Add conditions to Data Merge
There should be conditions in data merge to include or exclude text based on the data in a record. For example.e consider a set of business cards. Some users might have a Twitter handle or mobile number, some might not. Currently there is no way to omit empty fields and any text that might fo with it, line an "M" and tab to prefix a mobile number and the line break after it. There should be a way to make that text conditional on whether the field is empty or what is in it.
e.g. IF @mobile<>"",M^t@mobile^p,,)
If the mobile number is not blank ad M, tab, the mobile number, then a return. If it is blank add nothing.
e.g. IF @*** ="F",Mrs.,IF @***="M",Mr.,
If the *** of the record is F insert “Mrs.”. If *** is M insert, "Mr.". If it is neither of those insert nothing.
This makes cleaning up long merged documents much easier.
Scott Falkner | ACP
shared this idea
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Paul Bittner
commented
Conditions (as IF - THEN - ELSE) is a very useful feature and it is very simple to use. A real quick win!
In our daily work when creating documenation it would make our life so much easier. Today we have to do difficult work-arounds with our data base. What could be resolved with a simple condition must be realized with an extensive programming for adapting our data export file.
In other cases we have to duplicate documents just because there is the need for some data sets not to display a certain line (because there is no data in a data field).