OpenDataSource SQL Server xpress problem

[Poppa Bear]

using :
VS 2005 SE 2 ............ NOT VSTO
Word 2003
Office Interop v 10
Word Interop v 10


Trying to Mailmerge Word 2003 Document with Database.
1. With ACCESS.mdb works fine (lines (A) and (B) below active (C) and (D)
commented out

2. With SQL Server get message about failed to connect. (C) and (D) active
(A) and (B) commented out.

Using same Template file (CVSTemplate3.dot). Access and SQL server Xpress
DBs have same tables and data

Also get a dialog box about "Header Record Delimiters" telling me Data
fields and Data Records must be separated by delimiters. Haven't the faintest
idea what this refers to (sorry) . Can someone help please ? The connection
string for the SQL Server version is the same as I use in the main program
code to open the SQLServer Database - which works fine there, using Windows
Authentification. Have trawled the MS website and others for info with no
success. You are my last hope ! Help --- Please !!

Code snippets :

Private Sub btnOpenWord_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As
System.EventArgs) Handles btnOpenWord.Click
Dim wrdApp As Word.Application =
CType(CreateObject("Word.Application"), Word.Application)
Dim wrdDoc As Word.Document =
CType(wrdApp.Documents.Add("CVSTemplate3.dot", False,
Word.WdDocumentType.wdTypeDocument, True), Word.Document)

Dim sqlQuery As String = "SELECT * FROM [tblEmployees] WHERE
EmployeeLastName LIKE '" & "Jones" & "';"

'' For ACCESS version
'Dim sDBPath As String = "C:\WORK\DBTestEmp.mdb"
'*********************** (A)
'Dim strConnect = System.Type.Missing
'*********************** (B)

'' FOR SQL SERVER Express version
Dim sDBPath As String = "C:\WORK\dbSQLEmpTest.mdf" '
**********************(C)
Dim strConnect As String = "Data
Source=c7e6i3;Database=dbSQLEmpTest;Integrated Security=True;" '
*********************(D)

Try
With wrdDoc.MailMerge
.MainDocumentType = Word.WdMailMergeMainDocType.wdFormLetters
.OpenDataSource(Name:=sDBPath, Connection:=strConnect,
SQLStatement:=sqlQuery)
.Destination = Word.WdMailMergeDestination.wdSendToNewDocument
.Execute(Pause:=False)
End With
Catch ex As Exception
MessageBox.Show(ex.Message)
End Try
wrdApp.Visible = True
End Sub

 

[Peter Jamieson]

Typically you do not access the .mdf file directly, but via the SQL Server
database manager which in this case is probably running on your local
system. To do that from Word you provide either a .odc ("Office Data
Connection") file or a .udl "Universal Data Link" file, which in turn
contains the connection information.

..odc files can be created manually by clicking the New Source button in the
Open Data Source dialog, selecting the "Microsoft SQL Server" option, then
follow the dialogs. However, you can also try using a completely empty .odc
file (e.g. create an empty .txt file in Notepad, save it, and rename it to
empty.odc. Then (assuming you put that in c:\work) try

'' FOR SQL SERVER Express version

Dim sDBPath As String = "C:\WORK\empty.odc" '

**********************(C)

Dim strConnect As String = "Provider=SQLOLEDB.1;Data
Source=c7e6i3;Database=dbSQLEmpTest;Integrated Security=True;"

for the older SQL OLE DB provider

or maybe

Dim strConnect As String = "Provider=SQLNCLI;Data
Source=c7e6i3;Database=dbSQLEmpTest;Integrated Security=True;"

for the newer "Native Client".

For the Data Source parameter you will either need the machine name of the
server - if that is c7e6i3 then you may be OK, or that name + "\SQLEXPRESS",
e.g.

Data Source=c7e6i3\SQLEXPRESS

There may be more to it than that, but start there...

