Merge fields in Word updated automatically?

[Joe]

Hello,

I am running Word 2000 along with Access 2000 (with
Windows 98se). I have a simple address database in Access
(FirstName, LastName, Street, Zip, etc.) and want to
create tables in Word by merging (or "insert database").
I can do such, but I cannot figure out how to get the
table to update automatically when I change something in
the Access file.

I want to have several printable formats of this
infomation from Access. The people's names and numbers
are constantly changing, and I do not want to have to
recreate each Word document everytime someone's info is
updated.

How can I get a merged table to be updated automatically
when a field in Access changes or is updated?

Thanks and make it a great day!

Joe

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi Joe,

You can't get a merged table to update - there's no dynamic
link in a merge result. But you should be able to manage
something using "Insert database".

When you do this, in the very last dialog box, there's an
inncuous appearing checkbox. Activate this, and you should
have a link back to the database table.

To force the update, click on the table and press F9.

I am running Word 2000 along with Access 2000 (with
Windows 98se). I have a simple address database in Access
(FirstName, LastName, Street, Zip, etc.) and want to
create tables in Word by merging (or "insert database").
I can do such, but I cannot figure out how to get the
table to update automatically when I change something in
the Access file.

I want to have several printable formats of this
infomation from Access. The people's names and numbers
are constantly changing, and I do not want to have to
recreate each Word document everytime someone's info is
updated.

How can I get a merged table to be updated automatically
when a field in Access changes or is updated?

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

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[Peter Jamieson]

If you use the merge approach, you do have to recreate the output document
each time you change your Access data. but you could consider writing an
Access macro or VBA function to do that so you didn't have to open each Word
document manually and re-merge it.

If you are just using Insert database, make sure you choose the optin to
insert the database as a field (it will be a { DATABASE } field). Then, all
you should need to do is open each document, select its contents, and press
F9 to get the up-to-date data before printing. If necessary you could do the
same as above (e.g. write an Access macro/function to do this automatically)
or you could put an AutoOpen macro in each Word document to select all the
field and execute them.