WD: Word Prompts to Select Header Delimiter Opening Header File

• Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c
• Microsoft Word for Windows 95, version 7.0
• Microsoft Word 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

When you open a header file using the Mail Merge command, Word for Windows prompts you to select the header record delimiter.

CAUSE

By design, when Word reads a mail merge header or data document that contains only one line, Word prompts you to select the record delimiter. In a mail merge data or header document that contains at least two lines, Word compares the two lines and, if both lines contain the same number of a single delimiter, Word does not prompt you to select the delimiter.

WORKAROUND

TO work around this problem, use one of the following methods:

Method 1: To avoid being prompted, create the header document using a table

          format or convert the one row of data to a table format.

          To create a table:

          a. Select Insert Table from the Table menu.

          b. Specify one row and a number of columns equal to the number of
             fields
             in your header record.

          c. Type in the field names in each cell.

          a. Select the entire header row.

          b. From the Table menu, choose Convert Text to Table.

          two records that use the same delimiter. For example:

             Name,Address,City,State,Zip
             Name,Address,City,State,Zip

             -or-

             Name,Address,City,State,Zip
             ,,,,

          When the file contains two or more lines, Word compares the
          number of delimiters in the first and second lines. If both lines
          contain the same number of delimiters, Word does not prompt you
          to select the delimiter.

          NOTE: Word uses only the first record as the header record.

          The field delimiter used in the two identical records can be any
          character listed in the Field Delimiter list in the Header Record
          Delimiter dialog box.

          This method for automating the determination of the field
          delimiter does not extend to record delimiters. Even though the
          dialog box will allow you to specify alternative record
          delimiters, you cannot use any character other than a paragraph
          mark to delimit the two identical records in the header file if
          you want to avoid being prompted for delimiter selection.

MORE INFORMATION

If the data document contains any identical records or only a single record, the Header Record Delimiter dialog box appears after you have selected the data document. This dialog box does not appear if your data document contains only dissimilar records.

REFERENCES

"Microsoft Word User's Guide," version 6.0, pages 679, 683