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, 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 go with it, like 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 add M, tab, the mobile number, then a return. If it is blank add nothing.
e.g. IF @seⅹ ="F",Mrs.,IF @* seⅹ*="M",Mr.,
If the seⅹ 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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Charlie commented
I'm on a campaign to banish Microsoft Word from our mailings workflow. I had hoped to replace it with InDesign, but without conditional data merge as described above, I can't. So I'd really like to see this feature.
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Keith Fink
commented
The lack of this basic feature has been a great frustration of mine, as well.
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Todd
commented
Woh, this would be a tasty feature. My case, I have a street address, cross street, and phone number:
<<street address>>
(<<cross street>>)
<<phone number>>With the Remove Lines for blank fields, should collapse to:
<<street address>>
<<phone number>>But the parentheses prevents that feature from working. So keep (or add) the parentheses if the field is not blank.
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S
commented
I concur. Adobe?