> Hi Peter:
>
> The data file always comes from the same source, but the data may be
> different. The data comes from a process in PeopleSoft that generates the
> file. We then save that file as a CSV file.
>
> All of our letters use a CSV file as its data source. There are more
> fields than ExCel likes that is why the CSV file.
>
> Multiple users may merge the CSV files to letters, but all of the letters
> and CSV files exist on a common shared drive.
>
> One or two letters do prompt for the delimiter, and record separator.
>
> Oddly, we did not experience this as a problem until about a month ago.
> We are all on the same version of Word, but do have different machines.
>
> Hope that helps.
>
> Lynda
> "Peter Jamieson" <pjj[ at ]KillmapSpjjnet.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:Od3wvtvlHHA.1340[ at ]TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>>I can't think of any more really obvious possibilities, but...
>>
>> Word always has to use its "text converter" connection method to open the
>> data source if it has more than 255 columns, and that's what pops up the
>> box asking for the two delimiter characters.
>>
>> If we go back to your original question, do some of the merge documents
>> cause the delimiter prompts and others avoid it, even with exactly the
>> same data source? Or are they data sources with the same field names but
>> different data?
>>
>> Do you use these merges on different machines, and if so, does each merge
>> behave the same way no matter which machine it's running on?
>>
>> Peter Jamieson
>> "Lynda" <lynda[ at ]maine.edu> wrote in message
>> news:O8NSeFvlHHA.3656[ at ]TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
>>>
>>> Hi and thanks for attempting to solve this problem.
>>> :
>>>> a. ask a few more questions and see if they lead anywhere useful
>>>> b. suggest a way to change the way Word gets the data. It might not fix
>>>> the problem, but it could shed some more light on what's happening.
>>>>
>>>> Some more questions:
>>>> c. do you have any double quotes in your data (I mean, other than the
>>>> ones used to enclose your data fields) ?
>>>
>>> No, the double quotes just enclose the data fields
>>>
>>>> d. do your data sources have small numbers of columns? Lots of columns?
>>>> A lot of variation? Any with over 255 columns? Or do you have very long
>>>> records in some data sources, i.e. in terms of the number of characters
>>>> in the line.
>>>
>>> Our data source comes out of a Letter Generation tool in PeopleSoft
>>> database and has a large number of fields.
>>>
>>>> e. are your data sources created in different ways or all in the same
>>>> way
>>> They are all created exactly the same way. They are generated out of
>>> our enterprise database via LetterGen.
>>>
>>>> (e.g. export from a database server) ?
>>>>
>>> We have more than 255 columns--perhaps that is the problem. If I had
>>> any control out of the delivery of the CSV file, I would try to use some
>>> other mechanism, but this is all built into the enterprise database.
>>>
>>> Thanks for your help. I will keep looking for solutions
>>>
>>>> If you don't have any problems such as (c) and you have 255 columns or
>>>> fewer, you can try the approach described in the message at
>>>>
>>>
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.word.mailmerge.fields/browse_thread/thread/dc1076d59b977c64/d39588c43fc31d70?lnk=st&q=jamieson+SCHEMA.INI+odc+text+unicode&rnum=1#d39588c43fc31d70>> >>> If you can't find that, try searching Google Groups for
>>> jamiesonSCHEMA.INI odc Unicode>> Peter Jamieson>> "Lynda"
>>> <lynda[ at ]maine.edu> wrote in
>>> messagenews:%23OWCs6llHHA.3760[ at ]TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...>> Hi Peter:>>>>
>>> The CSV data file is comma-delimited with double-quotes.>>>> The data
>>> file has first a header with the field names separated by acomma. The
>>> actual data fields are enclosed in double quotes and each dataelement is
>>> separated by a comma as well.>>>> In some cases, the Word does ask about
>>> the field delimiter and recorddelimiter. This does not happen with all
>>> of our mail merge letters --only acouple even though all letters are
>>> constructed in the same way using thesame type of data source.>>>> We
>>> are baffled why this is happening with some letters but not
>>> withothers.>>>>>> "Peter Jamieson" <pjj[ at ]KillmapSpjjnet.demon.co.uk>
>>> wrote in
>>> messagenews:05A309EB-F2F5-4692-9D4E-E0656AE0F78F[ at ]microsoft.com...>>> Do
>>> you have any data that contains commas (assuming that your CSV
>>> datareally is comma-delimite rather than delimited by some other
>>> character)? Ifso, is it enclosed in double-quotes?>>>>>> When you select
>>> the mail merge data source, does Word ask you about thefield delimiter?
>>> Does it also ask yu about the "record delimiter"? (Word hasa number of
>>> ways it can open a CSV data source and I'm trying to establishwhich one
>>> it is using).>>>>>> Peter Jamieson>>>>>> "Lynda" <lynda[ at ]maine.edu> wrote
>>> in messagenews:eKsmEallHHA.4960[ at ]TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...>>>>I am working
>>> in Word 2003 mail merge and using a .csv data file as thedata source
>>> file. The CSV file has the field headings as a header. Lately,every time
>>> I try to merge from the .CSV data file to the merge letter, I getthe
>>> message "Too Many Data Fields." I then have to click 'ok' to contunue.A
>>> few letters will merge ok and then this message pops up again. Is
>>> theresome setting that needs to be set for prevent this from
>>> occurring?>>>>>>>> Any suggestions would be appreciated.>>>>>>>>
>>> Lynda>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
>