WD: How to Convert Data in One Column So That You Can Use the Data in a Mail Merge

When you use Word to merge documents, data cannot be located in a single column, as in the following example: Instead, the information must be laid out in a table or in tab-delimited format, such as the following: This article explains how you can change data from being in one column to a format that Word can use.

Data Documents Created in Other Programs

If you created your data document in a different program, find out whether that program can save the data in a different layout. For example, if the data came from a database program, can it save the file with different field and record delimiters? If it can save the data with tab field delimiters and paragraph mark record delimiters, you can use the file in Word without any further modifications. For information on using a text file as a data document in Word, search in Help under merging and using data sources.

WordPerfect Data Documents

For more information on using WordPerfect data documents with Word, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Convert Text to Table in Word

If you created the list of addresses in Word, or if you cannot rearrange the data using another program, convert the text to a table, which Word can use for merging. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Save the file containing the list of names with a different file name. Modify the version of the file with the new name (this way, if you make a mistake, you can start over with your original document).
2. Rearrange the names in the file. The following steps require that each address is separated with a blank line (see the example in the "Summary" section at the beginning of this article).
   
   NOTE: This method creates a separate field for each line in each address. If you want the information separated further than this, you must press the TAB key at the appropriate points. For instance, if you have typed a first and last name on the same line, the method below creates one field that contains both first and last names. If you want the first and last names to be in separate fields, you must place the insertion point between each first and last name and press the TAB key.
   
   Also, this method puts the lines into the first available field for each record, so if the records do not have the same number of lines, shorter records will end up with information in different fields than the longer records. If you want to perform conditional merges, in which a certain type of information is expected in certain fields, you need to edit the data file once you have created the table.
   
   Part 1: Remove Blank Lines Between Records:
   
   
   1. On the Edit menu, click Replace.
   2. Click in the Find What box.
   3. Click Special, and select Paragraph Mark. Do this again, so that the Find What box shows ^p^p.
   4. If the No Formatting button is available (not shaded), click this button to remove any additional Find formatting criteria.
   5. Click in the Replace With box.
   6. Type three percent signs.
   7. If the No Formatting button is available (not shaded), click this button to remove any additional Replace formatting criteria.
   8. Click Replace All.
      
      The document now shows the beginning of each record next to the end of the preceding record, separated by three percent symbols:
      John Doe
      123 Main Street
      Anytown, US 12345%%%Jane Smith
      Microsoft
      456 Elm Street
      Sometown, US 67890
   Part 2: Replace Paragraph Marks with Tab Characters:
   
   
   1. Click in the Find What box, and delete the existing text.
   2. Click the Special button and select Paragraph Mark.
      
      The Find What box now shows ^p.
   3. Click in the Replace With box, and delete the existing text.
   4. Click the Special Button and select Tab Character.
      
      The With box now shows ^t.
   5. Click Replace All.
      
      The document shows all records in what appears to be one paragraph:

                  John Doe  123 Main Street  Anytown, US  12345%%%Jane
                  Smith     Microsoft        456 Elm Street   Sometown,
                  US  67890
      								

      NOTE: This method produces one extra field when the final paragraph is replaced with a tab. You should delete this final tab.
   Part 3:
   
   
   1. Click in the Find What box, and delete the existing text. Type three percent signs.
   2. Click in the Replace With box, and delete the existing text.
   3. Click Special and select Paragraph Mark. Click Replace All.
   4. Click Close to close the Find And Replace dialog box.
   The text is now in the proper format to be converted to a table.
3. On the Edit menu, click Select All.
4. On the Table menu, click Convert Text To Table.
5. In the Separate Text At area, select Tabs.
6. Click OK. The data is now in columns.
7. Click in the first cell of the table. On the Table menu, click Insert Rows.
8. In the first row, type a one-word field name for each column.
9. On the File menu, click Save.

NOTE: As previously mentioned, if the data for a specific field is in different columns, you need to move the data for those fields to one column. If a column becomes blank, delete it by following these steps:

1. Place the insertion point into the column.
2. On the Table menu, click Delete Columns.

The data document is now ready to merge with a Word main document.