ZIP code with zero as first digit

  • Thread starter Thread starter Peter Serratore
  • Start date Start date
P

Peter Serratore

Hi all--

I searched the knowledge base, and did a search through
this newsgroup, but couldn't find an answer that I could
work with or understand.

This is a common problem with Excel, and I can't remember
how to solve it...

I'm using the mail merge wizard in Word to create labels
from data in an Excel worksheet.

I'm dealing with 5-digit ZIP codes that sometimes begin
with zero. The Excel worksheet displays them correctly,
but when I execute the mail merge, the first zeroes are
gone.

I read two answers to this (to previous postings) by
Microsoft MVPs, but one was WAY over my head (a
subroutine, whatever that is), and the other said that
I'd get a "Confirm data source" dialogue box that I could
use to fix the problem. I never get a box by that name.

Can anyone give me the solution? I knew it once, but it
vanished (maybe the dog ate it!).

Thanks,

-Peter
 
What I usually do rather than having to reformat my data in Excel each time
I import something is modify the field code in Word. On your zip code merge
field in Word, right-click and select Toggle Field Codes. Just before the
right curly bracket, enter something like

\# 00000

This will ensure that there are always five digits in the zip code field.

HTH
Mike
 
Hi--

Thanks for getting back on this.
Let me ask you a further question: what exactly is the
ZIP code merge field?
My guess is that it's the dialogue box that comes up
during the mail-merge process, that displays the Excel
worksheet that you'll be using, and lets you sort the
data and do other nasty things to it before importing.

Thanks again,

-Peter
 
Back
Top