
For example, if you selectĪnd apply bold formatting, Word retains the bold formatting when the field is updated when the author name changes. To quote from Help, the MERGEFORMAT switch applies “theįormatting of the previous result to the new result. Using (or not using) the MergeFormat switch IF fields can be made more powerful than this, because you can nestįor example, you can create a field with logic such as: “IfĬondition 1 is met, then if Condition 2 is also met, displayīoth conditions are met, display Result 1 ” A real example mightĪgain, all of the curly brackets must be inserted by pressing Ctrl+F9. Where the curly brackets represent field braces, which you must insertīy pressing Ctrl+F9 (you can't type them). Insert different series of boilerplate files, depending on certainĬonditions stored in the data file, which could be used, for example, inĪt its simplest, an IF field works as follows: If a condition is metĭisplay one result, otherwise display another. At a more sophisticated level they can be used to

Main body of a letter or other mail merge document for things likeĭepending on gender.

Why and HowĪlmost any mail merge will work better if you use IF fields, as theįrequently used scenarios discussed below attempt to illustrate.Īt their simplest, they can be used to suppress unwanted spaces andĬommas in an address, if a field is blank. Using (or not using) the MergeFormat switch 1.Inserting files at certain points in a document, depending on various conditions.Inserting different text, depending on various mail merge field conditions, in a document such as an offer letter or contract.Displaying gender-specific information in a letter.Suppressing unwanted spaces and commas within a line of an address.Making your mail merge “intelligent” by using IF fields