--
Peter Jamieson
http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk

using :
VS 2005 SE 2 ............ NOT VSTO
Word 2003
Office Interop v 10
Word Interop v 10


Trying to Mailmerge Word 2003 Document with Database.
1. With ACCESS.mdb works fine (lines (A) and (B) below active (C) and
(D)
commented out

2. With SQL Server get message about failed to connect. (C) and (D) active
(A) and (B) commented out.

Using same Template file (CVSTemplate3.dot). Access and SQL server Xpress
DBs have same tables and data

Also get a dialog box about "Header Record Delimiters" telling me Data
fields and Data Records must be separated by delimiters. Haven't the
faintest
idea what this refers to (sorry) . Can someone help please ? The
connection
string for the SQL Server version is the same as I use in the main program
code to open the SQLServer Database - which works fine there, using
Windows
Authentification. Have trawled the MS website and others for info with no
success. You are my last hope ! Help --- Please !!

Code snippets :

Private Sub btnOpenWord_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As
System.EventArgs) Handles btnOpenWord.Click
Dim wrdApp As Word.Application =
CType(CreateObject("Word.Application"), Word.Application)
Dim wrdDoc As Word.Document =
CType(wrdApp.Documents.Add("CVSTemplate3.dot", False,
Word.WdDocumentType.wdTypeDocument, True), Word.Document)

Dim sqlQuery As String = "SELECT * FROM [tblEmployees] WHERE
EmployeeLastName LIKE '" & "Jones" & "';"

'' For ACCESS version
'Dim sDBPath As String = "C:\WORK\DBTestEmp.mdb"
'*********************** (A)
'Dim strConnect = System.Type.Missing
'*********************** (B)

'' FOR SQL SERVER Express version
Dim sDBPath As String = "C:\WORK\dbSQLEmpTest.mdf" '
**********************(C)
Dim strConnect As String = "Data
Source=c7e6i3;Database=dbSQLEmpTest;Integrated Security=True;" '
*********************(D)

Try
With wrdDoc.MailMerge
.MainDocumentType =
Word.WdMailMergeMainDocType.wdFormLetters
.OpenDataSource(Name:=sDBPath, Connection:=strConnect,
SQLStatement:=sqlQuery)
.Destination =
Word.WdMailMergeDestination.wdSendToNewDocument
.Execute(Pause:=False)
End With
Catch ex As Exception
MessageBox.Show(ex.Message)
End Try
wrdApp.Visible = True
End Sub

 

[Poppa Bear]

Thanks a lot Peter. Have not had chance to try it yet - but will as soon as I
can. People like you are wonderful but it baffles me why I can't find any
explanation of these things on the Microsoft Help or elsewhere, and why are
all the examples for Access files and none (that I could find) for SQL Server
?. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong place. Are there any good books on the
subject ?

Yes I should have said that the Server is a localhost but you guessed that
correctly. Many thanks for your time and help. My partner is grateful as
well !!! Will let you know if it works or doesn't ! .
--
Poppa

Typically you do not access the .mdf file directly, but via the SQL Server
database manager which in this case is probably running on your local
system. To do that from Word you provide either a .odc ("Office Data
Connection") file or a .udl "Universal Data Link" file, which in turn
contains the connection information.

..odc files can be created manually by clicking the New Source button in the
Open Data Source dialog, selecting the "Microsoft SQL Server" option, then
follow the dialogs. However, you can also try using a completely empty .odc
file (e.g. create an empty .txt file in Notepad, save it, and rename it to
empty.odc. Then (assuming you put that in c:\work) try

'' FOR SQL SERVER Express version

Dim sDBPath As String = "C:\WORK\empty.odc" '

**********************(C)

Dim strConnect As String = "Provider=SQLOLEDB.1;Data
Source=c7e6i3;Database=dbSQLEmpTest;Integrated Security=True;"

for the older SQL OLE DB provider

or maybe

Dim strConnect As String = "Provider=SQLNCLI;Data
Source=c7e6i3;Database=dbSQLEmpTest;Integrated Security=True;"

for the newer "Native Client".

For the Data Source parameter you will either need the machine name of the
server - if that is c7e6i3 then you may be OK, or that name + "\SQLEXPRESS",
e.g.

Data Source=c7e6i3\SQLEXPRESS

There may be more to it than that, but start there...

