WD: Word Prompts to Select Header Delimiter Opening Header File (189014)
The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Word for Windows 6.0
- Microsoft Word for Windows 6.0a
- Microsoft Word for Windows 6.0c
- Microsoft Word for Windows 95
- Microsoft Word for Windows 95 7.0a
This article was previously published under Q189014 SYMPTOMS
When you open a header file using the Mail Merge command, Word for Windows
prompts you to select the header record delimiter.
CAUSE
By design, when Word reads a mail merge header or data document that
contains only one line, Word prompts you to select the record delimiter. In
a mail merge data or header document that contains at least two lines, Word
compares the two lines and, if both lines contain the same number of a
single delimiter, Word does not prompt you to select the delimiter.
WORKAROUND
To work around this problem, use one of the following methods.
Method 1: Create the Header Document as a Table
To avoid being prompted, create the header document using a table format
or convert the one row of data to a table format.
To create a table, follow these steps::
- Click Insert Table on the Table menu.
- Specify one row and a number of columns equal to the number of fields
in your header record.
- Type in the field names in each cell.
Method 2: Convert an Existing Header Row to a Table
To Convert an existing header row to a table, follow these steps::
- Select the entire header row.
- On the Table menu, click Convert Text to Table.
Method 3: create a Header Document That Contains Two Records
To avoid being prompted, create a header document that contains
two records that use the same delimiter. For example:
Name,Address,City,State,Zip
Name,Address,City,State,Zip
-or-
Name,Address,City,State,Zip
,,,,
When the file contains two or more lines, Word compares the number
of delimiters in the first and second lines. If both lines contain
the same number of delimiters, Word does not prompt you to select
the delimiter.
NOTE: Word uses only the first record as the header record.
The field delimiter used in the two identical records can be any
character listed in the Field Delimiter list in the Header Record
Delimiter dialog box.
This method for automating the determination of the field delimiter
does not extend to record delimiters. Even though the dialog box
will allow you to specify alternative record delimiters, you cannot
use any character other than a paragraph mark to delimit the two
identical records in the header file if you want to avoid being
prompted for delimiter selection.
STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products
listed at the beginning of this article.
MORE INFORMATION
If the data document contains any identical records or only a single
record, the Header Record Delimiter dialog box appears after you have
selected the data document. This dialog box does not appear if your data
document contains only dissimilar records.
REFERENCES
"Microsoft Word User's Guide," version 6.0, pages 679, 683
| Modification Type: | Minor | Last Reviewed: | 8/18/2005 |
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| Keywords: | kbbug kbmerge kbpending KB189014 |
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