Merge source

[Dixie]

I just need to know at this stage if this is possible. Can I automate Word
2000 mailmerge from Access 2000 such that the automation code has the
location of the merge data in it and the mailmerge letter does not itself
need to know where to look for its merge data? I know you can tell it where
the data is in the automation code in Access, but I don't seeem to be able
to build a mailmerge Word template that doesn't have a destination for the
data to merge.

 

[Doug Robbins]

It certainly is. Take a look at the information on fellow MVP Albert
Kallal's website at

http://www.members.shaw.ca/AlbertKallal/wordmerge/index.html


--
Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP

 

[Dixie]

I read all that Doug and I must admit that I don't see how it relates to my
problem. I am happy with my automation code, but just need to be able to
build many templates for my automated letters which receive the instruction
for where their merge data file is located from the automation code itself
and not have it inserted in the mailmerge template. This way, it doesn't
matter which directory the data text file is sent to, the mailmerge will
still find it.

dixie

 

[Doug Robbins]

Check out OpenDataSource in the Visual Basic help file. It attaches a data
source to the specified document, which becomes a main document if it's not
one already.

Here is the example that is given there:

With docNew.MailMerge
.MainDocumentType = wdFormLetters
.OpenDataSource _
Name:="C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office" & _
"\Office\Samples\Northwind.mdb", _
LinkToSource:=True, AddToRecentFiles:=False, _
Connection:="TABLE Orders"
End With

--
Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP

 

[Dixie]

My main problem is how do I get the fields into the mailmerge document in
the first place if it has no source for the mailmerge data nominated inside?

dixie

 

[Dixie]

My visual basic help file does not have a reference to OpenDataSource - it
is the Office 2000 one.

dixie

 

[Doug Robbins]

Using the Fields item from the Insert menu, you can insert mergefields.
They will not work of course until there is a data source attached to the
document and the names of the fields that were inserted manually by this
method must match the names of the fields in the data source.

--
Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP

 

[Doug Robbins]

In the visual basic editor, type

ActiveDocument.MailMerge.

After typing the period after MailMerge, the intellisense will display a
list of options which will include OpenDataSource or something equivalent (I
don't have access to 2000 so cannot check). If you select that item and
then press F1, you will get the help information for it.

--
Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP

 

[Graham Mayor]

As long as you know the field names, you can manually insert fields into
your document without first attaching a data file using CTRL+F9 to set the
field boundaries and the following syntax - {Mergefield fieldname}

--
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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>

 

[Dixie]

Ah, the light goes on. Thankyou. I am embarassed I didn't think of that.

Thankyou Graham and Doug. I will play around with these concepts and see
what comes of them. Unfortunately, I am up to my hair clips in work right
now, but as soon as I can, I will devote some time to it.

dixie