--
Peter Jamieson
http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk

using :
VS 2005 SE 2 ............ NOT VSTO
Word 2003
Office Interop v 10
Word Interop v 10


Trying to Mailmerge Word 2003 Document with Database.
1. With ACCESS.mdb works fine (lines (A) and (B) below active (C) and
(D)
commented out

2. With SQL Server get message about failed to connect. (C) and (D) active
(A) and (B) commented out.

Using same Template file (CVSTemplate3.dot). Access and SQL server Xpress
DBs have same tables and data

Also get a dialog box about "Header Record Delimiters" telling me Data
fields and Data Records must be separated by delimiters. Haven't the
faintest
idea what this refers to (sorry) . Can someone help please ? The
connection
string for the SQL Server version is the same as I use in the main program
code to open the SQLServer Database - which works fine there, using
Windows
Authentification. Have trawled the MS website and others for info with no
success. You are my last hope ! Help --- Please !!

Code snippets :

Private Sub btnOpenWord_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As
System.EventArgs) Handles btnOpenWord.Click
Dim wrdApp As Word.Application =
CType(CreateObject("Word.Application"), Word.Application)
Dim wrdDoc As Word.Document =
CType(wrdApp.Documents.Add("CVSTemplate3.dot", False,
Word.WdDocumentType.wdTypeDocument, True), Word.Document)

Dim sqlQuery As String = "SELECT * FROM [tblEmployees] WHERE
EmployeeLastName LIKE '" & "Jones" & "';"

'' For ACCESS version
'Dim sDBPath As String = "C:\WORK\DBTestEmp.mdb"
'*********************** (A)
'Dim strConnect = System.Type.Missing
'*********************** (B)

'' FOR SQL SERVER Express version
Dim sDBPath As String = "C:\WORK\dbSQLEmpTest.mdf" '
**********************(C)
Dim strConnect As String = "Data
Source=c7e6i3;Database=dbSQLEmpTest;Integrated Security=True;" '
*********************(D)

Try
With wrdDoc.MailMerge
.MainDocumentType =
Word.WdMailMergeMainDocType.wdFormLetters
.OpenDataSource(Name:=sDBPath, Connection:=strConnect,
SQLStatement:=sqlQuery)
.Destination =
Word.WdMailMergeDestination.wdSendToNewDocument
.Execute(Pause:=False)
End With
Catch ex As Exception
MessageBox.Show(ex.Message)
End Try
wrdApp.Visible = True
End Sub

 

[Peter Jamieson]

it baffles me why I can't find any

explanation of these things on the Microsoft Help or elsewhere, and why
are
all the examples for Access files and none (that I could find) for SQL
Server

You are not alone, but I suspect it's because until recently most SQL Server
users would be corporates who are probably expected to be able to look after
themselves (i.e. have a technical support function).

Are there any good books on the
subject ?

The only reasonably in-depth coverage I have seen was written by me but is
in German (Microsoft Word-Programmierung - Das Handbuch. Entwicklung und
Automatisierung mit VBA, XML und VSTO (several authors), and its 2nd edition
successor.


For the connection strings themselves, www.connectionstrings.com is probably
the most useful site I know (NB, if your database appears in the relevant
SQL Server management tool, it isn't a "linked database" that would require
you to reference the .mdf in the connection string). However, Word is quite
picky about connecting to data sources, and AFAIK the site does not document
the .odc format.

One of these days I'll probably do my own web articles but there's quite a
lot to test and present!

--
Peter Jamieson
http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk

Thanks a lot Peter. Have not had chance to try it yet - but will as soon
as I
can. People like you are wonderful but it baffles me why I can't find any
explanation of these things on the Microsoft Help or elsewhere, and why
are
all the examples for Access files and none (that I could find) for SQL
Server
?. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong place. Are there any good books on the
subject ?

Yes I should have said that the Server is a localhost but you guessed that
correctly. Many thanks for your time and help. My partner is grateful as
well !!! Will let you know if it works or doesn't ! .
--
Poppa

Typically you do not access the .mdf file directly, but via the SQL
Server
database manager which in this case is probably running on your local
system. To do that from Word you provide either a .odc ("Office Data
Connection") file or a .udl "Universal Data Link" file, which in turn
contains the connection information.

