Using merge to select an image file

Using a merge field as the source in a LINK field seems to work once. After
that, the source of the LINK field is permanently populated with the path of
the image that was selected when that LINK was updated. Is there a way to
change this behavior? A field switch that I'm missing?

Thanks!

Is there a way to
change this behavior?

Not, as far as I know, in recent versions of Word

It sounds as if you have to use a LINK, but this problem does not affect
INCLUDEPICTURE fields if you are able to use those instead.

Peter Jamieson

http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk

Jeff C wrote:
Using a merge field as the source in a LINK field seems to work once. After
that, the source of the LINK field is permanently populated with the path of
the image that was selected when that LINK was updated. Is there a way to
change this behavior? A field switch that I'm missing?

Thanks!

Doing that works for a picture, but...

I'm trying to do the same LINK thing with a word document, and having the
same problem. I can't just include text, because I need the formatting from
the source document.

Any ideas?

"Peter Jamieson" wrote:

Is there a way to
change this behavior?

Not, as far as I know, in recent versions of Word

It sounds as if you have to use a LINK, but this problem does not affect
INCLUDEPICTURE fields if you are able to use those instead.

Peter Jamieson

http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk

Jeff C wrote:
Using a merge field as the source in a LINK field seems to work once. After
that, the source of the LINK field is permanently populated with the path of
the image that was selected when that LINK was updated. Is there a way to
change this behavior? A field switch that I'm missing?

Thanks!

Hi Jeff,

I wish I could be more helpful (and I see that you have another
conversation going in the word.docmanagement group) but
a. for quite a long time, I have been wary of suggesting INCLUDETEXT
for general-purpose text inclusion because of the kind of problem that
(I think) you are encountering. In other words, INCLUDETEXT can
successfully include /text/, but in the general case, it is at best
extremely difficult, and I suspect impossible, to get it to include
/formatting/, particularly if you have different style definitions in
the "host" and "included" documents. In particular, some of my own older
postings suggesting INCLUDETEXT are probably naive
b. in consequence I haven't really tried to keep up with the impact of
cut/paste formatting options on LINKed/INCLUDETEXTed text. I don't think
those options are relevant, because every time you update an INCLUDETEXT
or LINK field, you are re-inserting the source text and - as you
indicate - there is nothing in the field code itself, or anywhere else
that I can see, that lets you specify what should happen to the source
file formatting. Broadly speaking, what that means is that
- included text styling is likely to be affected by any "section"
formatting assocaiated with any end-of-section or end-of-document
section breaks that are part of the included text
- if a piece of included text has style "x", it will assume the
style associated with style "x" in the "host" document
c. if you are trying to include text from documents whose contents you
control, you /may/ be able to exercise some control by
- bookmarking sections of the source (included text)
- using INCLUDETEXT to include bookmarked sections
- avoiding including paragraph marks, especially when the paragraph
is the last-in-section or last-in-document.


Peter Jamieson

http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk

Jeff C wrote:
Doing that works for a picture, but...

I'm trying to do the same LINK thing with a word document, and having the
same problem. I can't just include text, because I need the formatting from
the source document.

Any ideas?

"Peter Jamieson" wrote:

Is there a way to
change this behavior?

Not, as far as I know, in recent versions of Word

It sounds as if you have to use a LINK, but this problem does not affect
INCLUDEPICTURE fields if you are able to use those instead.

Peter Jamieson

http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk

Jeff C wrote:
Using a merge field as the source in a LINK field seems to work once. After
that, the source of the LINK field is permanently populated with the path of
the image that was selected when that LINK was updated. Is there a way to
change this behavior? A field switch that I'm missing?

Thanks!