Q90393: WD97: How to Use Nested IF Fields in a Mail Merge Document

Article: Q90393
Product(s): Word 97 for Windows
Version(s): WINDOWS:97
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbualink97 kbusage kbdta kbfield word97 kbmergekbfaq
Last Modified: 14-NOV-2000

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Word 97 for Windows 
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SUMMARY
=======

In Word, you can use the IF field to obtain customized mail merge results. By
nesting IF fields, as described in this article, you can obtain conditional mail
merge results and logically construct the equivalent of Boolean AND and OR
statements.

MORE INFORMATION
================

The IF field syntax is as follows:

  {IF Exp Op Exp TrueResult [FalseResult]}

where TrueResult and FalseResult can be either text or a nested IF field. If you
do not include the FalseResult argument, Word returns nothing if the result is
false.

Conditional Mail Merge Results Using IF Field
---------------------------------------------

In the following example, each form letter requests that its recipient attend a
meeting on a different date, based on the city field.

Data Document:

  NAME, ADDRESS, CITY, STATE, ZIP
  Bill Brown, 123 Acorn St., Seattle, WA, 98035
  Sandy Sill, 234 Ash St., Los Angeles, CA, 99888
  Fred Turner, 345 Birch Ave., San Francisco, CA, 45555
  Lynne Lowe, 456 Walnut St., Boise, ID, 83240

Main Document:

  Please attend the Windows meeting on {if {city}= "Seattle"
  "Tuesday, March 21." "{if {city}= "Los Angeles" "Wednesday, March
  22." {if {city}= "San Francisco" "Thursday, March 23." "Friday,
  March 24."}"}"}.

Merged Results:

  (for Mr. Brown)
  Please attend the Windows meeting on Tuesday, March 21.

  (for Ms. Sill)
  Please attend the Windows meeting on Wednesday, March 22.

  (for Mr. Turner)
  Please attend the Windows meeting on Thursday, March 23.

  (for Ms. Lowe)
  Please attend the Windows meeting on Friday, March 24.

Using IF Field to Perform Boolean AND and OR Operations
-------------------------------------------------------

The IF field does not directly support Boolean AND and OR operations in a mail
merge. However, the logical AND and OR operators are actually just abbreviations
of nested IF statements; therefore, you can construct the equivalent of Boolean
AND and OR operations using the following syntax:

- OR: Position the second test inside the second set of quotation marks.

  {IF test1 "TrueResult" "{IF test2 "TrueResult" "FalseResult"}"}

- AND: Position the second test inside the first set of quotation marks.

  {IF test1 "{IF test2 "TrueResult" "FalseResult"}" "FalseResult"}

Constructing a Boolean AND Statement
------------------------------------

This AND statement

  IF (field <> "A") AND (field <> "B") THEN
  "TrueResult"
  ELSE
  "FalseResult"
  END IF

can be translated to an IF statement for use in a mail merge as follows:

  {IF field <> "A" "{IF field <> "B" "TrueResult" "FalseResult"}"
  "FalseResult"}

Constructing a Boolean OR Statement
-----------------------------------

This OR statement

  IF (field = "A") OR (field = "B") THEN
  "TrueResult"
  ELSE
  "FalseResult"
  END IF

can be translated to an IF statement for use in a mail merge as follows:

  {IF field = "A" "result" "{IF field = "B" "TrueResult" "FalseResult"}"}


Additional query words: winword winword2 mailmerge mail merge how to 8.0 word97 print printmerge

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Keywords          : kbualink97 kbusage kbdta kbfield word97 kbmerge kbfaq
Technology        : kbWordSearch kbWord97 kbWord97Search kbZNotKeyword2
Version           : WINDOWS:97
Issue type        : kbinfo

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