..odc files can be created manually by clicking the New Source button in
the
Open Data Source dialog, selecting the "Microsoft SQL Server" option,
then
follow the dialogs. However, you can also try using a completely empty
.odc
file (e.g. create an empty .txt file in Notepad, save it, and rename it
to
empty.odc. Then (assuming you put that in c:\work) try

'' FOR SQL SERVER Express version

Dim sDBPath As String = "C:\WORK\empty.odc" '

**********************(C)

Dim strConnect As String = "Provider=SQLOLEDB.1;Data
Source=c7e6i3;Database=dbSQLEmpTest;Integrated Security=True;"

for the older SQL OLE DB provider

or maybe

Dim strConnect As String = "Provider=SQLNCLI;Data
Source=c7e6i3;Database=dbSQLEmpTest;Integrated Security=True;"

for the newer "Native Client".

For the Data Source parameter you will either need the machine name of
the
server - if that is c7e6i3 then you may be OK, or that name +
"\SQLEXPRESS",
e.g.

Data Source=c7e6i3\SQLEXPRESS

There may be more to it than that, but start there...

--
Peter Jamieson
http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk

using :
VS 2005 SE 2 ............ NOT VSTO
Word 2003
Office Interop v 10
Word Interop v 10


Trying to Mailmerge Word 2003 Document with Database.
1. With ACCESS.mdb works fine (lines (A) and (B) below active (C) and
(D)
commented out

2. With SQL Server get message about failed to connect. (C) and (D)
active
(A) and (B) commented out.

Using same Template file (CVSTemplate3.dot). Access and SQL server
Xpress
DBs have same tables and data

Also get a dialog box about "Header Record Delimiters" telling me Data
fields and Data Records must be separated by delimiters. Haven't the
faintest
idea what this refers to (sorry) . Can someone help please ? The
connection
string for the SQL Server version is the same as I use in the main
program
code to open the SQLServer Database - which works fine there, using
Windows
Authentification. Have trawled the MS website and others for info with
no
success. You are my last hope ! Help --- Please !!

Code snippets :

Private Sub btnOpenWord_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As
System.EventArgs) Handles btnOpenWord.Click
Dim wrdApp As Word.Application =
CType(CreateObject("Word.Application"), Word.Application)
Dim wrdDoc As Word.Document =
CType(wrdApp.Documents.Add("CVSTemplate3.dot", False,
Word.WdDocumentType.wdTypeDocument, True), Word.Document)

Dim sqlQuery As String = "SELECT * FROM [tblEmployees] WHERE
EmployeeLastName LIKE '" & "Jones" & "';"

'' For ACCESS version
'Dim sDBPath As String = "C:\WORK\DBTestEmp.mdb"
'*********************** (A)
'Dim strConnect = System.Type.Missing
'*********************** (B)

'' FOR SQL SERVER Express version
Dim sDBPath As String = "C:\WORK\dbSQLEmpTest.mdf" '
**********************(C)
Dim strConnect As String = "Data
Source=c7e6i3;Database=dbSQLEmpTest;Integrated Security=True;" '
*********************(D)

Try
With wrdDoc.MailMerge
.MainDocumentType =
Word.WdMailMergeMainDocType.wdFormLetters
.OpenDataSource(Name:=sDBPath, Connection:=strConnect,
SQLStatement:=sqlQuery)
.Destination =
Word.WdMailMergeDestination.wdSendToNewDocument
.Execute(Pause:=False)
End With
Catch ex As Exception
MessageBox.Show(ex.Message)
End Try
wrdApp.Visible = True
End Sub

 

[Poppa Bear]

Thanks for all your Help. I tried your suggestions with some success.

I tried setting up the .odc file through the Word Mail Merge wizard as
you suggested This seems to work OK as long as the strConnection parameter
is set to 'missing' in the OpenDataSource method.

Trying your other suggestion with an empty.odc file (NOT empty.odc.txt !)

I tried the following 3 scenarios with SDBPath set to "C:\WORK\empty.odc"
in each .

1) Dim strConnect As String = "Provider=SQLOLEDB.1;Data Source=c7e6i3;
Database=dbSQLEmpTest;Integrated Security=True;"

2) Dim strConnect As String = "Provider=SQLNCLI;Data Source=c7e6i3;
Database=dbSQLEmpTest;Integrated Security=True;"

3) Dim strConnect As String = "Provider=SQLNCLI;Data
Source=c7e6i3\SQLEXPRESS;
Database=dbSQLEmpTest;Integrated Security=True;"

In all 3 cases I get a 'Data Link Properties' dialog box appear.
If I work through the dialog to connect and then click the 'Test Connection'
button in each case it fails to connect.

