WD2000: Date, Currency, and Phone Number Fields Merge Incorrectly When You Use an Access or Excel Data Source

• Microsoft Word 2000

SYMPTOMS

When you perform a mail merge using ODBC with a Microsoft Access or Microsoft Excel data source, the merge results for the Date, Phone Number, and Currency fields are incorrect. For example:

The Date field appears in the following format:

1995-10-22 00:00:00

12.00

-7081234567.00

CAUSE

The data appears in its native, stored format in Access or Excel. When you use DDE to convert the Access or Excel data instead of ODBC, the data is masked to display the correct format.

RESOLUTION

Method 1: Use DDE to Connect to the Access or Excel Database

1. Click to select the Select Method (Confirm Conversion) check box in the Open Data Source dialog box, locate and select your Access/Excel database, and then click Open.



2. In the Confirm Data Source dialog box, click to select Microsoft Access or Microsoft Excel Database via DDE (*.mdb), and then click OK.

Q137076 WD: Can't Use Microsoft Access Files, *.MDB, or DDE with Word

Method 2: Use ODBC and Add a "Picture" Switch to the Date/Currency fields.

• Include a numeric picture switch (\#) in the Currency field, so that the Currency field looks like this:

  {mergefield number \# $####,0.0}

  NOTE: The {mergefield number \# $####,0.0} string works for SQL Server 6 as well.



• Include a numeric picture switch (\#) in the Phone Number field, so that the Phone Number field looks like this:

  {mergefield phone \# ###'-'###'-'####}

  NOTE: The hyphen inside the mergefield is in quotation marks. Also, the quotation marks are single quotation marks.



• Include a date-time picture switch (\@) in the Date field, so that the Date field looks like this:

  {mergefield date \@ "MMMM d, yyyy"}

  NOTE: The picture switch is case-sensitive; also, you must use quotation marks around the picture string.

Additional query words: winword access database data source odbc dde mail merge print merging merged records results fields mergefield currency money dollars $ date time wrong incorrect change how to switch picture numeric number decimal thousandths telephone word2000 access2000 excel2000

Keywords : kbinterop kbdta kbmerge wd2000
Version : WINDOWS:2000
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbprb