WD: How to Format a Combination of 5- and 9-Digit ZIP Codes

ID: Q120279

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c
Microsoft Word for Windows NT, version 6.0
Microsoft Word for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
Microsoft Word for the Macintosh, versions 6.0, 6.0.1 6.0.1a
Microsoft Word 98 Macintosh Edition

SUMMARY

When your data source contains a mixture of five- and nine-digit postal codes, you can use an IF field to evaluate and format the merged postal codes.

MORE INFORMATION

Use one of the following methods to merge a data source containing a mixture of five- and nine-digit postal codes:

NOTE: To create the field code braces, use the keyboard combination CTRL+F9 (Windows) or Command+F9 (Macintosh). Be sure that each record of your data source contains a postal code; otherwise, an error message appears for that record.

Method 1: Determine Greater Than/Less Than 99999 Method

NOTE: Use this method only if your data source doesn't contain hyphens.

   {IF {MERGEFIELD PostalCode} > 99999 {MERGEFIELD PostalCode
   \# "#####'-'####"} {MERGEFIELD PostalCode}}

If the postal code data is larger than 99999, it is a number with more than five digits. Therefore, it will be merged with the formatting switch (\#). If it is equal to or less than 99999, it is a five-digit postal code and will not include the formatting switch (\#) when merged.

Method 2: Calculation Method

NOTE: Use this method only if your data source contains hyphens.

   {IF {=ABS({MERGEFIELD PostalCode \# "####'-'#####"})} <>
   {MERGEFIELD PostalCode} {MERGEFIELD PostalCode \# "#####'-'####"}
   {MERGEFIELD PostalCode}}

The formatting of the first merge field has four number signs followed by five number signs. This appears incorrect but is necessary for the calculation that takes place.

This field code may not work if the postal code field is from a Microsoft Access data source and if that field is formatted as a number. If the postal code starts with a 0, for example "01234", Word interprets it as "1234". To work around this behavior, format the postal code field as text (rather than numbers) in Microsoft Access. Then postal codes beginning with zero will be available in Word.

Word does not include fields that count the number of characters in another field. So, to determine the number of digits in the postal code field, the field construction in this method takes advantage of two facts: (1) when you format a numeric field to include a hyphen, the hyphen is treated by other fields as a subtraction sign; (2) numbers that begin with a zero are evaluated the same as numbers that don't begin with a zero. For example, "01234" is evaluated by Word as equal to "1234".

The PostalCode field is placed in the main document with a hyphen, so that the formula can operate on it. Its absolute value is taken, which converts the number to a positive value. This new number is compared to the literal postal code. If the numbers differ, it's a nine-digit code and this is printed, with the format switch to keep any leading zeros. If the calculated number is different from the literal postal code, the postal code is printed as is (without the format switch).

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Keywords          : kbfield winword kbmerge ntword macword word6 word7 word95 
Version           : WINDOWS:6.0,6.0a,6.0c,7.0,7.0a; MACINTOSH:6.0,6.0.1,6.0.1a,98
Platform          : MACINTOSH WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbhowto

Last Reviewed: December 5, 1998