Word - Delete rows if merge field doesn't wrap

Asked By nancyc

22-Jan-10 05:22 PM

I have a merge letter where one of the merge fields can be one line or wrap
to mulitple lines.  I currently have extra rows in the document to allow for
the merge field to wrap up to 4 rows.  But if the merge field only uses one
row how can I delete the multiple blank rows?

22-Jan-10 06:35 PM

Hi nancyc,

You should be able to use just the one line - the data will wrap to the next line, pushing the other lines down, if required.

--
Cheers
macropod
[Microsoft MVP - Word]

26-Jan-10 10:56 AM

if there are multiple lines it forces a new page creating page breaks where I
do not want them.   How do I get my page breaks correct for the shortest data
and the longest data?

26-Jan-10 02:22 PM

You do not need to provide the "extra rows in the document"  The merged data
will wrap automatically onto extra lines if it will not fit on one line.

--
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, originally posted via msnews.microsoft.com

27-Jan-10 09:53 AM

Yes I understand that, but  depending on the length of each merge field.  I
have to fix my page breaks.
This is a 10 page document with page breaks at specific areas.  if the merge
field wraps it causes a new page due to the overflow and then all the other
fixed page breaks are wrong.
Can I format for the longest scenario and if it is not that long delete the
blank rows?

27-Jan-10 04:35 PM

Hi nancyc,

Assuming the page breaks occur in the correct place when you have got the longest set of merge data, simply insert a manual page break
immediately after the last character that is meant to appear on the page concerned. You can do this by moving the cursor to the start
of the next character and pressing Ctrl-Shift-Enter. That way, only the layout of the page concerned will change according to the
amount of data coming from the merge.

--
Cheers
macropod
[Microsoft MVP - Word]

28-Jan-10 10:23 AM

The following is a sample letter.  One page of many.
The merge field is called "defendantName" it is on one line as such:
I need two blank rows after defendant name before the letter starts.  So if
the defendant name can be 4 lines do I enter 4 blank lines so the page break
is at the correct location since this is the longest possible format?


Date:

To: <DefendantName>




Dear .........
x
x
x
x
x

Page Break here---end of page 1 based on longest possible defendant name

If the Defendant name does not need 4 lines, how can I delete the blank rows
so only two blank rows are after the merge field defendant Name?

To: <Defendant Name>

Dear xxxxxxx



Page Break for page 1

28-Jan-10 12:01 PM

I would think of it this way:

1. Lay out the letter with the following text:

Date:

To: defrow1
defrow2
defrow3
defrow4
blank1
blank2
Dear .....
x
x
x

2. Put a page break at the end of the last line that you see on the
page, as macropod suggested, (or possibly the last line but one if you
like to give yourself a bit of leeway)

3. delete the lines with defrow2, defrow3 and defrow4 on them so you have

To: defrow1
blank1
blank2
Dear .....
x
x
x

Delete the words blank1 and blank2 without deleting the lines they
occupy, so you have the two blank lines you always need before the "Dear"

To: defrow1


Dear .....
x
x
x

replace "defrow1" by the mergefield <<Defendant Name>>

The blank lines are never replaced, only "pushed down". So when you have
a single-line Defendant name, you get 3 more blank lines at the bottom
of the page than when you have a 4-line Defendant name.

I expect that is what the others have been suggesting anyway.

Peter Jamieson

http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk

28-Jan-10 02:42 PM

Instead of the Blank1, Blank2, it would be better to format the paragraph
starting with Dear so that it has the necessary space before it - 24 pts
most likely.

--
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, originally posted via msnews.microsoft.com

28-Jan-10 05:37 PM

Hi nancyc,

For the first page of your letter I'd use something along the lines of:

Date:

To: ??DefendantName??

Dear .........
Boilerplate Text
Boilerplate Text
Boilerplate Text
Boilerplate Text
Page Break here---end of page 1 based on longest possible defendant name

Note that I have deleted the blank lines below the ??DefendantName?? field. Now, if the ??DefendantName?? field requires only one line,
you will have four blank lines at the foot of the first page. The number of blank lines will decrease as the number of lines required
for the ??DefendantName?? increases.

The alternative approach is to put the ??DefendantName?? field into a one-cell table with a fixed row height, thus:

Date:
__________________
|To: ??DefendantName??|
|                                  |
|                                  |
|                                  |
|_________________|

Dear .........
Boilerplate Text
Boilerplate Text
Boilerplate Text
Boilerplate Text

The table can be the full page width and you can use hidden borders so the table's presence is not evident on the printout. With this
arrangement, you the number of blank lines varies between the ??DefendantName?? field and the 'Dear', but the locked table height
means the rest of the text maintains its positioning and you do not need the manual page break.

For the manual page break I previously suggested using Ctrl-Shift-Enter (which actually inserts a column break). Although this
does not matter for a single-column document, the correct keystroke sequence for a manual page break is Ctrl-Enter.

--
Cheers
macropod
[Microsoft MVP - Word]

02-Feb-10 05:18 PM

The one-cell table with fixed rows works when the Defendant name is long, but
when it is short I still have extra rows.
What properties or settings do I change to get this to work?

After the Defendant name I need two blank rows before the salutation.

To:  <<DefendaneName>>
--blank row
--blank row
Dear ....................
boilerplate text
boilerplate text

02-Feb-10 07:12 PM

See response to your later post.

Format the paragraph that starts with Dear so that it has the required space
before it.

Do NOT use the Enter key to create "blank rows"

Put the pagebreaks where you need them for the longest scenario.

--
Hope this helps,

Doug Robbins - Word MVP

Please reply only to the newsgroups unless you wish to obtain my services on
a paid professional basis.