exporting data from Word 2003 form; CSV conversion unsuccessful...

[LostInTranslation]

Hello,

I would appreciate any assistance on the following: I've done a form in Word
with 246 fields and need to export it to an Excel or Access file. So far,
I've failed, having attempted setting the file conversion to comma-delimited,
tab-delimited, and comma + tab-delimited formats.

I'd set up an Excel spreadsheet, with column titles corresponding to the
bookmarks I'd given the fields - the results are out of synch.

I've followed the steps in these guides: MS Office online - Import a Word
text file into Access
(http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/word/HP051898171033.aspx?pid=CH063560211033);
MS Office online - Save form data for use in a database or spreadsheet
(http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/word/HP051895761033.aspx?pid=CH063563531033);
Exporting Word Form Data
(http://www.computorcompanion.com/LPMArticle.asp?ID=238).

The last article recommends using Visual Basic code for a large number of
forms, which is beyond my scope.

Any help would be appreciated - please let me know what further information
I might need to provide.

Thank you

 

[Peter Jamieson]

FWIW I am able to create a data file here with 255 fields and import it
successfully into Access.

Have you tried saving your form with very simple data (e.g. just one
character or digit in each field) ? If you do that, at what point in the
Access data import process does the problem occur. Also, in the Access data
import process,
a. do you select "Delimited"
b. do you ensure "first row contains field names" is unchecked
c. when you click the Advanced button, you should see a list of all the
fields it thinks are in the file. Can you see where its proposed list starts
to diverge from yours?

If you enter any double-quote characters in your form, the import will
almost certainly fail, because Word surrounds each field value by
double-quote characters. This is to ensure that field delimiter characters
in the data (in my case, commas) are treated as part of the data and not
treated as field delimiters. However, Word should really also "double up"
double-quote characters entered in the form for similar reasons - the Access
data importer treats a "" inside a field value as a single " in the data and
not as a delimiter. There could conceivably be problems with other
characters (perhaps paragraph marks, for example)

FInally, when you save your data fiel from Word, do you see an Encoding
dialog box? If so, you leave the encoding as Windows (Default) ?

Peter Jamieson

 

[kbearhome]

I found that the option buttons don't export from Word; they come across as
"". When I right click on the button and select convert, it says it is a
Microsoft Forms 2.0 option button. I thought all forms fields would export.

 

[Peter Jamieson]

No< i think only the "Online forms" fields, which are internal Word things.
The other field types are embedded ActiveX/OLE type controls and I generally
try to avoid them so don't know how they would behave in that scenario.

Peter Jamieson

 

[kbearhome]

I decided to remove them also because if the macro security is high, you
can't use them. Thank you.