However ........
In scenario 1) If I go to the Providers Tab in the 'Data Link Properties'
dialog and set this to SQL Native Client and then work through the boxes it
then
succeeds in the Test Connection and the subsequent Mail Merge !! Weird !
(Providers is already set to SQLNative in the other two scenarios)

As I can find no way to get round the dialog boxes and get a successful
connection I had to give up. I do have a solution (though not ideal)
in your first method for which I am very grateful.

Ideally I want all this to run from a Web Server but with the Word documents
being produced on the Clients machine. This however is I realise another
ball game way beyond the scope of this forum I think. I have a book
'Visual Studio Tools for Office' by Carter/Lippert which shows how to do
if from VSTO. However I don't want to go down the VSTO route if I can
help it. If you can point me in the direction of any good (non German !)
books or articles, then I would be grateful. However I suspect I already
know the answer to that.

Thanks again for all your help.

Poppa

--
Poppa

it baffles me why I can't find any
explanation of these things on the Microsoft Help or elsewhere, and why
are
all the examples for Access files and none (that I could find) for SQL
Server

You are not alone, but I suspect it's because until recently most SQL Server
users would be corporates who are probably expected to be able to look after
themselves (i.e. have a technical support function).

Are there any good books on the
subject ?

The only reasonably in-depth coverage I have seen was written by me but is
in German (Microsoft Word-Programmierung - Das Handbuch. Entwicklung und
Automatisierung mit VBA, XML und VSTO (several authors), and its 2nd edition
successor.


For the connection strings themselves, www.connectionstrings.com is probably
the most useful site I know (NB, if your database appears in the relevant
SQL Server management tool, it isn't a "linked database" that would require
you to reference the .mdf in the connection string). However, Word is quite
picky about connecting to data sources, and AFAIK the site does not document
the .odc format.

One of these days I'll probably do my own web articles but there's quite a
lot to test and present!

--
Peter Jamieson
http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk

Thanks a lot Peter. Have not had chance to try it yet - but will as soon
as I
can. People like you are wonderful but it baffles me why I can't find any
explanation of these things on the Microsoft Help or elsewhere, and why
are
all the examples for Access files and none (that I could find) for SQL
Server
?. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong place. Are there any good books on the
subject ?

Yes I should have said that the Server is a localhost but you guessed that
correctly. Many thanks for your time and help. My partner is grateful as
well !!! Will let you know if it works or doesn't ! .
--
Poppa

Typically you do not access the .mdf file directly, but via the SQL
Server
database manager which in this case is probably running on your local
system. To do that from Word you provide either a .odc ("Office Data
Connection") file or a .udl "Universal Data Link" file, which in turn
contains the connection information.

..odc files can be created manually by clicking the New Source button in
the
Open Data Source dialog, selecting the "Microsoft SQL Server" option,
then
follow the dialogs. However, you can also try using a completely empty
.odc
file (e.g. create an empty .txt file in Notepad, save it, and rename it
to
empty.odc. Then (assuming you put that in c:\work) try

'' FOR SQL SERVER Express version
Dim sDBPath As String = "C:\WORK\empty.odc" '
**********************(C)
Dim strConnect As String = "Provider=SQLOLEDB.1;Data
Source=c7e6i3;Database=dbSQLEmpTest;Integrated Security=True;"

for the older SQL OLE DB provider

or maybe

Dim strConnect As String = "Provider=SQLNCLI;Data
Source=c7e6i3;Database=dbSQLEmpTest;Integrated Security=True;"

for the newer "Native Client".

For the Data Source parameter you will either need the machine name of
the
server - if that is c7e6i3 then you may be OK, or that name +
"\SQLEXPRESS",
e.g.

Data Source=c7e6i3\SQLEXPRESS

There may be more to it than that, but start there...

