns of data that you are merging into a Word table. Is it something like mailing labels? And blank fields are generally entered in the word cell with no gaps, unless it is the last of the four fields, and then a blank line is entered.
Are you using the Mail Merge Wizard? Is it possible that the Excel spreadsheet field could have a space in the field, so that it just looks blank?
If you opened up a new document and did a mail merge using only the first three fields, does the problem still exist?
CAn you attach the files?
AL

[saminal]

Essentially, you've got it. There are more than four columns in the Excel table but the problem only occurs with these four in particular, in this one cell in Word. I checked that the empty fields are definitely empty, and I removed the fourth field from the merge and got the same problem with the third, now last, field showing as a blank line.

Unfortunately the files are both full of client information so I can't send them, sorry.

[slurpee55]

Are you using a mail-merge template, or creating a letter (or whatever) from scratch?

[saminal]

It's a file we've been using for a while - I don't know if it was originally created from scratch or a template.

[slurpee55]

I was thinking it might have a text box holding the fields - or several. That would force the address to always take up the same space.

[saminal]

It doesn't always take up the same space:

Let's call the fields Field1, Field2, Field3, and Field4.
If there's nothing in Field2 and Field3, you simply get
----
Field1
Field4
----

But if there's something in Field1, Field2, and Field3, and nothing in Field4, you get
----
Field1
Field2
Field3

----

It's not a fixed height thing, it's an annoying blank line thing.

[Apecoul]

Hey again,
Because we are using two programs we have to determine which program is causing the 'hickup'. We know that it is not the particular field, because your test showed that the same thing happened when another field was the last field.

Check the Word document for any field codes. To see the field codes, press Shift+F9. You should see {MERGEFIELD fieldname}. If there are any rules associated with this document you will see additional codes. (Example: {IF {MERGEFIELD account}="" "^p" ""} This would put in a carriage return for a blank in the field 'account'.) If all is clear there then select each field, right click and see if any of the field options are selected.

If this doesn't work, my next course of action would be to create a new Excel spreadsheet. Just a small 'dummy' spreadsheet with just a couple of records, and merge it into the document to see if we get the same results.

Let me know what happens.
AL