Mail Merge - Macro - Word 2000

[David J]

I am unable to record Mail Merge in a macro. I can record other functions in
Word but for some reason nothing is recorded when I try to record Mail Merge
actions. I have tried using both mouse only and keyboard only. I have also
uninstalled and reinstalled Word 2000, but to no avail.
Suggestions for overcoming this problem would be very welcome!

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi David,

I am unable to record Mail Merge in a macro. I can record other functions in
Word but for some reason nothing is recorded when I try to record Mail Merge
actions. I have tried using both mouse only and keyboard only. I have also
uninstalled and reinstalled Word 2000, but to no avail.
Suggestions for overcoming this problem would be very welcome!

What types of actions, more specifically, are you trying to record? I'm quite
certain Word 2000 does record connecting to the data source...

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Sep 30 2003)
http://www.word.mvps.org

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[David J]

Hi Cindy,
Thanks for your response.
The actions I am trying to record are:
Tools > Mail Merge > Document Type > Mailing Labels > Merge > from another
type of file > \XYZ\DataSource.txt > Do you want to use entries in 1st row
.... > Yes > Tab Separator Character > Set Up Button > Label Options > OK >
Insert Merge Field > etc ... > OK > Merge (to new document) > Merge button.
All these actions are performed OK and the correct result appears on the
page, but all that is recorded in the macro is as follows (from the Edit
button):

Sub Macroxxxx()
'
' Macroxxxx Macro
' Macro recorded 3/02/04 by PC
'
ActiveDocument.mailmerge.MainDocumentType = wdMailingLabels
End Sub

Regards,
David

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi David,

The actions I am trying to record are:
Tools > Mail Merge > Document Type > Mailing Labels

Right. Recording a merge for labels is definitely a no-go.

Do you really need the entire thing in a macro? Surely, if
your merges would always be using the same labels you could
start by setting up a TEMPLATE for the labels?

What part of the process is it important to have automated
that simply saving a template of the label sheet doesn't
achieve? (Note: you do know you can close the Mail Merge
Helper and save the label sheet you just set up, without
running the mail merge?)

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update
Sep 30 2003)
http://www.word.mvps.org

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follow question or reply in the newsgroup and not by e-mail

 

[David J]

Cindy, thanks very much for the info. Actually, I don't have a practical
need for it; I was just experimenting with various features of Word 2000
and this one had me puzzled. I agree with your practical solutions. But why
is recording a merge for labels a no-no in Word 2000 and yet it works OK in
Word 6? It would have been nice if an error message appeared to show that
the macro was no longer recording! Are there many other functions in Word
2000 that are not available for recording as macros?
David

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi David,

But why
is recording a merge for labels a no-no in Word 2000 and yet it works OK in
Word 6? It would have been nice if an error message appeared to show that
the macro was no longer recording! Are there many other functions in Word
2000 that are not available for recording as macros?

Not a "no-no", just a "no-go". IOW, it just doesn't work; the macro
recorder doesn't "see" the labels dialog, for some reason. Perhaps
due to the new functionality (custom labels) they built into it
<shrug>? There are other dialog boxes that get the same treatment, as
well. No one (outside of the dev team at MS) knows WHY, though.

Note that the interfaces are there in VBA; it can be programmed. If
you're curious as to how the code would look, you can search the
Knowledge Base on microsoft.com. There's an HowTo article there
written for automating Word from VB (Something like "how to mail merge
labels in Word", although I'm sure it's not exactly that title). The
basic code works just as well within Word...

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Sep 30 2003)
http://www.word.mvps.org

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[David J]

Thanks, Cindy, for your helpful advice and perseverance. I will pursue your
suggestion re VBA (I have been writing computer programs in many languages
since 1959).
Kind regards, David