Here are a few things you could try.

First, in simple cases it is possible to use a DATABASE field with a query
that correlates data from a "child" table with a "parent" table. Typically,
you use the parent table as the data source for a merge, then insert a
DATABASE field that selects some of the data from the child table, then
change the WHERE clause so that does e.g.

WHERE matching_child_column = '{ MERGEFIELD matching_parent_column }'

However, this approach has several drawbacks (you have to cope with the "0
records" case specially, getting the columns and titles you want can be
difficult, and you are limited to the built-in table formatting available
with the DATABASE field unless you postprocess the results.

Second, if your data contains a count of the number of rows you need, you
can use an INCLUDETEXT (or perhaps AUTOTEXT) field to include a table of a
particular size. e.g. you might have a field called table_rows, then use a
nested INCLUDETEXT such as

{ INCLUDETEXT "c:\\mytable\\rows{ MERGEFIELD table_rows }.doc" }

or you might have all the tables in one document and bookmark each of them

{ INCLUDETEXT "c:\\mytable\\rows.doc" "bm{ MERGEFIELD table_rows }" }

In this case you can either keep all the data in the denormalised state you
have at the moment, or revert to a multi-row solution where you use the
correct number of { NEXT } fields in the included tables.

The trouble is that in this case you can end up with similar formatting
problems to the ones where you insert the tables directly into an IF field.
I always assume that this results from the fact that two paragraph formats
that are potentially applicable - one from the paragraph in the including
document, then all the formatting of the paragraphs in the included
document.

Third, if you are using Word 2002 or later, you could consider using VBA and
Mailmerge events, have a table_rows field as in (b) (or otherwise determine
the number of rows), then use VBA to look at the value of table_rows and
stuff the correct table layout directly into the mail merge main document.
IMO that is probably the approach that is most likely to give you the output
format you need.

--
Peter Jamieson - Word MVP
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org/

Sharon,

What other use do you make of the information in the database?  If you email
me a copy of the Word form that you use (dkr@mvps.org), I will take a look
at it.   My personal opinion is that your Advanced Database Instructor has
gone about this backwards.

Regards,
Doug Robbins - Word MVP