Combining multiple merge documents

In Word XP, I have several mail merge letter templates, each just slightly
different from each other (different letter signer, small variations in
language, margins differ). Each letter uses the same Excel data source. The
data is filtered by one field before the merge of each template. If the
field contains X, Y, and Z, then Merge Template X is opened and merged, then
Merge Template Y, then Merge Template Z. It is extremely repetitive.

Is there any way to combine the merge templates, without having to set IF,
THEN statements at each place where the letters differ? For instance,
depending on whether I've filtered for X, Y or Z, can it skip all the merge
language for X and jump to Y or Z? Can this all be contained in one template?

C. Baber

Hi =?Utf-8?B?Y3RoNWM=?=,

In Word XP, I have several mail merge letter templates, each just slightly
different from each other (different letter signer, small variations in
language, margins differ). Each letter uses the same Excel data source. The
data is filtered by one field before the merge of each template. If the
field contains X, Y, and Z, then Merge Template X is opened and merged, then
Merge Template Y, then Merge Template Z. It is extremely repetitive.

Is there any way to combine the merge templates, without having to set IF,
THEN statements at each place where the letters differ? For instance,
depending on whether I've filtered for X, Y or Z, can it skip all the merge
language for X and jump to Y or Z? Can this all be contained in one template?

Only using IF fields, I'm afraid. Although you could "tighten things up" a bit
by combining the IF with IncludeText to bring in the conditional stuff from a
separate file. This would make the whole thing easier to maintain.

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 8 2004)
http://www.word.mvps.org

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