--
Peter Jamieson
http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk

using :
VS 2005 SE 2 ............ NOT VSTO
Word 2003
Office Interop v 10
Word Interop v 10


Trying to Mailmerge Word 2003 Document with Database.
1. With ACCESS.mdb works fine (lines (A) and (B) below active (C) and
(D)
commented out

2. With SQL Server get message about failed to connect. (C) and (D)
active
(A) and (B) commented out.

Using same Template file (CVSTemplate3.dot). Access and SQL server
Xpress
DBs have same tables and data

Also get a dialog box about "Header Record Delimiters" telling me Data
fields and Data Records must be separated by delimiters. Haven't the
faintest
idea what this refers to (sorry) . Can someone help please ? The
connection
string for the SQL Server version is the same as I use in the main
program
code to open the SQLServer Database - which works fine there, using
Windows
Authentification. Have trawled the MS website and others for info with
no
success. You are my last hope ! Help --- Please !!

Code snippets :

Private Sub btnOpenWord_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As
System.EventArgs) Handles btnOpenWord.Click
Dim wrdApp As Word.Application =
CType(CreateObject("Word.Application"), Word.Application)
Dim wrdDoc As Word.Document =
CType(wrdApp.Documents.Add("CVSTemplate3.dot", False,
Word.WdDocumentType.wdTypeDocument, True), Word.Document)

Dim sqlQuery As String = "SELECT * FROM [tblEmployees] WHERE
EmployeeLastName LIKE '" & "Jones" & "';"

'' For ACCESS version
'Dim sDBPath As String = "C:\WORK\DBTestEmp.mdb"
'*********************** (A)
'Dim strConnect = System.Type.Missing
'*********************** (B)

'' FOR SQL SERVER Express version
Dim sDBPath As String = "C:\WORK\dbSQLEmpTest.mdf" '
**********************(C)
Dim strConnect As String = "Data
Source=c7e6i3;Database=dbSQLEmpTest;Integrated Security=True;" '
*********************(D)

Try
With wrdDoc.MailMerge
.MainDocumentType =
Word.WdMailMergeMainDocType.wdFormLetters
.OpenDataSource(Name:=sDBPath, Connection:=strConnect,
SQLStatement:=sqlQuery)
.Destination =
Word.WdMailMergeDestination.wdSendToNewDocument
.Execute(Pause:=False)
End With
Catch ex As Exception
MessageBox.Show(ex.Message)
End Try
wrdApp.Visible = True
End Sub

 

[Peter Jamieson]

<<
In scenario 1) If I go to the Providers Tab in the 'Data Link
Properties' dialog and set this to SQL Native Client and then work
through the boxes it then succeeds in the Test Connection and the
subsequent Mail Merge !! Weird !
Assuming this created a new .odc, maybe you should use that (.odc's are
human-readable HTML files so you should, for example, be able to extract
the connection string if you want to use that in an OpenDataSource
instead. If you post that connection string here I may be able to spot
something useful.)

FWIW as long as the supporting "behaviour" file DATACONN.HTC is in the
same folder as the .odc, you /may/ be able to open your data source
directly in Internet Explorer, which can be helpful when you are
testing. Some things to know about Word and .odc files, though:
a. When you have set up a data source using a .odc, the necessary
connection info. is actually embedded in the Word document. So when you
close and re-open the document, it will point at the original data
source, even if (for example) you have modified the .odc so that it
points to a different server. That might be a significant fact in a
web-based scenario.
b. Word does not take advantage of all the facilities in a .odc (e.g.
in a .odc you can define a SQL query, but I do not think Word honours it)

Ideally I want all this to run from a Web Server but with the Word documents
being produced on the Clients machine.

To produce the Word documents on the client machine using Word
mailmerge, the client currently has to have Word running locally.
Assuming you really want to host your SQL Server on your Web server, or
perhaps another web-based box, the real difficulty is that Word still
has to connect to that. FWIW I never managed to get Word to connect to
SQL Server beyond about v. 2005 I think without using Windows
authentication, so that may pose a problem in this case.

if from VSTO. However I don't want to go down the VSTO route if I can
help it.

VSTO is one possibility. Using .NET on the server side to construct
..docx format documents without the need to automate Word (which is in
effect what VSTO does) is another. I would try to find a group where
Cindy Meister is a regular contributor as she may have some useful
pointers on this one.


Peter Jamieson

http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk

 

[Poppa Bear]

Thanks again Peter lots of interesting detail there and interesting things to
investigate and try when time allows. Can't really thank you enough. Will
sign off this thread for now while I investigate further. I guess I'll be
back if (when) I get stuck again ! Many, many Thanks