Works: How to Merge Databases with Different Field Orders

It is possible to merge Microsoft Works for Windows databases even though the fields in the databases are in a different order. To do this, design a report for the source database, place the fields in the same order as the database you're copying into, and use the Copy Report Output command to paste the data into it.

To merge database files in Works for Windows using the Copy Report Output command, do the following.

Works 4.0, 4.5, and 4.5a for Windows 95

1. Open the database from which you are copying.
2. From the Tools menu, click Report Creator.
3. On the Report Name box, click OK.
4. Click the Fields tab, and add fields to the report in the order they are in the database you're copying into by selecting each field and then clicking Add.
5. Click Done, and then click Modify.
6. Select the entire Record row. This insures that you will only be copying record data and will not have to delete any extra information.
7. From the Edit menu, click Copy Report Output.
8. Open the other database and click List from the View menu.
9. Select the first available blank record and click Paste from the Edit menu. The data from the first database will now be copied into this database at the cursor location.

Works for Windows version 3.0

1. Open the database from which you are copying.
2. From the Tools menu, click Create New Report.
3. Add fields to the report (in the order they are in the database you're copying into) by selecting each field and clicking Add.
4. Click OK from the New Report dialog box.
5. Click OK from the Report Statistics dialog box without clicking any statistics. Click OK again.
6. Select the entire Record row. This insures that you will only be copying record data and will not have to delete any extra information.
7. From the Edit menu, click Copy Report Output.
8. Open the other database and click List from the View menu.
9. Select the first available blank record and click Paste from the Edit menu. The data from the first database will now be copied into this database at the cursor location.

Works for Windows version 2.0

1. Open the database from which you are copying.
2. From the View menu, click Create New Report.
3. Add fields to the report (in the order they are in the database you're copying into) by selecting each field and clicking Add.
4. Click OK from the New Report dialog box.
5. Click OK from the Report Statistics dialog box without clicking any statistics.
6. Delete the Title, Headings, and Summary rows from the report, as follows:
   
   
   1. Select the rows.
   2. From the Edit menu, click Delete Row/Column.
   3. Select Row to delete the rows.
   This makes sure that you won't have any extra information to delete after you copy the report output.
7. From the Edit menu, click Copy Report Output.
8. Open the other database and choose List from the View menu.
9. Select the first available blank record and click Paste from the Edit menu. The data from the first database will now be copied into this database at the cursor location.