Mailmerge recipients

[Sonja]

Hello
I am currently using Word 2003 mailmerge with Access 97. I have four
different letters that are merged with Access 97 database tables. There are
multiple users that use the database and letters. Is there a setting that
will allow the tick marks in the mailmerge window to clear after the
recipients have been merged. I would like it so that the only items that are
selected when it is time to merge are the items that have been currently
input into the database.

 

[Peter Jamieson]

There isn't an option like that.

I guess the refresh button in Edit Recipients does not do what you need,
either.

selected when it is time to merge are the items that have been currently
input into the database.

Typically, it is quite difficult to arrange that the list of records to be
merged is /only/ the list of records that have not been merged previously.
You either have to
a. get Word to select records based on when they were created - e.g., if
you were merging every hour, you might be able to specify records created in
the last hour or so (say). But then something has to be inserting a field
that says when the record was created. And you are probably never going to
get exactly the right records. Or
b. have a process that marks records as merged in your data source after
you have sucessfully merged them. But then you typically want to be
absolutely sure that you have merged them and do not need to re-merge them,
before marking them. And even that is not completely trivial - if you
automate Word to do it and it just updates your records as soon as it has
completed its output, there's always the risk that the output does not print
correctly (for example).

 

[Sonja]

Thank you Peter. I think I have come up with a solution. I have added
another field to my table in access with yes/no format defaulted to yes.
Then I created a query that will update the yes's to no's. I have the query
run as soon as the form is open to start the letters. This will allow the
current entries to have the default which is yes, in the field as I input the
rest of my information in the table. Once I have completed the letters I will
do the mailmerge and filter to all yes's. Thanks but you did give me the
idea by mentioning "get Word to select records based on when they were
created".
thanks again