WD2000: Field Text Truncated to 255 Characters When Merging or Inserting Database

• Microsoft Word 2000

SYMPTOMS

When you perform a mail merge with a database (or insert a database) containing a NOTES or MEMO field, only the first 255 characters of the NOTES or MEMO field are merged (inserted).

NOTE: The name of your NOTES or MEMO field may be different; however, when a field contains more than 255 characters, the text of the field will be truncated.

CAUSE

This problem is a limitation of Word 2000 when attaching to or inserting database files using Open Database Connectivity (ODBC).

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, connect to or insert your database using Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE). To do this, use the following steps appropriate for your situation:

Perform a Mail Merge

1. In your mail merge main document, click Mail Merge on the Tools menu.



2. In the Mail Merge Helper, click Create and then click the type of mail merge you want to perform. For example, click Form Letters.



3. Click Active Window.



4. In the Mail Merge Helper, click Get Data and then click Open Data Source.



5. In the Open Data Source dialog box, do the following steps:



1. Change the Files of type box to the type of your database. For example, if your database is an Access database, change the Files of type box to MS Access Databases (*.mdb, *.mde).



2. Select the Select method check box.



3. Change the Look in box to the folder containing your database file. For example, change the Look in box to C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\Samples folder.



4. Click your database file. For example, click the Northwind.mdb database.



5. Click Open.



6. In the Confirm Data Source dialog box, click MS Access Databases via DDE (*.mdb, *.mde) and click OK.

Insert a Database

1. In your Word document, point to Toolbars on the View menu and then click Database.



2. On the Database toolbar, click Insert Database.



3. Click Get Data.



4. In the Open Data Source dialog box, do the following steps:



1. Change the Files of type to the type of your database. For example, if your database is an Access database, change the Files of type box to MS Access Databases (*.mdb, *.mde).



2. Select the Select Method check box.



3. Change the Look in box to the folder containing your database file. For example, change the Look in box to C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\Samples folder.



4. Click your database file. For example, click the Northwind.mdb database.



5. Click Open.



5. In the Confirm Data Source dialog box, click MS Access Databases via DDE (*.mdb, *.mde) and click OK.
   
   NOTE: You may need to select a table in the Select Table dialog box.



6. In the Database dialog box, click Insert Data.



7. In the Insert Data dialog box, select the range of records you want; for example, click All and then click OK.

STATUS

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information about mail merge, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q212322 WD2000: How to Design and Set Up Mail Merge Data

Q212034 WD2000: How to Create Mailing Labels Using Mail Merge

Q212017 WD2000: How to Create Envelopes Using Mail Merge

Additional query words:

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