DOCUMENT:Q198040 14-NOV-2000 [word97] TITLE :WD97: How to Use Dates as Mail Merge Selection Criteria PRODUCT :Word 97 for Windows PROD/VER:WINDOWS:97 OPER/SYS: KEYWORDS:kbfield word97 kbmerge ====================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The information in this article applies to: - Microsoft Word 97 for Windows ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY ======= You can perform a selective mail merge based on a list of dates. For example, you can merge records based on such criteria as a group of months, days of months, years, or combinations of all three. For example, you can perform a selective mail merge based on a list of names and birth dates. In addition, you can instruct Word to change the date format of data in the merged document. MORE INFORMATION ================ To use the selective merge function, do the following: 1. Set up the data document. For example: FRIENDS,BIRTHDATE Karan Khanna, 10-5-1940 Jon Morris, 6/1/1926 Megan Sherman, 5/26/1907 NOTE: You can use either forward slashes or dashes in the dates. If your data document is formatted as a table, you can also spell out the date (for example, "June 1, 1926"). NOTE: The example companies, organizations, products, people, and events depicted herein are fictitious. No association with any real company, organization, product, person, or event is intended or should be inferred. 2. Set up the main document: Note: Using the If field in the document to do a selective merge will generate blank papers. This is by design; the merge command will create a document for each record read, whether or not the record meets the criteria in the IF statement. a. {if {MERGEFIELD Birthdate \@ "MMMM"}="October" "{MERGEFIELD Friends} {MERGEFIELD Birthdate \@ "MMMM d, yyyy"}"} This example merges records for people born in October. The Birthdate field is formatted as "October 5, 1940", regardless of the data format of the data document (October 5, 1940, or 10/5/1940, or 10/5/40). b. {if {MERGEFIELD Birthdate \@ "MM"}="10" "{MERGEFIELD Friends} {MERGEFIELD Birthdate}"} This example works the same as example a, except that the Birthdate prints exactly as it appears in the data document. c. {if {MERGEFIELD Birthdate \@ "yy"}="40" "{MERGEFIELD Friends} {MERGEFIELD Birthdate \@ "MM/dd/yy"}"} This example merges records for people born in 1940. The Birthdate field is formatted as "10/5/40." d. {if {MERGEFIELD Birthdate \@ " yyyy"}="1940" "{MERGEFIELD Friends} {MERGEFIELD Birthdate \@ "d-MMM-yy"}"} Same result as example 3 above, except that the Birthdate prints in "5-October-40" format. e. {if {MERGEFIELD Birthdate \@ "MMMM d, yyyy"}="October 5, 1940" "{MERGEFIELD Friends} {MERGEFIELD Birthdate}"} Merges only the records of people born on October 5, 1940. NOTE: To enter the field brackets ({}), choose Field from the Insert menu (or press CTRL+F9). These examples do not illustrate all possible selective merge combinations or date formats. To view all possible DATE field switches, choose Field from the Insert menu. Under Categories, select Date And Time; under Field Names, select Date, and then click Options. All the possible date switch combinations appear in the Instructions box. It is not possible to do a selective print merge using less than or greater than statements based on dates, because Word interprets the dates as text. The dates in Word do not have a numerical value that can be compared. For example, this will NOT work: { if {MERGEFIELD mydate \@ "M/d/yy"} > "4/15/97 "true" "false" } Additional query words: conditional pmh ====================================================================== Keywords : kbfield word97 kbmerge Technology : kbWordSearch kbWord97 kbWord97Search kbZNotKeyword2 Version : WINDOWS:97 Issue type : kbhowto ============================================================================= THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY. Copyright Microsoft Corporation 2000.