WD: Cannot Merge a BARCODE Field Based on a Condition

• Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c
• Microsoft Word for Windows 95, version 7.0
• Microsoft Word 97 for Windows
• Microsoft Word for the Macintosh, version 6.0, 6.0.1, 6.0.1a
• Microsoft Word for Windows NT, version 6.0
• Microsoft Word 98 Macintosh Edition

SYMPTOMS

A BARCODE field nested in an IF field produces no merge result even when the condition is true.

CAUSE

BARCODE fields are a special type of Word field called a "display" field. Display fields produce their own results and, unlike other Word fields, the result of a display field cannot exist independently of the field itself (display fields can't be unlinked). Consequently, the result of a display field cannot be fetched by the IF field for its result.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, use either of the following methods.

Method 1

Use the Record Selection feature to merge only those records that have addresses in the U.S. After all these records have been merged, remove the BARCODE field and merge those records that are not in the U.S.

Method 2

Sort the data file by the country field so that all records for the U.S. are together. Using the mail merge helper, merge only the range of records that includes the country U.S. After all U.S. records have been merged, remove the BARCODE field and merge the range of records that includes countries other than the U.S.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

REFERENCES

"Microsoft Word User's Guide," version 6.0, "Selecting Records to be Merged," pages 666-669; "Sorting Data Records," pages 670-671