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ClifFlag for United States of America

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Mail Merge and Paragraph Formatting

Using Word 2010

I have a document that looks something like this:
Name: _________________________________________
Address:_______________________________________
City:______________ State: ____ Zip: __________

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I want to fill in the values, but need the underlines to stay and the positions of State and Zip to remain where they are (horizonatlly).

In other words, when values are captured from the database the result needs to look something like this (but with the values underlined, of course):
Name: _John Smith______________________________
Address:_123 Main St___________________________
City:_Anytown______ State: _TX_ Zip: _12345____

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What is currently happening is that I get something more like this:
Name: _John Smith________________________________________
Address:_123 Main St______________________________________
City:_Anytown_____________ State: _TX___ Zip: _12345_________

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I'm thinking, if I use lines, that will take care of the required underline, but I can't stop the existing text from moving around when the data field are inserted.

How do I?

TIA
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Flyster
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Have you tried using a table? You can set it up in the same format you have and use borders for your underlines.

Flyster
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ASKER

The document is an existing document from our customer.  It's a bit more complex than the example I sued above (including one line that wraps to a second line).

Now that you know that, do you still think a table is a viable solution?
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ASKER

I found a solution (sort of).  

With the lines as I suggested, I can use a text box to contain the merge fields.  The only problem is the one line that wraps.  How would you suggest I handle that?

For example, part of the existing document looks something like this:
The property located at: _____________________________________
______________________________________.  At this property, the

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I need it to look like this (once again, the text should be underlined):
The property located at: _123 North Main St, Anytown, ________
Connecticut  24153____________________.  At this property, the

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Take a look at this table and let me lnow if this would work for you.
Table.docx
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ASKER

As I stated in my reply to your suggestion that I should use a table, the actual document is much more complex than the example I provided.  This is also coupled with the fact that the document is already existing, so major modifications such as converting it all to a table is more than is logistically possible.

I did figure out that I could use a textbox for each field, and that does work.  However my problem now is one field will wrap from the middle of one line down to the next line (see my example in my post #36319467 above).
If this is coming from a mail merge, you should be able to set up your fields in order that will expand the text as needed. Once you insert them into your document, highlight them and select underline. All text in the fiels will now be underlined. See attached. Use Alt+f9 to reveal the codes.
MailMerge.docx
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GrahamSkan
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ASKER

As I said, I have already figured out how to insert text in the document with underline and without moving the existing text around.

Y'all may have great ideas, but I can't back out of what I've done so far to try it your way.
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ASKER

But thanks anyway.  :)
I don't understand you penultimate comment. Do you have a satisfactory solution over and above the one in your comment #36319467, in which you said there was a problem with line wrapping?

My suggestion in comment #36320227 does not have that problem.
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ASKER

GrahamSkan,
Actually your comment about tab stops solved my problem, but not in the way you suggested.

I'm still using text boxes to locate my merge fields and have found the text boxes have tabs of their own.  I have laid out the text box  for full page width and height of both lines.  I then set the first line indent tab where I needed and the left tab to where it will wrap, and all works perfectly.

Flyster,
Sorry, but I couldn't make your suggestions work with the way I was working.