> Exactly! These are fields not brackets. CTRL+F9 inserts a field marker.
> Incidentally you don't need the second set of quotes in this example
> { IF {MERGEFIELD Spouse }<> "" "{ MERGEFIELD Spouse }"}
> would work
>
> --
> <>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
> Graham Mayor - Word MVP
>
> My web site www.gmayor.com
> Word MVP web site
http://word.mvps.org> <>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
>
> danhattan wrote:
> > I'm doing that to start with. Are you saying that each time I need a
> > pair of braces I need to hit Ctrl+F9 again?
> >
> > P.S. Thanks for chipping in. Appreciate it.
> >
> > "sos-DC" wrote:
> >
> >> Maybe the same thing I missed.
> >>
> >> Do not type { } directly from the keyboard.
> >> Use Ctrl+F9 to create the proper braces
> >>
> >> "danhattan" wrote:
> >>
> >>> I appreciate the reply, but apparently don't quite understand. In
> >>> the example I posted there are 3 pairs of braces. When I compare my
> >>> syntax to Graham's there doesn't appear to be a difference except
> >>> that his False conditions prints another field whereas mine simply
> >>> prints nothing.
> >>>
> >>> Again, what am I missing here?
> >>>
> >>> "Peter Jamieson" wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> You have to use ctrl-F9 to enter /every/ pair of the special field
> >>>> code braces. In this case, that's 3 pairs of the braces.
> >>>>
> >>>> Peter Jamieson
> >>>> "danhattan" <hatinonya[ at ]screwthespammers.com> wrote in message
> >>>> news:189BC987-0883-468A-9217-CBD3D0741DEA[ at ]microsoft.com...
> >>>>> Hello. I had a question similar to the original poster and have
> >>>>> followed this
> >>>>> thread to the end. It seems like I know what I'm doing but there
> >>>>> must be something wrong with my syntax as I'm not getting all the
> >>>>> results I'd expect.
> >>>>> My field is constructed like this:
> >>>>> { IF {MERGEFIELD Spouse }<> "" "{ MERGEFIELD Spouse }" "" }
> >>>>>
> >>>>> The idea is to print the Spouse field if there's data present,
> >>>>> and print nothing if data isn't present.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> If there's nothing in the Spouse field, this works perfectly. The
> >>>>> problem is
> >>>>> that if there is data, rather than printing the field data, the
> >>>>> field result
> >>>>> is {MERGEFIELD Spouse}, i.e. what's literally between the
> >>>>> quotation marks.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> My syntax looks right to my eye, but I'm clearly missing
> >>>>> something. Any help
> >>>>> you could lend would be much appreciated. Thank you.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> "Graham Mayor" wrote:
> >>>>>
> >>>>>> The basic setup is
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> {IF {Mergefield Home} <> "" "{Mergefield Home}" "{Mergefield
> >>>>>> Word}"}
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> however this assumes that the whole address is in one field. If
> >>>>>> you have separate streets for streets, towns etc, test one of
> >>>>>> the home fields that should always be present (such as the town)
> >>>>>> and put all the fields that represent the addresses formatted as
> >>>>>> you require them between the quotes.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> --
> >>>>>> <>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
> >>>>>> Graham Mayor - Word MVP
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> My web site www.gmayor.com
> >>>>>> Word MVP web site
http://word.mvps.org> >>>>>> <>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> sos-DC wrote:
> >>>>>>> You're right - it would help if you knew what I was trying to
> >>>>>>> achieve.
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> The data base is in Excel, slightly over 400 entries.
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> There are separate columns for HOME addresses and WORK
> >>>>>>> addresses.
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> Most of the entries have home addresses only, approximately 325.
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> The rest are WORK addresses only or both HOME and WORK addresses
> >>>>>>> provided.
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> What I am trying to do is create a Mail Merge document that will
> >>>>>>> print the home addresses. If the home address column is blank
> >>>>>>> it will automatically go to the work address columns.
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> I have created a great many additional columns (17 columns) into
> >>>>>>> which I entered a great many formulas so that I can use just one
> >>>>>>> merge document for the entire data base. (Haven't tested it
> >>>>>>> yet.)
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> I am hoping to find a simple way to use IF...THEN...ELSE... in
> >>>>>>> Word (MERGE) to handle the problem.
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> I'm comfortable with Excel but the next person to take over the
> >>>>>>> task may not be and the extra columns will definitely confuse
> >>>>>>> them.
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> Is it possible to use IF...THEN... ELSE... in Word (Merge) to
> >>>>>>> solve my problem.
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> "Graham Mayor" wrote:
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>> The basics of mail merge are covered at
> >>>>>>>>
http://www.gmayor.com/mail_merge_labels_with_word_xp.htm> >>>>>>>> If you tell us exactly what you are trying to achieve, we will
> >>>>>>>> tell you what is possible.
> >>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>> --
> >>>>>>>> <>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
> >>>>>>>> Graham Mayor - Word MVP
> >>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>> My web site www.gmayor.com
> >>>>>>>> Word MVP web site
http://word.mvps.org> >>>>>>>> <>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
> >>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>> sos-DC wrote:
> >>>>>>>>> I previously tried that but could not get it to work.
> >>>>>>>>> I did notice that the original field brackets {} hand lines
> >>>>>>>>> around them but the ones I entered did NOT. Could that make a
> >>>>>>>>> difference?
> >>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>> I checked the link you provided but an unable to find
> >>>>>>>>> anything. I'm not very good at searching the web.
> >>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>> "Graham Mayor" wrote:
> >>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>>> If you are building complex conditional fields, it is better
> >>>>>>>>>> to insert them manually using CTRL+F9 for each set of field
> >>>>>>>>>> brackets {}. The field dialogs are too inflexible. See
> >>>>>>>>>>
http://www.gmayor.com/formatting_word_fields.htm for some
> >>>>>>>>>> examples of field construction.
> >>>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>>> --
> >>>>>>>>>> <>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
> >>>>>>>>>> Graham Mayor - Word MVP
> >>>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>>> My web site www.gmayor.com
> >>>>>>>>>> Word MVP web site
http://word.mvps.org> >>>>>>>>>> <>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
> >>>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>>> sos-DC wrote:
> >>>>>>>>>>> Under
> >>>>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>>>> Tools > Letters > Mail Merge >Insert Word Field (in merge
> >>>>>>>>>>> tool bar) is
> >>>>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>>>> If...Then...Else...
> >>>>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>>>> This window allows for adding text under specific
> >>>>>>>>>>> circumstances.
> >>>>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>>>> During an online class for Mail Merge, I was shown a similar
> >>>>>>>>>>> window, but instead of inserting text, you would add
> >>>>>>>>>>> Mergefields.
> >>>>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>>>> The window had the first row (Field name, Comparison,
> >>>>>>>>>>> Compare to) or something similar on the succeeding rows.
> >>>>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>>>> I didn't realize I did not know where it is and I would
> >>>>>>>>>>> like to find it.
> >>>>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>>>> If this makes sense, can anyone tell me how to open this
> >>>>>>>>>>> window? I have no way of reconnecting with the instructor
> >>>>>>>>>>> for the online class.
>
>
>