Word 2000 vs Word 97

[Jeff Gambino]

I have a situation that needs some explaining and possibly
a code work around.

I have OLE2/VB processes,(that work fine as is), set up
for my users to generate and save mail merge documents on
the fly from and Oracle application.

When the OLE2/VB code was written to achieve this our
users were running Office 97. We have since switched to
Office 2000 and shortly we will be using 2003.

Although the OLE2/VB commands are running properly and the
letters are being generated as before, my users are, (as
all users can be), concerned that in the pre 2000/2003
days, when the OLE2/VB commands opened word, opened the
template, opened the data file then merged them into a
finished document, there was only one MS Word task
appearing on their task bar.

The template and data file were stacked behind the
finished mailmerge document on the task bar. So it
appeared to them as though there was only one thing on
their task bar.

Now, with 2000, and I suspect 2003, there are 3 MS Word
tasks appearing on the task bar, (template, datafile,
finished document).

I know it sounds trivial to you and me but users are
another animal. They're creatures of habit and don't like
changes no matter how small.

Is there any reason why this would happen?

Does 2000/2003 just work differently when managing word
documents through OLE2/VB commands?

Is there some OLE2/VB command or commands I can
incorporate into my application that will force 2000/2003
to act as 97 did?

Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi Jeff,

In Word 2000, Microsoft introduced the "pseudo-SDI interface"
(the multiple windows on the task bar). The users are going
to see this whenever they work with multiple Word documents,
as long as they're using only Word 2000. Romke Soldaat made a
utility that will suppress this interface in Word 2000, but I
hesitate to say you could use it with your merge app. you'd
have to test how it works out.

Word 2002 and 2003 have an option to use a single application
window (as in Word 97).

Note, however, that you could probably change your
application to close the "unneeded" windows. For example, you
probably wouldn't need to have the data document open? And if
you provide code for executing the mail merge to a new
document, that could also close the main merge document.

I have a situation that needs some explaining and possibly
a code work around.

I have OLE2/VB processes,(that work fine as is), set up
for my users to generate and save mail merge documents on
the fly from and Oracle application.

When the OLE2/VB code was written to achieve this our
users were running Office 97. We have since switched to
Office 2000 and shortly we will be using 2003.

Although the OLE2/VB commands are running properly and the
letters are being generated as before, my users are, (as
all users can be), concerned that in the pre 2000/2003
days, when the OLE2/VB commands opened word, opened the
template, opened the data file then merged them into a
finished document, there was only one MS Word task
appearing on their task bar.

The template and data file were stacked behind the
finished mailmerge document on the task bar. So it
appeared to them as though there was only one thing on
their task bar.

Now, with 2000, and I suspect 2003, there are 3 MS Word
tasks appearing on the task bar, (template, datafile,
finished document).

I know it sounds trivial to you and me but users are
another animal. They're creatures of habit and don't like
changes no matter how small.

Is there any reason why this would happen?

Does 2000/2003 just work differently when managing word
documents through OLE2/VB commands?

Is there some OLE2/VB command or commands I can
incorporate into my application that will force 2000/2003
to act as 97 did?

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

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[Guest]

After playing around with a few ideas that didn't work, I
took your advice and closed the un-needed documents. My
users are happy again. Thank you.