Question : Create Printable Report from Excel Data

Hello,

I am trying to figure out what should be a very simple answer to a simple problem.

I have an Excel spreadsheet that looks similar to the following:

Name, Attribute 1, Attribute 2, Attribute 3
John Doe, ABC, DEF, GHI
John Doe, QWE, ERT, TYU
Jane Doe, QQQ, WWW, EEE

etc.

There are multiple entries for each individual; some have up to 15 entries, some have less. I want to print a report for John Doe which, for instance, states:

Name: John Doe
Line 1: ABC, DEF, GHI
Line 2: QWE, ERT, TYU

I want there to be a page break before the next person. These are reports which will be mailed to the individual. I want all of the lines, regardless of how many, to be listed under the person's name.

I don't want to use Access or any other database mechanism. I would like something as trivial as Mail Merge. I don't think that Mail Merge has the capabilities I need, unfortunately. If it were just a little bit more advanced it might. I want parameters such as putting in page breaks after the individual, not repeating grouping data [such as name], etc.

My fallback solution is to write a Java application which loops through and outputs HTML that can be printed to a PDF.

I am sure there must be some simple way, [like Mail Merge], to do this, however. I am trying to train someone and would like the ability to custom tailor this to the data without being stuck in the rigidity of a custom-coded program like Java would produce. Is there some way to do this with VBA or Macros? Is there some shareware program out there that acts like Mail Merge for Word with advanced functionality?

Thanks,
Joseph Irvine

Answer : Create Printable Report from Excel Data

Hello jkeagle,

you can actually use mail merge for that. Here are a few links to articles that describe the how. It's not trivial, but it can be done.


http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=294686

here's a tutorial

http://lounge.windowssecrets.com/index.php?showtopic=731107&hl=mail%20merge%20tutorial&st=0

cheers, teylyn