WD: How to Convert Data in One Column to a Table for Merging

• Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 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
• Microsoft Word 98 Macintosh Edition

SUMMARY

Word cannot merge with data when all the information is in one column, as in the following example:

   John Doe
   123 Main Street
   Anytown, US  12345

   Jane Smith
   Microsoft
   456 Elm Street
   Sometown, US  67890

   Name       Company    Address           City/State    ZIP_Code
   John Doe              123 Main Street   Anytown, US   12345
   Jane Smith Microsoft  456 Elm Street    Sometown, US  67890

MORE INFORMATION

Data Documents Created in Other Programs

If you created your data document in a different program, find out whether that program can save the data in a different layout. For example, if the data came from a database program, can it save the file with different field and record delimiters? If it can save the data with tab field delimiters and paragraph mark record delimiters, you can use the file in Word without any further modifications. For information on using a text file as a data document in Word, search in Help under merging and using data sources.

WordPerfect Data Documents

For more information on using WordPerfect data documents with Word, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q72117
   TITLE     : WD: How to Convert WordPerfect Merge Data Documents to Word

Convert Text to Table in Word

If you created the list of addresses in Word, or if you cannot rearrange the data using another program, convert the text to a table, which Word can use for merging. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Save the file containing the list of names and addresses under a different file name:

       a. Open the file that contains the list of names and addresses.
   

       b. On the File menu, click Save As.
   

       c. In the File Name box (Windows) or "Save Current Document as"
          (Macintosh), type a new name for the file.
   

       d. Click SAVE or OK (Word 6.x for Windows).
   

2. Rearrange the names. The steps below required that each address is separated with a blank line (see the example in the "Summary" section at the beginning of this article).

   NOTE: This method creates a separate field for each line in each address. If you want the information separated further than this, you must press the TAB key at the appropriate points. For instance, if you have typed a first and last name on the same line, the method below creates one field that contains both first and last names. If you want the first and last names to be in separate fields, you must place the insertion point between each first and last name and press the TAB key.

   Also, this method puts the lines into the first available field for each record, so if the records do not have the same number of lines, shorter records will end up with information in different fields than the longer records. If you want to perform conditional merges, in which a certain type of information is expected in certain fields, you need to edit the data file once you have created the table.

   Part 1: Remove Blank Lines Between Records:

         a. On the Edit menu, click Replace.
   

         b. Click in the Find What box.
   

      d. If the No Formatting button is available (not shaded), click this
         button to remove any additional Find formatting criteria.

      e. Click in the Replace With box.

      f. Type three percent symbols.

      g. If the No Formatting button is available (not shaded), click this
         button to remove any additional Replace formatting criteria.

      h. Click Replace All.

         The document now shows the beginning of each record next
         to the end of the preceding record, separated by three
         percent symbols:

            John Doe
            123 Main Street
            Anytown, US  12345%%%Jane Smith
            Microsoft
            456 Elm Street
            Sometown, US  67890

   Part 2: Replace Paragraph Marks with Tab Characters:

      a. Click in the Find What box, and delete the existing text.

      b. Click the Special button and select Paragraph Mark. The
         Find What box now shows "^p" (without the quotation
         marks).

      c. Click in the Replace With box, and delete the existing
         text.

      d. Click the Special Button and select Tab Character. The
         Replace With box now shows "^t" (without the quotation
         marks).

      e. Click Replace All.

         The document shows all records in what appears to be one
         paragraph:

            John Doe  123 Main Street  Anytown, US  12345%%%Jane
            Smith     Microsoft        456 Elm Street   Sometown,
            US  67890

      NOTE: This method produces one extra field when the final
      paragraph is replaced with a tab. You should delete this final tab.

   Part 3:

      a. Click in the Find What box, and delete the existing text.
         Type three percent signs.

      b. Click in the Replace With box, and delete the existing
         text.

      c. Click Special and select Paragraph Mark. Click Replace All.

      d. Click Close to close the Find and Replace dialog box.

   The text is now in the proper format to be converted to a table.