Thanks Peter. So that is the intended purpose! I feel more comfortable when
I understand, so thank you.
"Peter Jamieson" wrote:
[Quoted Text] > They are standardised field names. To use them, you have to "map" them or
> "match" them to the real names in the data source, which are the "Database
> Fields". Word uses a "\m" in a MERGEFIELD field to indicate that it is using
> an "Address Field".
>
> The theory is that...
> By using them, you can always use the same names in your mail merge main
> documents, no matter what the names are in the data sources you connect to.
> So for example, suppose you have one Excel file with columns Title, Surname
> and Job, and another one with essentially the same type of data but with
> columns called T,S and J, you could use the "Address Fields" Courtesy Title,
> Last Name, and Job Title in your Mail merge main documents (e.g. {
> MERGEFIELD "Courtesy Title" \m } etc.), and in one case map
>
> Courtesy Title to Title
> Last Name to Surname
> Job Title to Job
>
> and in the other case map
>
> Courtesy Title to T
> Last Name to S
> Job Title to J
>
> Word does some of the mapping automatically when you connect to a data
> source, because it recognises some variants (e.g. perhaps First Name,
> FirstName and First_Name).
>
> I quite like the theory, but in practice,
> a. doing the mapping is a pain. For example, I would want to be able to
> store a simple set of mappings in a file along with the data source
> b. I don't think I've ever encountered anyone actually using this approach,
> at least as it seems to have been intended. People who use the ADDRESSBLOCK
> and GREETINGLINE fields are likely to /have/ to do the mapping, because
> those fields rely on the same underlying notion, but in most cases they are
> likely to be using Outlook fields which Word mostly recognises
> automatically.
>
> Peter Jamieson
>
> "Mary Ann" <MaryAnn[ at ]discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:44EFC743-85FF-4F5D-A7B4-3ACF46BD21A9[ at ]microsoft.com...
> >I am mailmerging a standard letter to an Excel data source and using the
> >More
> > Items link in the wizard to insert the fields. I am keeping the Database
> > Fields checked and do have the fields from my Excel spreadsheet available.
> > What are the fields that are shown when I click the Address Fields
> > button -
> > are they Outlook fields? - they look very similar.
>
>
>
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