Adapted for the web by Valeria Ciancimino Additional Notes 1. It is often easier to work with large databases in either Access or Excel . Such data sources are easily used in an MS Word mail merge. The Access field names of a table are automatically available as merge field codes in an MS Word Merge document. In Excel the first row of each data column must be the field name for that data column.
All databases consist of records and field.
As long as there are unique separators or delimiters between fields, the data can be imported into Word so as to be used in a mail merge. Finding the best way to do this may involve consulting with PC support staff. In a word processor the most frequent delimiter between records is a carriage return . A space or comma may be used as a delimiter between field, but probably the safest character to use is the tab character. A database created in a word in which filed are delimited by tab characters and records are separated by carriage return can be read in Excel and Access.