WD: Use of ASK and FILLIN Fields and \o Switch

ID: Q188868

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 2.0, 2.0a, 2.0a-CD, 2.0b, 2.0c, 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c
Microsoft Word for the Macintosh, versions 6.0, 6.0.1, 6.0.1a
Microsoft Word for Windows NT, version 6.0
Microsoft Word for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a

SUMMARY

This article discusses the following issues regarding the use of ASK and FILLIN fields in a Microsoft Word mail merge operation:

Using the \o switch to cause Word to prompt you only once for input.
Choosing the Cancel button or pressing ESC when prompted for ASK or FILLIN input.
How to print the results of ASK and FILLIN fields while suppressing blank lines in your merged documents.

MORE INFORMATION

ASK Field

The ASK field prompts you to type text, which it assigns to a bookmark name. During a mail merge, the ASK field prompts you for input before printing each merged document, which allows you to customize each merged document. The ASK field itself has no result; the result is assigned to the bookmark. You must insert a separate field to reference the bookmarked information you typed in response to the ASK prompt. Example:

   {ASK BookmarkName "Message Text"}{REF BookmarkName}

In this example, the ASK field prompts you for input, which it assigns to the bookmark named BookmarkName. The REF field inserts the input in your merged document.

FILLIN Field

The FILLIN field prompts you for text that is used as the FILLIN field result. During a mail merge, the FILLIN field prompts you for input before printing each merged document, which allows you to customize each merged document.

Using the \o Switch

When you add the \o switch to a Microsoft Word FILLIN or ASK field, Microsoft Word prompts for input only once, before printing the first document during a print merge, rather than once for each print merge document. Microsoft Word uses the same information in each merged document. Examples:

   {FILLIN "Batch Number" \o}
   {ASK BookmarkName "Message Text" \o}{REF BookmarkName}

What Happens When You Choose the Cancel Button or Press ESC?

If you previously typed something in the ASK or FILLIN field dialog box, that text remains in the dialog box for the next prompt. If you choose the Cancel button (or, in Word for Windows version 2.0, press the ESC key) to skip an ASK field, Word uses the previously-typed text as the current value of the ASK field bookmark.

Canceling an ASK or FILLIN field dialog box only cancels the prompt for input; it does not delete the previously-typed input. If you don't want any value assigned to a FILLIN field or to an ASK field bookmark, you must press the DEL key to delete the previously-typed text, and then choose the OK button. In Word versions 6.x and 7.x, a space must be inserted to create blank results.

ASK and FILLIN Field Results Don't Print If You Suppress Blank Lines

In Word for Windows versions 2.0, 2.0a, 2.0a-CD, and 2.0b, the result of a FILLIN field or ASK field bookmark is not inserted in your merged document if you check the Skip Completely option under "Treatment of Blank Lines Caused by Empty Fields" in the Print Merge dialog box. In other words, suppression of blank lines by the Word for Windows Print Merge Helper cancels the result of an ASK or FILLIN field.

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in versions Word for Windows versions 2.0, 2.0a, 2.0a-CD, and 2.0b of . This problem was corrected in Microsoft Word versions 6.0 and later.

Workaround:

To work around this problems, use the following methods:

If you are not concerned with blank lines appearing in your merged documents, select the Print Blank Lines option in the Print Merge dialog box.
```
    -or-
```
If you want to suppress the printing of blank lines, insert a conditional IF statement. When you perform the print merge, select the Print Blank Lines option in the Print Merge dialog box. In the example below, a blank link resulting from an empty {company} field is suppressed with the following instructions:
```
    {MERGEFIELD name}
    {IF {company}<>"" "{company}[SHIFT+ENTER]
    "}{FILLIN "Batch Number" \o}
```

NOTE: Press SHIFT+ENTER to create a newline character. Do not type "[SHIFT+ENTER]" in the field. Press CTRL+F9 (Command+F9 in Word for the Macintosh) to create the field brackets.

For more information about ASK and FILLIN fields:

Search for "fields: print merge," "ask field," or "fillin field" using the Help menu in version 2.0 of Word for Windows.

REFERENCES

"Microsoft Word User's Guide," version 6.0, pages 729-732

"Microsoft Word for Windows User's Guide," version 2.0, pages 646-651

Additional query words: pmh missing appear data

Keywords          : kbdta winword kbmerge ntword macword word6 word7 word95 
Version           : MACINTOSH:6.0,6.0.1,6.0.1a; WINDOWS:2.0,2.0a,2.0a- CD,2.0b,2.0c,6.0,6.0a,6.0c,7.0,7.0a; WINNT:6.0
Platform          : MACINTOSH WINDOWS winnt
Issue type        : kbprb kbinfo

Last Reviewed: February 13, 1999