Forum Discussion
drop-down list vs if-then vs ??
Based on what you've described, my own recommendation would be to use Excel as your data source, but Word (specifically Word's Mail Merge capability) as the place were output takes place. Word has the ability to do "conditional" merges--so it could handle the gender appropriate pronoun, for example And if you have in Excel a series of rows consisting of Title, Name, Gender, CourseName, Grade.... Mail Merge could run off a whole series of letters, adapting to the conditions per your instructions.
It'll be tricky learning it, but it's VERY do-able in that kind of combination. Do some searches in Word Help (or here in the Word techcommunity) or on Google....searching for "conditional mail merge" or terms like that.
FWIW, you might find it challenging to try to write one process that handles ALL conditions. It's possible; it's cause for celebration if/when you succeed. But you might preserve your sanity more effectively by writing one mail merge letter that handles those who successfully complete; another for those who don't. Just a thought, after re-reading the potential complexities here.
The drop-down stuff is relatively easy (sounds like you've already gotten that mastered). The conditionals for the output are not all that hard, but make it easier for yourself by being willing to have two (or maybe even three?) letters for the fundamental categories. Then you can be more creative WITHIN, say, the successful. One size doesn't necessarily fit all.
mathetesThank you for your reply! I've looked into the mail merge function and agree it looks like something I could create, but the problem is that I will not be the one actually using this to create the final reports - rather it will be about a dozen different people creating reports for their respective classes, and I'm not sure that it would be feasible for them all to go through this process even after I set up a template. The best possible scenario is where there is only one program for them to deal with. One of the instructors has told me that in a previous job, he had an excel file with all the drop-down choices to select, and the text would appear in a larger cell below as he went through all the drop-downs. Is there a way to have something like the mail merge program be embedded in the excel document?
Thank you!
Oh, my. That IS a challenge. My own sense, however, is that getting something like that to work solely in Excel would actually be more difficult for that diverse group of instructors--especially if they're older folks (I say that as a 78 year old; I'm well aware that most of my contemporaries aren't as comfortable with computers as am I)--than would something using Word. More people are more familiar with Word, in general, albeit not with mail merge....
And to produce a series of letters for different students (or whatever), in Excel, would require a VBA or macro routine, whereas in Word mail merge that's exactly what it does with whatever population has been selected.
But I'll defer to others here who may have had experience producing the kind of letter you're describing from Excel. I know it's got remarkable capabilities, and know also that I've not tapped into all of them.