what is a header file in mail merge and why would i need it?

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Bud - 16 Oct 2007 00:38 GMT

I am writing a macro in word that manages a mail merge. I see instructions
that mention a header file. I have a data file which is arranged as a table
with headers. Why would I need a header file?

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Graham Mayor - 16 Oct 2007 06:26 GMT

You won't need it for this data source.

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP

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> I am writing a macro in word that manages a mail merge. I see
> instructions that mention a header file. I have a data file which is
> arranged as a table with headers. Why would I need a header file?

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Peter Jamieson - 16 Oct 2007 07:52 GMT

As Graham says, you won't need it for this data source. Support for header
files has been disappearing since Word 2002 (XP).

The basic idea of header files is that they allow a user to work with
mailmerge fields (e.g. insert them from a list) in a mail merge main
document, even when they have not attached a specific data file. (People can
insert merge fields without a header file but they have to do it manually
and they have to know the names of the fields). It may be helpful in the
situation where users work with different data files, each of which has the
same fields in it. If you did not have header files, then the alternative
would be to attach a specific data file, and what if it is not there when
the user re-opens the mail merge main document?

Peter Jamieson

>I am writing a macro in word that manages a mail merge. I see instructions
> that mention a header file. I have a data file which is arranged as a
> table
> with headers. Why would I need a header file?

Reply to this Message