HTML text in Merge Field

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TM360 - 11 Aug 2005 19:07 GMT

Our application uses Word to do Mail Merges. The datasource is a tab
delimited text file that is generated from data in the database. We do
nothing to specify what the merge field delimiter is. Word normally
recognizes that it is a tab and it all works fine.

The problem happens when this text is included in the data that is merged
into one of the merge fields - <HTML>.

If <HTML> is included in the data that is merged, Word pops up the Select
Delimiter dialog box. This is not acceptable as the application that does
the merges runs unattended. I also can't seem to get the merge to work even
if I specify the correct delimiters (tab for the fields and return for the
records).

Has anyone else encountered this? Anybody know of a solution?

Note that it doesn't seem to be a problem if there are other HTML elements
in the merge. For example there can be <b>, <br>, <a href...> and so on.
These don't cause a problem. Just <HTML>.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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Cindy M -WordMVP- - 13 Aug 2005 09:19 GMT

Hi Tm360,

How about if you put each field's content into "quotes"? I'd be surprised if
Word balks at something like "HTML inside of quotes".

> Our application uses Word to do Mail Merges. The datasource is a tab
> delimited text file that is generated from data in the database. We do
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
> in the merge. For example there can be <b>, <br>, <a href...> and so on.
> These don't cause a problem. Just <HTML>.

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 8 2004)
http://www.word.mvps.org

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question or reply
in the newsgroup and not by e-mail :-)

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TM360 - 15 Aug 2005 22:24 GMT

Actually the field's content is in quotes. And it's weird. It isn't a
problem if HTML elements other than <HTML> are included.

> Hi Tm360,
>
[quoted text clipped - 34 lines]
> reply
> in the newsgroup and not by e-mail :-)

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Cindy M -WordMVP- - 20 Aug 2005 10:41 GMT

Hi Tm360,

> Actually the field's content is in quotes. And it's weird. It isn't a
> problem if HTML elements other than <HTML> are included.

Sorry about not responding more promptly; very, very busy at the moment.

Could you send me a small sample data file with this and I'll see what I
can come up with? (I'll also pass it along to MS if I can't come up with a
way to use it, in the hopes it will get corrected in a future version)

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 8 2004)
http://www.word.mvps.org

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question or
reply in the newsgroup and not by e-mail :-)

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